Luxury cruises
Expedition comfort around Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard, without giving up the butler.
The Arctic is where luxury expedition ships earn their keep: zodiac landings in Greenland's fjords, polar bears in Svalbard, and Iceland's coast circled in a week with a geologist on the microphone. The ships are small, the days are active, and the suites are as comfortable as anything in the Mediterranean.
Best for curious adults and families with teenagers who will relish the landings. Young children and anyone who wants to be left alone by the sun loungers should look elsewhere.
Highlights
Planning figure for a typical week in a veranda suite. Final price depends on sailing date, ship, suite and availability.
Start PlanningTeenagers only, on Silversea or Ponant expedition ships.
Active grandparents love it; we check the landing programme against mobility honestly.
Best cruise lines here
Butler-served suites, serious destinations, and one of the strongest expedition fleets afloat.
Small, sociable, quietly luxurious ships, with a sister expedition fleet.
French small ships and a true polar icebreaker, with a children's programme in the summer holidays.
All-inclusive discovery yachts with helicopters and a submersible, plus a well-regarded river fleet.
Calm, adults-only ships with Scandinavian design and an excursion included in every port.
How to choose
Derived from our own ratings of the lines above, not from brochures.
Silversea, Seabourn and Ponant are small-ship; Scenic is yacht-style; Viking is mid-size. Smaller ships reach the smaller harbours in Iceland & the Arctic; larger ones carry more for children and more dining choice.
Ponant, Scenic and Viking keep it relaxed. Ask us which suits the party before anything else.
Ponant rates highest with us for families here; Seabourn, Scenic and Viking are effectively adults-only. Children's facilities vary more than brochures suggest; we will say which ships really have them.
Silversea, Seabourn, Ponant and Scenic lead on food in our experience of Iceland & the Arctic sailings.
Land & sea
A long flight deserves a soft landing. We build the nights before embarkation and after disembarkation into the same plan: the hotel, the transfers, a day or two on land, all booked by the same specialist.
Glaciers, black sand, and a lodge with the weather outside.
Hot pools, big windows, and the glacier across the plain.
Glaciers, black beaches, and hot pools, with a guide who makes the weather part of it.
Connecting suites, different activity levels, dining that works for everyone, and transfers that suit grandparents and toddlers alike. The best family suites go first, so start early.
Good to know
Able to step in and out of a zodiac with crew help and walk on uneven ground. Many landings have gentle options, and you can always stay aboard. We discuss this frankly before recommending a ship.
Don't spend thirty hours comparing forty ships, cabins, dates, flights and hotels. Give us five minutes and we'll narrow it down to what is worth considering.