Aqua Lares can travel from the Arctic to the outer islands of the Seychelles

Aqua Expeditions / Yvonne Kreuzmayr / Anthony Do

From Arctic ice fields to the outer islands of the Seychelles, leisure yachting is entering a more ambitious era. Expedition operators are increasingly deploying vessels across radically different climates and regions as demand grows for remote destinations that feel difficult to access—and harder to replicate.

Among the clearest examples is Aqua Expeditions, which has transformed the former polar yacht Legend into Aqua Lares, a small luxury expedition vessel capable of operating between the Indian Ocean and the Arctic within the same year.

Originally built in the 1970s as an ice-class expedition ship, the vessel developed a reputation as one of the more capable private polar yachts on the market. Following Aqua Expeditions’ acquisition by Ponant, which took a majority stake in the company in 2025, the yacht has now been repositioned for a broader global role.

“The main change was that she became a passenger ship,” said Captain Andriy Bratash. Rather than a major structural overhaul, the conversion focused primarily on reconfiguring interiors and adapting the vessel for warmer climates while preserving its expedition capabilities.

Outdoor spaces were expanded, a top-deck bar was added, and the helideck was redesigned as a guest lounge. “We didn’t need to change too much as she was already a great yacht,” Bratash said. “We just needed to make sure that the AC was working well and we had enough outdoor areas to enjoy the warmth.”

The result is a vessel designed to move seasonally between extremes. Aqua Lares spends part of the year operating itineraries across East Africa and the western Indian Ocean before returning north to destinations such as Svalbard and northern Norway during the Arctic season.

That deployment model remains relatively unusual within expedition cruising, where many vessels stay tied to a single geography. For Aqua, however, flexibility has become central to the business.

While the Arctic has become an established expedition market, Aqua’s expansion into the western Indian Ocean reflects growing interest in less-developed luxury cruise regions. Routes spanning the Seychelles, Tanzania and Madagascar remain comparatively underserved, particularly for small expedition vessels capable of accessing remote anchorages and outer islands.

According to Bratash, few operators spend extended seasons in the region. “Some pass by, but I’ve never heard of anyone actually staying here,” he said.

Operating there requires extensive logistical coordination. Access to many islands depends on permits, local partnerships and advance planning—factors that have historically limited broader industry participation. Aqua’s approach relies heavily on regional expertise, from local guides to operational partners familiar with navigating the area’s regulatory and environmental restrictions.

“It’s the first time, and it’s the only yacht, that does this type of cruising,” said Cruise Director Rico Wessels. “But we have done the legwork already and we have the permissions in place so we can offer guests and experience they’ve never had before,” he adds, referencing excursions to protected islands usually only accessible to scientists, or hidden bays and dive spots known only to locals.

Aqua’s model sits somewhere between traditional expedition cruising and private yachting. Guests book by cabin rather than chartering the entire vessel, while still experiencing the intimacy and flexibility typically associated with smaller private yachts.

The approach also lowers the barrier to entry for expedition travel in remote regions, where full private yacht charters often remain prohibitively expensive and larger cruise ships lack the flexibility to operate effectively. Wessels describes the experience as “shared private yachting”: curated itineraries combined with a guest count small enough to maintain a sense of exclusivity onboard.

That balance between intimacy and exploration reflects a broader shift in luxury travel priorities. Increasingly, travellers are moving away from traditional resort destinations in favour of experiences centred on access, remoteness and rarity. According to Bratash, many guests who begin with destinations such as Antarctica eventually start searching for less-established expedition routes elsewhere. “It’s a lifetime adventure. You’ll never forget it,” he said.

In that sense, Aqua Lares represents more than the refurbishment of a former polar yacht. It reflects a wider evolution within luxury travel itself, where exclusivity increasingly comes not from the vessel, but from where it can take you.