I drove over from Edinburgh to see G Expedition, G Adventures' new expedition ship, on Monday (27 April). There were about 90 agents were there and from the moment we stepped onboard, everything went smoothly. It's always exciting to see a new product in person.

There were staff there too from the UK and Europe, as well as agents from different markets – including some familiar and not-so-familiar faces – so it was great to have that opportunity to mingle.

We started in the main lounge with introductions from the expedition team, and the breadth and depth of their knowledge is really impressive. You had experts from all over the world, including South Africa, Ecuador, Canada and the UK.

(Credit: Elliott Rouse)

One thing that really stuck with me was the passenger count. With only 128 guests onboard, and Antarctic rules meaning only 100 people can go ashore at any one time, it really emphasised the advantages of small-ship cruising. That’s a big selling point, because travellers are spending more time off the ship actually experiencing Antarctica, not waiting around. So that's something I’d absolutely highlight to clients.

Sustainability was also an important talking point. You see expedition ships with helicopters and the like as their USP. But with G Adventures, it's all about doing right by the destinations they visit. If they're worried about damaging the land by stepping on it, they'll kayak around it instead, while the ship itself has been upgraded to be more sustainably minded.

(Credit: G Adventures)

This led to a really interesting conversation about expedition becoming almost too popular. The onboard team were quite open that Antarctica and the Arctic are booming, but they’re also fragile environments.

As an industry, we’ve talked a lot about overtourism in mainstream cruising – Venice, Barcelona and so on – and it made me think the polar regions could raise similar questions over time. But rather than putting me off selling it, it reinforced the importance of selling who I consider to be the right operators and suppliers.

The ship itself exceeded my expectations. The cabins were basic, but well-appointed, the communal spaces felt sociable, and I loved touches like the library, which was stocked with lots of travel books.

Then there are the hot tubs on deck, and we heard all about the barbecue nights at the back of the ship. It's an opportunity to meet like-minded travellers, which matters for solo cruisers, a market I know G Adventures is targeting with its shared cabin scheme.

(Credit: Elliott Rouse)

I’ve been on more expensive expedition ships before, which obviously cater to a different type of client. But I was impressed by the value G Adventures is delivering at a far more accessible price point.

You’ve still got the zodiacs, kayaking, camping experiences, expert-led excursions – basically all the things people dream about doing in Antarctica. So I can definitely see myself pitching this quite broadly.

I’ve got the obvious adventure clients in mind; those who’ve done Alaska, diving trips in Indonesia, more experiential travel. But I also kept thinking about people my age, who could theoretically save up for a year and do one extraordinary trip. There’s an untapped market there.

The day finished with an update from Planeterra, which is the non-profit organisation affiliated with G Adventures. They've got 151 community projects now, which is great, and they're trying to get to 300 by 2030. That presentation rounded the day off well.

For me, the whole visit reinforced why Antarctica has such pull and why small-ship operators like G Adventures are one of the stronger choices in that market.

I left thinking – I need to be selling a lot more of this.