What is Expedition Cruising all about?
Would I send you to see penguins in the Arctic? The first lesson in expedition cruising: Penguins are in the South, Polar Bears are in the North! Or if you wanted to swim with wildlife I certainly wouldn’t send you to the Kimberley in Australia as the waters around Northern Australia are rife with Salt Water Crocodiles so you cannot enter the water! However, I am told that snorkelling with Sea Lions in the Galapagos is Magical! Expedition cruising is all about small ships. The last thing you want in remote spots is to be sharing the space with thousands of others. In Antartica only vessels carrying 500 passengers or fewer can take people ashore and no more than 100 are allowed on land or ice at the same time. The latter rule also applies to certain areas in the Artic. In the Galapagos, ships can hold a maximum of 100 passengers and itineraries are carefully planned.
Most ships have an Expedition team on board, with an Expedition Leader and team members who are experts in nature, guiding, hiking, culture and history. Together with the ship’s hotel management, they are your hosts on board. Every day they provide lectures, photo programmes, story-telling and evening gatherings. They will enthusiastically share their knowledge and passion on a variety of subjects including biology, history, geography, culture and science.
Here are some destinations to whet your appetite!
Artic - the region is made up of 8 countries at the top of the world. Rather than a continent, it's an area enclosed by an imaginary circle that radiates out from the North Pole, Encompassing the Svalbard archipelago and parts of Norway, Russia and Canada.
Arctic cruises include voyages around Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago; along the west coast or Greenland; or through the Northwest Passage. There are also one-off sailings to remote islands and Arctic Russia. Itineraries should be regarded as guidelines, as the actual route sailed depends on ice, weather and wildlife.
Arctic cruises operate in the summer, from the end of May to September, when the sea ice has melted enough for ships to get through. Temperatures can reach up to 10 celsius on land but most likely will be hovering just above freezing, especially when cruising between the ice or close to glaciers. It's all about giant icebergs, polar bears and walks ashore where only a few thousand others have been.
This is the realm of the Polar Bear. Numerous species of whales inhabit the Arctic, while Orcas migrate here in summer. Cruisers can also expect to see seals, walruses, Arctic terns, guillemots, gulls, puffins, kittiwakes and other sea birds.
Antartica – is a frozen continent surrounded by Oceans at the bottom of the earth, Antarctica is the seventh continent, with the South Pole at its centre and it’s about as remote as it gets on this planet- it’s thousands of miles from Ushuaia, the port town at the bottom of Argentina.
Crossing the Drake Passage from Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula takes almost two days and two nights. There are flights, but for many ‘conquering’ the Drake is part of the Antarctica experience. The shortest cruises stay in the Antarctic Peninsula, while longer ones go further into Antarctica, or add South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.
Cruise ships visit between October and March, which is summer in Antarctica but still very cold, with temperatures ranging from around -8C to -4C. You will need gloves, scarves, hats, jumpers and rubber boots (these can often be rented from the cruise line) Most lines supply wind jackets.
It’s all about the penguins and the unspoilt landscapes, with snow-covered mountain and icebergs the size of houses, as well as narrow fjords such as Lemaire Channel (nicknamed Kodak Gap because it’s so photogenic). Kayaking among icebergs and camping on land is unforgettable.
Penguins are guaranteed and you can expect millions of them. Adele, chinstrap and gentoo penguins live around the Antarctic Peninsula. Those visiting South Georgia and the Falkland will also see King penguins. Antarctica is also home to whales, orcas, seals, albatrosses, skuas and a host of other seabirds.
Norwegian Coastline - ships are uniquely designed to explore the Norwegian coastline in the most comfortable way. Whichever season you choose to sail, during the Springtime reawakening of the coast, over the long, sun-drenched days of Summer and the Midnight Sun into the amazing palette of Autumn glow, or for the soul-stirring spectacle of the Northern Lights in Winter.
Galapagos Islands - a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. It's considered one of the world's foremost destinations for wildlife-viewing. A province of Ecuador, it lies about 1,000km off its coast. Its isolated terrain shelters a diversity of plant and animal species, many found nowhere else. Some of the wildlife you may see would be Galapagos fur seal, sea lion, rice rat, Blainville’s and Curvier’s beaked whales, tortoise, green sea turtle, land and marine iguanas and lava lizard to name just a few!
If you are a wildlife enthusiast then an Expedition Cruise would be perfect for you. It is certainly on my bucket list! In my next blog I write about why you should choose a Hurtigruten Expedition Cruise.