With room for just 30 passengers and available on a per-cabin basis, this superyacht is designed for high-style adventures.

Aqua Lares will spend the summer cruising the Norwegian Arctic. (Courtesy of Aqua Expeditions)

She may be the newest addition to the Aqua Expeditions fleet, but Aqua Lares is no stranger to the high seas. Built for Soviet service in the 1970s, the sturdy icebreaking tug was refitted in 2016 as an ultra-luxury explorer vessel before her latest transformation into the boutique cruise line’s first ice-class superyacht.

Now decked out with sleek interiors by Aqua’s design director Birgit Galli Zugaro and Milan-based studio Hot Lab, the 15-cabin Aqua Lares will launch ahead of the summer Arctic season in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Sailings through the inner and outer islands of the Seychelles—including the seldom-visited Aldabra Atoll—and onward to the shores of East Africa begin in February 2026. A 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio and niceties such as jacuzzis, a cinema, and a spa promise plenty of onboard indulgence, while five tenders, diving gear, mountain bikes, and kayaks invite exploration off the yacht.

In summer, Aqua Lares will steer north toward the Norwegian Arctic, tracing a path through glacier-carved fjords and the Svalbard archipelago. “We are redefining what it means to explore the farthest frontiers,” says Aqua Expeditions founder Francesco Galli Zugaro of the company’s first high-latitude voyages. “It’s not just about getting there; it’s about experiencing these wild places up close in a way that feels both deeply personal and effortlessly luxurious.”

aquaexpeditions.com

This article originally appeared in the December 2025/February 2026 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“From Africa to the Arctic”). Buy a single issue or subscribe here.

Introducing Aqua Lares, an Ultra-Luxe Small Ship

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