Adventures by Disney to Offer First Expedition Cruises Geared Toward Families

(4:35 p.m. EST) -- Adventures by Disney has announced its first-ever expedition cruises, building on the company's highly successful river cruise ventures in Europe.

The company -- which is part of The Walt Disney Company's "Disney Signature Experiences" but exists as a separate entity from Disney Cruise Line -- will offer its first-ever family-friendly expedition cruises to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands beginning in late 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Adventures by Disney will operate in conjunction with French boutique luxury operator Ponant in order to provide the adventures, that will be geared toward families and curated by Disney.

While passengers won't find the Disney-branded characters that appear regularly aboard Disney Cruise Line, these new Adventures by Disney expedition sailings have been designed expressly with families in mind, complete with Adventure Guides that bring these exciting and historic regions to life for travellers of all ages.

Sailings begin in late 2021 and into 2022 with two 12-day voyages to Antarctica and Patagonia aboard Ponant. On these cruises, families will enjoy excursions to Antarctica, including kayaking and wildlife viewing, plus stories and interpretive services from the Disney-trained Adventure Guides onboard that touch on subjects including wildlife, conservation and travel photography.

Families can add an optional four-day, three-night guided "Buenos Aires Escape" as a pre-cruise add-on to discover Argentina's vibrant capital city.

In the Galapagos, Adventures by Disney will utilize the 100-passenger Galapagos Legend for explorations of this one-of-a-kind eco-wonder. The company will offer a series of five nine-day family-friendly voyages that will allow for hiking, wildlife viewing, snorkelling and kayaking in the vibrant Galapagos Islands.

The region is well-suited for family travel, thanks to its abundance of wildlife and remote ports of call. As with the company's Antarctic voyages, Adventures by Disney will deploy its Adventure Guides on these Galapagos Island sailings, with special programs for adults and Junior Adventurers alike.

On select sailings, Disney animal and photography experts will host conversations and hands-on workshops about wildlife, conservation and travel photography.

Adventures by Disney will also expand upon its European river cruises in 2022, with sailings on the Danube, Rhine and Seine, including specialty photography-themed sailings offered in conjunction with National Geographic.

On the waterways of Europe, Adventures by Disney uses AmaWaterways as its river cruise partner. Read our first-hand take on what an Adventures by Disney river cruise is like.

The new expedition cruise itineraries offered by Adventures by Disney are now available for booking.