The Best Expedition Cruises For Families to Book in 2024

26.12.2023 - 13:59 / cntraveler.com / Charles Darwin / Cruises

There’s a growing appetite for expedition travel, including cruising, among intrepid families. From gazing at serrated teal icebergs in Antarctica to island-hopping in the Galápagos, there are a slew of exhilarating expedition voyages designed to meet the needs of families looking for more meaningful shared travel experiences. As an added boon for parents, some even offer onboard kids programming, nature guides for younger travelers, and interconnecting cabins to accommodate larger broods.

To help make next year's family vacation the best one yet, we pulled together five of the best new routes to book in 2024.

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Young guests explore by stand up paddle board and kayak in Port Althorp, Alaska.

Itinerary: Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness

Departures: Weekly between May 11 and September 1, 2024, and May 10 and September 7, 2025

Experience: Breaching orcas in sapphire waters and brown bears preying on wild salmon are just two of the possible wildlife encounters on this seven-night Alaskan adventure. Take in this cinematic landscape on Lindblad Expeditions’ identical 100-passenger National Geographic Quest or National Geographic Venture from Juneau to Sitka (or vice versa). Cruisers can look forward to taking in ravishing fjords, thundering waterfalls, and snow-capped mountains on guided kayak tours, forest hikes, and zodiac rides in destinations such as Tracy Arm fjord and Icy Strait—complemented by a day sailing the eye-popping Glacier Bay. Plus, children and teens can opt into the National Geographic Global Explorers program, with the chance to earn a zodiac “driver’s license” and record wildlife sightings in a field notebook among the activities.

Itinerary: In Darwin’s Footsteps in the Eastern Galápagos Islands

Departures: 26 departures between March 2024 and March 2025

Experience: Embark on a 10-day carbon-neutral Galápagos expedition with HX on the recently refurbished MS Santa Cruz II (minimum age to sail is six). The itinerary begins with two nights in Quito, Ecuador, with a visit to the smoldering Cotopaxi volcano. Travelers are then whisked to the Galápagos, where it’s all about taking in the endemic wildlife. Hike, swim, snorkel, and kayak in several of the eastern islands—including San Cristobal—where Charles Darwin first landed in 1835. Here, you can witness endangered giant tortoises and catch sight of pink flamingos. Spot curious sea lions and blue-footed boobies on Mosquera, land iguanas on South Plaza Island, and prowling black-tip reef sharks and green turtles off pristine-white beaches. The intimate 90-passenger MS Santa