The Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) recognised excellence across the expedition cruise industry at the first ever dedicated awards for the industry on Tuesday 1 October at the Bankside Hotel in London, held as part of the Expedition Cruise Conference on 1 & 2 October.
Ireland’s own expedition cruise expert, John Galligan, was in attendance and was honoured to speak in a panel discussion on his experience and expertise in the expedition cruise sector.
The Expedition Cruise Awards featured seven categories for expedition cruises lines, five categories for travel trade, and an additional two special recognition awards. All expedition cruise categories were voted for by ECN travel trade members while the travel trade categories were judged by a panel made up of expedition cruise lines that form part of the Expedition Cruise Network.
Full details of the Expedition Cruise Awards categories and their respective winners can be found below:
Winners of the Expedition Cruise Operator Categories
- Best expedition cruise operator for the polar destinations – Oceanwide Expeditions
- Best expedition cruise operator for warm weather destinations – HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
- Best expedition cruise operator for luxury – PONANT
- Best expedition cruise operator for sustainability – Oceanwide Expeditions
- Best large expedition cruise operator (600+ berths in overall fleet) – HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
- Best medium expedition cruise operator (150 – 599 berths in overall fleet) – Oceanwide Expeditions
- Best small expedition cruise operator (up to 149 berths in overall fleet) – Polar Latitudes
Winners of the Travel Trade Categories
- Best Expedition Cruise Agency category – Polar Tracks
- Best Expedition Cruise Tour Operator (ATOL bonded) – Swoop Antarctica
- Best Individual Expedition Cruise Seller/Travel Advisor – Lucy Yeoman
- Best Newcomer to Expedition cruise – travel agency or tour operator – Kenwood Travel
- Best Individual Newcomer to Expedition Cruise – cruise seller/advisor – Sarah Meadowcroft
Winners of the Special Recognition Awards Categories
- Lifetime Achievement Award – John McKeon
- Significant Achievement Award– AE Expeditions
ECN chairman, Martin Johnson remarked “It’s an honour to be in a position to champion the outstanding members of the sector at our first ever dedicated awards for the expedition cruise industry. Our goal is to recognise, celebrate, and share the hard work of these expedition cruise line operators, sellers and individuals with the wider travel industry. My congratulations go out to each of the winners and I hope they can emulate their success ready for next year’s awards.”
Expedition Cruise Travel Trends
- Polar Regions including Greenland and Alaska tipped for 2025
- Warm weather top hits for 2025 include Galapagos, Africa, Seychelles, India & Pacific Islands
- Average price of an expedition cruise: £7,300 (approx. €8,700)
- Average booking window of 9 months
Antarctica and the Arctic regions of Svalbard, Alaska and Greenland are all tipped to see the most growth by Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) members.
Despite the appetite for cold water expeditions, warm waters are also deemed to see strong growth in 2025. The top destination of the Galapagos Islands is seeing renewed growth following a dip caused by Ecuador’s State of Emergency earlier in 2024, while demand from the travel trade (reported by the ECN in 2023) to see Africa included in expedition cruise itineraries has started to be met both with Swan Hellenic’s Southwest Africa and West African itineraries while Aqua Expeditions has announced new East Africa trips.
ECN CEO Akvile Marozaite said: “Our 2024/2025 travel trends really prove how diverse the expedition cruise industry is. Expedition cruise has become known for opening up polar regions, and together with new airports in Greenland, this continues, but warm weather expedition cruise has only just begun to light the touch paper of consumers’ imagination and enthusiasm, and I believe there is a great many opportunities out there for travel trade professionals to take in 2025. I am personally very excited by the new opportunities, destinations and products our conference exhibitors are bringing to the UK travel trade and wish all the greatest success.”
