Expedition cruising is broadening its horizons, adding deeper cultural encounters and a surprising range of destinations to the adventure agenda.
What comes to mind when you picture expedition cruising? Icebergs and wildlife? Remote locations and citizen science? It is all that and more. Operators in the field are rounding out their offerings to ensure meaningful cultural exchange takes place between guests and communities in the destinations they sail to, as well as broadening the scope of their destinations.
Spanning remote far-flung destinations such as Greenland to cultural discovery in the Cyclades and French Polynesia done differently, these are the hottest expedition cruises to add to your hit list in 2027 and 2028.
Alaska’s Old Harbor with HX Expeditions
Visit the remote Alutiiq community on Kodiak Island.
HX Expeditions has become the first commercial cruise line to visit Old Harbor in Alaska. This remote Alutiiq community on Kodiak Island is one of the state’s oldest continuously inhabited settlements. HX has worked in partnership with local Indigenous organisations to incorporate the destination into its 2027 Alaska program. Travellers visiting Old Harbor will have the chance to experience its traditions, stories and daily life as part of the company’s commitment to community-led exploration.
Culture-focused journeys with Aurora Expeditions
Explore the Portugese city of Portimão with Aurora Expeditions. (Credit: Pia Harboure for Aurora)
Aurora Expeditions has launched its 2028 season with a program of seven Cultural Expeditions that will steer its small-ship exploration further into the history, heritage and stories of the coastlines it traverses: from the British Isles and Ireland to the Atlantic, Scandinavia and Mediterranean.
Under-the-radar Mediterranean and cool climes with Silversea
Soak up quiet pockets of Milos and slow island living from Silver Wind. (Credit: Lucia Griggi)
Silversea, meanwhile, has introduced its most extensive program of Mediterranean Expedition voyages yet as part of its 2028–2029 collections. Cultural encounters form part of the experience onboard Silver Wind, alongside guided hikes and Zodiac excursions everywhere from Pantelleria, off the coast of Sicily, and the Cycladic island of Milos in Greece, to Algiers and Bejaia in Algeria.
Silversea’s expedition program also covers bucket-list destinations such as Greenland, the Galápagos, the Arctic and Antarctica, where journeys with its Fly Cruise program begin in Chilean Patagonia at The Cormorant at 55 South, the southernmost hotel on Earth, followed by a charter flight that skips the infamously rough Drake Passage.
Oceania through a new lens
Go kayaking along the turquoise waters in Hawai‘i. (Credit: UnCruise Adventures)
Expedition cruising doesn’t mean going to the opposite ends of the Earth: whether that’s diverting from the usual Hawai‘i resort holiday with UnCruise Adventures’ seven-night Hawaiian Seascapes itinerary or exploring Papua New Guinea with Pearl Expeditions onboard boutique expedition ship Paspaley Pearl.
French Polynesia with PONANT EXPLORATIONS
Le Jacques Cartier will journey through French Polynesia. (Credit: PONANT Explorations/@natigana)
Set foot on the stunning white-sand beaches of Bora Bora. (Credit: Tim McKenna)
Elsewhere in Oceania, PONANT EXPLORATIONS is expanding its French Polynesia offering with two ships based in the region from late 2026 and 2027. New vessel Le Jacques Cartier will join the MS Paul Gauguin with three Discovery itineraries that can be combined to create an epic 42-night voyage taking in six archipelagos, 23 islands and the Pitcairn Islands.
Rapa island with Tahiti Voyages
Or embark on an extraordinary voyage to the Austral Islands in 2027 with Tahiti Voyages aboard the newly launched Aranoa. Its 13-day cruises take you to remote gems such as Rapa, often described as the little sister of Easter Island/Rapa Nui.
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Imogen Eveson is International Traveller’s Print Editor. She was named Editor of the Year at the 2024 Mumbrella Publish Awards and in 2023, was awarded the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) Australia’s Media Award. Before joining Australian Traveller Media as sub-editor in 2017, Imogen wrote for publications including Broadsheet, Russh and SilverKris. She launched her career in London, where she graduated with a BA Hons degree in fashion communication from world-renowned arts and design college Central Saint Martins. She is the author/designer of The Wapping Project on Paper, published by Black Dog Publishing in 2014. Growing up in Glastonbury, home to the largest music and performing arts festival in the world, instilled in Imogen a passion for cultural cross-pollination that finds perfect expression today in shaping Australia’s leading travel titles. Imogen regularly appears as a guest on radio travel segments, including ABC National Nightlife, and is invited to attend global travel expos such as IMM, ILTM, PURE, Further East and We Are Africa.
Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.
The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.
1. Easy access to good food
Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.
One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.
In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.
In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.
Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.
At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.
While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.
It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.
2. Better sleep options
Sleep deeply with Novotel.
There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.
For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.
The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.
3. More ways to move
Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)
Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.
At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.
Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.
4. Better connections
Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.
One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.
Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.
A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.
Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.
All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.
