Ways to cruise
Zodiac landings, a team of naturalists and a ship built for ice, with a suite, a butler and a serious wine list waiting when you come back aboard.
Free initial consultation · Personally planned · No obligation
Expedition cruising used to mean a converted research vessel and a bunk. The newest ships from Silversea, Seabourn, Ponant and Scenic have changed that entirely: ice-class hulls, submarines and helicopters on some, and the kind of suites and dining you would expect in the Mediterranean.
The destination still sets the terms. Weather decides landings, itineraries are plans rather than promises, and days are physical. We recommend expedition ships for fit grandparents, couples who have done the obvious, and families with teenagers old enough to appreciate a penguin colony. Not for under-tens, and we will say so.
Is this your kind of ship?
Tell us who's travelling. We'll say whether expedition is the right way to cruise for your party, and if it isn't, what is.
Ask a Cruise SpecialistAntarctica, the Arctic and the far north with a luxury ship under you: zodiacs and naturalists by day, a proper dinner by night. Best for active grandparents and older teenagers.
Anyone who wants guaranteed itineraries, warm water, or a holiday with young children.
Cruise lines
Honest ratings on every line page, including who each one isn't for.
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.
Luxury doesn't mean every ship suits every traveller. We'll tell you if we think a cruise isn't a good fit, even if that means recommending something else.
Where we'd sail
The trip of a lifetime, planned a year ahead and done in real comfort.
Expedition comfort around Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard, without giving up the butler.
No long flight, dramatic scenery from your terrace, and a season made for grandparents.
Glaciers, whales and bears from a small ship, with a pre-cruise stop in Vancouver.
Cruise ideas
Planning figures per person, not quotes. Final price depends on sailing date, suite and availability.
No flight, a small sociable ship, and scenery from the veranda from breakfast to midnight.
The trip of a lifetime with a butler, zodiac landings twice a day and a fly-cruise option across the Drake.
How it works
No obligation. No pressure. Just a conversation about what would work for your party.
Two to five minutes online, or a call. Who's travelling, roughly when, and what matters most.
A cruise specialist talks it through: the party, the occasion, the budget, and anything that worries you.
Not forty options. Two or three we'd actually recommend, with the reasons, and the ones we'd avoid for you.
Cruise, suites, flights, hotels before and after, transfers, excursions, dining and any celebration on board.
Nothing is booked until you're happy with the plan and the price.
Documents, confirmations, requests to the ship, and one person to call before and during the voyage.
Good to know
Able to climb in and out of a zodiac with help and walk on uneven ground. Many landings have a gentle option, and the ship itself is as comfortable as any luxury vessel.
November to March. Early season for pristine ice, January and February for penguin chicks and whales. Suites on the best ships sell a year or more ahead.
Generally from about twelve upwards, and ideally older. Most lines set a minimum age and the days are long. For younger children we would suggest Alaska on a larger luxury ship instead.
Why Blackbury
Hundreds of sailings, a handful worth your party's time. We do the narrowing down.
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Not all luxury cruises are alike. We know the difference between the lines and find the ship that actually suits your party, travel style and budget.
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Flights, suites, hotels before and after, transfers, excursions, dining and special requests, handled together as one plan.
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One specialist owns your trip from the first conversation to the day you get home. You are never passed around a call centre.
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Travelling with three generations? We plan around different ages, interests, energy levels and mobility needs.
Cruise guides and inspiration
Our own planning notes on the lines in this style.
Which ships work when the party spans seventy years, what to look for in a children's programme, and the itineraries we would start with.
Crowds, buffets, seasickness, feeling trapped, dressing for dinner, children underfoot and the price. What is true of a 3,000-guest ship is mostly untrue of a 300-guest one. Here is what we tell first-time guests.
The configurations that work for parties of four to twelve, why connecting suites matter more than cabin grade, and what to do when they are gone.
Other ways to cruise
Couples and small parties who want a private-club feel, small harbours and the least 'cruise' of any cruise. Few children's facilities.
Grandparents, couples and adult families: calm, polished, ports the big ships cannot reach. Limited provision for younger children.
Three generations at once: real children's spaces, more restaurants, connecting suites and room to disappear. Still all-suite and quiet by design.
First-timers and anyone who dislikes open sea: a new town every morning, no tenders, and the whole boat small enough to feel like a house party.
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.