Fancy swapping cruise-ship trivia nights for stories about Everest? National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions has confirmed that mountaineer Peter Hillary will sail as a special guest on three of its polar and Alaskan itineraries in 2027, joining two Alaska departures in May and an Antarctica voyage in December.

Hillary is a genuine exploration heavyweight, not just a celebrity name on a brochure. He's the son of Sir Edmund Hillary, who with Tenzing Norgay made the first ascent of Everest in 1953, and he has carved out his own legacy across more than 50 mountaineering expeditions. That includes five Everest climbs, completion of the Seven Summits, a ski traverse to the South Pole, a 5,000-kilometre, ten-month high-altitude journey across the Himalayas, and a North Pole aviation expedition flown alongside both his father and Neil Armstrong.

Onboard, he'll host dedicated conversations about his life in exploration and take part in the day-to-day rhythm of each expedition, with Lindblad CEO Natalya Leahy noting the Hillary family's legacy adds real depth to these journeys. As a returning guest of the line, he's also apparently a fan of the format himself — a decent endorsement.

The three sailings offer quite different flavours of adventure. In May 2027, "Alaska's Inside Passage and Hubbard Glacier" focuses on Southeast Alaska's fjords and rainforest, with chances to spot brown bears and bald eagles plus a close-up of the massive Hubbard Glacier. The second May departure, "Alaska's Inside Passage, Endicott Arm and Prince Rupert," adds British Columbia's wildlife-rich waters and coastal communities to the mix. Then in December 2027, Hillary boards the National Geographic Explorer for "Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the Drake Passage" — a smart itinerary that sails the notorious Drake Passage one way and flies back over it, cutting the roughest crossing in half while guests explore by Zodiac, kayak and on foot among whales and icebergs.

For travellers weighing up a polar or Alaska trip, the appeal here is the storyteller as much as the scenery. Hearing first-hand what it takes to climb Everest or reach the poles from someone who has done it — repeatedly — while standing in the very environments he's describing is a rare onboard extra. Space on these departures tends to sell early, and the pairing of a famous guest with a flagship ship like the Explorer makes the December Antarctica sailing one to watch for 2027 planning.

First reported by Cruise Industry News.