On a warm September day in Nice, France, I grab a table at a restaurant terrace overlooking the Mediterranean and size up the vessel I’m about to board: Atlas Ocean Voyages‘ World Traveller. Although you wouldn’t know to look at it, the navy blue hull is built to cut through ice. As the ship glimmers under the southern French sun, I find it hard to imagine that in less than two months it will be back in Antarctic waters, having swapped the calm, summer waters of the Mediterranean for a harsh polar climate.
Expedition vessels are built to carry passengers to remote corners of the world, like Antarctica and the Arctic, in safety and comfort with features like strengthened hulls, Zodiac launch areas, helipads and mudrooms. Their ice-class hulls, however, are becoming a familiar sight in a less rugged and more well-trodden part of the world: the Mediterranean. In fact, in 2024, World Traveller spent more time in the Mediterranean than in Antarctica (seven months versus five).
Why? The peak season for European cruises is the offseason in Antarctica, the dark winter months when no cruise ships visit because of pack ice and temperatures. Given the enormous popularity of the Mediterranean in summer, it makes sense that Atlas Ocean Voyages has decided to reposition one of its ships here when it can’t be in Antarctica.
This year, Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Navigator will spend the summer in the Mediterranean after its winter season finishes in Antarctica. The ship won’t be the only expedition ship in the region. National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions and Swan Hellenic are also bringing their expedition vessels to destinations like Greece, Croatia and Italy in 2025. Aurora Expeditions’ newest launch, Douglas Mawson, will head north for a summer season in the Mediterranean in 2026 after its inaugural season in Antarctica.
With so many choices for travelers booking a Mediterranean cruise, why would anyone choose a ship built for a completely different travel destination? I was curious to see if an expedition ship could deliver a new experience in this classic cruise destination, especially compared to the small-ship luxury cruise lines that share the seas with it.
Here’s what I learned during my journey from Nice to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on an expedition cruise ship, World Traveller.
Its small size is an advantage
At 423 feet long, with a maximum of 198 passengers in 98 cabins, World Traveller is one of the smallest cruise ships in the Mediterranean, smaller than luxury vessels from lines like Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn and Silversea Cruises. Even the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection‘s yachtlike ships are bigger and can accommodate more passengers.
While a reduced capacity is a hallmark of expedition vessels, to find something smaller than World Traveller in terms of length and total passenger capacity in this region, you would need to look at Windstar’s sailing ships (Wind Star and Wind Spirit in particular) and yacht-style choices, such as SeaDream Yacht Club and Emerald Cruises’ oceangoing vessels.
Our sailing had 174 guests and 127 crew members on board. The overall number of passengers World Traveller can carry is higher in the Mediterranean than when it is in true expedition mode. That’s because the Adventure Oceanview Staterooms on Deck 3 are open for booking, rather than reserved for the expedition leaders that join as crew for polar sailings.
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I liked that the ship never felt crowded, and my daughter and I could find our own quiet nooks, despite World Traveller being close to full capacity. A sun deck at the back of Deck 6 felt like my own private terrace. Each time I went out there to read in the sun loungers, I had the space to myself.
The small size also meant that I got to know my fellow passengers quickly. I learned that many were on their second sailing with Atlas Ocean Voyages, having been impressed with their initial experience in Antarctica. Among the mostly North Americans, I heard a smattering of British and Australian accents, too. Late afternoons around the 7Aft Pool Bar were particularly social, as was the after-dinner live music in The Dome. Two guest performers from the United States had people dancing until nearly midnight most nights.
The itinerary balances a mix of destinations
One of the advantages of small ships is their ability to access smaller ports and destinations other cruise ships don’t typically visit. If you’ve already visited many of the classic Mediterranean hot spots, or are looking to avoid the crowds during Europe’s summer travel high season, a small ship is an excellent choice.
During its 2024 season, World Traveller called upon a long list of under-the-radar ports in the Mediterranean. Many of these, such as Portoferraio on the island of Elba in Italy (famous for being where Napoleon Bonaparte was incarcerated), Saranda in Albania and Port-Vendres in southwest France, are frequented by only a few other small-ship lines, most notably Seabourn, whose network in this part of the world is particularly extensive.
The crew told me how, earlier in the season, the vessel even swapped the open sea for inland waterways, as it made its way up the Guadalquivir River to dock for two nights in the heart of Seville, Spain. Berths in the city are generally restricted to vessels under 525 feet, and I can only imagine how magical the experience of cruising on a river was for those fortunate enough to be on board.
