Do you feel like a very well-traveled person and have pretty much “seen it all”?
After having personally visited 87 Countries, that was pretty much the way I felt…
…but then, once I experienced my Antarctica Cruise, I realized I DEFINITELY had not “seen it all”!!
WOW… that’s the one word that for sure sums up what a visit to Antarctica is like!!
Beyond that, it’s truly tough to “put into words” what a visit to the “Bottom of the World” is all about!!
It really is one of those places that you have to visit to understand what visiting there is really like as it’s all about the “feeling” you get down there.
When in Antarctica, you feel so removed from the rest of the World… so opposite of what our daily lives are like!
Down there… there are no cars, no roads, no traffic lights, no buildings or sky rises, no restaurants… no anything!!
Yet, even though you’re essentially going to a place to visit nothing, it feels like you’re seeing everything… try wrapping that one around your head!! 😉
But for those of you who have already been to Antarctica, you know EXACTLY what I mean!! 🙂
When in Antarctica you feel in touch with nature & with this earth that we live on… there’s definitely a “spiritual” feeling down there…
…it’s a place you sincerely have to go to, to understand how special a place it is!!
So, how did I get there… by Cruise ship of course!! 😉
As it was my 83rd Cruise, I obviously LOVE to Cruise, so no surprise I took one down there… but, the reality is, there’s no other way to get there!
Yes, there is the option of skipping the “Drake Passage” and flying to/from Antarctica from Ushuaia or Chile but, even then, once you land you’re heading right to a Cruise ship for your 1/2 dozen day stay onboard as there’s simply NOWHERE else to stay when down there (Unless you’re a part of the research community)…
…even the “Worldwide” Marriotts & Hiltons can’t help you in this part of the World as it’s simply not a typical tourist destination where you can fly in and “hang out” and do your own thing.
But of course, for an avid Cruiser like me, I wasn’t flying to/from Antarctica and missing my “rite of passage” to one of the most remote places in the World…
…I was definitely going to cross the “Drake Passage” known to be the “roughest seas in the World” where over 20,000 sailors have died.
FYI, it’s not as dramatic as it sounds 😉 as Cruise ships only go there during the short “Summer Season” down there when it’s safe to do so… the sailors mostly died during the harsh winters when they shouldn’t have been there but, of course, “goods” had to be moved around the World so they had no choice!
FYI # 2, this is literally why the Panama Canal was built… to allow ships to cut through America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean so they could avoid having to sail around the Drake Passage when it simply isn’t safe to do so…
…side note, I did a Panama Canal sailing around 15 years ago & at that time read the story of how it was built… fascinating if that kind of history interests you!!
I started my Cruise in “Ushuaia”, Argentina where we sailed for 2 days before we reached Antarctica and began exploring on land for 6 days… and then we sailed back for 2 more days so overall it was a 10 night Cruise.
FYI, my sailing was on “Le Boreal” which is a ship that’s part of “Ponant” which is a French-based Cruise company.
With that said, I did NOT book this trip with Ponant directly… I booked it with Tauck (who I personally have taken multiple River Cruises & Land Tours & “Small Ship Ocean Cruises” with) and as I talk about in the caption under this picture, I do NOT suggest booking with Ponant directly as they’re a tough company to deal with in many ways (With Tauck, they take care of ALL the headaches!) and if you end up onboard not as part of a Tauck group you’ll be sailing with mostly French-speaking guests which is not everyone’s cup of tea as many people travel to also meet new people which is tough when you don’t speak each other’s languages!
I talk about what a Tauck “Small Ship Cruise” is like here so check that out & see why I ONLY recommend sailing with “Ponant” if you’re on a trip with Tauck.
The other nice part about doing an Antarctica Cruise with Tauck is when you go to this destination with them they start you off in style with a 2-night stay in Buenos Aires (This picture & the dozen or so after it layout what Tauck showed us during our time in Buenos Aires) which is a fabulous city you don’t want to miss!! (And as I talk about in the caption under this picture, in normal “Tauck style” they include airport transfers to make it SIMPLE on you after a long flight!)
I actually flew into Buenos Aires 3 days early before my trip with Tauck started and I recommend you get in as early as your budget/time allows as well as lots to see & do in this popular South American City!!
