Which expedition cruise lines are best for travellers with limited mobility?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 9 November 2026
These 9 expedition cruise lines say what they offer guests with limited mobility on their own websites, read 9 November 2026. Each card gives what the line says about it, with the ship, voyage, length, price or number where it names one, then why to choose it, what to ask for and the limits it publishes.
Which expedition cruise lines are best for travellers with limited mobility?
9 expedition cruise lines in the Uncompromised Travel table say on their own websites that they offer something for guests with limited mobility, or set out what is not possible; Atlas Ocean Voyages, Golden Galapagos and Adventure Canada have the most Google reviews under the line's own name.
Adventure Canada
- Best for
- Canadian Arctic and Greenland small-ship expeditions
- Limited mobility
- Splits shore excursions into smaller guided groups according to interest and physical ability, though guests must be able to climb the external gangway stairs to the Zodiacs.
- Why choose them
- Began in 1987, when brothers Matthew and Bill Swan and friend David Freeze started taking travellers to "off the map" destinations. Google: 4.9 out of 5 from 29 reviews. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a dedicated solo cabin, a shared cabin or roommate matching on select expeditions.
- Not the fit if
- you cannot climb the external gangway stairs to transfer between the ship and the Zodiacs.
- Published price
- From $8,995 USD per person based on double occupancy, Heart of the Arctic, 2 to 14 August 2027. Read 9 November 2026.
- Money protection
- Customer deposits held in Client Trust Accounts, audited annually by a CPA and inspected by TICO auditors (TICO registration 4001400/5002 1860).
- Website
- adventurecanada.com
Atlas Ocean Voyages
- Best for
- All-inclusive ice-class yachts, sailing year-round
- Limited mobility
- Has two elevators and two accessible suites with 90-centimetre doorways. It accepts collapsible wheelchairs only; polar guests must be able to board Zodiacs.
- Why choose them
- Its three yachts, World Navigator, World Traveller and World Voyager, are Polar Category C and Ice Class 1B. Google: 4.0 out of 5 from 86 reviews. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a Drake Express voyage, which includes a roundtrip private charter jet between Punta Arenas and King George Island.
- Not the fit if
- you use an electric wheelchair or scooter: only collapsible wheelchairs are accepted on board.
- Published price
- From US$12,150 per guest, double occupancy, 11-night Antarctica voyage on World Navigator roundtrip from Ushuaia, 8 March 2027. Read 9 November 2026.
- Website
- atlasoceanvoyages.com
Golden Galapagos
- Best for
- Small catamarans in the Galapagos
- Limited mobility
- Designs routes and excursions for different mobility levels with extra assistance; Eminence has a panoramic elevator from the Main Deck to the Sky Deck.
- Why choose them
- Its parent, Golden Experiences & Travel, achieved B Corporation certification in September 2025. Google: 5.0 out of 5 from 49 reviews. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a single cabin on Petrel, Elite or Monique if you are travelling solo.
- Not the fit if
- you want flights in the fare: its rates exclude Galapagos flights and mandatory entrance fees.
- Published price
- USD 5,950 per person, double occupancy, 3-night Galapagos cruise on Eminence in a Golden Suite, a launch rate for 2027 travel. Read 9 November 2026.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
- Best for
- Bilingual PC6 expedition ships, pole to pole
- Limited mobility
- Has one fully accessible cabin on each HANSEATIC ship (cabin 404, about 36 m²), though wheelchair users cannot travel in the Zodiacs.
- Why choose them
- Its three HANSEATIC expedition ships, commissioned in May and October 2019 and May 2021, have PC6, which it says is the highest ice class for passenger ships.
- Ask for
- Ask for the cruises on its offers list where there is no or only a small surcharge for single occupancy of the cabin or suite.
- Not the fit if
- you use a wheelchair: guests who depend on one cannot travel in the Zodiacs.
