From Travel Desk | The New York Times
A new company specializing in selling small-ship cruises, ExpeditionTrips.com, has launched a Web site with information about trips to destinations including Alaska, the Amazon River, Antarctica, Australia, the Galápagos Islands and the North Pole. Prices range from a $600-a-person, four-day trip in the Galápagos to a $20,000, 13-day trip aboard an ice breaker at the North Pole.
Ashton Palmer, president of the Seattle- based ExpeditionTrips.com, is a former expedition leader for Abercrombie & Kent, Quark Expeditions and Zegrahm Expeditions. He said the company has signed agreements with 30 operators of small-ship cruises, like Alaska's Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises and Lindblad Expeditions, and expects to provide an extensive database for individual travelers as well as travel agents. Those who visit its Web site and sign up are offered e-mail notification of last- minute cabin space, special offers and discounts, he added, but bookings will not be taken online. For information: (877) 412- 8527 or www.expeditiontrips.com.