It is hoped the new journeys will “complement” the overland tours and cruises the adventure tour operator currently runs, with guests able to choose from itineraries featuring Iceland, Lisbon, Greece and Croatia.

The brand’s adventure cruise vessels carry an average of 30 travellers, allowing them to visit destinations that “larger cruise lines simply can’t reach”.

Michael Edwards, managing director UK of Intrepid Travel, told TTG: “By using smaller ships, we’ll have access to smaller ports as well as having the flexibility for more unique itineraries differentiating us from the larger cruise industry.

“We’re still finalising the destinations that we’ll be visiting with agents in 2018, but always aim to show them our varying styles of local travel experiences wherever possible.”

Highlights of the new sailings will include Iceland’s west coast, where guests will cruise from Reykjavik to Siglufjordur, with prices starting from £2,995.

Guests can also choose to explore the “hidden gems of Greece”, cruising through the Aegean and stopping off to explore the villages of Mykonos and Santorini.

The tour operator’s new Spain, Portugal and Morocco itinerary meanwhile starts in Lisbon and sails to Granada and Morocco.

All of Intrepid’s new sailings will include seven nights’ accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner and most activities. Many aspects of the new adventure cruises will also feature elements of sustainability, “reducing impacts on local communities”.

Intrepid employs local guides and uses locally owned restaurants and services to support the economy of the destinations visited.

Edwards added: “We make an effort on all our itineraries to visit destinations that are away from the normal tourist routes, giving clients the chance to explore the areas that we visit, recommending the best local restaurants and places to see along the way.”