expedition cruise network (ecn)

Image courtesy of Hapag Lloyd Cruises

Sustainability

Travel trade professionals.

Join the  Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) and become an expert in selling Expedition Cruising. As a member of our community, you will gain exclusive access to expedition cruising brands, online and in person training events, ship visits, fam trip opportunities and more. It’s completely free of charge for travel professionals!

At the ECN, we believe that from its inception, modern expedition cruising has always demonstrated respect for the environments, people, wildlife, and cultures the expedition ships travel to and beyond. This is achieved by the sector keeping the size of the ships small, introducing voluntary self-regulatory organisations such as IAATO in Antarctica and AECO in the Arctic, actively engaging with citizen science projects, and raising awareness of various challenges fragile environments face due to climate change and human activity through the educational programs onboard.

However, we also recognise that sustainable marine travel is both an urgent task to accomplish, and that the industry still has a long way to go to achieve net zero goals set out by UN for 2050.

As an organization committed to grow the expedition cruise sector, we believe this growth must be achieved hand-in-hand with expedition cruising brands continuing to push forwards in becoming a fully sustainable form of travel. As an organisation, we will commit to the following points:

To prioritise sustainability in how we run ECN as organisation – from our supplier chain for activities to diversity and inclusion for new hires, to fair pay. With an overall aim to become a carbon neutral organisation within 3-years​

Engaging with expedition cruising brands and travel trade community on the complex aspects of sustainability and keeping the conversation on sustainability as an inseparable element of the sector’s growth.

Wherever possible, help expedition cruising brands reduce their impact on the unique destinations they serve, including further reductions of any environmental footprints left and avoiding issues such as saturation or overcrowding.

Establishing and providing travel trade community tools to talk confidently and authentically about sustainability in the context of the expedition cruising industry, with their clients.

Our Expedition Cruise Members

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

• What is ‘Expedition Cruising’?
• Book Arctic Cruises
• Book Antarctic Cruises
• Expedition Cruising In Australia
• Site Search
• Podcasts: Expedition Cruising on ABC Radio
• Contributors Welcome

Monday 17 April 2023

Expedition cruise network (ecn) launched.

Read the full story at TTG Media

No comments:

Post a comment.

• CruiseMapper
• Cruise news
• Cruise Industry
• Atlas Ocean Voyages/AOV and Poseidon Expeditions join Expedition...

Atlas Ocean Voyages/AOV and Poseidon Expeditions join Expedition Cruise Network

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages and Poseidon Expeditions have recently joined the Expedition Cruise Network (ECN), expanding the network to a total of 20 members.

Launched in April 2023, the ECN serves as a collaborative platform for global expedition cruise operators to share information, educate, and promote their offerings within the international travel-trade community.

The USA-based company AOV specializes in intimate voyages with ships catering to fewer than 200 guests. Their diverse expeditions span Antarctica, the Arctic, Norwegian Fjords, Iceland, Greenland, and unique gastronomy-focused journeys in the Mediterranean, the British Isles, and Europe.

The UK-based Poseidon Expeditions specializes in polar voyages with the 114-passenger MV Sea Spirit . The company advocates for the small ship travel concept. Poseidon's itineraries cover Greenland, Svalbard Norway , the British Isles, Iceland, and Antarctica .

These additions further enrich the ECN's collaborative efforts, bringing together leading expedition cruise operators to share their expertise and offerings in the dynamic realm of adventure cruising.

Expedition Cruise News

Expedition cruise network launches inaugural trade roadshow series.

The Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) will celebrate its first anniversary in April 2024 with its inaugural UK and Ireland roadshow spanning Birmingham, Manchester and Dublin between 23 and 25 April 2024

The ECN Roadshow will welcome travel trade professionals to an evening programme dedicated to expedition cruising, offering the chance for travel sellers to network with, learn from and sell a range of operators.

Suppliers from the sector at the First ECN Roadshow include AE Expeditions (Dublin Only); Albatros Expeditions; Australis; Aqua Expeditions (Dublin only); HX Expeditions (Birmingham and Manchester only); Polar Latitudes (Birmingham and Manchester only); Scenic (Birmingham and Manchester only); and Silversea.

Akvile Marozaite, chief executive of the Expedition Cruise Network, said: “We are very excited to announce the first ever expedition cruise roadshow in the UK and Ireland during the month of our first anniversary.”

Expedition Cruise Network Roadshows to ‘help break sales barriers’

In the organisation’s Insights Report 2023/24, it identified a key sales barrier for the travel trade was understanding, and differentiating between, expedition cruise products.

“The roadshow provides the opportunity for professionals to speak directly to suppliers to ask the questions they want answered so that they can confidently sell products taking clients to some of the most exciting and remote regions in the world,” added Marozaite.

The first event will take place in Revolucion de Cuba, Birmingham, on 23 April. The second will be hosted in Hilton Deansgate, Iris Lounge, Manchester, on 24 April and the third in Morrison Hotel, Dublin, on 25 April. All three events take place between 6pm-9.30pm.

