Cruise Frog guide
The best expedition cruise lines
The best expedition cruise line, on Cruise Frog's editorial ratings, is Swan Hellenic, at 3.7 out of 5. Lindblad Expeditions (3.4) and Atlas Ocean Voyages (3.3) follow. 8 rated lines are classed expedition, ranked by the fleet's overall score.
Ranking updated
Expedition: small ships to remote places, with naturalists and landings.
| # | Line | Style | Overall | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swan Hellenic3 rated ships | Expedition | 3.7 | Couples, History and culture, Adventure seekers |
| 2 | Lindblad Expeditions12 rated ships | Expedition | 3.4 | Adventure seekers, Couples, Families |
| 3 | Atlas Ocean Voyages3 rated ships | Expedition | 3.3 | Couples, Adventure seekers, Food lovers |
| 4 | Aurora Expeditions3 rated ships | Expedition | 3.2 | Adventure seekers, Solo travelers, Couples |
| 5 | HX Hurtigruten Expeditions5 rated ships | Expedition | 3.2 | Adventure seekers, Couples, History and culture |
| 6 | Oceanwide Expeditions4 rated ships | Expedition | 3.0 | Adventure seekers, Couples, Value seekers |
| 7 | Quark Expeditions2 rated ships | Expedition | 3.0 | Adventure seekers, Couples, Solo travelers |
| 8 | UnCruise Adventures9 rated ships | Expedition | 3.0 | Adventure seekers, Couples, Families |
Ranked by the fleet's overall score. Fleet scores average Cruise Frog's editorial ratings of each line's ships in service, 1 to 5; they are not reader reviews. How we rate.
Head to head
Quick answers
What is the best expedition cruise line?
The best expedition cruise line, on Cruise Frog's editorial ratings, is Swan Hellenic, at 3.7 out of 5.
Which expedition cruise lines rate highest?
The top three are 1. Swan Hellenic (3.7), 2. Lindblad Expeditions (3.4) and 3. Atlas Ocean Voyages (3.3), scored out of 5 on the fleet's overall score.
Which expedition cruise line is the best value?
Oceanwide Expeditions has the best value score of the lines on this list, 4.0 out of 5: what you get for the fare, extras included.
How does Cruise Frog rank cruise lines?
Each ship in service is scored 1 to 5 by Cruise Frog's editors on cabins, dining, entertainment, service, pools and decks, and value. A line's fleet rating is the average over its rated ships. This list ranks the lines classed expedition by the fleet's overall score. The scores are editorial, not averages of reader reviews.
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