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If you're on a polar cruise, plan to pack no-touch gloves and waterproof pants. You'll want a couple of extra pairs of shoes for wet landings so you always have a dry pair handy. For any destination, whether the climate's warm or cold, UV sunglasses come in handy as does sunblock. Equal parts exhilarating adventure and travel by cruise ship, expedition cruising is one of the best ways to experience some of the most remote, and visually stunning, destinations on the planet. Expedition cruises can be expensive, with pricing on par with traditional luxury cruises. It's not unusual to see expedition cruises to Antarctica and the Arctic priced at $1,000 per person per day — or more.
Expedition cruises: The ultimate guide to cruising to remote, hard-to-reach places
On some Canadian Arctic itineraries, for instance, expedition ships will stop at one or more of the Inuit settlements that dot the region. Sometimes an Inuit guide will be along for the voyage to talk about Inuit culture and life. Antarctica trips typically start in Ushuaia, Argentina, or Punta Arenas, Chile — the southernmost settlements in South America. From there, your ship will make a two-day crossing of the Drake Passage — the notoriously rough waterway between South America and Antarctica — before spending five or six days exploring the icy coast of the continent. That leaves just a few months when the ships move between the Arctic and Antarctica. Other times, they'll offer a handful of one-off voyages while in transit.
Our Expedition Vessels
Many of the islands here are protected marine reserves and state parks, allowing the rich marine life to thrive. Our undersea team ventured out on a dive to explore these waters and to capture the underwater world to share with our guests. Today’s voyage was graced with smooth seas and a blue sky while guests enjoyed the amenities of the lovely National Geographic Orion . Our team of naturalists gave presentations throughout the day, preparing us for the adventures that await us in the Samoa Islands. The hotel team made sure no one went hungry, as we enjoyed meals outside in the fresh air. The day ended with a spectacular sunset with everyone in attendance on the bow of the ship.
I took a cruise on a ship with 107 versus 7000 passengers: here's how they compared - Cruise Blog
I took a cruise on a ship with 107 versus 7000 passengers: here's how they compared.
Posted: Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Featured Expedition Experiences
We took a Holland America cruise through Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, and Fiji to Hawaii. While we traveled on a traditional cruise ship with excursions booked to explore the islands, there are several companies offering tours around Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific Islands. Alaska’s rugged wilderness is a prime destination for traditional cruises which we have taken ourselves.
The Galapagos
There’s a wide variety of companies offering expedition cruises around the world, with accommodations ranging from basic cabins to all-suite ships with butler service. Some traditional cruise lines have one or more expedition ships as part of their fleet, and some specialize in only adventure cruises. A few expedition-focused tour companies also charter ships to offer specialty expedition cruises. But Alaska also is the stomping ground of a handful of expedition cruise operators — most notably UnCruise Adventures and Lindblad Expeditions — that offer expedition cruises into the wilderness areas of Southeast Alaska.
Types Of Expedition Polar Ships
On an expedition cruise, the focus is on remote wilderness areas and the wildlife that inhabits them. This could be Antarctica's rocky, ice-lined shoreline, with its massive penguin colonies, or the uninhabited islands of the Galapagos, with their giant tortoises and Darwin's finches. It is travel by ship to places so far off the beaten path, such as Antarctica, that the journey itself is a bit of an adventure. Adding to the adventure is that, in some cases, you don't know what you're going to do from day to day once you reach your destination.
There is no need to pack a ball gown or suit and tie; travelers can relax in their hiking pants and fleece jackets after they trekked through the rugged environments. Our new expeditions bring you to a variety of beloved landmarks, from the magnificent Himeji Castle to the famed “floating” torii gate at Miyajima. In this episode of In Good Company, Cultural Specialist and Master Navigator Tua Pittman shines light on the breathtaking wildlife, natural beauty, and vibrant cultures of the South Pacific islands. Viking Octantis also has what may be the most stunning lecture hall ever at sea.
Zodiac boats take passengers out in search of wildlife and to cruise past extraordinary landscapes. “Ocean liners tend to call at ports with docks, harbors, and piers that the ships can dock alongside, allowing large numbers of guests to visit the locations largely unaccompanied,” says Cedar Swan, CEO of Adventure Canada. “Expedition ships usually stay clear of these types of visits, opting for remote locations known for nature, wildlife, and intimate experiences with small communities.” In essence, expedition cruises go where the big ships don’t.
A sister vessel to Viking Octantis, Viking Polaris, will debut in August 2022 and also will sail to polar regions. Airfare and hotel for before and after your cruise are generally not included, although some of the luxury cruise lines do include these costs in your fare. Cruise lines will have activity-based gear for passengers to use, like kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkel or SCUBA gear, depending on the climate and activities at the destination. Cruise lines will generally break the islands into north, south, east and west loops.
The first four voyages by a Western cruise vessel through the Northeast Passage, including the one that I did in 2018, for instance, were on Hapag-Lloyd Cruises expedition ships. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises also did some of the first sailings across the Northwest Passage — the fabled routing across the Canadian Arctic. In short, expedition cruises are designed for exploring and learning. Unlike most traditional cruises, an expedition cruise is not meant to be a resort experience, though an increasing number of expedition ships are being outfitted with more upscale amenities than in the past. The Endurance launched last summer, riding a wave of popularity for small-ship cruising. That's touched off a race among expedition organizers — including Abercrombie & Kent and Ponant — to deliver even higher levels of onboard luxury as well as more adventurous itineraries.
In particular we provide recommendations on tour operators, insurance providers and gear companies. That being said, smaller ships can navigate narrow passages and will often make more shore landings because of this. To help make the choice more simple, we have also separated the ships into three categories; Luxury, Expedition and Research. Most years there are roughly 14 ships that make regular trips to the poles.
If all of the above sounds like something you wouldn't enjoy doing, you might want to skip an expedition cruise and focus on more traditional cruises instead. Once at the shore, passengers often must climb over the side of the boat into ankle-deep or deeper water and wade ashore in what is known as a "wet landing." Travelers with mobility issues may find it difficult to get the most out of expedition cruises, as the trips are relatively active. In short, expedition cruise companies face a high cost on a per-berth basis to operate their vessels — and those costs will be reflected in the cruise fares. In addition, luxury river cruise specialist Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours recently unveiled its first two expedition ships.
Once by land and most recently on an expedition cruise with Hurtigruten. Today we explored Bartolome and Chinese Hat, two of the best spots on the island of Santiago. We had special encounters throughout the day, spotting the Galapagos penguin, sea lions, and blue-footed boobies. We also saw a number of sea creatures during our snorkeling activities.
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