Our itinerary was a mix of big cities (Rome and Barcelona), popular resort towns (Nice and Palma de Mallorca) and lesser-known destinations (Saint-Raphael and Toulon on France’s Cote d’Azur and Mahon in Spain’s Balearic Islands). Thanks to its small size, the ship was able to dock in the heart of each destination.
In Toulon, it was less than a 10-minute walk from the gangway to the city’s charming old town with its lively morning produce markets and street vendors selling piping hot cade, a chickpea pancake that is a local specialty. In Marseille, both Mucem, the city’s grand museum dedicated to European and Mediterranean civilizations, and the striking Cathedrale La Major were just steps away from our berth. Saint-Raphael, the quieter neighbor of Cannes, was the only place we stayed at anchor, but it was a short five-minute tender ride into the marina in the pretty town center.
Related: The best small cruise ships sailing the world
A culinary-themed cruise is a treat for the tastebuds
Expedition cruises set themselves apart from other types of cruises by immersing guests in the destination with educational activities and hands-on exploration. Atlas Ocean Voyages translates this approach to Mediterranean voyages by focusing on food and the region’s rich culinary heritage. All of its sailings in Europe are themed as “epicurean expeditions” and include one culinary experience ashore and a selection of daily activities like wine and food tastings and cooking demonstrations. Although every day’s program is different, the schedule typically includes one demonstration or tasting in the afternoon.
We were joined by two guest chefs for the duration of our journey: television chef Christy Rost and Salt Lake City-based chef Viet Pham, who won 2014’s “Iron Chef America.” The pair rotated activities every day: When one was hosting the cooking demonstration in the afternoon, the other was prepping ingredients to cook live for guests in the evening, ensuring a fragrant flow of fresh-from-the-pan dishes such as panko-crusted pork tenderloin and buffalo chicken wings. The chefs came together for the cook-off event when four teams of passengers battled it out to create the prettiest Provencal sharing platter.
It was easy for the guest chefs to be approachable on a small ship with fewer guests. With Pham, I talked food and family over coffee one morning in the all-day cafe, Paula’s Pantry, and I noticed he joined a team of Canadians for trivia one afternoon in The Dome Observation Lounge.
World Traveller only has one restaurant, Lisboa, rather than the multiple specialty dining venues you’d find on most small luxury vessels. For a casual meal, the top-deck eatery, 7Aft, offers a limited selection from the main buffet in Lisboa at lunch.
In the evening, it transforms into an intimate spot serving meats grilled in a fancy Josper charcoal oven at no extra charge to passengers. Capped at 20 guests per evening, the venue is extremely popular: I called to book on the second day only to be told that all dinner tables were already full for our whole sailing. I persisted and was rewarded with a reservation on the last night. The tender filet mignon made the effort to get a table worth it.
While the dining options might be limited compared to other small-ship lines, the pairing of Executive Chef Valeriu Surugiu’s excellent cuisine with the specialties of the two guest chefs meant my taste buds were never bored.
I looked forward to Surugiu leading a market tour in Barcelona, followed by the chance for guests to cook the ingredients in the ship’s galley, one of the complimentary epicurean expedition inclusions. Our day in the Catalan capital coincided with the festival of Merce, a celebration of the patron saint of the city, and unfortunately, because of the crowds expected in the streets, the market tour was canceled at the last minute. Fortunately, the paella dinner that evening — the included ashore culinary experience — went ahead without a hitch.
Public spaces are limited but not limiting
World Traveller is one of the youngest cruise ships plying the Mediterranean. Built in 2022, it feels fresh and new. However, its intimate size compromises the number of amenities on offer on board. World Traveller doesn’t have the space for the array of public areas you’d find if you cruise on larger luxury vessels belonging to lines like Regent, Silversea or Seabourn.
In addition to the lack of specialty restaurants, World Traveller does not have a casino or a large auditorium for big productions, although it has a good-size theater for port talks and the crew show. World Traveller’s sizable mudroom, essential in the polar regions, is redundant space in the Med.
Still, plenty has been packed into the ship’s 423 feet, including three bar and lounge areas, an all-day cafe, a spa, a heated swimming pool and hot tub, a fitness room, and spacious deck areas. I never felt limited by the onboard options. The interiors aren’t as formal as on Regent Seven Seas cruise ships, for example, which are known for their opulent design, glittering chandeliers and rare art. Instead, World Traveller’s decor felt warm and elegant. The overall atmosphere was more relaxed and laid-back than on many other luxury small-ship lines (and the dress code was too).
