USA TODAY 10Best
Best cruise line for adventure? Readers vote Adventure Canada
Best Adventure Cruise Line (2018)
If you think cruising is all about lounging on the lido deck, piña colada in hand, think again. With these 10 cruise companies, nominated as the best in the industry by our panel of cruise experts and voted to the top by readers, cruising becomes an adventure for active travelers, where exploring an exotic destination might involve kayaking through remote fjords, getting up close and personal with ice bergs aboard a Zodiac or walking atop a glacier.
The top 10 winners in the Best Adventure Cruise Line category are as follows:
- Celebrity Cruises
- International Expeditions
- Lindblad Expeditions / National Geographic
- Aurora Expeditions
- UnCruise Adventures
- Zegrahm Expeditions
- G Adventures
- Quark Expeditions
- One Ocean Expeditions
- Adventure Canada
Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises
No. 10:
While Celebrity Cruises is well-known as one of the world's top ocean cruise lines, they also cater to adventure travelers with itineraries to the Galapagos Islands aboard the small ship Celebrity Xpedition, Xperience and Xploration. The line also sails nine itineraries in Alaska and a sailing around Cape Horn in South America.
Photo courtesy of International Expeditions
No. 9:
Active travelers with International Expeditions might find themselves sailing the Galapagos, exploring the glaciers and peaks of Patagonia, cruising along the Peruvian Amazon or getting nose to beak with penguins in Antarctica. Some of the world's top naturalist guides lead excursions to hike, bird watch, kayak or snorkel in more than 20 countries around the globe.
Photo courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions
No. 8:
Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic have partnered up to take cruisers on eco-adventures to some of the world's most spectacular natural places, including the Galapagos, Baja Peninsula, Iceland and Antarctica. Each sailing includes an experienced expedition team onboard of world-class photographers, naturalists, biologists and historians to enhance the experience.
Photo courtesy of Aurora Expeditions
No. 7:
Aurora Expedition sails to the polar regions and other wild and remote places aboard small ships with flexible, innovative itineraries. The company has been a pioneer in expedition travel, introducing onshore experiences like scuba diving or climbing in Antarctica. Onboard naturalists, historians, staff and crew help passengers gain insight into these remote regions.
Photo courtesy of UnCruise Adventures
No. 6:
Adventure travel has always been the name of the game at UnCruise Adventures, a company that has been leading responsible small-ship journeys for more than two decades. Destinations include Alaska, the Galapagos, the Sea of Cortes and the Pacific Northwest.
Photo courtesy of Zegrahm Expeditions
No. 5:
Inquisitive travelers turn to Zegrahm Expeditions to explore the far corners of the globe aboard small-ship cruises; scuba dive in Tahiti, meet penguin colonies in South Georgia, search for humpback whales in the Antarctic Circle or explore the wild island of Hokkaido in Japan.
Photo courtesy of G Adventures
No. 4:
G Adventures is a leader in responsible travel and tourism to destinations throughout the world. A small ship cruise with this company geared toward active, adventurous travelers might involve an ecological exploration of the Galapagos, sailing to Thailand and the Maldives, a journey to the polar regions or a river cruise through India or the Amazon.
Photo courtesy of David Merron, Quark Expeditions
No. 3:
Quark Expeditions has been taking adventure travelers to the polar regions since 1991 and continues to operate the largest and most advanced fleet of adventure ships in these two regions. Each Adventure Ship facilitates experiences like sea kayaking, camping, cross country skiing and mountaineering in some of the planet's most stunning landscapes.
Photo courtesy of One Ocean Expeditions
No. 2:
One Ocean Expeditions specializes in personalized journeys to the Canadian Arctic and East Coast, Greenland, Falkland Islands, Svalbard, South Georgia and Antarctica aboard a fleet of three expedition ships.
Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt
No. 1:
While Adventure Canada does indeed lead small ship adventures through the rivers, icy fjords and secluded waterways of Canada, this adventure cruise company also takes travelers to experience landscapes and cultures further afield, places like Scotland, Iceland, Ireland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Don and Heidi Bucolo (EatSleepCruise.com), Carrie Finley Bajak (CruiseBuzz.net), Danielle Fear (Cruise Miss), Sherry Laskin (CruiseMaven.com), Jason Leppert (Popular Cruising), Chris Owen, Doug Parker (Cruise Radio) and Ming Tappin (Your Cruise Coach) were chosen for their knowledge of the cruising industry.
Congratulations to all these winning adventure and expedition cruise line.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Carrie Finley Bajak
Carrie Finley is a cruise travel writer who lives... Read More
Carrie Finley is a cruise travel writer who lives in Southern California. Carrie cruises around the world and reports about her adventures on CruiseBuzz.net and via social media where she shares cruise news, tips and insight from the ships and ports. Carrie has curated small ship and river cruise experiences for AFAR.com and is frequently a guest Blogger-at-Large for cruise lines.
Carrie Finley Bajak
Carrie Finley is a cruise travel writer who lives in Southern California. Carrie cruises around the world and reports about her adventures on CruiseBuzz.net and via social media where she shares cruise news, tips and insight from the ships and ports. Carrie has curated small ship and river cruise experiences for AFAR.com and is frequently a guest Blogger-at-Large for cruise lines.
Chris Owen
Chris Owen is a photojournalist from Florida... Read More
Chris Owen is a photojournalist from Florida charged with sharing frank, inside information about cruise vacations with travelers. Also certified a Master Cruise Counselor by the Cruise Lines International Association, Chris offers a unique perspective; tapping his behind-the-scenes working knowledge of cruise vacations. Beginning his cruise history as a family vacation option, Chris has written his way through a variety of cruise lines, ships and itineraries. His goal is simple: to never forget that travel has a positive impact on our world, and to introduce cruising to as many people as possible.
Chris Owen
Chris Owen is a photojournalist from Florida charged with sharing frank, inside information about cruise vacations with travelers. Also certified a Master Cruise Counselor by the Cruise Lines International Association, Chris offers a unique perspective; tapping his behind-the-scenes working knowledge of cruise vacations. Beginning his cruise history as a family vacation option, Chris has written his way through a variety of cruise lines, ships and itineraries. His goal is simple: to never forget that travel has a positive impact on our world, and to introduce cruising to as many people as possible.
Danielle Fear
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized... Read More
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized and trusted cruise bloggers and is better known to her audience as CruiseMiss. As well as maintaining an award-winning cruise blog, she also works as a freelance writer, content manager and social media professional covering all aspects of sea travel. Having embarked on more than 75 sailings, including 2 world cruises, it’s fair to say that Danielle knows a thing or two about cruising.
Danielle Fear
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized and trusted cruise bloggers and is better known to her audience as CruiseMiss. As well as maintaining an award-winning cruise blog, she also works as a freelance writer, content manager and social media professional covering all aspects of sea travel. Having embarked on more than 75 sailings, including 2 world cruises, it’s fair to say that Danielle knows a thing or two about cruising.
Don and Heidi Bucolo
Don and Heidi Bucolo are the husband and wife team... Read More
Don and Heidi Bucolo are the husband and wife team behind EatSleepCruise.com. Their love for cruising began after taking their first cruise together back in 2007. Having spent over 180 days at sea on more than 30 cruises with various cruise brands, they have learned a thing or two about planning and executing the perfect cruise vacation. The couple was voted as one of Porthole Cruise's Top 10 Cruise Influencers and is featured in the new book Cruising Interrupted. You can find them on the web and social media sharing detailed cruise ship reviews, port guides, packing tips and planning tips to help travelers "sea the world, one port at a time."
Don and Heidi Bucolo
Don and Heidi Bucolo are the husband and wife team behind EatSleepCruise.com. Their love for cruising began after taking their first cruise together back in 2007. Having spent over 180 days at sea on more than 30 cruises with various cruise brands, they have learned a thing or two about planning and executing the perfect cruise vacation. The couple was voted as one of Porthole Cruise's Top 10 Cruise Influencers and is featured in the new book Cruising Interrupted. You can find them on the web and social media sharing detailed cruise ship reviews, port guides, packing tips and planning tips to help travelers "sea the world, one port at a time."
