The dictionary meaning for the word expedition says ‘a journey taken for pleasure.’ Going by this definition, it becomes quite clear that an expedition ship or an expedition vessel is solely used for the purpose of pleasure travelling. In simpler term, they can also be termed as cruise ships.
Expedition vessels have been an exclusive part of the shipping industry and they provide a lot of comfort and luxury to the people who travel in them. In the olden days, before travelling through planes became the preferred mode of transport, the cruise ships were very well-known and famous.
However, as plane-travelling became more common, in order to maintain the same level of popularity that an expedition ship once enjoyed, many alterations and modifications were introduced to the concept of cruise ships. Over the years because of such favourable and unique alterations, a voyage on an expedition vessel has become even more pleasurable and intriguing.
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In contemporary times, cruise ships offer facilities of not just a bar and a taproom but also facilities like theatre, discos, private pools and many other ultra-luxurious amenities. The providing of such facilities is to ensure that more and more people get hooked to the idea of enjoying a cruise in areas that have never been explored thoroughly.
It also needs to be noted that expedition ships may also refer to naval vessels that are used for expedition trips carried out specifically keeping certain areas in mind. Like a group of people carrying out a naval trip from Sydney to Seychelles on a ship. The trip is known as an expedition trip and the ship used is referred to as an expedition naval carrier.
There are many such expedition trips that are carried out. Some of the famous ones are the Borobudur Ship Expedition that was carried out in 2003-2004 between Indonesia and Africa. There is also a naval carrier that carries out expedition trips to Antarctica by the name of ‘Spirit of Enderby.’ This ship was built basically keeping in mind the Antarctic trips and is a routine feature in the New Zealand travel.
Thus it can be seen that the purpose of expedition ships is twofold. Firstly it offers deluxe cruises and secondly it promises exclusive and specific trips to exotic places. With these two features as the most important USP, there cannot be any arguing that going on a tour on an expedition ship is unique, rare and extremely informative. Exploring new areas and places has always been a secondary human nature. In fact it is because of this human nature that the world has grown and developed to what it is now.
Expedition ships are a novelty. But they are one of the best items of exploration that exist in today’s times. Going by planes is interesting but when one takes a trip on an expedition ship or an expedition vessel, the mingling of different culture and places is seen very obviously. For this reason alone, there cannot be any comparison between water travel and any other modes of transport.
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