We’re delighted to share that Cruise Routes has been shortlisted for Best Newcomer to Expedition Cruise – Travel Agency or Tour Operator at the Expedition Cruise Network Awards 2026.
There’s a little more to the word newcomer in our case, though.
Cruise Routes may be a relatively new name, but our roots in expedition cruising go back much further. Before becoming Cruise Routes, many travellers knew us as Polar Routes, specialists in journeys to Antarctica, the Arctic and some of the world’s most remote places.
As our travellers began asking us to help them explore beyond the polar regions, it felt like a natural next step. Polar Routes became Cruise Routes, bringing the same team, personal service and expedition expertise to a much wider world of small-ship cruising.
Today, that might mean sailing between icebergs in Antarctica, exploring Alaska’s wild coastline, travelling deep into the Amazon or discovering the islands and communities of the South Pacific.
So while Cruise Routes is a newcomer, exploration cruising certainly isn’t new to us.
Recognition for the journey we’re on
That’s one reason being shortlisted by the Expedition Cruise Network means so much to us.
We’ve spent years helping people navigate the questions that come with choosing an expedition cruise. Which ship will suit you? When should you travel? What wildlife might you encounter? How active will the journey be? And what will you actually experience once you step ashore?
There isn’t one right answer.
For us, good advice starts with understanding what someone wants to get from their journey, then using our experience to help them find the ship, itinerary and destination that feels right for them.
That approach hasn’t changed as we’ve grown from Polar Routes into Cruise Routes. What has changed is the map.
From the polar regions to the wider world
Becoming Cruise Routes has allowed us to take what we learned from years of specialising in expedition travel and apply it to journeys around the world.
We still love the polar regions – they remain a huge part of who we are – but our travellers can now explore by expedition ship, river ship and smaller ocean vessel across an extraordinary range of destinations.
What connects those journeys isn’t a particular type of ship or a line on a map. It’s the chance to get closer to a place: its landscapes, wildlife, culture and people.
A thank you from all of us
None of this would have happened without the people who have been part of the journey.
A huge thank you to our team, our cruise partners and everyone who supported Polar Routes and has continued exploring with us as Cruise Routes.
Most of all, thank you to the travellers who trust us with their time away and to our growing CR:EW® (Cruise Routes Explorers of the World) community.
We’re looking forward to joining everyone at the Expedition Cruise Network Awards and celebrating the people and businesses that make this corner of travel so special.
Whatever happens on the night, we’re rather pleased with how far that Polar Routes map has expanded.
