Discover the World Differently with AE Expeditions
20/08/2025
If you long to set sail beyond the ordinary, we’ve got exciting news: AE Expeditions has just joined the Hays Travel Cruise family, and they’re ready to take you beyond the edges of the map into the realm of real adventure with some unmissable offers. Exciting, extraordinary and easier to book than ever, let’s dive into this unforgettable cruise line!
Who are AE Expeditions?
Made for the curious, founded by explorers. AE Expeditions isn’t your average cruise line. With over 30 years of expedition experience, their focus is on immersive travel, sustainable exploration, and unforgettable, life-changing encounters with nature. Known for small-ship voyages, AE Expeditions offer a thrilling alternative to traditional cruise holidays, taking you to the wildest, most remote corners of the globe on big adventures that tread lightly.
The AE Expeditions Difference
So what makes AE Expeditions stand out among a sea of cruise liners? Their pioneering spirit remains unchanged. With fewer than 130 guests per polar voyage and up to 154 on Mediterranean sailings onboard the Douglas Mawson, you get a more intimate, personalised voyage where you’re treated like family, not just another passenger. You travel alongside a passionate team of scientists, historians, and naturalists who bring every destination to life with fascinating insights and stories. And the best part? Their true expedition style is eco-conscious, aiming to leave behind the places you uncover as beautiful and untouched as when you arrived.
What is Expedition Cruising, and is it for me?
Expedition cruises are made for the adventurous, the soul searchers. The travellers who dream of going where few have gone. Whose idea of fun is taking their first footstep into a land so wild, so unexplored, it’s beyond the imagination of your average traveller. The cruisers looking to come back changed and ready to share their stories.
Expedition cruising harks back to the essence of traditional sailing, the desire to explore. But with the little luxuries of modern-day cruising, we all know and love. Whether you're an intrepid explorer or simply looking to step outside your comfort zone, AE Expeditions is your ticket to truly extraordinary travel experiences.
Where Can AE Expeditions Take Me?
Imagine your dream destination. Now think bigger. Bolder. Beyond. Because AE Expeditions don’t just get into the heart of the Canary Islands, Greece or Croatia, they also tick off the destinations you haven’t added to your bucket list... yet. Here are just a few favourites that make our adventurous spirit soar!
Patagonia
Where mountains cradle the sky and the wind sings through ice-carved valleys, Patagonia pulses with raw, untamed energy. Glacier-fed lakes shimmer under towering peaks, guanacos stand watch on golden steppe, and condors wheel overhead in a sky that seems to stretch forever. Patagonia is the edge of the world in the best possible way. And with AE Expeditions, you’ll trek, sail and explore through this rugged wilderness, where every turn feels like discovering a new frontier.
The Arctic & Antarctica
Mystically frozen lands shrouded in polar silence. Nothing compares to the blank canvas beauty of the Arctic or Antarctica...until. The chirp of penguin chicks, the flash of an arctic fox, the splash of breaching whales, the mirage of an elusive polar bear on the prowl, or the shimmer of Northern Lights shatter the stillness in the best way. With AE Expeditions experts, you’ll discover the bountiful life nestled in these breathtaking, ice-kissed worlds.
Indonesia & Borneo
17,000 islands sprawled across aquamarine waters, hiding ancient temples, fiery volcanoes, and coral reefs exploding with colour. Who wouldn’t want to explore that? Here, steamy jungles hum with life, the air is thick with spice and mystery, and, in the tangled green of Borneo’s rainforests, orangutans swing lazily through the canopy. With AE Expeditions, you’ll journey deep into this wild, wonder-filled world, where nature writes the rules and adventure follows.
Things to Do Onboard
Sea days are not just spa days and champagne socialising on these voyages. They’re an invitation to dive deeper into discovery. Think expert-led wildlife talks, citizen science projects, and spontaneous whale sightings from the deck with a cup of hot cocoa in hand. While the ship glides through some of the world’s most remote and breathtaking seascapes thanks to the revolutionary ULSTEIN X-BOW®, your time on board becomes an extension of the adventure itself.
Three revolutionary vessels – the Greg Mortimer, the Sylvia Earle, and the Douglas Mawson – are your perfect base camp for unwinding after adventures at the outer limits of human exploration.
Join expert-led talks that unravel the mysteries of the polar regions or pick up photography tips from award-winning expedition photographers as you capture iceberg silhouettes and seabirds in flight.
Whether you’re diving into the ship’s curated polar library, sharing stories over a meal with expedition crew, or learning how to interpret sea ice charts, every moment on board is designed to connect you more deeply with the places you’re exploring. Because with AE Expeditions, the adventure doesn’t pause between landings...it simply changes course.
As the UK’s largest independent travel agent, Hays Travel is thrilled to welcome AE Expeditions to our portfolio of trusted cruise partners. Our travel experts are ready to help you find the perfect expedition cruise – whether you’re heading to the ends of the Earth or somewhere in between.