ABERCROMBIE & Kent (tour Operator)

Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent was founded in 1962 as a safari tour operator in East Africa and has expanded over the decades to include much of the world on land tours and a selection of small-ship cruise offerings — on various ships that it books into or charters such as hotel barge cruises in Europe and the U.K. When A&K sells cruises where there will be other passengers, the A&K group (maximum 24) will be seated at reserved dining tables and have their own guides.

In February 2019, Manfredi Lefebvre, former executive chairman of Silversea Cruises, took an 85% share in A&K with founder Geoffrey Kent keeping 15%.

Abercrombie & Kent’s Fleet

Luxury expedition cruises in partnership with Ponant:

Le Laperouse (built 2017 & 148 passengers)

Le Bougainville (b. 2019 & 148 p.)

L’Austral (b. 2010 & 199 p.)

Le Champlain (b. 2017 & 148 p.)

Le Soleal (b. 2012 & 199 p.)

Le Lyrial (b. 2014 & 199 p.)

Le Jacques Cartier (b. 2021 & 148 p.)

Le Dumont D’Urville (b. 2019 & 148 p.)

Le Boreal (b. 2010 & 199 p.)

European river cruises in partnership with Amadeus River Cruises (limit 24 A&K travelers on each ship mixed with other cruisers):

Amadeus Star (b. 2019 & 164 p.)

Amadeus Imperial (b. 2020 & 168 p.)

Amadeus Brilliant (b. 2011 & 150 p.)

Amadeus Silver III (b. 2016 & 168 p.)

Amadeus Queen (b. 2018 & 162 p.)

The mighty Rhine flows through the heart of Europe. * Photo: A&K

Abercombie & Kent also charters luxury hotel barges for European canal cruises with various operators, operating journeys on French, Scottish and English canals and lochs carrying between 4 and 20 passengers

Further, A&K also features voyages on exotic rivers, chartering boats with various partners to take journeys on the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam, the Irrawaddy in Myanmar (not currently), the Yangtze in China, the Nile in Egypt and the Chobe River in Namibia.

Passenger Profile

A&K trips are expensive. There is a reason for this. They are highly curated, all-inclusive and offer a high degree of luxury.

Cruisers are well-traveled, typically 50 and older and with most from North America.

Voyages last from two to three weeks or more, so your ship is likely to be filled with retirees with more leisure time who are now exploring the exotic locations on their travel bucket lists.

Price

$$$

A&K offers and all-inclusive package covering transfers, gratuities, shore excursions, meals and drinks, wifi, pre-cruise luxury and hotel stays.

Pricing starts at more than $1,000 per person per day.

Included Features on Abercrombie & Kent Cruises

All onboard meals
All drinks onboard
Excursions
Boutique hotels and city stays before and after the cruise
Transfers to and from the airport
Gratuities

Abercombie & Kent Itineraries

A&K offers luxury expedition cruises to Antarctica, the Arctic, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, the South Pacific and destinations in Europe, such as Italy, Scotland and Ireland.

An 18-day Antarctic voyage on the 199-passenger Le Lyrial includes a day in Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, and the cruise leaves from Ushuaia to visit the Falkland Islands and South Georgia before sailing the Southern Ocean to Antarctica to explore the White Continent.

The well-rounded voyage includes three days in both Antarctica and South Georgia.

Meanwhile, the river program for A&K visits highly sought-after spots in Europe, as well as exotic waterways in Southeast Asia, China, Namibia, and Egypt.

A&K features an 11-day Prague and the Blue Danube itinerary sailing on Amadeus Silver III, Amadeus Star or Amadeus Brilliant.

The voyage starts in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, and features a city tour, embarkation onto your river ship and a nighttime cruise of the city. You wake up in Budapest for another tour of sightseeing before rejoining the ship to cruise on to two more capital cities: Bratislava (Slovakia) and Vienna (Austria). From there, it’s smaller towns in Austria, with stops at Durnstein, Melk and Salzburg.

The final stretch reaches Nuremberg, Regensburg and Passau in Germany. At the Passau visit, cruisers get the chance to go to the fairytale village on Cesky Krumlov (Czech Republic) for the day. The journey wraps up with a full day in Prague to explore the magnificent Czech capital located on the Vltava River.

A&K’s European barge cruises heavily feature canals of France and last seven days. A typical itinerary includes gourmet meals, lazy scenic cruising, biking (bicycles carried onboard the vessels) and days wandering the nearby towns and villages.

The itinerary for A&K’s voyage on hotel barge La Belle Epoque on the Burgundy Canal and makes moorings at small towns, communes and other sights in the Burgundy countryside to visit spots such as Chateau de Commarin for a falconry display.

UNESCO site Fontenay Abbey and Cablis for a visit to the vineyards and a tour of 1,000-year-old monastic wine cellars.

Antarctica beauty. * Photo: Abercrombie & Kent

Why Go?

Abercrombie & Kent offers spectacular service on the vessels that it charters, gourmet cuisine and luxury accommodations for travelers who want a highly curated and comfortable experience while visiting far away destinations. The cruises feature expert guides and expedition leaders who are passionate about sharing their knowledge of special places around the world.

Special Notes: See Ponant Cruises for more complete information on the company’s vessels.