Doug Parker
Doug Parker is the creator and executive producer... Read More
Doug Parker is the creator and executive producer of Cruise Radio, a weekly podcast that shares cruise reviews and other cruise news.
Doug Parker
Doug Parker is the creator and executive producer of Cruise Radio, a weekly podcast that shares cruise reviews and other cruise news.
Jason Leppert
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert... Read More
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert with more than 150 sailings under his belt and a fresh, millennial perspective on the industry. He has been cruising since before he was two years old, thanks to his parents’ shared passion for traveling and their desire to experience all journeys together as a family. Now, he regularly sails and writes “he said, she said” cruise columns with his wife Heidi. He is the founding editor of Popular Cruising, producer of the successful Popular Cruising YouTube channel and Cruise Editor for TravelAge West. He also contributes to Cruise Travel, Porthole and Cruise Business Review magazines; USA Today 10Best; Oyster.com; MiceChat.com and the Cruise Radio podcast.
Jason Leppert
Jason Leppert is a San Diego-based cruising expert with more than 150 sailings under his belt and a fresh, millennial perspective on the industry. He has been cruising since before he was two years old, thanks to his parents’ shared passion for traveling and their desire to experience all journeys together as a family. Now, he regularly sails and writes “he said, she said” cruise columns with his wife Heidi. He is the founding editor of Popular Cruising, producer of the successful Popular Cruising YouTube channel and Cruise Editor for TravelAge West. He also contributes to Cruise Travel, Porthole and Cruise Business Review magazines; USA Today 10Best; Oyster.com; MiceChat.com and the Cruise Radio podcast.
Ming Tappin
Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been... Read More
Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been in the cruise industry since 1994. Ming spent over 20 years in the retail travel sector, working with travel agencies in marketing initiatives, cruise training, and promoting cruise vacations to their clients. In 2015, Ming created Your Cruise Coach and transitioned into travel writing, preaching the merits of cruising via her partnerships with Canadian and American travel trade publications as well as consumer media outlets. An avid cruiser since 1991, Ming has sailed on over 70 cruises and has experienced over 25 ocean, river, and expedition cruise lines combined.
Ming Tappin
Residing in New Brunswick, Canada, Ming has been in the cruise industry since 1994. Ming spent over 20 years in the retail travel sector, working with travel agencies in marketing initiatives, cruise training, and promoting cruise vacations to their clients. In 2015, Ming created Your Cruise Coach and transitioned into travel writing, preaching the merits of cruising via her partnerships with Canadian and American travel trade publications as well as consumer media outlets. An avid cruiser since 1991, Ming has sailed on over 70 cruises and has experienced over 25 ocean, river, and expedition cruise lines combined.
Sherry Laskin
Sherry hasn’t set foot on an airplane in more than... Read More
Sherry hasn’t set foot on an airplane in more than 25 years. Instead, she relies on cruise ships, river ships, trains and road trips to travel the world. In that time, she’s been on more cruises than she can count and includes her solo cruise and travel adventures on her website, CruiseMaven.com. Her articles have been published in major newspapers and magazines - in print and online. During a year and a half of living in Alaska, Sherry has cruised and spent time at every port in the Last Frontier except for Nome. She’s become an avid transatlantic cruiser since 2005, as that is the only way for her to get to Europe without flying. Sherry hopes to inspire and encourage her readers to travel slow and travel solo, experience new cuisines and cultures.
Sherry Laskin
Sherry hasn’t set foot on an airplane in more than 25 years. Instead, she relies on cruise ships, river ships, trains and road trips to travel the world. In that time, she’s been on more cruises than she can count and includes her solo cruise and travel adventures on her website, CruiseMaven.com. Her articles have been published in major newspapers and magazines - in print and online. During a year and a half of living in Alaska, Sherry has cruised and spent time at every port in the Last Frontier except for Nome. She’s become an avid transatlantic cruiser since 2005, as that is the only way for her to get to Europe without flying. Sherry hopes to inspire and encourage her readers to travel slow and travel solo, experience new cuisines and cultures.
