Think Antarctica would leave you cold? Think again!
The vista is a desolate and icy wilderness, barren and yet abundant. Drifts of snow stretch on forever atop craggy rock formations and across vast, glittering ice fields. Towering glaciers reach from sea to sky, blinding white to the deepest blue. Hulking icebergs jut up from the water’s surface like mighty alabaster sculptures, calved chunks of them floating lazily across the surface of the frigid turquoise waters. In the distance, a herd of trunk-nosed elephant seals is gathered on snow-dusted rocks—I can hear their bellowing roar from here and I watch as a few propel themselves into the water and glide out of sight. In my peripheral vision, I catch the fluke of a humpback whale just before he dives beneath the surface. And there–right over there on that ice floe–are the superstars of the Antarctica wildlife show: A colony of penguins, some as tall as toddlers, wobbling one behind the other in a comical dance that makes me smile.
Right about now, those who know me best are questioning this story’s by-line and I don’t blame them. Cruising, to me, was always filled with fiery Caribbean sunsets over sapphire blue seas, ancient ruins or historical sites and lots of shopping. Pre-cruise purchases were never made at Dick’s Sporting Goods and I’d never even heard of waterproof pants or little holders to keep an iPhone dry. I never feared sailing a body water so much that I left home armed with medications like the motion sickness arm of a Colombian drug cartel.
Before my expedition to Antarctica and the maiden voyage of Atlas Ocean Voyages’ all-inclusive World Voyager, I was apprehensive—very apprehensive—about the continent’s unpredictable and harsh environment and my ability to adapt to it. But like the very best expeditions, this voyage has resulted in some remarkable discoveries: An appreciation for the stark beauty to be found in a biting and unforgiving land and the comfort, warmth and luxury of World Voyager.
The combination is absolutely extraordinary.
Join me for a journey to Antarctica aboard the newly launched Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Voyager!
Coming Soon! Part 2: Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Voyager: En Route to Ushuaia
They Don’t Call It the End of the World for Nothing
See cruises
World Voyager and all Atlas Ocean Voyages Cruises
I can’t wait for the next installments!