MIAMI — Travelers setting sail from Miami and other marquee ports this summer will find that the world’s most luxurious cruise ships feel more like high-design resorts than traditional ocean liners. A recent roundup by TheLuxuryTravelExpert highlights seven vessels that raise the bar for comfort, service and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Quark Expeditions has announced plans to charter World Voyager from Atlas Ocean Voyages for three consecutive Antarctica seasons, starting in November 2026. The 168-guest, all-suite, all-balcony expedition vessel will serve Quark’s Antarctic itineraries before returning to Atlas at the end of each 4.5-month season to operate in Northern Europe and the Arctic.

Tensions have erupted aboard the luxury cruise ship SH Diana as frustrated passengers protest the cancellation of their once-in-a-lifetime voyage to Antarctica due to an engine malfunction. A small group of travelers has resorted to a hunger strike, demanding full refunds after the cruise operator, Swan Hellenic, declined to offer complete reimbursements for the disrupted journey.

Viking's expedition team, in collaboration with Oceanites, has made a groundbreaking discovery of a new chinstrap penguin colony on Diaz Rock, near Astrolabe Island in Antarctica. This discovery, made during a visit in January 2024 by the Viking Octantis, marks the first survey of the chinstrap penguin colony on Astrolabe Island in nearly 40 years and reveals an additional colony previously unknown to science.

Key Discoveries and Scientific Contributions

Guests booked on the Norwegian Star for an 18-night Antarctica sailing departing on February 18, 2024, have been notified of significant adjustments to the cruise itinerary. While all ports of call remain on the schedule, the timing within each port and the duration of scenic cruising in Antarctica have been modified.

Itinerary Changes Explained

Quark Expeditions is set to enhance its polar expedition offerings by adding the Ocean Explorer to its fleet for the 2024-25 Antarctic season. The Ocean Explorer, a Polar Class 6 icebreaker, is part of the SunStone Maritime Group's Infinity class ships and is capable of carrying 138 passengers. This vessel, delivered in 2021, previously sailed for Vantage Deluxe Travel before the company ceased operations last summer. Following that, Aurora Expeditions chartered the ship.