“Expedition cruising has become more popular just as adventure holidays have taken off,” said a spokesperson for the Passenger Shipping Association, the organisation that promotes cruises and ferries in the UK.

"These niche cruises holidays are proving particularly popular among Britons. There has been a substantial growth in numbers of British toruists on Arctic cruises," added a spokesman for the Norwegian Embassy in London.

The excursions offered on expedition cruises include inflatable boat trips to see wildlife, kayaking, and guided walks - a world away from the cultural tours offered on traditional cruises. Consequently these holidays attract holidaymakers who are younger and more adventurous than those who opt for larger cruise ships.

One was involved in a collision in August, 2007, when a glacier collapsed onto the Alexey Maryshev injuring 46 tourists. The ship is one of 20 expedition vessels operating in the Svalbard area, the archipelago between Norway and the Arctic. Expedition ships are classified as those carrying less than 200 passengers, most of which are adapted to cope with sailing in icy waters. These ships, operated by 12 specialist cruise companies, bring 8,000 passengers to Svalbard every year.

The appeal of Arctic cruising stems from the encounters with wildlife, including whales, polar bears and penguins, unique polar scenery and the holiday away from the crowds, although these attractions come with inherent dangers.

According to the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators AECO, the passengers aboard the Alexey Maryshev were in more danger of being savaged by polar bears than collision with a disintegrating glacier.

AECO general secretary, Frigg Jorgensen told Times Online that expedition guides tend to carry rifles to warn off, or in extreme circumstances, kill polar bears that endanger the lives of cruise passengers. “There is a high risk of encounter with polar bears,” she said, “when cruises do landings, they need to be prepared for this,”

Jorgensen added that the last incident of an expedition cruise getting into difficulty was a decade ago when one grounded in shallow water.

The Alexey Maryshev has been operating in the Svalbard region since 1982 and this is the first incident of this kind. Further to that, the Norwegian Embassy in London has confirmed that no such incident, of a tourist vessel colliding with a glacier, has happened in Svalbard in recent history.

Speculation over whether the likelihood of disintegrating glaciers has been exacerbated by global warming, has been underplayed by the Norwegian Embassy. A spokesman said that while no connection could be established between global warming and today's incident, rising average temperatures in Svalbard have led to increased rates of glacial melting.

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