Expedition tips

This is the first installment of our new bimonthly column Crews on Cruise, spotlighting the people who work behind the scenes of the world’s most memorable voyages—from bartenders and entertainers to ship captains and expedition leaders.

Passengers on an Antarctic cruise have staged a hunger strike after the ship’s engine failed, forcing the expedition to be cut short. 

The sun was burning high and bright on a pellucid morning off Australia's Kimberley Coast when I stepped onto Ngula, more commonly known as Jar Island. The dull yellow of sand and sandstone contrasted with the vivid blue of the Timor Sea all around me. At my back was a rocky outcropping where millennia ago the island's traditional land owners, the Wunambal Gaambera people, lay their dead. Before me, a cluster of billion-year-old boulders contained clues about how they lived.

Want shore excursion discounts, free cocktails and other great perks, even at the lowest levels of your cruise line's loyalty program? Hurtigruten Expeditions, which has split from sister brand Hurtigruten, has launched a new reward system for its passengers with just two levels — one for those who have cruised with the line previously and one for those who haven't.

"That would never happen!" I yelled at my TV screen as I watched the first episode of "Doctor Odyssey," Ryan Murphy's new series about a team of cruise ship medical professionals who behave anything but professionally.

For those who believe that true exploration begins where the ordinary ends, HX Expeditions is charting bold new territory in the world of expedition cruising.

Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914 aimed to be the first to cross the snowy mass of Antarctica, passing through the South Pole on the way. But he never even got started on that epic journey—and embarked on another instead—when his ship to the White Continent, the Endurance, sank in the Weddell Sea before reaching its base on Antarctica. Shackleton then had to figure out how to get his crew safely home from where they were stranded on the ice. He succeeded against all odds, and became a legend in the process, but the shipwreck itself was never found, the aura of mystery and intrigue only growing greater with time.

There's about to be a new southernmost hotel in the world — operated by a company you might not expect.

This story ran as part of the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. To find out all the winning cruises, read here.

Global Entry is a Truster Traveler Program that grants expedited customs clearance for preapproved, low-risk travelers entering the U.S. through dedicated security lanes at more than 75 airports.

The Department of State has fully rolled out its online passport renewal system, allowing travelers to apply for the documents from the comfort of home.

Cruises can take you to amazing places, including bucket-list destinations like the Galápagos or Greenland and tried-and-true favorites like the Caribbean and the Med. But so much of the fun comes from being on the ship itself. Here, we’ve expanded on our long-running column Onboard Obsessions, spotlighting all the little things we’ve loved while cruising lately. From an unexpected plein-air performance and chic libraries to possibly the most unique New Year’s party of all time, these are the kinds of moments, big and small, that turn mere passengers into cruisers for life.

Greg Cormier. (Photo Credit: Aurora Expeditions)

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We all know that the last thing you want to do is forget your passport when traveling internationally, but you may not realize that there are many passport details that, if overlooked, can derail your trip before you even get to the airport.

A few months ago, I realized that my passport was nearly full. It wasn't due to expire for another couple of years, but I was running out of blank pages. I knew that some countries — including popular tourist destinations like Italy and Iceland — might even refuse me entry if I didn't have two or more blank passport pages.

Always wanted to see Antarctica? Holland America Line this week unveiled an unusual new option for getting there.

Aug 19, 2024 • 6 min read

Biometric company Clear has quietly increased the annual membership fee for its popular expedited airport security program.  As of last week, the individual rates for Clear Plus have risen from $189 to $199 per year, as indicated by the pricing details on its website. Members renewing Clear Plus will see the $10 increase effective immediately upon their next annual charge. Despite this change, it remains free for Clear Plus members to bring along children under 18. “Clear has updated the price of its Clear Plus membership to $199 per year, which is less than $1 per month and is only the second price adjustment in 14 years,” a representative from the company shared with Travel + Leisure in a statement.

When we talk about traveling the world, we often speak exclusively of the earth’s surface: the number of countries visited, borders crossed, cities surveyed.

Seabourn is giving guests a chance to perfect their photography skills while sailing to some of the world’s most remote places.