Adventure Canada

We have traveled with other adventure cruise companies but have yet to find one that compares with Adventure Canada. My entire family booked passage with them from Arctic Canada to Greenland - it was the trip of a lifetime. As an artist, the voyage provided an incredible amount of inspirational reference material for future artwork. Beyond this though, we were treated to comfortable cabins, great food, and Adventure Canada’s wonderful staff - it was almost as if we were royalty.

It is Adventure Canada’s people and the connections between them and their guests, that truly sets them apart from other similar adventure tour companies. Their leadership team is where AC stands out - all are so knowledgeable and passionate with respect to their field of expertise and it shows. We have traveled on other adventure cruises where, after the lectures and presentations were over, some presenters became somewhat ‘invisible’ or unapproachable - their attitudes came across as indifferent and ‘just doing their job’. Adventure Canada is so different - the leaders go out of their way to associate with the ship’s passengers, even sitting down with them at mealtimes.

This hospitality doesn’t just stay onboard the ship though - it also extends to the amazing communities that are visited along the way. This camaraderie lead to the major takeaway for me from our trip. I fully expected to be moved by the spectacular scenery of the north - what I didn’t expect though was how much meeting the people of the north would affect me. Having the chance to interact with communities in Greenland and especially the Canadian Arctic (as facilitated by the Adventure Canada leaders) has changed my life forever …it touched my soul.

I highly recommend Adventure Canada.

Just to add (some things that I cannot select on the TripAdvisor webpage). It was a family trip with our sons in their 20's (not teens) - Adventure Canada's 30% off deal for travellers under 30 really helped us save money. The trip happened in August, 2016.

Lucky, lucky me. In the past two years I have had the opportunity to travel three times on the Ocean Endeavour with Adventure Canada - The Mighty St.Lawrence, Greenland and Wild Labrador and Scotland Slowly. Had I written reviews after each trip, I would have mentioned the exceptional hospitality on the ship and in the communities visited;the stimulating lectures and knowledgeable, engaged resource people; the joyful music; the surprisingly comfortable accommodations; the safety that I felt in the hands of considerate consummate professionals; and the absolutely breathtaking landscapes of this world we live in along with glimpses of what it might have been like for our ancestors.

These memories remain vivid but what lingers most for me is the profound sense of awe that I have for our ancestors - their resilience and their resourcefulness - and this helps me feel optimistic for the future and grateful for my opportunities in this presence. Maybe I could have felt this through reading or watching documentaries but I believe that these trips have helped me feel this more deeply. To reiterate ... I was one lucky, lucky person to have had these experiences. Thank you to all who were part of this.

For an Australian, Greenland and Labrador are a long way away but this trip made it worthwhile. The great thing about Adventure Canada is how well suited the cruise is for solo travellers. There were maybe 12 or so of us on the trip I did, and those sharing a cabin were often siblings or friends, rather than couples, so it was a great mix and easy to meet fellow travellers. The onboard ambience is very relaxed, so it was easy to feel comfortable, and I liked the idea that the CEO of the company delivered her talks wearing moccasins. The trip was well organised, the excursions amazing, though the weather does dictate the itinerary, so come with a flexible attitude. Since most of the guests are Canadians, some of the talks may be of less interest, on politics for example, though there are so many to choose from, with many more on nature, geology, photography etc. The highlight for me was the hot chocolate delivered by the Hotel Manager, Eckhart, wearing a polar bear suit, in conditions that were minus zero, while out on one of our zodiac excursions.

Excellent adventure. The staff were so eager to share their knowledge, shore excursions well organized. The staff came from a wide variety of backgrounds and expertise so we learned a great deal.

Our circumnavigation of Iceland was amazing, even though Iceland experienced its rainiest summer ever in 2018! We were cozy, dry, and comfortable on the ship while cruising from one place to the next. Each day then offered a whole new place and whole new experience of Iceland with land excursions, hikes, knowledgeable guides, and off-the-beaten-track experiences. Being able to regroup on the ship and share the adventures of the day is one of the highlights of travelling with Adventure Canada. This company knows what it's doing - can't wait for our next adventure.

