Cruising has been a popular holiday choice for many years, but like many other types of vacation it has seen a number of trends come and go. In the 21st century, as climate change and green issues surface again and again in our daily lives, many people are looking to get out there and experience our beautiful planet whilst it's still a thing of beauty. This desire to see more of the world has given rise to a new style of cruise holiday – the eco cruise or expedition cruise – and one of the up and coming places to take such an ocean cruise is the Great Southern Ocean which rings the icy continent of Antarctica.

Antarctica is a unique place – a 'white continent' of snow and ice, glaciers and icebergs and home to an incredible array of seabirds and marine creatures, including blue whales, orcas, sea lions and many penguin breeds. Embarking on an ocean cruise to this amazing place will open your eyes to some incredible sights and many cruise lines offer lectures and talks on the geology and wildlife of the region to enhance their passenger's Antarctic cruise experience.

Antarctic Cruise Confusion

There are a number of cruise operators which run ocean cruises to the Antarctic. The seas around Antarctica go by many names – the Southern Ocean, Great Southern Ocean, South Polar Ocean and Antarctic Ocean are all common titles for the waters that lap the continent. It gets even more confusing in that some people argue that the seas to the north of the Antarctica are actually just an extension of the South Atlantic, South Pacific and Indian Oceans. If you feel that an ocean cruise to the southern most part of the globe is for you, it is best to look up Antarctic cruises and Patagonia Cruises to ensure that you get a passage on the correct ocean cruise.

Antarctic Cruise Ships

Given that there is increasing interest in cruises, and particularly in areas such as the Antarctic cruise sector, there are quite a few cruise lines offering cruises to this remote region. If you feel safer with a large, well-known cruise line, then maybe you should look into an Antarctic cruise run by someone like Princess Cruises. They have cruises which skirt the bottom of Latin America, stopping off in Antarctic waters along the way.

However, this is still a bit of a niche area and there are a number of smaller players, including the Australian based Orion, who offer some great ocean cruises to Antarctica. Choosing to sail with a smaller cruise company could well mean that you find yourself signing up for a voyage described as an Antarctic exploration cruise, an Antarctic discovery cruise or an Antarctic expedition. If these terms sound a bit intimidating, don't worry – you're not going to be roughing it too much on any of these ocean cruises. Some of the vessels that you could be enjoying your ocean cruise on include old research ships and ice breaker ships that have been transformed into cruise ships and expedition cruise ships and even luxury expedition ships, where the level of comfort is as good as you'll find on any 5 star cruise liner.

Antarctic Cruise Routes

There are two main routes from which to approach your Antarctic Ocean cruise. You can sail down to the Antarctic Peninsula via the South American nations of Chile and Argentina, or you can go from Australia or New Zealand. Traveling from Argentina could entail setting off from Buenos Aires, voyaging down the coast of Patagonia to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego and back up the edge of Chile to Santiago, though there are a number of cruise itineraries to choose from. Depending on the ocean cruise line that you book with, you may have the option of visiting such unique destinations as The Falkland Islands, Puerto Montt, Cape Horn, Cape Denison, Port Martin, Dumont d'Urville, Drake Passage and the famous Beagle Channel.

If you decide to take a cruising holiday to Antarctica, you'll find yourself witnessing some of the most astounding sights that can be seen anywhere on planet earth. The freezing seas of the Antarctic Peninsula are rich with krill and attract whale and orca pods to their abundant food supplies. Spots such as Dumont d'Urville are teeming with penguin colonies whilst other creatures that call this wintery landscape home include sea lions and countless seabirds.

And then there is the sheer majesty of the terrain. Harsh, inhospitable but totally awe-inspiring. Antarctica is a land of enormous glaciers, glassy blue icebergs and some of the most interesting stretches of water to be navigated anywhere an ocean cruise ship carves a wake.

Additional Activities

Some of the adventure travel agencies which run cruises to Antarctica have some wonderful side trips for those who want to get really close to the wild on their ocean cruise. Excursions such as sea kayaking with seals, camping in an eco park and making trips ashore in inflatable zodiac watercraft all add to the excitement of being in this fascinating place. Some travel groups can even arrange tours of regions like Patagonia to dovetail with your ocean cruise.

Discover Antarctic Cruising

If you want an ocean cruise out of the ordinary, that you'll never forget, you shouldn't go past the opportunity to sail on an ocean cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula. Why not have a look at the websites of some of the cruise companies that offer cruises down to the South Poe and see if there is one that suits you? We're sure you won't be disappointed.