Cruisers take an off-ship Zodiac excursion to view icebergs up close.
By the time the Lyubov Orlova motored out of the sheltered fjord at tiny Francois, on the south coast of Newfoundland, local businessman Kevin Strickland knew the tourism industry was on to something. Never before have I seen in such a short time so many friendships formed, people dancing and sharing yarns, who minutes before were total strangers. That was in September 2000, when the world s largest expedition cruise company, Marine Expeditions, sailed 127 passengers from St. John s to Battle Harbour to Ramea and all points in between, all aboard a 328-foot mini cruiseship. An expedition, discovery, or adventure voyage is a decidedly different experience than the traditional luxury cruise, and this pioneer outing was a great success. Passengers can fly or drive in, embark, cruise to their heart s content, then disembark on the return and head home.