Antarctic cruise season is in the southern hemisphere’s. Summer and most cruise itineraries a set for late January to early March Those cruises are always very popular so don’t wait…
Antarctica outside your stateroom
Fall in the northern hemisphere is springtime in Antarctica and a number of cruise companies are posting new Antarctic cruise offerings. If you enjoy cruising, if you are looking for more exotic destinations, this is a cruise not to miss!
It still seems hard to believe but we can now visit Antarctica on a cruise. Each year thousands of passengers now stand in awe as the snow and ice covered mountains of Antarctica slide by while whales and penguins break the water all around their ship.
Antarctic Itineraries – The major cruise companies offer cruises to Antarctica with Buenos Aries being a favorite departure port. You can find itineraries that include several ports of call in South America like Montevideo, Porto Madryn, the Falkland Islands and Ushuaia, Argentina. Most large cruise ships going to Antarctica will sail into the peninsula region of Antarctica spending a day in Paradise Bay, along with a cruise around the famous Elephant Island.
Porto Madryn is specially noted for wildlife viewing (it’s the place where Orcas are known to chase seals up on the beach) and the Falklands are a major breeding ground for sea lions and six species of penguins. Ushuaia is a fast growing city that sits at the entrance to Tierra del Fuego and the end of the world with incredible wildlife watching found in the nearby Beagle Channel.
Ships bound for Antarctica docked at Ushuaia
Visiting Antartica is controlled by an international association setting rules for private tour operators. It seems that eight countries have made territorial claims in Antarctica and no country recognizes the claim of any other country. That leaves it very unclear what authority is in charge of the continent. As world travel and exotic destinations grew in popularity more and more businesses realized there was a serious opportunity for Antarctic tourism. This has left the Antarctic tourism industry largely self-regulated but they’re working hard at being responsible. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) was founded in 1991 by seven companies growing to around a hundred members today.
Elephant Island
*Under existing IAATO rules, only ships carrying fewer than 500 passengers are allowed to make landings at approved sites and only 100 people allowed ashore at a time and must be accompanied by certified guides with a ratio of 1:20. They must not bring food ashore or leave anything behind or take anything back.
An expedition ship docked in Ushuaia next to a large cruise ship
There are also hundreds of smaller expedition boats that can actually take visitors ashore to walk on the ice sheets and visit penguin colonies but be warned, they are usually expensive. The most popular departure port for the smaller expedition ships is Ushuaia, Argentina.
As an example of an average small boat expedition cruise, consider “Journey to Antarctica” for 12 days from $15,840 per person sponsored by National Geographic.
Currently there are several cruise ships that regularly cruise to Antarctica mostly in January and February, the Southern Hemisphere’s Summer. Pictured below is a recent itinerary offered by Celebrity Cruises.
It’s time to explore those Antarctic options and get ready for the cruise of your life!
Cruising Antarctica is the newest experience for travelers. Sailing on luxury ocean liners or smaller expedition boats it is an experience not to be missed.
The Beagle Channel
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My name is Dennis and I’m an addicted traveler not on the road to recovery but certainly on the road to somewhere. I’ve beenThe Intentional Traveler for almost twenty years and with my wife Judi (OK The Intentional Travelers) we’ve been avid hikers, explorers and cruise enthusiasts .I’ve been retired for over fifteen years, and we live in Central Florida. My wife and I have been together going on fifty years and we’ve always shared a love of travel. While we owned our own business that had us traveling internationally, after we retired we had the resources to pursue our love of travel full time and have now had the good fortune to visit over one hundred ten countries.
A Note About This Websites Future
I’ve been struggling with a loss of vision for a number of years (glaucoma) and about a year and a half ago my only good eye acquired a condition called Vitreomacular adhesion which prevents me for focussing on near objects (think computer screen). As a result I’ve had difficulty keeping this website going and am posting only with the help of friends. Going forward we will still be working to keep The Intentional Traveler attractive to search enginesbut will be slowing down on posting the informative articles we’re noted for. Thanks for your understanding and we hope you’ll still come back and check on The Intentional Traveler once in a while…
I was born in Washington D.C. and after high school I served almost five years in the Navy, spending much of my service at sea making port calls from the Med to the British Isles, Iceland, South Africa and a number of the Caribbean islands along with a stint in Vietnam. After military service I went back to school and specialized in technical photography and engineering imaging systems, earning a couple of degrees. After school I took a position with a medical college setting up their photo systems and later with a technology manufacturing company working in photographic and graphic arts equipment as a product development manager both in medical systems along with the U.S. space program.
