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8 Reviews
Polar Pioneer

About Aurora Expeditions Cruises

Aurora's style of cruising is in the flavor of the traditional expedition. The emphasis is on exploring remote destinations with flexible, innovative itineraries, daily shore excursions and creating enrichment through educational talks by a team of expert guides.

  • More about Aurora Expeditions

  • Who goes on Aurora Expeditions cruise ships?

  • Do I have to dress up on a Aurora Expeditions cruise?

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Aurora Expeditions Cruises Tips, Activities, and Overview

Who goes on Aurora Expeditions cruise ships?

The vast majority of Aurora Expeditions' passengers are Australians, with a mix of other nationalities, usually coming from New Zealand, the U.K., Europe and the United States. The unique itineraries attract a wide age range of travelers, comprising both couples and solos, many of whom are repeat Aurora cruisers. All Aurora cruisers share a sense of adventure and love of nature and the outdoors.

Do I have to dress up on a Aurora Expeditions cruise?

Aurora cruises are casual with no expectation to dress for dinner. Instead, cruisers should pack for the itinerary and expected weather -- a comfortable pair of well worn-in hiking boots is much more important than a collared shirt for dinner.

Is everything free on Aurora Expeditions cruises?

No. The cruise fare for an Aurora Expeditions sailing includes your accommodations, daily shore excursions, any entry fees during excursions, all meals and house wines, beer and soft drinks during dinner. There are also a captain's welcome and farewell parties with free drinks. Nice little extras include a complimentary three-in-one polar jacket on polar voyages and a personalized voyage photo book. All Antarctic voyages include one night's pre-voyage accommodation and arrival airport transfer (on selected preferred flights).

If you book a suite, you get a few other perks, like a free pair of binoculars, a one-hour spa treatment per person, a free stocked mini-bar and a free bottle of Champagne. Gratuities for the crew to the value of $15 per person, per day are also included.

You'll pay extra for beverages outside of dinner, spa treatments, transfers on most sailings and gratuities (unless you're staying in a suite).

What are Aurora Expeditions’s most popular activities?

Aurora Expeditions' style of cruising is reminiscent of a traditional land-based expedition, which is just how Aurora's passengers like it. As a result, shore excursions are adventurous; among the most popular of these are camping on the ice in the Polar regions, polar snorkeling and scuba diving, and mountaineering in a variety of locales.

Onboard, a front-runner are the line's photography classes with an expert offering lectures and presentations to help improve people's picture-taking skills before they put them into practice during landings and excursions.

Why go with Aurora Expeditions?

  • Australia-based and Australian-owned.
  • Small ships for flexible itineraries and intimate experiences.
  • Great spirit of adventure and respect for the environment.
  • Expeditions led by professional teams.
  • Many inclusions and added extras.
  • Best For: People with a passion for the natural world who enjoy discovering new places, experiences and people.
  • Not For: Anyone who prefers to hang out onboard the ship rather than head ashore to explore these incredible destinations.

Best for: People with a passion for the natural world who enjoy discovering new places, experiences and people

Not for: Anyone who prefers to hang out onboard the ship rather than head ashore to explore these incredible destinations

Aurora Expeditions Cruises Cruiser Reviews

Visit Antarctica, not just see it from a ship deck

At the end of the cruise, our flight from Antarctica was delayed due to high winds and low visibility, but again the Aurora staff kept us informed and provided more chances to explore.With the help of Aurora’s experienced and knowledgeable guides; we had many landings on the continent of Antarctica, explored islands, visited historic places, touched ice floats, took the polar plunge, snorkeled with penguins (okay they swam to us), watched whales, encountered seals, saw seabirds, and witnessed incredible scenery up close from a small Zodiac instead of just the deck of a passing cruise ship.Read More
AZ Erv

couple2-5 Cruises

Age 60s

Aurora Expeditions to Antarctica

Given the literal danger of this area and the risk involved in traveling to Antarctica, we actually seriously considered cancelling the trip just because of the absolute mess of an organization this company was displaying to us, before we even left for the trip.We are not picky or demanding travelers by any means, but this trip cost more than fourty thousand dollars combined, and the company organization in no way earns that amount of money.Read More
Walk_The_World

many10+ Cruises

Age 55s

Wonderful Cruise on a Beautiful Ship

After lots of research, my partner and I chose Aurora Expeditions because: 1) ships are small, meaning that there is greater opportunity for off-ship exploration, given the 100-passenger on-shore limit that applies to Antarctic landing sites, 2) ships are X-Bow with effective stabilisers, meaning that the crossing of the Drake Passage is likely to be relatively smooth, 3) it's an Australian company with a very positive reputation and has longevity in the provision of Antarctic expeditions.No standing on ceremony, no stuffy dress code, life on board this ship was relaxed and cheerful.Read More
Reviewed for You by Me

oneFirst Time Cruiser

Age 64s

Amazing Experience Visiting Antarctica with Aurora

We were very fortunate to have good weather once we got to the Antarctic peninsula and got off the ship 9 times over our six days sailing around Antarctica.The expedition team was top notch and we had wonderful lectures every day on Antarctic history, wildlife, and icebergs as well as speakers that included a renowned nature photographer.Read More
rebeccaNYC

many10+ Cruises

Age 60s

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