If you are looking for an expedition trip, go with Adventure Canada. The experts onboard were local with a wealth of knowledge and experience. We stopped at 3 UNESCO World Herotage Sites L’Anse Aux Meadows, Red Bay and Gors Morne, we visited some amazing communities and a First Nation Reservation. We were welcomed at a kitchen party in Francois, a small town carved in a fiord with population of 50. The scenery was spectacular, the story of the Vikings came to life, the food - great and the zodiac expeditions a lot of fun.
The company is family run and every passenger was treated like family. There was yoga every morning and most afternoons, a gym, lots of hikes for different levels available for the active explorer; if you want to paint, listen to stories and stroll with a photographer, you can do that too. There was really something for everyone. There was a group of young scientists on board, part of Young Explorer program who were involved with a lot of different projects and shared their findings, research and results - it was so cool!
If you haven’t tried expedition cruise and you are adventurous, curious and flexible person, you will love Adventure Canada.

End of summer 2018 took me on an expedition cruise with Adventure Canada and their “Into the Northwest Passage” arctic journey. I loved it! I got to experience the Arctic through the lens of so many perspectives. The Expedition team included varied disciplines of geologists, anthropologists, historians, artists, and Inuit Culturists. Adventure Canada has partnerships with Canada’s national parks. A representative from the Nunavut territory park system was on board to inform and act as a guide when we visited sites there. The expedition team had an in depth knowledge of the route to be travelled from their own fieldwork and longtime connection to the areas history and native population. All of the staff (ship’s crew included) was exceptional. It was fun. The zodiac trips both to get to a land base or tour the waterways helped one to be apart of the environment true to scale of our human size and place with in this eco system. It was an amazing adventure for direct photographic experiences and for me as painter with so many images to paint and reflect upon.
Adventure Canada offered many ways and options on and off the boat for one to participate in this adventure no matter your age or ability. There were times I stayed on the ship to paint and process in the moment and then continue after the trip. Having almost three week was a gift of time that I need in the way the world works today and having the home base of the ship and my cabin was perfect.
The food was excellent. I hope to cross paths with Adventure Canada again.
Helen Chellin

My Adventure Canada Arctic Safari in August 2018 exceeded all expectations. I had lived in Arctic Canada as a child and, although we didn’t visit any of the places I had lived, it was the feeling of North that I craved. I’ve been working on a memoir of my arctic childhood for a Simon Fraser University writing program since January 2018 and to be able to ground myself once again in the North was invaluable. Being able to breath the air, be on the waters, marvel at icebergs, polar bears, whales and other wildlife in their natural habitat, and most importantly, to hike on the tundra, to photograph the landscape and capture close ups of wildflowers, mosses and lichens at peak summer – all refreshed my memories and have subsequently enriched my writing. None of this would have been possible without the efficient, adaptable planning expertise of the culturally and environmentally sensitive staff of Adventure Canada. Having Inuit cultural ambassadors, artists, and scientific experts to explain, interpret and answer questions 1:1 was invaluable. The expert talks, zodiac excursions and briefings were seamlessly organized and timed perfectly. And the social events were fun too! I have never “cruised” before and am not really interested in the tourist type experiences I understand most cruises offer. Not that I minded the excellent hospitality and professional service of the kitchen and hotel staff – they achieved a perfect balance of comfort and caring. From the moment at our Ottawa orientation when we were asked to consider ourselves travelers, to respect the land and cultures we would visit, I knew I’d made the right choice to come! Two months on, I am still learning from my time on the ship and on the land in Greenland, Baffin Island and Devon Island. Thank you!

This was an amazing adventure - even more spectacular than was expected. Adventure Canada is an exceptionally well run company ensuring all the needs of guests are met of varying abilities and interests. This program was well resourced by individuals with real lived experiences as and with the Inuit of Greenland and Labrador. Geology, anthropology, botany, photography, residents of Labrador were but a few of the amazing resource people on board. This was a full educational and experiencial program. There were hiking/walking opportunities on shore. Travellers must be prepared for the unpredictable and go with the flow. Especially weather related challenges. Some destinations could not be visited due to rough waters making zodiac embarkations/disembarkations too risky. While pricing is in USD and may seem rather expensive. The value is truly in the quality of the travel and the level of resourcing. It is accessible for solo travellers as there are ingle cabins available that are priced at the same level as individual pp for double occupancy. There is also a shared accommodation program available. This was my second journey with Adventure Canada. I will go again as they have unique and well supported itineraries. Accommodation onboard is comfortable and the food is excellent (too much!)

The mark of a great tour company is not when they deliver as per the glossy brochure. It is when the unexpected happens and plans go south. On our voyage "Out of the Northwest Passage 2018" there were many challenges due to ice conditions and airlines beyond our control. In each case AC staff rose to the occasion and went above and beyond to keep guests happy. I would highly recommend this company.