Moving to Florida we operated a business that had us frequently traveling around the Caribbean islands and our first born son had a passport at six weeks of age so the three of us could go island hopping on business. That son took his first steps in Saint Thomas and the second son started walking in Saint Croix. I can still recall getting lectured by West Indian women in Antigua about keeping the baby out of the Sun and us fleeing the islands as a Cat 5 Hurricane closed in – we caught the last flight out of Saint Croix only hours before HurricaneHugo devastated the island.
To this day we still stay in touch with customers and business associates in the islands along with new international aquantinces, considering them to still be our close friends.
The bragging wall
Since retiring we now have the time and resources to embrace our wanderlust full time and we’ve taken to traveling about three to four months a year. I started this website originally so family and friends could keep up with where we’ve been recently and over fifteen years this site has grown a bit more than expected. And yes, we still have a number of places on our bucket list to get to.
From Africa to Yellowstone, Alaska to Vietnam, Antarctica to New Zealand and Argentina to Tahiti we’ve visited over 110 countriesand it’s our pleasure to share our discoveries and experiences with other travelers.Thanks for visiting and I’m glad you stopped by…
Our pin map
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Looking for a great bon voyage gift? Want some solid ideas to make your cruise experience even more enjoyable? We’ve curated a number of great items to help you make a splash!
Bon Voyage Ideas!
Our extended family has done some cruising and it is a family tradition to have a bottle of wine delivered to the cruisers stateroom as a bon voyage gift. That’s not a new idea and that tradition goes way back to the era of those famous trans-Atlantic liners. Todays cruise lines are perfectly happy to help you keep that tradition alive.
The cruise lines want to make it as easy as possible for you, just check out their web sites. Take a look at your cruise lines gift shop for some gift ideas. We’ve got a few ideas of our own and ours just might give you a bit more bang for your buck.
Check With Your Cruise Line
Before your cruise you’ll need to research your cruise line to see what items each guest is allowed to bring onboard. For example Royal Caribbean and Celebrity allow each passenger to bring with them one bottle of wine. Considering the costs for drinks and wine, this is an option not to overlook.
Fun CruiseBon VoyageGiftsTo Give or Use Yourself
One of our favorite cruise bon voyage gift ideas is to give them a Cruise Specific Gift Card before they leave on their cruise. After all the money spent booking the cruise and getting to the ship it’s a nice way to help their money go further.
Please note:Clicking on an image on this post links to the items on Amazon.comWe do not receive and fee or commission from Amazon for these suggestions.
Door Magnets
Royal Caribbean Door Magnets
Let them know who’s cruising. Marking and decorating stateroom doors is becoming a fun way to show who you are and celebrate the occasion. This makes a great bon voyage gift too. This door magnet design is customized for Royal Caribbean cruisers.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Carnival Cruise Door Magnets
Marking and decorating stateroom doors is becoming a fun way to show who you are, where you are and celebrate the occasion. A great bon voyage gift idea too. This item is designed to be customized for Carnival cruisers.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Onboard Gift Cards
We can’t think of a better bon voyage gift than an onboard gift card. After spending all that money on a cruise what could be a better gift than extra money to spend onboard. Save money on board by applying this gift card to the onboard cruise account! Use it for drinks, a special dinner or to take a land tour.
Know someone taking a Princess Cruise? How about a little more fun on that cruise? This is a fantastic bon voyage gift! Get this gift card and apply the amount you select. These cards allow the guest to apply the money on the card right to their onboard charge account. They’ll love you for it!
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Know someone taking a Carnival Cruise? Get this gift card and apply the amount you select. A great bon voyage gift! These cards allow the guest to apply the amount on the card right to their onboard account. They’ll love you for it!
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Know someone taking a Holland America Cruise? Get this gift card and apply the amount you select. These cards allow the guest to apply the amount on the card right to their onboard charge account. They’ll love you for it!
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Gadgets & Helpful Ideas
Little things that make a big difference. These simple items come in handy when you cruise. After a couple of decades of cruising we’ve discovered a number of items that we think are worth their weight in gold. Nightlights, hooks, beach-towel clips and more.
There’s Never Enough Outlets
Most cruise ships have a pretty limited number of electric outlets and often they are difficult to use, especially with odd sized plugs like voltage converter plugs. Be prepared with a single device that provides three grounded outlets (125V/15A, Max 1875W）and three USB charging ports（3.1A Total) . It auto-detects charged devices to deliver optimum and fastest charging speed up to 5V/2.4A. Don’t cruise without this cube*.
A good addition to this is a 6″ pigtail (a short extension cord) to help reach recessed outlets*.
