In addition, we offered the highest quality service and a splendid expeditionary cruise ship to accommodate passengers as they encountered the challenging environments of their destination.

In order to offer these voyages to these types of sojourners, we required a special type of ship, a qualified team of specialists and a means to experience moment-to-moment adventure. We still do.

With Society Expeditions you'll travel to distant and seldom visited lands aboard the New World Discoverer, a state-of-the-art expedition cruise ship. Our exclusive small ship cruises explore the wonders of Antarctica, Arctic Alaska and the Russian Far East, and the South Pacific. Zodiac craft, an essential to expedition and adventure cruising, land on untouched shores and allow you the opportunity to experience, firsthand, the area's natural history and culture. 

Our expeditions feature wilderness tours, wildlife viewing and bird watching. These are educational cruises staffed by a team of experts representing such disciplines as archeology, geology, history and ornithology. They offer shipboard lectures, guided field studies and informal sessions recapping each day's events. Instead of simply observing the passing landscape from deck, play an active role in exploration and learn more about the world around you.

South Pacific Cruises

By wind and wave and star, ancient mariners ventured to the farthest reaches of the Pacific Ocean. And over the centuries these first island people, surrounded by staggering natural wonders, developed intriguing myths, legends and ceremonies which would later fascinate the likes of Captain James Cook, Paul Gauguin, and Margaret Mead. Today the unique cultures of Oceania remain strong, and nature’s extravagant handiwork retains its timeless glory.

For more than twenty-five years, Society Expeditions has traveled extensively through these areas. This spring and fall join us as we explore uninhabited coral atolls and high volcanic islands covered in dense, tropical vegetation. Visit Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia – the three cultural areas of Oceania. All are vastly different; yet all share the distinction of being some of the least-visited destinations on the globe.

Learn from Experts
Society Expeditions’ voyages to the islands of the South Pacific are born of a fascination for this vast and varied region. While exploring these islands, we will be led by a distinguished team of expert lecturers who will take us beyond contemporary settlements into the archipelagos of legend.

Diversity of Wildlife
You will have a rare chance to visit a resting place for migrating sea birds, shorebirds and sea turtles. Other birding sites include visiting a refuge for hundreds of thousands of petrels and possibly seeing the Henderson Flightless rail. The coral reefs in this area of the world are spellbinding and enchanting. And the marine life in and around the reefs are astounding in variety and number. Opportunities for snorkeling or scuba diving on any one of these itineraries abound. Society Expeditions also carries a glass bottom boat specifically for use in the South Pacific so that not one passenger misses out on the underwater wonders.

Adaptation of Cultures
Each island group in each area has its own culture and character. Most of the islands’ cultures have remained relatively unchanged through the passage of time. Society Expeditions is committed to the preservation of cultures and so strives to make as harmless of an impact as possible on the islands on which we call. On several islands we visit, local people readily share their traditions, food, art and entertainment. Their friendliness is warm and inviting.

The Thrill of Exploration
Study ancient cultures, photograph a richness of flora and fauna, explore new habitats and wonder at some of the Earth’s last remaining unspoiled and rugged vistas. Aboard our specially designed expedition ship, the "New" World Discoverer, you will venture far beyond the reach of conventional tour ships – all in complete comfort. Sail with us and discover what we mean by exploring the "Secrets of Oceania."

2001-2002 Calendar of Voyages