Pink dolphins at breakfast, a chef’s tasting menu after dark.
Aqua Expeditions started on the Peruvian Amazon in 2007 and still runs the finest ships there: Aqua Nera and Aria Amazon sail from Iquitos into the Pacaya Samiria reserve on 3, 4 and 7 night trips, with naturalist guides, skiff and kayak excursions, and menus by Peru’s best-known chefs. The same idea sails the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia on Aqua Mekong, Indonesia’s Komodo, Raja Ampat and Spice Islands on the yacht Aqua Blu, and the Galapagos on Aqua Mare. With 16 to 40 guests and everything included, it suits honeymoons, families who take the whole ship, and anyone who wants wilderness with a very good kitchen. SmartCruiser lists all 669 Aqua sailings with taxes and fees included and puts the SmartCruiser picks first; many Aqua fares show as fares by phone, and we quote those the same way, taxes and fees included, with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit where the line allows it.
Three ways to sail with Aqua Expeditions
Pick a region and the list below filters to it; where a sailing shows fares by phone, call and we quote it with taxes and fees included.
The Peruvian Amazon
- Iquitos into the Pacaya Samiria reserve: pink river dolphins, sloths, caiman by flashlight and village visits
- 3 and 4 night trips combine into 7; most guests add Machu Picchu before or after
- Aqua Nera has a plunge pool and 20 suites; Aria Amazon is the original, 16 suites
Best for: honeymoons, families, bucket-list Peru with Machu Picchu
The Mekong on Aqua Mekong
- Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, 3, 4 and 7 night legs
- Four skiffs, a fleet of bikes, a pool and a spa on a 40-guest ship
- Menus by David Thompson, the most awarded chef in Thai cooking
Best for: second river trips, temples and street food, Angkor Wat
Indonesia on Aqua Blu
- Komodo dragons and manta rays in the dry season, Raja Ampat’s reefs in the wet
- The Spice Islands of Ambon and Banda, the islands the Dutch and English once fought over
- A 30-guest explorer yacht with diving, paddleboards and a top-deck Jacuzzi
Best for: divers and snorkelers, long-haul adventurers, 7 and 12 night trips
Aqua Expeditions deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Aqua Expeditions sailing in every region, with taxes, fees and port expenses included wherever a price is shown. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting; the fares-by-phone cards are real departures, call and we price them for you.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Aqua Expeditions sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where Aqua Expeditions sails
Pick a region and the list above filters to it; the Aqua Blu sailings in Indonesia appear under Asia.
Lines you may also like
If Aqua’s small-ship wilderness appeals, these lines cover the same waters in different styles.
When to go
Every Aqua region sails year-round; the water level decides what you see on the Amazon, and the monsoon decides which side of Indonesia Aqua Blu is on.
Aqua Expeditions questions we answer every day
What is included in an Aqua Expeditions fare?
All meals and the chef-designed tasting menus, house wines, beer, soft drinks and most spirits, every excursion with the naturalist guides, kayaks, skiffs and snorkel gear, Wi-Fi where there is signal, and the transfers between the airport or hotel and the ship. Crew gratuities, premium wines, scuba diving and the land extensions to Machu Picchu or Angkor are extra.
How big are the ships and the suites?
Tiny by cruise standards. Aqua Nera carries 40 guests in 20 suites, Aria Amazon 32 in 16, Aqua Mekong 40 in 20, Aqua Blu 30 in 15 and Aqua Mare 16 in 8. Suites run about 230 to 320 square feet with floor-to-ceiling windows on the river ships and a mix of windows and balconies on the yachts; every ship has an outdoor lounge, and most have a plunge pool and spa.
Who does Aqua Expeditions suit?
Couples and families who want real wilderness with a serious kitchen and a guide-to-guest ratio of about one to eight. The days are active: two or three outings by skiff, kayak, bike or on foot, then a long dinner. Children are welcome and families often charter the whole ship; it is not for anyone who needs an elevator or a casino.
What about the weather on the Amazon and in Indonesia?
The Amazon is warm and humid all year with some rain most days, heavier from December to May; the ships are air-conditioned and the skiffs carry ponchos. The Mekong is driest October to March. Indonesia has two seasons, and Aqua Blu follows them: Komodo from April to September, Raja Ampat and the Spice Islands in the other months. Ask your doctor about vaccinations and malaria advice for the Amazon.
Do I need a passport or visa?
A US passport valid six months beyond your return. Peru, Ecuador and Indonesia admit US passports without a visa for short stays (Indonesia charges a visa on arrival); Vietnam and Cambodia require e-visas applied for online before travel. We send the current rules and links with your confirmation.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price shown on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses, and when an Aqua sailing shows fares by phone we quote it the same way. Flights, visas, gratuities and land extensions are extra.
Talk to an Aqua Expeditions specialist
Tell us the region and the dates and we price the Aqua sailing, the flights and the Machu Picchu or Angkor extension together, with taxes and fees in every number. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.