Two trips can both be called a cruise and have little else in common. In the expedition cruise vs regular cruise choice, one is a floating resort that visits ports. The other is a small ship built to get you ashore and onto the water in wild places. This guide uses Alaska, where both kinds sail, to compare ship size, what the fare covers, cost and the physical effort each one asks of you.
Expedition cruise vs regular cruise: the ships
Take Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, which sails 7-night Alaska itineraries from Seattle. Royal Caribbean Blog lists her at 137,276 gross tons and 1,020 feet long, according to its ships-by-size page. The travel agency cruiseweb.com gives her capacity as 3,602 at double occupancy (listing). Counts vary by source. Cruise Critic’s review puts her at 3,258 passengers (review page).
Alaska’s expedition ships are far smaller. Cruise Industry News gives the Sea Bird 62 guests, and the Alaska FAQ on lindbladalaska.com (run by Sunstone Tours) gives her 31 cabins. The same FAQ describes her sister ship, the Sea Lion, as a 62-guest ship too. Both ships are being retired after 2026, and the Greg Mortimer replaces them in Alaska from 2027 (Cruise Industry News). Lindblad’s own figure for the Greg Mortimer is 154 guests, which Travel Weekly (quoting Lindblad’s CEO) and Seatrade also give. One trade outlet, Cruise Industry News, says 160. A traveller booking for 2027 therefore can’t book the Sea Bird or Sea Lion. UnCruise Adventures describes its fleet as all-inclusive small ships with 22 to 88 guests (uncruise.com). On cruiseweb’s figure, Voyager carries about 23 times as many guests as the Greg Mortimer’s 154.
How the days differ
A mainstream Alaska day is built around port hours. Cruiseweb’s sample Voyager itinerary, for the May 28, 2027 sailing, shows a sea day after leaving Seattle at 4:00 PM. It then lists Juneau from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Skagway from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Endicott Arm scenic cruising from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM. A second sea day follows, then Victoria, B.C. (itinerary page). You choose a ship excursion or wander town, then return to the ship’s restaurants and shows.
An expedition day is built around the water and the shore. Zodiacs, kayaks and paddleboards are among the activities Lindblad lists as included (see “What the fare covers” below).
Staffing reflects the difference. The Alaska FAQ on lindbladalaska.com, a site run by partner agency Sunstone Tours rather than Lindblad itself, says each 62-guest ship carried five naturalists plus an Expedition Leader, which works out to roughly one expert per 10 guests. That describes the Sea Bird and Sea Lion, which are being retired after 2026, and the page is nearly three years old. A staffing ratio for the Greg Mortimer is not confirmed here, so ask Lindblad for the current ratio.
What the fare covers
Lindblad’s What’s Included page lists Zodiacs, glass-bottom boats, paddleboards, kayaks and snorkeling gear. It says airfare is not included unless the itinerary states otherwise. It also says spirits are included on all Lindblad ships except Sun Goddess, Oberoi Philae, Connect and Evolve. It lists crew gratuities for the Sea Bird and Sea Lion as not included, and crew gratuities and complimentary Wi-Fi as included on the Greg Mortimer. UnCruise describes its own fares as all-inclusive, and its terms page says port fees and taxes are included for reservations made after 5/26/26, so a booking made now includes them. UnCruise says gratuities are not included and recommends $315 per guest per week ($45 a day). That is about 5% of a $6,300 fare, and the amount is recommended, not required. Gratuities and Wi-Fi vary by line and ship, so check the fare page for the sailing you want.
On a mainstream sailing, price the extras yourself. Airfare, a hotel night in Seattle, shore excursions, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi and insurance are separate lines unless the cruise line’s fare page says otherwise.
| Point | Regular cruise (Voyager of the Seas, Seattle) | Expedition cruise (Alaska small ship) |
|---|---|---|
| Guests | 3,602 at double occupancy (cruiseweb.com) | 154 on Lindblad’s Greg Mortimer (from 2027); 22 to 88 on UnCruise |
| Ashore | Port calls and ship-sold excursions | Zodiacs, kayaking and shore hikes led by naturalists |
| Fare usually covers | Cabin, meals, onboard entertainment | Cabin, meals, activities and gear |
| Extras to budget | Airfare, hotel, excursions, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, insurance | Airfare, hotel nights, insurance; UnCruise gratuities (recommended, $315 per guest per week), with port fees and taxes included for reservations made after 5/26/26; alcohol, gratuities and Wi-Fi vary by ship |
Costs side by side
Cruiseweb.com, a travel-agency listing, shows Royal Caribbean’s 7-night Alaska Adventure sailings from Seattle on Voyager of the Seas for 2027 from $694 per person for the Sep 3, 2027 sailing, taxes and fees included. The May 28, 2027 sailing used in the sample itinerary above starts at $784. These are starting prices. Fares differ by sailing date and cabin.