*Recently several cruise lines are restricting the use of multi outlets and extension cords making charging multiple items difficult. If you use these items it would be a good idea to only use them while you’re in in the stateroom and stow them after use.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Some Ships Have Built-In Nightlights But Unfortunately Many Do Not – It’s Good To Be Prepared
These are great for cruising but also they’re a great travel accessory anywhere you go. From cruise staterooms to B&B stays, this will save a lot of stubbed toes and unnecessary middle of the night noise. Battery operated with charging by USB outlet they are motion activated. We put one on the bathroom counter wherever we travel.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Need To Stay In Touch With Family While On Board?
Traveling with a family or group? Sometimes catching upwith people can be a hassle. From pools to cafe to buffets, spa and games, where are they? Cruising with children adds a whole other challenge with missed meetings and kids not checking in. Here’s an easy answer. Carry a set of walkie talkies.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
All Cruise Lines Use A Keycard As A Stateroom Key And For Charging Onboard – Carry Your Seapass Card In Style.
Carrying your ship keycard (Seapass) on a lanyard is a convenient way to keep it handy. There are any number of clear cases available but this one has more style than any we’ve found. We also like that this one has a convenient pocket on the back that makes the card even more accessible. Order in pink, black or rose-gold.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Lots Of Fun To Be Had Lounging By The Pool
A packet of these little jewels are the perfect way to keep your towel clipped to your lounger while marking your space with bright tropical colors. No more towels sliding down just as you go to stretch out. Comes in packs of eight. They also come in real handy holding clothes to dry in your stateroom. Enough said…
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Extra Secure Luggage Tag Holders Help Make Sure You Get Your Bags Onboard And To Your Cabin
Gone are those days when the cruise line sent luggage tags to you before the cruise. Today when you register for your cruise the website provides a set of printable screens to create your tags. The job is now yours to print, fold and attach those to your bags. Keep a set of these secure luggage tag holders handy and feel secure that you bags will make it to your stateroom. This set is designed to hold tags from Carnival, Princess, P&O, Norwegian, Costa, and Holland America.
This design was created to match tags from Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity. Travel secure knowing that your bags will find you on time.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Freshen Up Your Clothes While You Travel
These items don’t just save money but time too. We travel over a quarter of the year with an average trip being around thirty days. Over the years we’ve developed a system that involves easy to rinse out cloths, travel detergent and accessories to hang up items and prevent wrinkles.
Our Favorite Inflatable Travel Hangers
These rugged hangers pack flat and inflate providing a broad shape to prevent those puckers that flat hangers can produce on shoulders of blouses, shirts and T’s.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Wash Out Clothes On The Road
Handy packets of mild laundry detergent to rinse out clothes in a sink. There are a number of choices but these are easy to carry and meet our requirements.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
Spray Away Those Wrinkles
No Matter how carefully you pack there always seem to be a few unsightly wrinkles when you unpack. Here’s a quick way to deal with those wrinkles without spending much.
You can buy and carry a commercial wrinkle release product or you can make you own for just pennies. We carry a small 30ml spray bottle when we travel with just a small amount of ingredients inside. When we need to use it we just fill with water, shake and mist the wrinkles. Here’s the recipe:
To a 30 ml Bottle add the following ingredients
1 Teaspoon rubbing alcohol
1/4 Teaspoon uncolored fabric softener
Shake
Once you get to your room and start unpacking, just fill the bottle with water, shake and spray. If you run out, just plain water can also do almost as good a job. Just mist lightly and hangup the clothes to dry.
Click the image for a direct link to Amazon.com
If Seasickness Is A Concern – Stop Worrying
While issues with seasickness on a cruise are usually mild and short lived there are actions you can take to greatly reduce the likelihood of it occurring. My wife has a long history of suffering from motion sickness and was very concerned before our first cruise. She went to the doctor to get a prescription for a patch but received some good advice as well. The doctor also had a problem with seasickness but while boating in Australia he was told about taking ginger and claimed it worked great for him.
My Wife Swears By Ginger
Before our first cruise she went to the doctor to ask for a prescription for the patch. The doctor gave her the prescription but recommended she try ginger capsules first. She starts taking them a day before the cruise and takes three a day with meals (very important unless you want to taste ginger all day) during the cruise. Problem solved. She’s taken over fifty cruises with a few through high seas with barely a problem with seasickness.
Click the image to link to this item on Amazon.com
What Exactly Is Seasickness?
