Expedition Cruise: “Bucket List” Experiences & Opportunities for Growth

Travelers with an appetite for adventure are increasingly turning to their travel advisors, according to the latest TMR Outlook on Expedition Cruise.

The new report, published today, found that the segment is no longer a fringe interest. More and more clients are investing in an expedition cruise experience, and are willing to pay the additional costs: 60% of travel advisors have sold at least one expedition cruise, and the average per person per day spend is over $1,000. And while these itineraries could be as short as five days or last for months, the average length was 11 days.

Unsurprisingly, interest in expedition cruising is driven by destination: 80% of advisors agreed that the key motivator for booking an expedition cruise is to have a bucket list experience. Antarctica remains the top choice (72%) followed by the Galapagos Islands (60%) and Iceland and Greenland (40%).

On the trade side, TMR’s Outlook on Expedition Cruise showed that newcomers to the industry (five years or less experience) are doing well. Approximately one-third of the advisors who participated had less than five years of experience in the industry, and of those 34% had at least $1 million in sales over the last year.

TMR’s Outlook on Expedition Cruise, 2025 is based on original research conducted between March and April 2025. In total, 655 advisors from across the U.S. and Canada participated.

The Outlook is available here and on the TMR Training Page for advisors wanting the full insight, which includes details on the expedition cruise lines advisors sell most and the best lead generation channels.