expedition cruising with swan hellenic | antarctica | the arctic | Africa & the americas
Swan Hellenic
W hen a place finds its way onto your bucket list — say, Antarctica, the Arctic or coastal Africa — you don’t want to simply get there. You want the travel itself to be worthy of the destination. And that starts to narrow the field considerably. In short order, you’ll be looking at expedition cruising, i.e., the kind of voyage with less than 200 passengers, plus a staff of expert guides, on an adventure-equipped vessel meant to get you to — and through — some of the most remote stretches of wilderness on earth. All of which is a great start.
But what will make your experience a true standout? For starters, a cruise line that gives you the opportunity to travel in understated luxury while really immersing yourself in the local environment. And that's the purview of Swan Hellenic. Each of the fleet's three ships, which carry fewer than 200 guests per sailing, comes with a signature Swan’s Nest, a high-up and intimately scaled aerie where you'll have unobstructed panoramas that often feel like yours alone. From there, you’ll spot all kinds of wildlife (not least, seabirds at eye level), capture stunning photos or simply revel in the fresh breeze.
It stands to reason: When you’re looking for otherworldly experiences, you may have to travel to the ends of the earth — sometimes literally (as in polar travel); others figuratively (as in the clear, teeming waters and uninhabited islands of the Indian Ocean). And though the ends of the earth can be tough to navigate, expedition cruise ships are a notable exception. These vessels are small and nimble enough to go where their big sisters typically couldn’t dream of, but sturdy enough to handle the likes of polar ice and roomy enough to allow for wide-ranging adventure and relaxation. Imagine going from a polar kayaking excursion to an après-ice field sauna session, and you’ll start to get the idea.
That’s expedition cruising in a nutshell, but the fine points have been Swan Hellenic’s focus for the better part of a century, since the company’s first scholar-led exploration of Greek antiquities. (Thus the “Hellenic” part of the name; the Swan family owned the travel agency that launched the brand in postwar England.) Since those early days, the line has continued to foster a passion for explorers and exploration, largely through the renowned experts who serve as guest lecturers. Some are versed in local history, others in wildlife, and still others in a range of specialties. On select departures, that last group includes pros from three partner organizations, so you can experience not only the places you want to visit, but also, specific pursuits that suit your interests. Thanks, for example, to a new collaboration with Chopra, you can book an Explore and Restore wellness-themed cruise. Or perhaps you’d like to stargaze with esteemed scientists from the cosmos-focused SETI Institute. Or feast on the creations of JRE-affiliated chefs famed for exquisite dishes that work with nature’s bounty and minimize waste.
That culinary philosophy actually mirrors Swan Hellenic’s general ethos. Among the measures the line takes to protect and preserve the ecosystems it visits: energy-efficient ships that incorporate emission-reducing battery packs; dynamic positioning systems that preclude the need to drop anchor in fragile environments, Ecobal-certified cleaning products that are fully biodegradable; interior design that uses sustainable natural, recycled and recyclable materials; refillable glass water bottles (and for excursions, metal ones) that nullify the single-use plastic version; Citizen Science initiatives that give you a direct hand in protecting the places you visit; and World Wildlife Fund-approved catches for the fish dishes on offer at the restaurants, where everything else is sourced as locally as possible. None of which means these aren’t also wonderfully decadent-feeling ships. Each of the fleet’s three vessels houses, for starters, a sauna with large, wilderness-facing windows — precisely the kind of nature-immersive design detail the line prides itself on.
Why this is the line to trust with your bucket list
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Shoreline treks — sometimes to the remains of notable explorers’ settlements and graves, if your itinerary and weather conditions allow — are just some of the adventures you can have here. Others include kayaking amidst beautiful berg fields, Zodiac cruising past calving glaciers; and plunging into polar waters. Back on board, there are countless ways to warm up: the sauna with the view, the Jacuzzi, a hot beverage in the window-happy space of your choosing — or just getting cozy with a book in the library. But there’s always the temptation to bundle back up and head for the Swan’s Nest to experience your surroundings from a privileged and panoramic perch, or to another deck to look out for whales, seabirds and other wildlife. And you’ll have experts on hand to not only help with those sightings, but to contextualize and enrich them with the intel shared during the robust schedule of presentations. Of course, those same pros are just as happy to share their knowledge in casual conversations, which tend to happen organically on a small ship with a relaxed atmosphere and ample spaces to chill with a cocktail or afternoon tea.