It comes after the ECN added Antara and Maple Leaf Adventures to its membership of global expedition cruise operators, bringing the total in the network to 24.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Keep up to date with all the latest news and incentives in the Cruise Trade News Newsletter.

• expedition cruise
• expedition cruise network

arrow_outward Related Articles

Expedition Cruise Network adds two new members to...

The Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) has added Antara and Maple Leaf Adventures to its membership...

Expedition Cruise Network adds three new cruise line...

The Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) has added Scenic, Aqua Expeditions and Aranui Cruises to its...

Expedition Cruise Network unveils new wave season guide...

The Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) has released a new digital training guide for agents focused...

AE Expeditions to add third small ship to...

AE Expeditions has confirmed its third small expedition ship, Douglas Mawson, will join its fleet at...

Cruise Trade News is the only dedicated trade title for the UK cruise sector. It is published by Real Response Media.

• Latest News
• Digital Issues
• Knowledge Hub
• Agent Incentives
• Meet the team

TERMS PRIVACY

Expedition Cruise Network releases new tool for travel agents

The guide includes destination overviews and tips to make it easier to sell expedition cruises

Expedition Cruise Network

By Laura Hyde | 08 January 2024

The Expedition Cruise Network has released a new guide to help travel agents understand the expedition cruising sector and successfully sell itineraries in 2024 and beyond. 

The ECN’s ‘Selling Expedition Cruising: Wave 2024’ guide includes destination overviews, selling tips and more. It hopes the guide will enable agents to make the most of sales peaks in 2024 and capitalise on the steep growth the expedition sector has recorded in both consumer demand and capacity .

“As we reported in our Insight Report 2023 , agents need more support to understand the differentiation between the expedition cruise operators and the nuances of the sector to secure sales for such a high value product,” said Akvile Marozaite, CEO of ECN. “Our ‘Selling Expedition Cruising’ guide, which will be updated as more deals get released, aims to shrink this knowledge gap by upskilling travel agents on the expedition cruise sector’s current offers, knowledge on destinations, operators, and products for clients, whether they're wildlife enthusiasts, history buffs, or simply seeking a transformative escape.”

The ECN was formed in April 2023 and now comprises 20 members who work to promote expedition cruises.

Read the full guide.

Tags: News     Expedition Cruise Network

Related articles

• The Mediterranean is the world’s second largest cruise market, according to MedCruise
• Carnival Corporation achieves shore power goal seven years ahead of schedule
• Windstar Cruises to expand fleet with two new ships
• Scenic Group to update fleet with new luxury ocean yacht and refurbishment programme
• MSC Cruises marks construction milestones for two World-class cruise ships

Contact author

Recommended.

Cruise Order Book: crafting cruise innovation

MSC Cruises resumes operations from mainland China

CLIA commissions study to chart future of decarbonisation

Carnival Corporation orders fifth Excel-class cruise ship for Carnival Cruise Line

Celebrity Infinity returns to service following refurbishment

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings orders eight new cruise ships and plans private island expansion

CLIA Cruise Week Europe 2024: optimism and frustration as cruise leaders look ahead to the future

Royal Caribbean to open new Royal Beach Club in Cozumel, Mexico

The most popular stories of the month delivered to your inbox

• About Cruise & Ferry
• Newsletters
• Our partners
• ©2024 Tudor Rose. All Rights Reserved. Cruise & Ferry is published by Tudor Rose.
• About Tudor Rose
• Privacy notice and cookie statement
• Terms of Use

share this!

April 12, 2024

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

trusted source

Research team discovers more than 50 potentially new deep-sea species in one of the most unexplored areas of the planet

by Barcelona Supercomputing Center

An international group of scientists, co-led by researcher Ariadna Mechó of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center—Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS), observed 160 species on seamounts off the coast of Chile that had not yet been known to live in the region and suspect that at least 50 of these species are new to science.

The recent Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition to the underwater mountains of the Salas y Gómez Ridge, a remote and underexplored area that stretches from offshore Chile to Rapa Nui, resulted in identifying deep-sea corals , glass sponges, sea urchins , squids, fishes, mollusks, crabs, sea stars, squat lobsters, and other species likely never-before observed by scientists.

Mechó, a researcher in the Climate Variability and Change group at the BSC's Earth Sciences Department, presented the results of the 40-day scientific cruise " Unexplored Seamounts of the Salas y Gómez Ridge " and the current negotiations to create a blue corridor in the area at the " Ocean Decade MPA Forum: Progress, obstacles and solutions ," an off-site event organized in the framework of the UN Ocean Decade Conference held in Barcelona from 10–12 April 2024.

"The main results of this campaign are that we have found between 50 and 60 potentially new species at first sight, a number that is likely to increase as we have many samples to work on in the laboratory.

"We also found one of the deepest mesophotic corals in the world, extending the distribution of this Polynesian fauna by several hundred kilometers. And at depth, we have found fields of sponges and corals, habitats that are considered vulnerable and in need of protection," said Mechó.

The expedition took place from 24 February to 4 April with an international team of 25 scientists from 14 organizations in five countries (Chile, United States, Italy, Spain, Netherlands), including the first Rapa Nui marine biologist , Emilia Ra'a Palma Tuki, a recent graduate of the Universidad Católica del Norte in Chile.

The Rapa Nui Sea Council, or Koro Nui o te Vaikava, supported the expedition, providing the main permit to work in the area, and collaborated by providing a Koro Nui observer and a local sailing expert to bring to the expedition their perspectives as members of the Rapa Nui community.

The information collected during this research expedition will provide the scientific basis to inform the management of existing marine protected areas and potentially expand them, especially around the island of Rapa Nui.

One of the most unexplored areas of the planet

The cruise is devoted to studying the ecosystems of one of the most unexplored areas of the world, the submarine mountains and oceanic islands of the Salas y Gómez Ridge, which is a 2,900-kilometer-long underwater mountain chain comprising more than 200 seamounts from offshore Chile to Rapa Nui, otherwise known as Easter Island (or Isla de Pascua).

This ridge hosts one of the most unique and biodiverse seascapes on Earth, with an extremely high rate of endemism, critical habitats for benthic organisms, essential migration corridors for highly mobile species, and the presence of over 80 threatened or endangered species.

In addition, the Salas y Gómez Ridge possesses a rich cultural and maritime heritage with profound connections to Indigenous islander and mainland communities and other nations. This remote, underexplored region likely harbors pristine and unexploited habitats with abundant biodiversity that require international cooperation to protect them before they are lost.

Modeling the ocean with supercomputing

The role of BSC and supercomputing in the campaign is to provide climate modeling data through different scenarios to establish the distribution of key species in the area. This will help us understand how these species will be impacted by future changes, depending on each possible scenario.

"But first, we need to better understand the biodiversity and connectivity of the region to know which keystone species are found there and on which mountains exactly, as well as potential faunal breaks (where communities change or stop connecting with each other). Basically, it is a unique exploration in places where practically everything is unexplored," said Mechó.

The aim is to provide the critical information to support the designation of the Salas y Gomez Ridge as an ecologically and biologically significant marine area (EBSA) by the Convention on Biological Diversity and an ecological and socioeconomic "priority area" for international protection, by the High Seas Treaty .

This cruise was strongly connected with an earlier campaign deployed between January and February 2024 and focused on studying the junction between the Salas y Gomez and the Nazca Ridge, and the Desventuradas Islands .

During the two cruises, more than 100 new species have been discovered on the Salas y Gomez and the Nazca Ridge (SyGR), as well as coral and sponge gardens. That will emphasize the need for a blue corridor along the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges, creating one of the first and larger high-seas marine protected areas in the world.

Provided by Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Explore further

Feedback to editors

New study details how starving cells hijack protein transport stations

8 hours ago

New species of ant found pottering under the Pilbara named after Voldemort

9 hours ago

Searching for new asymmetry between matter and antimatter

Where have all the right whales gone? Researchers map population density to make predictions

Exoplanets true to size: New model calculations shows impact of star's brightness and magnetic activity

10 hours ago

Decoding the language of cells: Profiling the proteins behind cellular organelle communication

A new type of seismic sensor to detect moonquakes

Macroalgae genetics study sheds light on how seaweed became multicellular

11 hours ago

Africa's iconic flamingos threatened by rising lake levels, study shows

Bonobos are more aggressive than previously thought, study shows

Relevant physicsforums posts, is this egg-laying or something else.

3 hours ago

Color Recognition: What we see vs animals with a larger color range

4 hours ago

How to Implement Beamforming in Ultrasound Diffraction Tomography

Apr 10, 2024

Potentially fatal dog parasite found in the Colorado River

Apr 9, 2024

What do large moles on the body indicate?

Mar 30, 2024

Avian flu - A new study led by a team from the University of Maryland

Mar 27, 2024

More from Biology and Medical

Related Stories

Protecting high seas off Chile's coast depends on UN vote in New York

Feb 18, 2023

Greenpeace calls for high seas protected area in Galapagos

Mar 11, 2024

Eight new deep-sea species of marine sponges discovered

Mar 7, 2024

Much still pending on how high seas sanctions will work

Jun 19, 2023

Scientists explore seamounts in Phoenix Islands Archipelago, gain insights into deep water diversity

Jul 9, 2021

'Huge' overfishing problem shows need to ratify ocean treaty: Greenpeace

Sep 14, 2023

Recommended for you

Iconic savanna mammals face genetic problems due to fences and roads

17 hours ago

Traces of DNA in the stomachs of predatory snails provide new insights into the ecology of placozoans

Apr 11, 2024

Let us know if there is a problem with our content

Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form . For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines ).

Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request

Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.

Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.

E-mail the story

Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form.

Newsletter sign up

Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties.

More information Privacy policy

Donate and enjoy an ad-free experience

We keep our content available to everyone. Consider supporting Science X's mission by getting a premium account.

E-mail newsletter