By
Laura Hyde |
Expedition cruise line Aqua Expeditions will welcome a sixth yacht to its fleet in February 2026.
The six-deck, 77.4-metre Aqua Lares will be the cruise line’s first ultra-luxury expedition yacht and will host 30 guests in 12 suites and three twin cabins. Social spaces onboard will include the sun deck with a bar and lounge, a cinema, a boutique, a gym, a spa, a saloon, and both indoor and outdoor dining areas.
Guests will benefit from meals cooked by world-renowned chefs, expert-led excursions in small groups, and a one-to-one guest-to-crew ratio. The ship will also be equipped with five private tenders – three 6.5-metre Zodiacs and two 8.5-metre Rafnar Tenders, as well as paddle boards, kayaks, snorkelling and diving gear, and mountain bikes.
At 24gt, the ship will also have the highest gross-tons-to-guest ratio in the Aqua Expeditions fleet. The interior outfitting is being led by design director, Birgit Galli Zugaro, who will collaborate with Milan-based firm Hotlab.
Aqua Expeditions’ newest expedition yacht will host 30 guests in 12 suites and three twin cabins
Aqua Lares will launch in the Indian Ocean, and will offer five, nine, 10 and 11-night itineraries to the Seychelles, Aldabra Atoll, Zanzibar and Tanzania, all of which will enable guests to explore East Africa’s remote wilderness. The ship, which has been designed to access islands and coastlines inaccessible to larger vessels, will embark on an inaugural sailing on 8 February 2026.
“The launch of Aqua Lares marks an exciting new chapter for Aqua Expeditions – uniting our commitment to luxury exploration with the thrill of discovering uncharted frontiers,” said Galli Zugaro, founder and CEO of Aqua Expeditions. “East Africa has held a special place in my heart since my first safari at age seven, and it’s surreal to now return with our own expedition yacht. From the wild beauty of the Seychelles to Aldabra Atoll’s 150,000 giant tortoises, this region offers a rare kind of adventure, one that perfectly complements our voyages in the Galapagos and Indonesia.”