- Published price
- From €13,640 per person, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula, 14 days from Ushuaia on HANSEATIC inspiration, 07 Jan 2028 (early booking discount until 28 Feb 2027). Read 9 November 2026.
- Money protection
- Insolvency cover with Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds GmbH for European customers; ABTOT ATOL Franchise, ATOL number 12926, for UK customers.
- Website
- hl-cruises.com
HX Expeditions
- Best for
- Polar voyages on a five-ship expedition fleet
- Limited mobility
- Says its ships are wheelchair accessible: guests bring their own wheelchair, no wider than 60 cm and stay in accessible cabins. MS Santa Cruz II has no elevators.
- Why choose them
- Says it has been sailing polar waters since 1896. Trustpilot (whole company): 2.9 out of 5 from 46 reviews, newest 22 October 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for departures with no solo supplement, which it offers on selected expedition sailings.
- Not the fit if
- you may need your deposit back: the 25% deposit is non-refundable and final payment is due 90 days before departure.
- Website
- travelhx.com
Polar Latitudes
- Best for
- Small polar ships with citizen science
- Limited mobility
- Has accessible cabins on Ocean Victory and Ocean Albatros, though the ships are not built to be wheelchair accessible and Zodiac landings are wet landings.
- Why choose them
- Publishes a passenger-to-staff ratio of 7:1 to 8:1 on every voyage. Google: 4.1 out of 5 from 7 reviews; Trustpilot: 4.7 out of 5 from 189 reviews, newest 8 November 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a Solo Vista Stateroom on MV Discoverer, designed for solo travellers with no single supplement.
- Not the fit if
- you want to sail without travel insurance: it is mandatory at booking, with at least $150,000 USD cover for medical expenses and evacuation.
- Published price
- From $8,817 per person in U.S. dollars, Antarctic Peninsula: The Pure Expedition, 10 days/9 nights on Ocean Victory, Feb 4-13 2027. Read 9 November 2026.
- Website
- polar-latitudes.com
Seabourn
- Best for
- Expedition ships with all-veranda suites
- Limited mobility
- Has wheelchair-accessible suites with roll-in or transfer showers, including suites on Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit; guests unable to care for their basic needs must travel with a companion.
- Why choose them
- Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit are built to PC6 Polar Class standards and each carries 24 Zodiacs. Trustpilot (whole company): 1.8 out of 5 from 32 reviews, newest 2 October 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for the SBNSOLO offer, which cuts the single supplement to as low as 125% on select sailings.
- Not the fit if
- you cannot sit unassisted on a Zodiac pontoon: Zodiacs have no wheelchair tie-downs and such guests cannot use them.
Swan Hellenic
- Best for
- Cultural expedition cruises on three ships
- Limited mobility
- Offers one wheelchair-accessible Oceanview Stateroom on SH Vega and SH Minerva and two accessible staterooms on SH Diana, with two lifts serving all passenger decks except the Stargazing Deck; good mobility is needed for Zodiacs.
- Why choose them
- SH Minerva and SH Vega carry 152 guests each and SH Diana 192. Trustpilot: 4.6 out of 5 from 179 reviews, newest 28 October 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask which departures waive the single supplement for solo travellers.
- Not the fit if
- you might cancel within 60 days of departure: 100% of the cruise package price is charged.
- Money protection
- Insolvency bonding with ACTA (Cyprus) for cruise-only and flight-inclusive bookings.
- Website
- swanhellenic.com
Viking
- Best for
- Large Polar Class ships with submarines
- Limited mobility
- Marks two Nordic Junior Suites on Viking Octantis, #4024 and #4025, as wheelchair accessible.
- Why choose them
- Its expedition ships Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, launched in 2022, carry 378 guests each. Trustpilot (whole company): 1.7 out of 5 from 382 reviews, newest 8 November 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a submarine dive: each submarine takes 6 guests and a pilot.
- Not the fit if
- you travel with children: it lists no children under 18 on its ocean voyages; the pages read give no age rule for its expedition ships.
Which of these show a dated price on this page?
