Wildlife and animals

This is not an audit of every concessionaire in every port. It is not a certification, a membership, or a charity. We do not claim any of those.

What we will not put in a proposal

• Riding a wild animal, including elephant riding, camel riding sold as a show, or ostrich riding.
• A show that makes an animal perform, including a dolphinarium.
• Swimming with captive cetaceans, or any “swim with” sold as entertainment.
• A wildlife cafe, or any setting where a wild animal is handled, baited, chained, or posed for a photograph.
• Direct contact with primates, big cats, elephants, or cetaceans as entertainment.
• A shop stop whose purpose is shell, ivory, coral, tortoiseshell, horn, feathers, or exotic skin.
• An excursion whose description is ambiguous on any of the above, such as “meet the elephants”, “private encounter”, or “swim with”. If we cannot tell, we leave it out and we tell you why.

If you ask for one of these, we will say no. We will not shop for a softer version of the same thing.

What we will plan

Observation at a distance, under the operator's permit and the line's landing rules. Look, do not touch, do not feed.

On Antarctica and Arctic sailings, a zodiac landing or a guided watch goes in the plan only when the operator is working under the line's published landing protocol, including the distance the expedition leader sets. We point you to that protocol. We do not replace the expedition leader, and we do not negotiate the distance down. Ice, wildlife, or weather can cancel a landing on the day. That decision is the line's.

Alaska, the Norwegian fjords, and other wildlife coasts follow the same rule. A naturalist talk on board is fine. A baited approach is not.

Fishing, if a line offers it, follows that operator's catch rules. We do not add a fishing excursion the line does not stand behind.

We do not guarantee a sighting.

What we ask of you

Do not feed wildlife. Food teaches animals to approach boats and people. Do not break a distance rule for a photograph. Do not fly a drone where the line or the landing rules forbid it. Polar regions and many wildlife coasts ban them. Do not buy shell, coral, ivory, horn, feathers, or exotic skin. Many of those items are illegal to bring home.

How this sits with the rest of the plan

When two ships fit the same brief, we prefer the line that publishes a wildlife rule consistent with this page. That preference is a planning choice. It is described at How we choose. Fuel, waste, and crew welfare sit with the cruise line. We do not claim them.

If you want a sailing with no animal excursion at all, say so at the start and we will shortlist on that basis.

The fact sheet the line gives us at the time of your proposal is the one we rely on. If it later changes, we pass on the change. We do not rate ships on this page.