Depending on the itinerary you choose — and the luck you have — you may become an expert at telling king penguins apart from emperors, and differentiating among adélies, chinstraps, macaronis, gentoos, rockhoppers and Magellanics. Of course, penguins are merely the most famous ambassadors of the local animal kingdom. Other members you’re likely to meet in droves when you’re out on a Swan Hellenic Zodiac tour, among other excursions: seals (from the elephant to the leopard varieties, the former epically cantankerous; the latter eerily stealth); seabirds (which may include majestic albatrosses and will almost certainly include screeching skuas); whales (humpback, minke, orcas, sperm, fin, blue and southern right whales are all possibilities); and at the opposite end of the size spectrum, Antarctic krill — swarming, reddish microscopic crustaceans that almost everyone else here considers a dietary requirement, as you can’t help but notice when you’ve spent enough time, say, walking along penguin-populated shores. Coming back from excursions smelling of time well spent among these creatures (and dappled in seawater from the Zodiac rides), you'll feel especially grateful for the free launderette at your disposal — a rare perk that you'll likely put to good use.
For many, the White Continent is the final one to check off, and as you’ll find, it’s worth the wait, regardless of which Swan Hellenic offering you choose: expedition cruises that include the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; the Weddell Sea Discovery through the icy waters where Ernest Shackleton’s ship was famously trapped more than a century ago; or a Grand Voyage between the southernmost tips of South America and Africa, with particularly rare wildlife-spotting possibilities among the volcanic islands of Tristan da Cunha. Ranging from nine nights to three weeks, these options will lead you to a continent that may be known for a preponderance of sparkling white, but whose thousand shades of blue will dazzle you as well. There’s everything from the incandescent — almost ghostly — suggestion of ultramarine embedded deep in certain glaciers to the most convincingly Caribbean turquoise shot through some of the local waters. The wildlife defies expectations, too. You know there will be penguins, but nothing prepares you for the sheer quantity, variety and often, proximity that you’ll experience when Swan Hellenic’s staff get you out amongst them.
For the cosmos-curious, consider the Svalbard departure that partners with the SETI Institute, when the chair of Astrophysics at the University of Manchester will serve as your guide to the galaxy (and beyond). Then again, you can’t go wrong on any of Swan Hellenic’s Svalbard sailings, where the remote and ravishing islands of Norway’s high Arctic will introduce you to midnight sun-illuminated wildflowers and wildlife (you’ll have good chances of seeing polar bears, beluga whales and walruses, for starters). And these are just some of the characters you’ll be learning about in the onboard talks; there’s a lot of North Pole expedition lore in these parts, so the history you’ll be learning from Swan Hellenic’s pros is (almost) as fascinating as the surroundings.
The rest of the menagerie is amazing in its own right, and the experts at Swan Hellenic will maximize your chances of experiencing it (always from a respectful distance). Think Arctic fox, walrus, reindeer, sea lions, seals and puffins, to name a few. Even the whales in this part of the world are extra special. Think belugas, bowheads and even the unicorns of the Arctic: narwhals (IYKYK, especially if you have any little kids in your life with extensive stuffed animal and picture book collections). The surrounding land- and sea-scapes include dramatic islands, glaciers and mountains — sometimes illuminated by the Northern lights, if circumstances cooperate. By day, you can explore the surreal scenery by Zodiac, kayak and even snowmobile, before returning to the warmth of the steam room and sauna, or the coziness of the library and lounge spaces — or simply the comforts (and views) of your own stateroom sofa. Or get back out on deck (or to the Swan’s Nest), where the intel you’ve picked up during lectures and presentations will make your wildlife sightings all the more meaningful to you.
If penguins are the most famous fauna of Antarctic cruising, polar bears are the A-Listers of the Arctic, and surely top your list of reasons to visit. And as in Antarctica, Swan Hellenic offers various ways to do so — one being the 17-day Canadian Northwest Passage & Northern Lights, with highlights that include Greenland’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed (and iceberg-rich) Ilulissat Icefjord; Canada’s snow-capped mountain-studded Baffin Island; and the Northwest Passage’s Sam Ford Fjord, all towering cliffs and crystalline waters. Another great option: the 16-day Canadian Arctic & Northern Lights cruise exploring the Canadian Arctic, where — amidst the endless parade of natural wonders — there’s also ample opportunity to learn about local Inuit life. A major component, of course, is the relationship between these communities and the surrounding wildlife, which is hardly limited to polar bears.
Not that you need travel as far as Africa for a warm-weather expedition cruise for the ages. To immerse yourself in the varied cultures and landscapes of the Caribbean, take an October expedition cruise from Dutch St. Maarten to French St. Barts via the jungle-carpeted volcanic peaks of Saint Lucia, the eminently snorkelable waters of the Tobago Cays, the lush rainforests of Guadeloupe and the historic shipwrecks of Barbados for starters. That same month could take you from Saint Martin to Barbados on a journey scented with essential oils in Martinique, flavoured with organic farm fare in Saint Lucia and tinted with more shades of turquoise than you can count — even from your privileged perch up in the Swan's Nest.
