The last trip I took before the pandemic was to Antarctica. When we were crossing the Drake Passage back to Ushuaia, Argentina — the southernmost city in the world — word arrived that we might not be able to make it back home to the U.S. The borders were closing all around us, and the port authority was considering leaving us on the ship for an extra few days — just to guarantee that we would really be stuck, it seemed.
Sure, part of me was panicked — not to mention seasick — but I have to admit, there was another part of me that was cautiously excited.
I was so high off our expedition — where I kayaked every day, through shipwrecks, over whales and in breathtaking proximity to penguins and elephant seals — that being near that action, even as the world was crumbling, actually didn’t sound all that bad.
I have always loved remote destinations and expedition cruises; the more isolated the location, the better. As a city dweller, there is something therapeutic about being so far from the bustle of home, in a place with few (if any) people, surrounded by startling beauty and animals in their actual habitats.
So, it is not surprising to me that expedition cruising has hit its stride in this post-pandemic era — just in time for the TravelAge West editors to relaunch our beloved brand Explorer, which is largely dedicated to covering experiential travel and the expedition cruising industry.
Many of us have realized how nature and natural beauty are a salve for our souls. Plus, a new class of ships has made it easier and more luxurious than ever to travel to places we used to only be able to dream about.
This issue’s cover story details the essentials of selling Antarctica. And as the advisors interviewed in the story say, there is absolutely no better sales tactic than experiencing an expedition there yourself and letting your earned passion for the destination do the heavy lifting — much like I did here. What are you waiting for?
