New Zealand’s first family of expedition cruising is set to enter a new era with the addition of the Heritage Discoverer in 2027.
Heritage Expeditions commercial director Aaron Russ has been meeting with agents and industry stakeholders this week across events which some of the agents say were part update and part ‘awe-inspiring storytelling’.
Russ grew up with expedition cruising, after his parents Rodney and Shirley Russ started the company in 1984 with original explorations through Central Otago’s goldfields. The focus moved with the introduction of The Acheron, Heritage’s first regularly operated vessel used to explore Aotearoa’s fiords.
Since then he says it was an ‘organic evolution’ into the expedition cruising market. Today he says the 2026 expedition traveller is ‘engaged and interested in the destination’.
But at the same time he notes that as a family business, rather than a large corporation, Heritage brings ‘a personal approach to how it explores and shares the world’.
Heritage’s expeditions from New Zealand to the Antarctica and sub-Antarctic are now popular globally, and Russ says the company is continuing to work closely with the trade.
Flagship vessel Heritage Adventurer took the operation to a new level post C-19 and enabled the company to expand its expedition-style cruising to new destinations such as Japan as well as increasingly popular South Pacific and Melanesia itineraries.
. . . Discoverer
The 130-guest Heritage Discoverer (formally Silversea’s Silver Explorer) will join the fleet from late 2026.
The new ship will sail four voyages which are designed to be combined. Offering itineraries in UK/Europe they sail ex Lisbon, along the European coast and through to the Channel Islands and British Isles. The third voyage from Glasgow to Iceland will make island stops along the way, and the fourth voyage is an in-depth circumnavigation of Iceland. See more HERE.
. . . Giving Back
The Russ family, which has well-documented conservation roots, is also using its growing presence to inspire the next generation. Russ says conservation remains ‘a core part of why Heritage travels and of the stories it tells’.
The sub-Antarctic islands are Heritage’s ‘expedition backyard’ says Russ. While it takes recreational cruise passengers to the region, it gives back via its True Young Explorer Scholarship run by Heritage (formerly the Enderby Scholarship). Heritage offers 18-30-year-olds the chance to win a scholarship on a voyage to see the destination and gain first-hand experience. Applications are also now open in conjunction with Antarctic Heritage Trust. See HERE.
