Cold Water Cruising: Antarctica and Beyond

Are you a winter person? The thought of the beach and tropical island fill you with dread? Consider becoming one of the band of enthusiasts who enjoy cold weather cruising. Get up close and personal with polar bears and penguins rather than deck chairs and water skis. Here’s a look at some of the less usual cold weather cruising options.

Cruising by Zodiac in the Antarctic

Well Alaska would be most people’s first thought if you looking for an interesting cruise out of the heat. Alaska has become a bit like the Caribbean though with so many cruise ships you wonder if a traffic jam develops at certain times the of year in the Inside Passage. Take the road less travelled and consider going south and cruising the Antarctic Peninsular instead.

Antarctic Peninsular cruises start out of Ushuaia, a remote, but pleasant town at the very southern tip of Argentina. A shorter 10-day trip will see you cruise at sea for 2 days and then make landfall along Antarctic Peninsular about five times. No shopping or bright lights here – this is as remote as it gets and there are no permanent settlements in Antarctica. Longer trips of around 3-weeks will “round the Horn”, that’s Cape Horn, and cover the South Georgia Islands one of the great wildlife spots in the world and the remote Falkland Islands (or the Islas Malvinas as the Argentinians who won the war with the British will point out). Wildlife include seals, penguins of all sizes and shapes but particularly the Emperor penguin. Whales are often seen as well as sea lions. Albatross nest in many areas and form spectacular rookeries.

If you prefer to stay north of the equator consider the high Arctic cruises. These cruises are generally focused on either western Greenland and arctic Canada or alternatively Eastern Greenland and Spitsbergen. For the truly adventurous there is the option of an icebreaker across the top of Siberia via the fabled Northeast passage: though we are not sure that this one is luxury cruising! These are the cruises to go on if you are determined to see polar bear – they don’t live in Antarctic. Greenland and Canada have fascinating local tribal histories too: while unfortunately the Antarctic doesn’t really have this human color.

North or south though there are some more interesting options than souvenir shopping in Juneau in Alaska!

Photo Credit and more information on Antarctic Cruises