For a small ship, UnCruise’s product page lists its 7-night Northern Passages with Glacier Bay & Sitka cruise on Safari Endeavour from $6,300 per person, which is the May 2026 rate. Its 2026 rate table runs from $5,600 for September sailings to $6,300 for May. These fares do not include gratuities, which UnCruise recommends rather than requires. UnCruise’s terms say port fees and taxes are included for reservations made after 5/26/26 (see above). For a higher-priced example, the line’s own page for Alaska’s Glacier Wilderness lists 7 nights roundtrip from Juneau on Safari Quest, a 22-guest yacht, from $9,900 per person. That is not a typical expedition price, so confirm it with UnCruise before you rely on it.
The fares are not like-for-like, so treat any comparison as rough. Voyager’s $694 (September 2027) and $784 (May 2027) are cheapest-cabin “from” prices on a travel-agency listing, and they include taxes and fees. UnCruise’s $5,600 (September 2026) and $6,300 (May 2026) are 2026 rates that exclude recommended gratuities of about $315 per guest. The expedition fare includes more, but airfare and hotel nights are still extra on both. Confirm current prices with the cruise line before booking.
How much fitness and mobility it takes
Expedition cruises are not marathons, but some ships cannot accommodate wheelchair users at all.
No elevators on the Sea Bird and Sea Lion. Cruise Critic’s Sea Lion review says there is no elevator and the ship is not appropriate for wheelchair users. A Sunstone Tours spec sheet for the Sea Bird, which lists no elevator and no accessible cabins, is several years old (page). A 2019 passenger review on Cruise Critic warns of going up and down to the lounge, the dining room and the Zodiacs several times a day (review). Both ships are being retired after 2026. Elevators and accessibility on the Greg Mortimer are not confirmed here, so ask Lindblad in writing.
Wet landings. The packing list in the Alaska FAQ on lindbladalaska.com (Sunstone Tours) calls for knee-high waterproof rubber boots with a strong non-skid sole, for hiking and wet Zodiac landings.
Other operators. Elevator and accessibility details for UnCruise ships are not confirmed here. Ask UnCruise or any other operator in writing about stairs, cabin access and how guests get ashore.
Big-ship comparison. Cruise Critic notes that Voyager of the Seas has two elevator banks, one forward and one midship. That is not a guarantee of full accessibility, so ask about accessible cabins and how port calls work (pier or tender).
Season and Alaska rules to know
The Alaska FAQ on lindbladalaska.com gives a May to September season, though the page is dated. Expect it to be cool early. Sources conflict on May temperatures: the FAQ puts daytime highs in the low 50s, while Lindblad’s packing guide puts them in the mid-50s (packing guide, about two years old). Snow can linger on higher trails.
One law shapes itineraries. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says foreign-owned vessels may not carry passengers between U.S. ports (CBP release). Voyager of the Seas’ Seattle itinerary includes Victoria, B.C. Lindblad’s Sea Lion is described as a U.S.-flagged vessel (fleet page). Seatrade says the Greg Mortimer is Bahamas-registered, so it cannot run an all-Alaska itinerary, and says the Lindblad charter covers six months a year.
Which one suits you
A regular cruise fits if you want the lowest starting fare. It also fits if you want 9 hours in Juneau and 12 in Skagway on a fixed schedule, or if you use a wheelchair or walker and need elevators.
An expedition cruise fits if you would rather be in a kayak or on a shoreline in the Tongass than at a show. It also fits if you can manage stairs several times a day and wet boots on a landing. The Sea Bird and Sea Lion cannot be booked for 2027, and the sources above say they have no elevator. Elevators and accessibility on the Greg Mortimer are unconfirmed, so wheelchair users should ask Lindblad and other operators directly.
Before you commit to either, work through these steps:
- Ask how guests get ashore (pier, tender or landing craft) and how many steps are involved.
- List what the fare includes: activities, drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, gear and airport transfers.
- Add airfare, a pre-cruise hotel night and travel insurance to the fare.
- Check the operator’s current medical and mobility rules in writing.
- Confirm passport and ID requirements for your itinerary.
- Confirm every price with the cruise line before booking.
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