• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
73% of the audience at a Seatrade Cruise Med panel focussing on expedition chose meaningful local connection, remote and unusual destinations and expert-led exploration as the top three answers to the question: what defines expedition cruising today.
September 22, 2026
According to Alberto Bilotte, Founder and GM Oyikil Travel, a DMC working in the expedition cruise sector across Argentina and Chile, "the biggest driver for guests is making connections with local communities and not just taking pictures and returning to the ship – this is an an expedition cruiser's mindset and what you have to plan for."
Akvile Marozaite, CEO Expedition Cruise Network concurred, "Expedition cruising is like Marmite you either like it or love it and those who love it enjoy trying new places, learning about new cultures, their food and history.
"Guests have to be open to wanting to experience a physical place which is easier when you think polar regions or the Galapagos. It's harder to sell the Med so it's important that destinations first address the question: how can we tell our story?" she added, saying the Med should learn from Japan which has been attracting a lot of expedition cruise ships in recent years.
Michael Braathen, director itinerary planning, port ops and land programs at Mystic Cruises said the Mediterranean held multiple opportunities for cruise ports and destinations to welcome expedition ships but they have to be willing to craft hands-on experiences whether its participating in cooking a paella, or hiking with locals and then swimming in a pristine bay.
Lorenzo Vera, CCO Medcruise and Port Authority of Motril, agreed the Mediterranean is ideal for expedition cruising but not in the sense of traditional polar landscapes and nature but attractive for its human history: "the human eco-system has a 4,000-year legacy of culture, music and food and its waiting to be explored."
Vera said it is important that ports put together a product that is authentic – "so if you are in Valencia guests can experience paella but if you are in other parts of Spain then it's not paella as such but a rice dish cooked in different ways; the same for Flamenco, it's authentic and traditional if you are in Andalusia and its surroundings."
Moderator Andrea Baigorria, Founder and CEO, The Tourism Lab suggested: "ports seeking to grow their expedition business need to meet with expedition cruise lines and ask what are their guests looking for, and what would tempt guests to want to visit."
Marozaite summed it up neatly, "if an expedition cruise ship came to your port, what would bring their wonder back to life."