The Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) has increased its membership to 18 with the addition of UnCruise Adventures and Metropolitan Touring.
US-based Uncruise Adventures runs small ships in Alaska, Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, the Pacific Northwest, Galapagos Islands, Central America and Hawaii with a focus on fostering connections between passengers and the environment.
Ecuadorian expedition cruise company Metropolitan Touring specialises in expedition cruises to the Galapagos Islands.
ECN chair Martin Johnson will host a webinar on July 19 at 4pm to highlight global expedition cruise destinations
He will be joined by a panel of experts from ECN’s expedition cruise members:
Aaron Russ, commercial director and expedition leader at Heritage Expeditions
Trixi Lange-Hitzbleck, expedition leader at Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Frederic Guillemard, general manager Europe and Asia at Australis Expeditions
Captain Dan Blanchard, chief executive and founder of UnCruise Adventures
ECN chief executive Akvile Marozaite said: “While Polar regions remain the most popular expedition cruising destinations, UnCruise Adventures and Metropolitan Touring offer exciting alternatives in warmer climes and beyond.
“Both these expedition cruise companies share ECN’s values on sustainability and environmental stewardship of the destinations the ships visit, and they perfectly fit our network’s mission of showcasing the diverse and unique expedition cruising destinations and various ways to explore them to our travel trade community, and ultimately, the clients who travel onboard these ships.’
Johnson added: “Yhe expedition cruising sector is truly diverse, and I am thrilled to welcome UnCruise Adventures and Metropolitan Touring to our already distinguished group of expedition cruise operator members.
“Offering small ship expedition cruise experiences in some unique and new to ECN expedition cruise destinations, the addition of those two brands expands the offering to our travel trade members and cements our commitment to represent this exciting sector by showcasing the multiple and diverse operators that are part of this community.”