It results from a conflict in the inner ear, where the human balance process resides. The inner ear actually senses motion without relying on our sense of sight. Inside a rocking ship the inner ear detects changes in both up-and-down and side-to-side motion as the body moves along with the ship. Since the ships interior moves along with the us, our eyes register a relatively stable unmoving scene. Confused by this perceptual conflict, the brain reacts with a release of stress-related hormones that can ultimately lead to nausea, vomiting, and vertigo.
The first approach to lessoning the symptoms is to settle the stomach which is why Darmamine and ginger help. Another approach is to demonstrate to the mind that the perceptual conflict is real. Going somewhere where you can look out at the sea is and effective way to resolve the perceptual conflict. Going out on deck also provides fresh air which also helps.
More Motion Sickness Options
Over the counter options to consider just in case. It’s always better to be prepared…
Click to order on Amazon.com
Click to order Amazon.com
Click to order Amazon.com
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Rated as one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences and reported to be the number one African safari destination, Kruger National Park is not to be overlooked when considering your travel options.
Larger than many countries and containing mostly undeveloped land, Kruger is one of the most popular destinations in Africa. Kruger National Park is home to an incredible diversity of plant and animal life. It is reported to contain over 1,470 species of plants, 336 species of birds, 147 species of mammals, and 114 species of reptiles.
Established in 1898 by President Paul Kruger of the South African Republic, its initial purpose was to protect the area’s wildlife from excessive hunting and poaching. Originally known as the Sabie Game Reserve, it was renamed the Kruger National Park in 1926. The park’s boundaries have been expanded over time, and it now covers an area of nearly 7,500 square miles.
The main goal for visitors with their guides is to search for the “Big Five” animals consisting of elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and Cape buffalo. In addition you’ll be told about the “Ugly Five” which normally includes warthog, hyena, wildebeest, vulture, and marabou stork but often people offer variations to that list. In addition you should easily see plenty of zebra, antelope, giraffes, hippos, monkeys and baboons. If you’re looking to see wildlife there’s no better opportunity than Kruger National Park.
Getting There
The nearest large international airport is Johannesburg (JNB) with a number of domestic flights to Kruger at less than US$450 round trip – Johannesburg (JNB) -O.R. Tambo Intl.) to Nelspruit (MQP)-Kruger Mpumalanga Intl.
The least expensive way to get from Johannesburg to Kruger without a car is to bus and taxi which takes 5h 29m and costs $30 – $55. There is a daily bus (Eagle Liner) from Johannesburg, South Africa to Newcastle taings 4.5 hours and cost less that US$10. From Newcastle to Kruger a taxi averages US$40 (1 hour and 38.5 miles).
Another option is to arrange a booking with a Kruger tour company. Several tour operators offer excursions from Johannesburg, providing a convenient way to experience the park’s wonders. These tours typically include transportation, accommodation, game drives, and most meals.
A few reputable tour operators offering Kruger tours from Johannesburg include:
Wild Wings Safaris: Offers a variety of tour options, including budget-friendly and luxury packages $$$.
Thompsons Africa: Provides tailor-made safaris for individuals and groups in a number of African locations $$$$.
Intrepid Travel: Caters to adventurous travelers with small-group tours.
It’s highly recommended to book your tour in advance, especially during peak season (June to October).
Accommodations
The two major things to consider when visiting Kruger, beyond price, are distance from the park and the level of the accommodation you expect. Accommodations range from basic camp sites to high-end luxury and everything in between.
Expect in-season rates to average US$125 to US$200 per night like Grand Kruger Lodge and Spa about 25 miles from park entrance. Camping resorts average about US$100 per night like Nkambeni Safari Camp located inside the park with basic camping facilities averaging under US$50 like Sleepover Kruger Gate less than 2 miles from the park. Luxury resorts range as high as US$800 to US$1200 and higher a night like Kruger Shalati – Train on the Bridge located inside the park.
The Train On The Bridge Resort
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Perhaps no photograph is better known than Joe Rosenthal’s picture of six U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. It was taken on Friday, Feb. 23, 1945.
Raising the flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima
America has a long history of asking its citizens to sacrifice in order to keep us free. Today we honor those who died but there are many of us that left a piece of ourselves on those battle fields scattered around the world.
The U.S. Cemetery in Normandy France
Wishing all a happy Memorial Day.
*The featured photo is by Michael d Photos
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From the waterfront the town’s winding streets climb up past shops and brightly painted row houses as the Cobh Cathedral stands watch above it all. Cobh, located in County Cork, has a rich and multifaceted history. Originally named “Cove” in 1750, the town was renamed Queenstown in 1849 following a visit from Queen Victoria, a name it retained until 1920 when it again was renamed Cobh.
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