If you’d like to see some of what myself and my Sister & Sister-in-Law did when we were in Buenos Aires then check out my Photo & Video gallery here. (FYI, under a lot of the pictures/videos I have detailed captions where I do my best to share lots of “insider info”!)
Okay, back to the highlight of the trip which was our Antarctica Cruise.
When on an Antarctica Cruise it’s all about getting off your Cruise ship onto zodiacs and “getting in touch” with nature down there… walking on the glaciers and snow-covered trails… doing little hikes that lead to the most Beautiful scenes you’ll ever experience… getting up close & personal with one of the cutest animals in the World, Penguins!! :-)… watching majestic whales in their natural surroundings as well as seals and beautiful birds, etc…
…and of course, for those of you like me who’ve been to 6/7 Continents around the World… this is your chance to say you’ve been to all 7 Continents!! 🙂
If you happen to live somewhere warm & are worried about having to go buy a nice warm jacket like above that you’re only going to use this one time, no worries, as I talk about here it’s INCLUDED in your Cruise’s price/will be waiting for you onboard when you arrive! 🙂 (And as the picture after that one shows, your needed boots are included too!!)
There’s SO MUCH to see & experience on an Antarctica Cruise but in my opinion, it’s one of those places that are best “seen” rather than talked about, so best for you to take a “look around” and see if this is somewhere you’d like to visit… and the best way to do that is by checking out my Antarctica Cruise Photo & Video Gallery where I have lots & lots of pictures & videos of what we experienced down there. (FYI, under a lot of the pictures/videos I have detailed captions where I do my best to share lots of “insider info”!)
My guess is, by the time you’re done going through that Gallery, you’ll be contacting me to book your own Antarctica Cruise with Tauck or one of the other companies I work with after you see how fabulous it is down there! 😉
Here are a few “highlights” you’ll see in my Antarctica Cruise Photo & Video Gallery:
Okay, now check out these “scenes” that we experienced during our Antarctica Cruise!!
(As I talk about in the caption under this picture… in Antarctica where you get off the ship can change due to weather but pretty much anywhere you “explore” down there is going to be fabulous!!)
(As I talk about in the caption under this picture there’s NO REASON to be intimidated/worried about riding in the Zodiac boats like above when on trips in places like Antarctica, The Galapagos, etc.!!)
(As I talk about in the caption under this video, Whale Watching from the ship can end up being a highlight during your cruise as well!)
(The pic above was from an uphill hike I did one day while on tour… as I talk about in the caption under this video, hikes like this are optional/there are always flat service walks you can do but it’s definitely worth getting ready for little hikes like this at home before you leave so you can experience everything Antarctica has to offer!)
Make sure you bring your swimwear to Antarctica as even there you’ll be able to find a way to use it!! 😉
As mentioned above, those were just a few highlights of the amazing things we saw & experienced while on our Antarctica Cruise with Tauck… again, if you want to see more check out my Antarctica Cruise Photo & Video Gallery where I have lots & lots more pictures & videos of what we experienced down there. (FYI, under a lot of the pictures/videos I have detailed captions where I do my best to share lots of “insider info”!)
And, if you want to “check out” what the ship we sailed on was like, you can do that here.
FYI, our “Le Boreal” ship with French-based Cruiseline “Ponant” (Who Tauck charters space from on many of their “Small Ship” Cruises) can fit 264 people.
But when in Antarctica, whether you go with Tauck/Ponant or Seabourn, Silversea, Viking, etc. even though the ships may be able to fit 250-300 people they’re “Capped” at just 200 guests maximum (as only 100 people can be off the ships at 1 time in Antarctica and each stop only has time for 2 “shifts”) so an Antarctica Cruise will never feel too “full” onboard…
…which is perfect as who doesn’t love extra space to themselves when on a cruise & lots of great attention from the staff!! 😉
Well, there you go… I hope you enjoyed my overview of my “Antarctica Cruise” with Tauck… what a fabulous trip it was!!
Any questions at all about my particular Antarctica Cruise or to book your own Antarctica Cruise or any other Ocean Cruise or River Cruise or Tauck Land Tour… simply contact me here and, as always, I’ll take Great care of you & will help you get your next Memorable trip booked!! 😉
I Appreciate You!!
Shawn Power
Your Trusted Cruise & Tauck Tour Expert!