2025’s Best Cruises: A Wildlife-Filled Arctic Adventure Wildlife Worldwide in May

See the full list of the best cruises to take in 2025

Tour operator Wildlife Worldwide is chartering the M/V Ortelius, an expedition-style ship specifically designed to travel to the poles, to take 108 wildlife-watching enthusiasts on a trip to some of the most remote areas of the North Atlantic and the High Arctic.

Key facts

• Highlight: Wildlife-watching cruise in the North Atlantic and High Arctic with world-famous zoologist and photographer Mark Carwardine
• When: 16 nights, starting May 27
• Ship Capacity: M/V Ortelius accommodates up to 108 passengers
• Starting Price: From $10,390

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The sailing starts from the port of Oban in Scotland and heads north with stops in Scotland’s St. Kilda archipelago (home to almost a million seabirds), Rockall in the north Atlantic, Iceland, and the volcanic island of Jan Mayen before sailing along the east coast of Greenland and ending in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

Photos: Yvonne Schonewille/Shutterstock and Oleg Senkov/Shutterstock

During the voyage, travelers can expect to see blue whales, bowhead whales, white-beaked dolphins, eagles, puffins, rare auks, polar bears, walruses, and harp seals, among other species. Acclaimed zoologist, conservationist, and photographer Mark Carwardine will be on board to scan the horizon, point out, and provide detailed information about all the wildlife you’ll encounter during the voyage. He might even give you a couple of pointers on how to photograph them best.