Remote expedition cruises to places like the Antarctic and North Pole are booming as wealthy travelers increasingly seek out isolated, experiential destinations far from traditional tourism infrastructure.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the global cruise industry is expected to record 37.2 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 7.5% from 2024, and the number of passengers is expected to approach 42 million by 2028. Amid its growth, expedition cruises have emerged as one of the industry’s most popular segments.
Ritu Panesar, founder and president of luxury travel company Travelopod, said customers routinely spend $30,000 to $50,000 per person on remote expedition itineraries, often booking months or even years in advance. “People are looking for experiences that feel transformative and unusual,” Panesar said. “They still want access to untapped areas.”
Jacqueline Mondelli, chief marketing officer at travel insurance market SquareMass, said interest in Antarctic travel was up 34% year-on-year in the first four months of 2026, reflecting continued demand for luxury expedition travel despite rising costs and increased awareness of the logistical and medical risks associated with remote travel.
Travel risk experts and insurance companies told CNBC that an outbreak of deadly hantavirus on the expedition ship MV Hondius is unlikely to diminish the appeal of remote expeditions, and global health experts and prediction markets view the risk of widespread epidemics as low. Travel experts say even if there is an impact on traveler sentiment, it would be difficult to assess at this point because many luxury road trip itineraries are booked far in advance. But as more travelers book trips in this cruise market niche, experts say they’re becoming more aware of the challenges that can arise when emergencies fall short of advanced medical care.
“People seek out these trips because the remoteness is part of the appeal,” said Sahara Rose DeVore, founder of the Travel Coach Network, who has traveled to more than 80 countries, many of them in remote locations. “Travellers understand that expedition travel involves uncertainty, but popular destinations like Antarctica are seeing strong demand despite these risks.”
Evacuation logistics, onboard medical capacity, and contingency plans are issues travelers should research before venturing to remote locations. Expedition travel protection policies often include emergency medical insurance, medical evacuation, trip interruption protection, and coordination services to transport travelers from remote locations to advanced medical facilities in the event of a serious emergency.
Rick Bagnall, vice president of travel insurance brokerage Brown & Brown, said he doesn’t see any meaningful uptick specifically related to the MV Hondius situation. “Concern about evacuation tends to be driven more by the uncertainty of the entire trip than by a single event,” he said.
Travelers are ‘more risk-aware than ever’
Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, a travel risk management company that provides medical evacuation, scene rescue, safety and crisis response services to travelers in remote and high-risk locations around the world, said travelers typically focus on risk prevention on this type of trip.
“Today, people are more risk-conscious than ever. I wouldn’t necessarily say they’re risk-averse, but they’re looking for a Plan B,” he said.
Global Rescue reported a 30% increase in security membership purchases so far this year compared to the same period in 2025, as more travelers seek evacuation and crisis response support before remote travel.
Sea evacuation remains one of the most difficult rescue operations, as helicopters have limited offshore range and many expedition ships have no helipad at all. “When something happens in the open ocean, more than about 250 miles from land, there’s not much anyone can do,” Richards said.
Global Rescue responds to approximately 100,000 requests for assistance annually, approximately 3,000 of which escalate to active rescue or evacuation operations. “We have been tasked with coordinating handovers between ships at sea,” Richards said. “Those are logistical challenges.”
In a recent case, the company coordinated a medical evacuation from a remote island near Tahiti after a traveler on the ship developed life-threatening symptoms that required emergency treatment, Richards said.
Cruise industry groups say the industry remains resilient and medically prepared. “The global cruise industry maintains comprehensive health, hygiene and medical protocols designed to protect the health and well-being of our passengers and crew,” Sally Andrews, vice president of communications for the International Association of Cruise Lines, said in a statement to CNBC.
Insurance contracts and remote environments
Travel insurance and evacuation experts told CNBC that many travelers underestimate how limited medical infrastructure will be when ships move far from major ports and hospitals.
Bagnall said many travelers focus on whether they have insurance without fully understanding how difficult evacuation logistics are in remote areas, mistakenly believing that standard travel insurance automatically provides strong evacuation support.
“Travel insurance is not a product,” Bagnall says. “The difference between ‘covered’ and ‘help on the way’ tends to show up in the expedition itinerary. In severely remote areas, medical and evacuation costs can easily reach six figures and exceed $250,000, depending on distance, air assets required, and medical complexity,” he said.
“In our experience, most travelers significantly underestimate both the likelihood and cost of a serious medical incident while traveling,” Mondelli said. “Traditional cruises typically have consistent access to ports, medical facilities, and Coast Guard support. In contrast, expedition cruises operate in remote and unpredictable environments where the nearest facilities may be days away,” she added.
Mondelli said the average total trip cost for an Antarctic trip insured through Squaremouth is about $28,750, with travelers heading to Antarctica placing greater emphasis on medical evacuation protection, with evacuation limits of $500,000 among the most commonly purchased coverage levels for these trips.
He added that purchases of “cancel for any reason” and “suspension for any reason” travel protection upgrades nearly doubled from 10% in the first four months of 2025 to 19% in the same period in 2026.
According to recent reports, MV Hondius has a reputation among travelers for its attention to detail and risk management. But Jason Margulies, a maritime attorney at Ripcon, Margulies & Winkleman, said travelers going on expedition cruises shouldn’t think the hefty price tags that come with expedition cruises guarantee premium emergency infrastructure. “What they actually get is a cruise that involves a lot of dangerous activities in remote areas where medical care is not readily available,” he said.
