These Cold-climate Luxury Cruises Will Make You Forget About the Caribbean

Viking Sky ship in Tromso, Norway
Photo: Courtesy of Viking Cruises

Demand for polar and cold weather cruising is at an all time high. Here are several cool (pun intended) cruising companies to check out.

01 of 07

Lindblad Expeditions

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) off the bow of the Lindblad Expeditions ship National Geographic Orion, Cuverville Island, Antarctica, Polar Regions
Michael Nolan/Robert Harding Image Library/Getty Images

Lindblad Expeditions is still a leader in cold-climate cruising, offering 14 itineraries ranging from nine to 24 days led by scientists and National Geographic photographers. (From $6,990 to $49,640 per person.)

02 of 07

Silversea

Silversea Cloud Expedition ship
Courtesy of Silversea Cruises

Silversea operates the newly refurbished, 254-passenger Silver Cloud Expedition, which runs 10- to 18-night sailings to Antarctica. With four restaurants and suites with marble bathrooms, this larger vessel lets travelers visit these inhospitable places in true luxury. (From $9,360 to $27,990 per person, all-inclusive.)

03 of 07

Peregrine Adventures

Spitsbergen, Norway, Arctic boat adventure in Magdalenefjord
iStockphoto/Getty Images

In response to a 118 percent increase in U.S. bookings for polar cruises between 2017 and 2018, Peregrine Adventures has created five additional itineraries. There’s a six-day journey that explores the northwestern coast of Spitsbergen, in Norway, and two different 17-day Northwest Passage crossings. (From $3,495 to $12,190 per person.)

04 of 07

Hurtigruten

A Polar Bear crosses sea ice pools in the remote Franz Josef Land area of Russia
Ty Milford/Aurora Creative/Getty Images

In 2019, Hurtigruten will introduce the 530-passenger Roald Amundsen, a first-of-its-kind, hybrid-powered ship that runs on both natural gas and batteries, which will reduce CO2 emissions by at least 20 percent. The Norwegian company operates more than 30 cold-weather expedition voyages, including new itineraries to the Northwest Passage (24-day sailings from $22,610 per person) and Russia’s uninhabited Franz Josef Land (15-day sailings from $11,310).

05 of 07

Windstar Cruises

Windstar Star Legend cruise ship in Seydisfjordur, Iceland
Courtesy of Windstar Cruises

Iceland’s popularity only continues to grow, and one of the best (and least appreciated) ways to see the waterfall, glacier, and fjord-filled island is from a ship. Windstar Cruises is running seven day, round-trip Reykjavik sailings that take in the colorful, charming town of Seydisfjordur; rural Heimaey Island, famous for its volcanic eruption in 1973; and the natural wonders of Snæfellsjokull National Park. (From $5,099 per person.)

06 of 07

Viking

Viking Sky ship in Tromso, Norway
Courtesy of Viking Cruises

“In Search of the Northern Lights,” a new itinerary from Viking, debuts in January; it is perfectly timed to the winter season, which offers the best chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis. On this 13-day voyage leaving from London, you will experience beautiful Norwegian ports such as Stavangar, Bodø, and Tromsø. Beyond witnessing the lights, activities include glacier treks, dog-sledding, and visits with the Sami, the indigenous people of Lapland. (From $4,999 per person.)

07 of 07

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Interior of the Regent Seven Seas Navigator ship
Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises

For those who truly want to tick every cold climate destination off their bucket list, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has an incredible 91-night voyage aboard the Seven Seas Navigator, leaving Jun 15, 2020, from New York City. The ship will visit Iceland, Greenland, and the British Isles before journeying north to Norway and Finland. Russia is also on the itinerary: iconic cities like St. Petersburg as well as the northernmost cities of Murmansk and Archangel. (From $43,999 per person.)

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