Experience the world in a way no land tour ever could allow by adventure cruising

In the next couple of years, at least a dozen new small ships will set off for some of the worlds most desirable (read: unspoilt and remote) destinations, each taking at most a few hundred rather than several thousand guests.

While exploring other countries, cultures and wildlife is still at the heart of adventure cruising, the biggest changes youll experience on the newest ships are the extraordinary levels of luxury onboard; accessibility to high-tech equipment such as mini-submarines and helicopters; and incredible advances in environmentally friendly marine operations.

Several major cruise companies have ordered new, purpose-built luxury expedition ships.

For example, Viking Ocean Cruises is adding two 378-passenger vessels to its fleet: Viking Octantis, which made her maiden Antarctic voyage in February, and Viking Polaris, due later this year.

MSC Cruises, which boasts some of the worlds biggest, glitziest cruise ships, has launched Explora Journeys, and the first ship of four, the 992-passenger Explora I, sets sail in May 2023.

Ultra-luxe cruise lines Seabourn and Silversea are adding ultra-luxe expedition vessels to their fleets.

The 264-passenger Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit come with every luxury expected by regular Seabourn guests. Plus, of course, custom-built submarines and the usual complement of Zodiacs, sea kayaks and dive equipment.

Guests on board Silverseas 200-passenger Silver Endeavour which the company describes as the most luxurious expedition ship at sea enjoy a 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio, butler service in every exceptionally spacious suite; classic Silversea restaurants and spa facilities; along with expedition equipment that includes a remote-operated vehicle for underwater filming.

Australian river cruise line Scenic made a big splash when it launched its first Discovery Yacht, Scenic Eclipse, in 2019. The first of two 228-passenger expedition ships, Scenic Eclipse has an impressive 10 restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, and a gym with a separate studio for yoga and Pilates. It also boasts two six-person helicopters plus a six-person submarine that can dive to 300 metres.

French company Ponant has been at the forefront of the luxury expedition business for some years. Its six Ponant Explorers, which accommodate a maximum of 184 passengers, feature the multi-sensory underwater Blue Eye lounge, the only one of its kind in the world. Ponants luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot, another world first, offers polar odysseys to the extreme ends of the southern and northern hemispheres in extreme comfort, naturellement.

The latest adventure ships are designed to be more energy efficient and environmentally sensitive than ever before.

Features include technologically advanced waste systems, dynamic positioning (to avoid damage caused by anchoring), and reduced emissions from the use of electric and LNG hybrid engines.

State-of-the-art laboratories on board Le Commandant Charcot are used by scientists for academic research, while many newer expedition ships have well-equipped labs for citizen science projects.

Many destinations are actually best experienced by ship it would be pretty challenging to navigate the Alaskan wilderness by road, or reach some far-flung islands in Asia and Africa other than by local ferries.

The Polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic are still high on many adventurous travellers wish lists.

Antarcticas wildlife, dramatic ice-scapes and maritime history are enthralling, and many travellers describe sailing to the uninhabited white continent as life-changing.

Experienced operators include Aurora Expeditions, Hurtigruten, Lindblad Expeditions, Ponant, Scenic, Seabourn, Silversea Expeditions and Quark Expeditions.

Its important to remember that a maximum of 100 guests can go ashore on Zodiac expeditions at any one time in Antarctica. and ships carrying more than 500 passengers are not allowed to make landings there.

Voyages in the Arctic, generally considered to encompass the area north of 60 degrees latitude, visit Norways Svalbard archipelago, Greenland, Arctic Canada, the Russian Arctic and Iceland.

This vast region is wildly varied in terms of culture, wildlife and geology: expect to meet Inuit communities in Greenland and Arctic Canada and see polar bears and reindeer in the furthest reaches of Norway. Most of the cruise companies that specialise in Antarctica also offer incredible Arctic itineraries.

Ever wanted to see giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas up close in their natural habitat? The Galapagos archipelago is the only place you can do that.

Earlier this year, the marine reserve was expanded to 196,834 square kilometres, to help protect endangered endemic and migratory species. Its now a great time to visit. Its a year-round destination; check out cruise lines such as Eco Ventura, Silversea Expeditions, Hurtigruten, Lindblad and Celebrity.

Considering that Asia is the worlds biggest and most diverse continent, the scope for adventure cruising is almost endless.

In Southeast Asia, Ponant, Coral Expeditions and Aqua Expeditions offer fantastic cruises. They visit remote Spice Islands and Raja Ampat, Komodo, Borneo and Sulawesi, just to name a few of Indonesias sought-after destinations. Malaysia, the Vietnamese coast and southern Thailand feature on Intrepids small-ship itineraries. East Asia Ponant will be cruising around Japans sub-tropical islands for the first time in 2023.

Ponants and Silverseas Expeditions luxury expedition cruises around Africa and the Indian Ocean cover a vast range of experiences. From Big Five safaris in South Africa to diving in the idyllic Seychelles to UNESCO World-Heritage sites in Zanzibar, youll visit some life changing destinations.

Coral Expeditions expanded its operations this year. Its newest ship,Coral Geographer, sails to Africa and the Indian Ocean on its Small Islands of the World series.

An increasing number of big, mainstream cruise ships sail Alaska every season. But, you can enjoy an in-depth (and uncrowded) experience with small-scale adventure cruise company UnCruise Adventures.

UnCruise has been operating in Alaska since 1996. Its safe to say the team knows pretty much everything about local culture, wildlife and the best off-grid places to hike, swim, fish and kayak.

UnCruise has eight ships in Alaska, ranging in size from the 22-passenger Safari Quest to the 84-passenger Safari Endeavour. Theyre all small enough to nose into fjords and coves that megaships cant access.

Closer to home, theres plenty to discover on an adventure cruise. Many Kiwis havent even heard of the sub-Antarctic Islands that lie to the south and east of New Zealand. The six main island groups the Bounty Islands, the Antipodes, the Snares, the Auckland Islands, Campbell Island and Macquarie Island attract intrepid travellers from around the world.

They are all Nature Reserves and World Heritage Sites, home to a wonderful array of wildlife. Theyve even described as the Galpagos of the Southern Ocean.

New Zealand family-owned Heritage Expeditions operates more cruises to the sub-Antarctic Islands than anyone else. Its been in the expedition business since 1985. Its traditional-style polar expedition ship, Heritage Adventurer, has been remodelled to accommodate 140 passengers. Meanwhile, the Heritage Explorer takes just 18.

The Kimberley is Australias largest wilderness area. Its rugged coastline, spectacular cliffs and gorges and wild rivers form the backdrop to the worlds oldest continuous culture.

Some of the Indigenous rock art youll see is thousands of years old. Natural phenomena such as Montgomery Reef and the Horizontal Falls are unlike anything else in the world.

For such a remote destination, there is a surprisingly large choice of adventure-cruise operators.

Australian companies include Coral Expeditions, True North, Great Escape and APT. Overseas lines include Heritage Expeditions, Lindblad, Ponant and Silversea Expeditions. Ponants 32-passenger three-masted motor yacht, Le Ponant, will make its Kimberley debut next season, promising to redefine barefoot luxury expeditions.