According to Shipping News Network, the 53-year-old “Expedition” operated by polar cruise company SunStone Ships will be replaced by a vessel leased from Miami-based SunStone Ships.
Recently, shipbrokers revealed that Canadian expedition cruise operator G Adventures is seeking a buyer for its only directly owned expedition ship, the “Expedition,” on the secondhand market.
The “Expedition” was built in 1972 and has been in service for 53 years, with a gross tonnage (GT) of 6,300.
In May this year, G Adventures announced that it had agreed to lease the 4,600 GT ice-class vessel “Ocean Adventurer” (built in 1975) from U.S. cruise company Sunstone Ships, which will replace the “Expedition” starting October 2025.
Although the two ships are similar in age and size, each accommodating around 130 passengers, G Adventures stated that the “Ocean Adventurer” is a more efficient vessel due to its refurbishment in 2017.
Preliminary calculations by G Adventures indicate that the overall carbon footprint per person per day will be reduced by up to 30% when using the “Ocean Adventurer.”
Additionally, the “Ocean Adventurer” has a higher ice-class rating, while the “Expedition” was originally built as a Baltic ferry before being converted into a cruise ship by G Adventures in 2008.
It is reported that the “Ocean Adventurer” will be renamed “Expedition” once it enters service with G Adventures.
Although the polar expedition market remains a relatively small niche, it has been one of the fastest-growing segments in the cruise industry for over a decade.
Initially, most expedition ships were converted from small cruise vessels and polar research ships, forming a significant part of this market. However, in recent years, as newly built expedition ships have entered service, older converted vessels are gradually being phased out.