Then again, the west coast of Africa beckons, as do various Swan Hellenic explorations of it. On the Coastal Treasures of Southwest Africa cruise, for example, you’ll sail from Cape Town up the coast of Namibia, home to otherworldly dunes, flamingos by the thousands and a unique German-African cultural blend. The cruise ends in Angola’s capital of Luanda, where landmarks range from a 16th-century Portuguese fortress to Gustave Eiffel's Iron Palace. Heading up the coast from Angola, another cruise — Unspoilt Wilds of Southwest Africa — introduces you to all kinds of treasures: In the Republic of Congo’s Pointe-Noire, you can trace Congolese cuisine from the stands of the Grand Marché to the waterfront restaurants of the Côté Sauvage; among the mangroves of Gabon’s Nyanga river, a traditional tree trunk canoe may lead you to monkey and manatee encounters; in the Gulf of Guinea's Sao Tome, a wander around the rainforested volcanic isle will reveal everything from waterfalls to wildlife; and in Benin’s Cotonou, the Dantokpa market serves as a fascinating primer on the sacred local voodoo culture.
When your wanderlust leans toward sunnier spots, expedition cruising may also be the best way to go — particularly when you consider the highlights of Swan Hellenic’s offerings (complete with all the historic, natural and cultural expertise you’d expect) off the east coast of Africa. These include late October’s Paradise Isles of the Indian Ocean, i.e., the Edenic Seychelles, the giant tortoise-inhabited Aldabra Atoll and the teeming turquoise waters off Zanzibar and Kenya. And for those who don’t want to disembark at that point — or for newcomers to that stretch of the coast — the next cruise promises all manner of additional wonder. Madagascar and Its Islands visits not only the titular land of the lemurs (which is also home to kaleidoscopic chameleons, towering baobabs and fearsome fossas), but also the Aldabra Atoll and bustling seaside capital of Maputo in Mozambique.
Bijoutier Island in the Seychelles
Antarctic Peninsula panorama during a day ashore
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and Swan Hellenic
Antarctica
The Arctic
Africa & the Americas
Swan Hellenic ship in the ice-filled Weddell Sea, Antarctica
Adélie Penguins
Iceberg
Plan your trip
Penguins in Antarctica
Ocean view cabin with balcony
Curtiss Bay, Antarctica
Explore & Restore in partnership with Chopra
Kayaking in the Weddell Sea
Humpback whale
Svalbard shore excursion
Arab League Park in Casablanca, Morocco
St. Lucia
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South Shetlands
Penguins in Antarctica
Geirangerfjord, Norway
Bijagos Island in Ginea Bissau | photo credit: Crossfingers Studio
Fur seal (left); Blue-eyed shag (right)
Onboard Sauna
Polar plunge
Polar bear (left); Arctic fox (right)
Club Lounge (left); Expedition Lab (right)
Gym (left); Expedition Lab (right)
Heated pool (left); The Swan Restaurant (right)
Observation Lounge (left); Stargazing with the SETI Institute (right)
Lobito, Angola - Coastal Africa
Lemurs (left); Baobab trees (right)
Dunes in the Namib Desert
Flamingos
São Tomé and Príncipe
Among the many other outdoor spaces that connect you to nature on a Swan Hellenic ship is the aptly named Stargazing Deck, ideal for admiring the night sky. The fleet's indoor spaces — chic and comfortable in equal measure — are adept at bringing the outdoors in, whether you’re listening to a lecture and sipping a cocktail in the Observation Lounge or taking in the panorama through a picture window in the sauna. Wherever you go on board, the vibe is informal and friendly, making socializing easy (a big plus for solo voyagers). And you’ll find that it’s not just your fellow travellers who are fun and easy to talk to: The expedition team is just as approachable — in addition to being deeply knowledgeable and passionate about exploration. Indeed, since its founding about 70 years ago in the UK, this cruise company has always placed a premium on introducing travellers to off-the-beaten-path places with the experts who know them best. For the details on how that translates on and off the ships, read on.
The Swan's Nest, onboard SH Vega, The Arctic
With so few fellow passengers on board, that sense of crowdlessness will characterize everything you do. Getting on and off the ship to board Zodiacs is remarkably quick and efficient: Small groups that leave one at a time let you get close to nature and wildlife (though you'll always keep a respectful distance, of course) and make the most out of each outing. Weather permitting, guided kayak expeditions through spectacular settings are also an option for an extra fee. Back on board, you can warm up at the sauna or in a Jacuzzi or steam room — just a few of the comforts you might not expect on a boutique ship. Other such spots include a pool, ample dining and cocktail-drinking spaces; roomy guest suites (in addition to comfortable staterooms of various sizes and configurations); a library and — to the delight of photography fans in particular — an Expedition Lab.
Onboard sauna
Polar kayaking
expedition cruising with swan hellenic | antarctica | the arctic | Africa & the americas
expedition cruising with swan hellenic | antarctica | the arctic | Africa & the americas
expedition cruising with swan hellenic | antarctica | the arctic | Africa & the americas