Wherever your wanderlust takes you, there’s something uniquely evocative about following in the wake of voyages that shaped our heritage and opened up the world. The mystique of the South Pacific, the stark, unyielding landscapes of the Arctic and Antarctic… These are journeys steeped in legend – the stuff of natural history books and lifelong memories.
For today’s cruise fans, ticking destinations off a bucket list is not enough. The real thrill lies in venturing beyond the familiar and setting sail for new horizons.
Whether you dream of a pole-to-pole odyssey or an expedition into waters entirely new to you, there’s a ship and itinerary waiting. But be warned, these are voyages of a lifetime, not budget holidays. Sea shanties optional.
Scott and Shackleton’s Antarctic
Using New Zealand as a staging point before heading south to Antarctica, Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton first voyaged together on Scott’s Discovery Expedition and set the record for sailing farthest south. They later separated, and Shackleton led his own expedition that pushed the record to within 98 miles of the South Pole.
Whilst there are numerous cruise itineraries to the Antarctic, New Zealand’s Heritage Expeditions go further south into the frozen continent than any sea route crossing the Antarctic Circle. Step inside the historic huts of Scott and Shackleton and visit some of the world’s most remote Subantarctic islands, home to some of the world’s rarest and endangered flora and fauna.
Book it
Heritage Expeditions has the 28-day In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton: Ross Sea Antarctica round trip from Queenstown, NZ from around £25,445pp (not including flights). Departing January 6, 2027.
Peary’s North Pole
Although two American explorers, Frederick Albert Cook and Robert Peary, claimed to have been the first to reach the North Pole, it’s Peary who is usually historically credited with the feat, in 1909.
Ponant’s cruise to the Geographic North Pole takes in the Arctic summer’s endless daylight with ice landings, kayaking and wildlife spotting, topped off with a champagne toast at the Pole itself.
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Ponant has the 12-night The Geographic North Pole round trip from Paris via Svalbard (Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen) Norway cruise from £36,220pp. Departing July 27, 2027.
Wallace’s Indonesia and Borneo
The expeditions led by British explorer, naturalist and biogeographer Alfred Russel Wallace in the 19th century significantly advanced the understanding of biodiversity and evolution. His findings prompted Charles Darwin to complete his work, On the Origin of Species.
The Wallace Line, which passes through the Indonesian archipelago, between Bali and Lombok and through the Makassar Strait, is featured in this AE Expeditions voyage, which uncovers the extraordinary wildlife and landscapes of Raja Ampat, Wakatobi, Komodo and Borneo’s jungles.
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AE Expeditions has the 16-day In the Wake of Wallace: Indonesia & Borneo cruise from £11,947pp. Departing November 11, 2026.
Eriksson’s Greenland and Canada
Columbus has long been credited with the European discovery of the Americas, but around five centuries earlier, it was Norse explorers who first reached North America. According to the Norse sagas, Leif Eriksson led an expedition west from Greenland, while archaeological evidence confirms a Norse presence at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland around AD 1000.
Viking Cruises follows the Norse route west from Greenland, across the Labrador Sea to L’Anse aux Meadows, before sailing on to Nova Scotia and New York City.
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Viking has the 15-day Iconic Iceland, Greenland and Canada Voyage from £7,995pp (including return UK flights). Departing August 15, 2027.
Cook’s Pacific
British explorer Captain James Cook led three major expeditions to the Pacific. His first, onboard HMS Endeavour in 1768-1771, was to sail to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus across the sun.
Windstar heads to Fiji, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia in its Flowers of the South Pacific Voyage, visiting the palm-studded white-sand beaches of Rarotonga and the pristine lagoons and landscapes of the South Pacific.
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Windstar has the 15-night Flowers of the South Pacific cruise from £7,220pp (flights not included), departing December 2, 2027.
Magellan’s South America
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan may not have discovered a new continent, but he did lead the expedition which achieved the first recorded circumnavigation of the globe. In 1520, his fleet navigated the waterway at the southern tip of South America that is now known as the Strait of Magellan, providing a passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Few modern commercial cruises replicate the full scale of Magellan’s historic voyage, but several cruise lines offer the opportunity to sail through the Strait of Magellan. Celebrity Cruises’ Patagonia & Argentina itinerary, for example, includes a transit of the Strait of Magellan, along with calls at Ushuaia and Punta Arenas.
Book it
Celebrity has the 14-night Patagonia & Argentina cruise from £2,503pp departing February 13, 2027.