“Did you know that he just got back from Antarctica?” asked my son’s teacher, pointing to someone else nearby. Immediately, I felt my pulse rev as I readied to connect about our common experience. I approached the traveler.

“Sounds like you just had an amazing adventure!” I offered. “What company did you go with?” When he told me he had traveled on a large cruise ship operated by one of the major cruise lines, my heart fell. I had traveled with Journeys International, which only offers expedition adventures on ships with fewer than 200 passengers. It turns out we wouldn’t be bonding over a shared experience, because I knew our experiences were almost nothing alike.

Conservation policy dictates that large ships with more than 500 people may not include any landings in Antarctic waters. While I had kayaked among whales and hiked among penguins and seals, he had observed the shoreline of Antarctic islands from the deck of his ship alongside thousands of other passengers.

That gentleman probably had his reasons for traveling on a large ship. Perhaps his budget didn’t accommodate expedition-style access. Perhaps he was traveling with an elderly family member who wouldn’t have been able to navigate landings and who required the enhanced stability of a larger boat. I guess it’s even possible his family’s travel style prioritized the resort-style amenities of a big cruise ship (casino! kids club! theater! basketball court!). We had very different needs and expectations for our adventures, and his experience probably fit his requirements well. But I had vastly different travel goals in mind for a polar journey, and I wouldn’t trade my experience for the world.

On my trip, we had fewer than 100 passengers aboard, so all were allowed to land simultaneously at every site. We got to witness penguins incubating eggs and elephant seals climbing aboard icebergs. We traversed glaciers and visited a historic research outpost. We sent postcards from the only mailbox on the Antarctic peninsula!

Between excursions, our entertainment included lectures from the onboard expedition team that included a geologist, a historian of polar exploration, a marine biologist, two ornithologists, and a photographer. We heard incredible stories from a veteran guide who had wintered over on a research station. We spent hours on the top deck birding with these expert guides, stretches of time punctuated by calving glaciers.

We cheered each other on as we took photos with a flag reading “Antarctica: 7th Continent.” We hooted and hollered while leaping into the truly frigid Antarctic waters for the ritual Polar Plunge. We paddled among ice floes and floated in silent solidarity, contemplating our place on this stunning and powerful and fragile planet. We built a community of adventurous travelers, all ripe to reap knowledge and meaning, to make the trip worth what we had put into getting there and what we asked of the planet to have us there.

The latest generation of ice-breaking polar expedition vessels has become much more environmentally friendly. They are constructed with lighter materials and have responsible onboard waste management systems. Their hull designs minimize drag, so they require less energy to move through the water. Hybrid systems allow electric motors and batteries to boost efficiency. Their operations generate lower greenhouse gas emissions overall. (These updates have come with amenity upgrades across the industry. Most 50-200 passenger ships now include fitness centers, libraries, mudrooms, and auditoriums.)

Exploring the Arctic or Antarctic aboard one of these ships requires a significant investment, but my experience is that the return is incomparable. I didn’t want to throw shade on that other guy’s recent vacation while my son packed up his backpack, but I know he missed out. Travelers on small-ship expedition cruises always adventure deeper.

If you’re looking for a polar experience more like mine…

If you’re on the search for a meaningful polar adventure that includes deeper exploration of some of the world’s most fascinating and remote terrains, wildlife, and waters while also mitigating environmental impacts, give Journeys International a call or send an email to schedule a complimentary consultation. Journeys can walk you through your options for polar expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic.