 Expedition cruising will make you forget bingo, theme nights and fancy frocks. It is an adventure by ship as gumboots are definitely more useful than evening frocks on these expeditions. Such adventure is good for those who are keen on wildlife and minimizing environmental impact, and those who like that can inch closer to tiny ports, scenic wonders and off-the-beaten paths. Usual itinerary on an expedition cruise can involve anything from rafting around icebergs, making wet landings on remote beaches or hiking through jungle. The ship may divert course to follow whales or there will be lectures on subjects such as navigation or geology. The ashore researches are relatively demanding and there is little special treatment for those that can't keep up but still these kind of cruises are far from being bare bones and Spartan. There are various onboard facilities. The food is usually great and the company usually contains film crews, photographers and field experts.
In general expedition ships are smaller than average cruise ships and take less than a hundred people onboard. Ships are compact. Usually cabins are small but they have toilets and showers. There is also a large dining room onboard to seat people together.
Many ships have an open bridge policy so its possible to watch the captain or first officer plotting the ship's course or navigating between icebergs. The essential part of these cruises is a wildlife watching and there are usually large decks where passengers can watch the scenery and wildlife pass by.
For those who plan to try an expedition cruise for the first time it’s better to consider a river cruise or canal boat trip.
If you're worried about the cost of the trips, sign up on the cruise lines' web sites for alerts about special sales and discounts. Many of these companies also provide detailed trip notes with contributions from passengers and staff.
There are also expeditions that require travelers to become part of the crew. In such expeditions passengers are required to keep watch as well as take part in a daily roster that revolves between navigation, cooking and cleaning.
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