Cruises have a reputation for being relaxing, indulgent—and sedentary. But a calm vacation can be a letdown for people who want more physically challenging adventures when they travel.
In fact, more and more cruise lines offer active excursions, such as a five-mile round-trip hike to see Mendenhall Glacier with Princess Cruises in Alaska, or a few hours of kayaking along the shores of St. Kitts with Seabourn Cruises.
But some sailings take the notion of an exhilarating excursion a step further, pushing the boundaries of what it means to have an immersive adventure at sea.
Another option for travelers who want to amp up their activity is to tack on a few days pre- or post-cruise for an additional outdoor adventure, said Ashton Palmer, president of Washington-based travel agency Expedition Trips.
Said Palmer, “Active is a word like luxury. It means different things to different people.”
For thrill-seeking outdoor lovers who like the idea of combining the comforts of cruising with action-packed exploits, these cruise lines offer epic adventures. We found a few of the most extreme excursions cruise lines have to offer, both on expedition cruises in the poles and in warmer climates in between.
There’s nothing dull about river cruising in Europe when days are filled with bike touring.
Courtesy of AmaWaterways
Biking through Europe
Break a sweat pedaling through villages, farmland, vineyards, and forests and along rivers on a series of bike rides as you wind your way through Europe on a river cruise. Backroads, an active tour company, has partnered with river cruise line AmaWaterways to offer active cruises for varying activity levels. For instance, hardcore bicyclists can cycle six out of eight days on a trip from Prague to Budapest, with rides ranging from an easy 11 miles to a challenging 44 miles with 3,300 feet of elevation gain. The tour company’s cruises also offer bikes—ranging from performance bikes, performance E-bikes, and hybrids—to suit various needs. Want to mix it up? These cruises offer kayaking, hiking, and walking tours, too.
To book: Backroad’s active cruises start at $6,049 per person (based on double occupancy). E-bike rental is priced at $400.
Aurora Expedition offers guest the opportunity to snorkel in Antarctica.
Photo by Scott Portelli/Courtesy of Aurora Expeditions
Diving and snorkeling in polar waters
For a truly unique diving experience, Aurora Expeditions offers polar scuba diving to see ice formations, zooming penguins, and other wildlife in Antarctica beneath the water’s surface. But this dive isn’t for beginners. Guests must show proof that they are Advanced Open Water Diver and Drysuit Specialty certified, have completed at least 30 dry-suit dives, and have written permission from their doctor. Guests without those prerequisites can snorkel instead, with opportunities to see shipwrecks, marine animals, sheltered bays, and offshore islands.
To book: Aurora Expeditions Antarctica cruises start at $15,671 (based on double occupancy). Diving is priced at $1,295 per person. Snorkeling is priced at $835 per person.
Pandaw’s “Wonders of the Himalayas” itinerary includes a hike to the Buddhist site Paro Taktsang in the Himalayas.
Photo by Rama Krushna Behera/Unsplash
Hiking in the Himalayas
Mix culture and nature by roaming the Eastern Himalayas on foot before setting off on a river cruise through India. Pandaw Cruises offers a land-and-cruise package that begins in Paro, Bhutan, offering first glimpses of the Himalayas. The initial hike of the itinerary includes wandering through pine forests to the 12th-century temple of Changangkha Lhakhang, where parents seek blessings for their newborns. Next is a five-hour round-trip trek to Taktsang Monastery. Also known as “Tiger’s Nest,” the iconic monastery hugs a rugged cliffside almost 3,000 feet above the valley floor. The hike also includes a stop at one of the oldest temples in the Himalayas, the seventh-century Kyichu Lhakhang, an early home to Buddhism in Bhutan. Once aboard the ship upstream along the Brahmaputra River, the journey continues to Kaziranga National Park in eastern India for a Jeep safari, during which travelers will try to spot Royal Bengal tigers, Indian one-horned rhinos, buffalo, elephants, and other residents of the land.
To book: Pandaw’s “Wonders of the Himalayas” cruises start at $15,246 (at double occupancy). Hiking is included.
Yes, there are mountains you can climb in Antarctica, and cruise lines that will help you do so—like Oceanwide Expeditions.
Lua Carlos Martins/Shutterstock
Mountaineering in Antarctica
If the view from the top of a mountain is what you crave, why not go summit seeking in Antarctica? Oceanwide Expeditions offers mountaineering on the seventh continent for two levels of travelers: a basic level for all experience levels and an upper level for those with technical mountaineering experience. Both require the stamina to hike for at least three hours over sometimes rough, snowy terrain, uphill and down. Mountaineering, along with other active adventures like camping, kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking, and sometimes snorkeling, is included in the price of the cruise fare on some trips.
To book: Oceanwide Expedition cruises start at $10,150 per person (based on double occupancy). Mountaineering is included on select voyages.
Skiing and snowboarding in Antarctica
Shred the gnar on untouched snow during your cruise in Antarctica and lay fresh tracks where few have ever been. Aurora Expeditions offers select day trips for skiing and snowboarding that can include a tour up Mt. Tennant on Ronge Island, followed by a nearly 2,300-foot descent down the mountain on skis or snowboards. The line’s ski and snowboard departures promise at least six opportunities to hit Antarctica’s natural slopes per voyage (depending on the weather). Aurora Expeditions offers this opportunity to experienced skiers and snowboarders who can complete blue or black resort runs and preferably have off-piste experience.
To book: Cruises start at $16,271. Ski and snowboard day trips are priced at $1,395.
