If bingo halls and musical shows just aren’t your thing, and you’d rather be standing on deck looking out at the landscape rather than inwards at the pool, then an expedition cruise might be for you.

Offering adventure and exploration in off-the-beaten-track locations, this niche sector of the cruise market is growing in popularity. The destination is the star, with every element of the itinerary and ship life geared towards maximising guests’ appreciation and understanding of the landscapes outside the window.

Ships tend to be small with shallow hulls, enabling them to get close to coastal and river sights and into tight ports. Shore excursions are real adventures and are often taken on foot with few of the ‘frills’ you might expect on a mainstream cruise. Many landings are made via inflatable zodiac boats, which require a certain amount of agility on behalf of the guests, and are often onto beaches with no piers.

An expedition cruise is manned by a totally different team than you’d expect on a resort ship. The cruise director is replaced by an expedition leader, an expert in his or her field and in the region the ship is cruising. Working with the expedition leader is a team of experts – biologists, geologists and even anthropologists whose knowledge fits the itinerary and who make interesting guides onshore and evening lecturers back on the ship.

Popular regions for expedition cruising are the Arctic, Alaska, the Galapagos Islands and the South Pacific, and the ultimate adventure destination – Antarctica. Inland waterways offer similar adventure with expedition cruises available on rivers including the Amazon and the Yangtze.

Until recently, taking an expedition cruise meant sacrificing some the comforts associated with a mainstream cruise. But cruise lines are now combining exploration and destination-focused adventure with quality cuisine and sophisticated service passengers expect from the cruise industry.

Ask your ACE travel agent for details.