5 of the 9 cards show a price for a voyage, with its currency and a date or season. Seabourn and Viking publish fares on their own websites without a date or currency on the pages read, so no figure is shown for them. Ask every line for a written quote with the departure date and what it includes.
Which of these lines name a scheme that protects your money?
3 of the 9 lines name a scheme, bond, licence or account that protects payments for some or all bookings; check the number with the scheme before you pay.
- Adventure Canada: Customer deposits held in Client Trust Accounts, audited annually by a CPA and inspected by TICO auditors (TICO registration 4001400/5002 1860)
- Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: Insolvency cover with Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds GmbH for European customers; ABTOT ATOL Franchise, ATOL number 12926, for UK customers
- Swan Hellenic: Insolvency bonding with ACTA (Cyprus) for cruise-only and flight-inclusive bookings
Who to contact first
Start with the 3 lines on this page that publish both a voyage price and their cancellation terms on their own websites, then add any other card that fits your dates and the voyage you want.
What to ask each one to set out in writing:
- What the fare includes, line by line: flights, hotel nights before and after, drinks, gratuities, excursions, kayaking or camping, parka and boots.
- The ship: passengers on board, ice class where it matters, the cabin and whether anything on board costs extra.
- The deposit, when the balance is due, what you lose if you cancel and what happens if ice or weather changes the route.
- Which scheme or licence protects your money, the travel insurance you need and the medical cover it must include.
Expedition cruises with limited mobility: the questions people ask
What should I ask an expedition cruise line before booking?
What the fare includes, line by line; how many passengers the ship carries and how many go ashore at once; the deposit and what you lose if you cancel; the travel insurance and medical cover it requires; and which scheme protects your money.
Can I book with these lines directly?
Yes. Each card links the line's own website or enquiry page; ask for a written quote that lists what the fare includes and the cancellation scale.
Do these lines all sell the same kind of voyage?
No. Each card names the voyage, ship or offer the line's own website gives; ship sizes, lengths, routes and prices differ, so compare the cards before you ask for quotes.
Do I need travel insurance for an expedition cruise?
7 of the 9 lines set out on their own websites what insurance they ask for; many polar voyages require cover for medical evacuation. Ask each line for the cover it requires before you buy a policy.
Which of these have the most Google reviews?
Atlas Ocean Voyages, Golden Galapagos and Adventure Canada, in that order. A count says how many people reviewed a line, not whether it fits your voyage; each card gives the rating and count, read 9 November 2026.
Which of these have Trustpilot profiles?
5 of the 9: HX Expeditions, Polar Latitudes, Seabourn, Swan Hellenic and Viking. Each card gives the TrustScore, the review count and the newest review date, read 9 November 2026.
Which of these publish their cancellation terms?
5 of the 9: Adventure Canada, Atlas Ocean Voyages, Polar Latitudes, Seabourn and Swan Hellenic. Ask each for the full scale in writing before you pay a deposit.
Where can I check these facts myself?
Each card links the pages of the line's own website its lines were read from, with the date they were read.
How were these lines chosen?
Each one is in the Uncompromised Travel expedition cruise lines table, built from the expedition cruise lines ChatGPT names most often. On its own website it says what it offers guests with limited mobility. A line is on the page because its published facts fit the question, never because it paid.
Is any company on this page paying to be here?
No. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel; none paid to be on it.
Read next
- Which expedition cruise lines are best for a first expedition cruise?
- Which expedition cruise lines are best for families with children?
- Expedition Cruise Operator Index 2026: 12 Operators Scored on Published Fares, Ice Class and How Many Guests Can Actually Land
- Which expedition cruise lines have the best reviews?
Companies are added at each update. Want to be the company this page features?
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: what each line published on its own website, read on 9 November 2026, with links to the pages read, with its Google and Trustpilot figures where the listing carries the line's own name, from the Uncompromised Travel expedition cruise lines table. Cards are in alphabetical order. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel. How this site earns · How we work.