Just Cruises Plus

Picture yourself…..sitting in a rubber raft, in 15 degree weather with a 20 knot wind hitting you in the face.  Your only comfort is that there are 9 other lunatics doing the same thing.  You’re about to set foot on Antarctica.   To get to this point, you’ve flown on 3 planes and survived the monster waves of Drake’s passage.

Adventure cruising, sometimes called “expedition” cruising, is our subject this week.  No couch potatoes wanted for these dynamic exploration voyages.  Itinerary is the name of the game here.  Adventure destinations include the Arctic, Antarctica, and the Galapagos Islands.  Maybe you are a little more extreme in adventure seeking.  How about a dive trip to the Solomon Islands where hundreds of World War 2 ships, planes and tanks rest on the ocean floor.  Not a diver?  Then you might consider a snorkeling trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

There are some things you need to know before embarking on an adventure cruise.  First, you will give up the big cruise ship features like casinos and Las Vegas reviews.  You may give up comfortable staterooms and, depending on where you travel, physical comfort may be sacrificed.

The Galapogos Islands

We’ll begin with the mildest of the adventure cruises were comfort is not a casualty.  Xpedition cruises, a division of Celebrity Cruises, has weekly cruises to the Galapagos Islands.  Their one ship, Celebrity Expedition carries 92 passengers.  We say “mild” because the ship, though small, is traditional in that it has comfortable, well appointed staterooms and a pleasant lounge where naturalists give lectures and excellent food is served.  The weather in the Galapagos is not likely to be extreme.  You go here, as Darwin did, strictly for the wildlife.  No other place on earth has the variety of wildlife (in the ocean, on land and in the sky) that comes close to the Galapagos.

If you want to go a bit more spartan, try a visit to these spectacular islands aboard the National Geographic ships.  The Natural Geographic Islander (48 passengers) or the National Geographic Endeavor (96 passengers) are oriented toward teaching you about this dramatic continent.  We like their policy that permits visits to the bridge at most any time.

If you are more adventurous, there are smaller ships that visit these spectacular islands. If you want an experience with the local sailors and staff, consider the M/V Santa Rosa.  You will sacrifice a bit of comfort but you will have an Ecuadorian crew.

Despite being near the equator, the water is chilly.  In fact, in June and July the Jersey shore’s ocean is 10 degrees warmer.  Unfortunately, when the water is warmest (February-March), the wettest weather occurs.  Probably the best compromise is January or June.

Antarctica

Do you want a more adventurous experience?  How about a visit to Antarctica.  When to go?  It has to be in our winter (their “summer”).  It is simply not possible for anyone to reach Antarctica in winter.

Your first decision is whether you want to see Antarctica or feel it.  If you want to have an Antarctic land experience you must eschew the big cruise ships (I don’t know why you would put yourself through the discomfort to get to this cold, windy place and not step on land).

For a land experience, you will choose one of the small expedition ships.  Some are quite luxurious while others are workhorses.  We mentioned the National Geographic Endeavor earlier.  This vessel goes to Antarctica with landings.  Are you a little quirky?  Then try a Quark Expedition ship.  Some of these are real Russian icebreakers that were used for military purposes during the cold war.

Penguins and seals will be very common as will be same magnificent birds like the albatross.  Besides the unique wildlife, the scenery is breathtaking and the icebergs are unbelievable.

Don’t forget, just getting to Antarctica is an adventure. When you see those penguins dancing on the snow, you know it was all worth the effort.

The Arctic

The Earth’s other extreme, of course, is the Arctic which shares 24 hour summer daylight with Antarctica but little else.  While Antarctica is a land continent, the Arctic is mostly water (ice) although there is land above the Arctic Circle in Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia and the United States (part of Alaska).  The Arctic’s summer is the same as our summer and, surprisingly, temperatures can be quite moderate in the Arctic reaching over 70 degrees. 

The wildlife is very different in the Arctic.  There are quite a number of land mammals — including humans — living above the Arctic Circle.  One of the big thrills of an Arctic cruise is spotting a polar bear.  If you want to have a good chance of seeing one of these magnificent animals, cruise from Norway and head north aboard an icebreaking cruise ship.  As you go further and further north, you’ll quickly learn why an icebreaking ship is important.

Can you visit Santa’s workshop?  Of course!  Cruises depart from Helsinki Finland at least once a year and visit the geographic North Pole.  If you are a true adventurer (only the purest of heart will attempt this), you can even swim at the North Pole.

The duration of Arctic cruises are 8 to 66 days.  For the best scenery and wildlife viewing, we recommend a cruise that includes the Svalbard Islands in Norway.  By the way, the 66-day cruise is on the Russian Icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov.  This is the last year that it will be taking passengers.  The full cruise starts at only $65,990 per person (I think that I need Santa for this one).  For most adventure cruises, rates are about $500 per day, so a 10 day cruise would be about $5000 per person.

To Be Continued…..