Polar Cruises: Five reasons to go
Once a destination for the uber rich, this spectacular remote region now has more choices than ever for those on a budget. Here’s when to go.
Antarctica
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Once the remote and romantic Arctic and Antarctic regions were reserved for history books and geography lessons.
But now expedition ships, ranging in comfort from budget to blissful, are pointing ice-strengthened hulls towards the North and South Poles and taking curious travellers way off the tourist trail.
Chimu co-founder Greg Carter says the desire to savour landscapes minus Wi-Fi, CNN, Facebook and mobile phones is prompting wanderers to pack thermal, fleece and waterproof layers and head off to catch the cold.
“Demand is growing but then so is supply, and while the polar regions are accessible for those who can afford to pay, these areas aren’t destinations exclusively for rich, old people. There are choices for those on a smaller budget,” Greg says.
“If you’re prepared to travel to Antarctica in the shoulder seasons of November and March you’re more likely to grab a bargain and I think this is the best time to be there because you get the most beautiful sunsets.
“November is great for the ice but March is a key month for whales, and flight and cruise prices tend to be cheaper during shoulder season so it’s the perfect time to get that little bit more for your money.”
Here are five more reasons why it’s time to plot a path towards the poles.
THE ARMADA IS EXPANDING
The big news in polar cruising is the rapid expansion of the expedition fleet. The count from one industry insider suggests 28 new vessels will take to sea before the middle of 2022, most of them heading for the Arctic and Antarctica.
Scenic Eclipse will be ready for Antarctica this summer, Aurora Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer is 12 months away, and both Crystal Endeavour and Lindblad’s National Geographic Endurance are scheduled to launch in 2020.
The new expedition vessels are innovative in design and technology, meaning craft will venture deeper into extreme environments. Their advanced features promise enhanced guest comfort and protect the fragile polar places they will go to.
NEW DESTINATIONS ARE ON THE RADAR
Polar cruising has been around since the 1960s – the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, eastern corner of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland are the old favourites – but demand to go further is prompting cruise companies to actively add destinations to seasonal sailings.
Silversea Cruises boss Adam Armstrong says brands venturing towards the poles are “constantly pushing the boundaries” to carry passengers to the most distant corners of the planet.
“We’re dedicated to unlocking new experiences for our guests and, for example, in August 2019 Silver Explorer will cross the fabled Northeast Passage marking the first time Silversea has sailed this remote and spectacular route above the Arctic Circle,” he says.
“In 2017 Silver Cloud was converted into an ice-class vessel and reached her highest ever latitude this year, coming within approximately 480 nautical miles of the North Pole.”
Ships are making regular sojourns into Europe’s High Arctic – Svalbard is high on any list of 2019’s most desirable destinations – and Scenic Eclipse will do the White Sea in Russia’s remote north in 2020 while Crystal Endeavour will sail from Hobart to western Antarctica in 2021 with Ross Sea on the schedule.
ITINERARY PLANNING IS EVOLVING
Dozens of ships are now taking intrepid tourists across the highest lines of latitude but polar cruising is still far from routine. There’s no such thing as a firm itinerary with weather and wildlife determining every journey’s daily course.
Expedition leaders have an idea where they want to go, with times to land at specific locations, but if conditions are not favourable they will liaise with the ship’s captain to make an alternate plan, aiming at getting passengers off the vessel a couple of times a day.
At Scenic, the secret is immersing guests in the landscape to provide “take-your-breath-away moments” during shore excursions that include nature walks, Zodiac excursions, and kayak adventures.
“When thinking about polar destinations there are, in essence, three key highlights that visitors seek to experience – unique and diverse wildlife, stunning locations, and the culture of the people that inhabit those regions,” Scenic Eclipse head expedition leader Kara Weller says.
“There are very few places in the polar regions that offer all three in one location so when determining destinations we build programs that capture as many of the must-haves as possible to ensure the experience of a lifetime.”
IT’S MORE SUITED TO SOLOS
The poles are no longer the exclusive domain of travelling couples. Aurora Expeditions managing director Robert Halfpenny says the company is seeing “double-digit percentage growth year-on-year in the past few years” of solo travellers.
“By its very nature, polar travel attracts like-minded people with a passion for the natural world. We find those joining our small group expeditions as an individual end up feeling like they’re travelling with friends,” he says.
“Consider share cabins to avoid single supplements – surcharges can be up to 100 per cent on the standard rate – and Aurora Expeditions has a cabin mate finding service where you’re matched with someone of the same gender and roughly the same age.
“If you do wish to have the guaranteed privacy of your own room, look at surcharge options which range by company, voyage and even ship and a limited number of cabins on our new Greg Mortimer ship provide a special solo rate starting from only a 25 per cent surcharge.’’
THERE’S MORE TO DO
Past visitors to the Arctic or Antarctic will tell you their polar experience was limited to lots of time on deck gazing at a white landscape, Zodiac safaris, and the occasional wildlife walk. But that’s changing with voyages promising kayaking, camping, snowshoe strolls, diving and mountaineering.
Lindblad chief expedition officer Trey Byus says staff focus on offering “more active options”. “In the Arctic, where we’re in polar bear country, we need our guests to stick together with their guide, so we split travellers according to physical activity levels,” he says.
“In Antarctica, there’s often limited ground on which to hike, since there’s so much snow and ice, but we have added cross-country skiing and snowshoeing with kayaking a great way to see the area.”
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See also:
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