All 98 cabins have ocean views. My Veranda Stateroom was as plush and comfortable as cabins on other small ships I have sailed on. In fact, since the art deco-inspired geometric fabrics and cozy rich wood paneling were more to my taste, it became an easy favorite. The balcony, which I can’t imagine is used that much in Antarctica, was a lovely place to relax and enjoy the Mediterranean sun.
Equally as inviting were the Horizon Staterooms with a drop-down electric window for floor-to-ceiling views and extra inches of cabin space.
Related: Everything you need to know about Atlas Ocean Voyages cabins and suites
Expedition ships offer novel amenities regular cruise ships lack
My cabin also had amenities you don’t often find in the Mediterranean, like a pair of binoculars. Though they’re usually meant for spotting penguins in the poles, I found a local use for them: checking out the luxe villas along the Cote d’Azur.
On polar expeditions, passengers are provided with parkas which they are welcome to keep once their cruise ends. We were gifted a backpack and water bottle to use on shore excursions and take home. Other welcome touches were the bookmarks left in my room in the evenings that tell the story of great Portuguese explorers.
Shore excursions are currently a weak spot
Shore excursions are one thing Atlas Ocean Voyages is still figuring out as it firms up its Mediterranean presence and is an area where its competitors in Europe currently have the upper hand.
Save for the paella dinner in Barcelona, World Traveller’s program of shore excursions all came at an extra cost. While Regent includes all shore excursions in its fare and Silversea offers one free shore experience in each port, other small-ship cruise lines like Windstar and Seabourn also don’t offer any shore excursions in their fares.
On average, we had three choices for each port of call. The excursions leaned into the epicurean theme, making them ideal if you enjoy wine tastings and vineyard visits. I would have loved to see some choices that embraced a more traditional expedition angle. For instance, you don’t have to travel too far from the coast on the Cote d’Azur to find some fantastic hiking and biking trails, suitable for all ability levels.
I had booked one shore excursion before my departure: a walking tour of Le Panier, the oldest district in Marseille. But there was a mix-up with my booking and by the time I figured it out, it was too late to join. Fortunately, the ship was docked just next to the city’s bright, bohemian neighborhood, so I headed off on a walking tour of my own at my leisure.
However, I was not alone in finding some flaws in the tour operations. My fellow passengers also grumbled about last-minute changes to booked activities and underwhelming experiences ashore. Atlas Ocean Voyages has since told me that it has received these comments, and the team continually works to improve the entire guest experience.
Expedition ship fares are in line with classic cruise ships
Overall, Atlas Ocean Voyages’ fares are fairly in line with what you can expect to pay on a nonexpedition small ship in the Mediterranean in summer.
At the time of writing, a seven-night sailing on sister ship World Navigator from Barcelona to Rome in June, stopping at Port-Vendres, Toulon, Saint-Tropez, Nice, Portofino and Livorno, was available for $5,199, based on double occupancy, for a balcony cabin. The 2025 Mediterranean season is already heavily booked; however, bookings are open for 2026, when World Traveller returns to the Mediterranean. A 10-night sailing from Rome to Barcelona in July 2026, for example, starts at $5,299 per person, based on double occupancy, for an ocean-view cabin. Beverages and prepaid gratuities, but not Wi-Fi, are included in every fare.
When I checked, a 10-night sailing from Barcelona to Rome on Seabourn Ovation (capacity 600) in June 2025 was priced at $5,899, based on double occupancy, for a verandah suite. A seven-night Rome-to-Barcelona sailing in July 2025 aboard Windstar’s Wind Surf sailing yacht (capacity 342) started at $4,382 with Windstar’s all-inclusive package, based on double occupancy, for an ocean-view category A cabin. The fare is lower in part because the ship’s cabins are smaller.
Related: How much does a cruise cost?
Bottom line
The main characteristics that define World Traveller as an expedition vessel — the mudroom, the zippy Zodiacs and the ice-rated hull — essentially hibernate in the Mediterranean. Yet the combination of the ship’s small size, itinerary of uncrowded destinations and foodie flavor offers travelers a different way to experience this popular cruising area — on one of the newest ships on the water.
If you prefer intimate, relaxed ships that carry only a couple hundred people, and if good food is an essential part of any travel experience for you, this new version of small-ship cruising in the Mediterranean should definitely be on your radar.
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