Which expedition cruise lines sail the Northwest Passage?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 9 November 2026
These 8 expedition cruise lines sell a Northwest Passage voyage 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 sail the Northwest Passage?
8 expedition cruise lines in the Uncompromised Travel table say on their own websites that they sell a Northwest Passage voyage; Quark Expeditions, Aurora Expeditions 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
- Northwest Passage voyage
- Sails Into the Northwest Passage, 25 August to 10 September 2027, from $18,995 to $37,495 USD per person based on double occupancy, with Out of the Northwest Passage following from 10 to 26 September 2027.
- 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.
- 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
Aurora Expeditions
- Best for
- Small-ship polar voyages with solo cabins
- Northwest Passage voyage
- Sells Northwest Passage, 15 days, August and September 2027 and 2028, from USD $20,846 per person twin share (was $27,795).
- Why choose them
- Publishes an Expedition Team-to-expeditioner ratio of 1:7. Google: 4.4 out of 5 from 107 reviews. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for one of the 10 dedicated solo cabins with no single supplement on the Greg Mortimer or Sylvia Earle.
- Not the fit if
- you may need to cancel late: from 120 days before departure the cancellation fee is 100% of the full ticket price.
- Money protection
- Deposit Protection Program: all voyage deposits go into a separate trust account (Aurora Passenger Trust).
EYOS Expeditions
- Best for
- Private expedition yacht charters worldwide
- Northwest Passage voyage
- Sails the Northwest Passage on Octopus and Hanse Explorer and says its staff's combined experience accounted for more than 10% of all Northwest Passage transits on one recent voyage.
- Why choose them
- Says it pioneered expedition yachting, defining the category in 2008.
- Ask for
- Ask for a book-by-cabin departure, such as Antarctica aboard Sherakhan on December 13-20, 2026, or a private charter planned around your own priorities.
- Not the fit if
- you need a guaranteed polar bear sighting: it says sightings in Svalbard can never be guaranteed.
- Website
- eyos-expeditions.com
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
- Best for
- Bilingual PC6 expedition ships, pole to pole
- Northwest Passage voyage
- Sails Expedition Northwest Passage: Arctic Epic, Seward to Kangerlussuaq on HANSEATIC spirit, 29 days from 10 Aug 2027, from €28,490 per person.
- 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.
- Money protection
- Insolvency cover with Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds GmbH for European customers; ABTOT ATOL Franchise, ATOL number 12926, for UK customers.
- Website
- hl-cruises.com
Noble Caledonia
- Best for
- Small-ship voyages for mature travellers
- Northwest Passage voyage
- Sails the Northwest Passage, 30 nights on Hanseatic Spirit from Seattle to Kangerlussuaq, from £27,295 per person (special offer), 9 August 2027.
- Why choose them
- Established in 1991, it owns MS Island Sky and MS Hebridean Sky, which carry 118 guests each. Trustpilot (whole company): 2.2 out of 5 from 24 reviews, newest 2 June 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for sole use of a twin cabin and the solo travellers' evening it hosts on board when numbers allow.
- Not the fit if
- you are travelling with children: it says travelling with children is not recommended and most of its ships have a minimum age of 15-18.
- Money protection
- ATOL for UK residents with air travel included; a bond with ABTA for UK bookings without air travel.
Quark Expeditions
- Best for
- Polar-only voyages with helicopter options
- Northwest Passage voyage
- Sells Northwest Passage: The Legendary Arctic Sea Route, 17 days, with a charter flight and hotel package from Reykjavík.
- Why choose them
- Ultramarine carries two twin-engine helicopters and 20 quick-launching Zodiacs. Google: 4.8 out of 5 from 604 reviews; Trustpilot: 4.9 out of 5 from 578 reviews, newest 8 November 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for the Antarctic Express fly-cruise options if you would rather fly the Drake Passage than sail it both ways.
- Not the fit if
- you want to pay late: the full balance is due 150 days before Day 1 and bookings made inside that window are paid in full.
- Money protection
- USTOA Consumer Protection Plan ($1 million posted with the USTOA).
- Website
- quarkexpeditions.com
Seabourn
- Best for
- Expedition ships with all-veranda suites
- Northwest Passage voyage
- Sails the Northwest Passage on Seabourn Venture, with Zodiac cruises in ice, tundra walks and a visit to the Inuit community of Cambridge Bay.
- 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.
Viking
- Best for
- Large Polar Class ships with submarines
- Northwest Passage voyage
- Sells Into the Northwest Passage, 13 days round trip from Nuuk.
- 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?
4 of the 8 cards show a price for a voyage of this kind, with its currency and a date or season. Quark Expeditions, 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?
5 of the 8 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)
- Aurora Expeditions: Deposit Protection Program: all voyage deposits go into a separate trust account (Aurora Passenger Trust)
- Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: Insolvency cover with Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds GmbH for European customers; ABTOT ATOL Franchise, ATOL number 12926, for UK customers
- Noble Caledonia: ATOL for UK residents with air travel included; a bond with ABTA for UK bookings without air travel
- Quark Expeditions: USTOA Consumer Protection Plan ($1 million posted with the USTOA)
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.
Northwest Passage cruises: 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 8 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?
Quark Expeditions, Aurora Expeditions 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?
4 of the 8: Noble Caledonia, Quark Expeditions, Seabourn 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?
4 of the 8: Adventure Canada, Aurora Expeditions, Quark Expeditions and Seabourn. 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 sells a Northwest Passage voyage. 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 Norway and the Arctic Circle?
- Which Arctic expedition cruises are best for seeing polar bears?
- Best Arctic Expedition Cruise Lines in 2026: 5 Ranked of 12 Assessed, Plus the Best for Svalbard, Greenland and Both Poles
- 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.