EXPLORATION CRUISING- ROUGH STUFF, OR REALLY SOMETHING?

If you'd rather see the vast, ice studded spread of Antarctica than slowly broil on some crowded Caribbean beach, what kind of seagoing options do you have? Is it necessary to really rough it, to go rustic on some spartan ice breaker or small exploration ship? Do you have to sacrifice comfort for close proximity to the sultry, jungle shrouded Amazon? Is it all really about extremes?

Well, the simple answer to that is 'no'. You can sail to the extremes of the North and South Poles aboard Silversea's ice strenghtened, yet extremely opulent and well served Silver Discoverer. After a day's foray among the penguin colonies of South Georgia, you can return to an en suite balcony room to dine on gourmet food, with unlimited free champagne on tap.

If knowledge is, indeed, food for the soul, then a small, specallist ship such as Voyages to Antiquity's Aegean Odyssey can take you to the great historical sites of ancient Europe. And, with a programme of esteemed guest lecturers on each sailing, plus included, in depth guided shore excursions at every port, you can satisfy your quest for adventure to the full. And yet, the same ship will cosset you in very comfortable rooms aboard a ship where fine food, included wine and beer at dinner, and a civilised, country house kind of lifestyle are the halmarks of every voyage.

Both Cruise and Maritime Voyages and Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines offer some fabulous city cruises that take you inland, along such great rivers as the Seine, the Scheldt and the Garonne, to such unlikely city destinations as Antwerp, Bordeaux and historic Rouen, with its associations with Joan of Arc. And, while these ships are generally smaller than the massive cruise ships we are all familiar with, they are still full service cruise ships that just happen to be able to get into some truly fascinating, seemingly unlikely places.

In general, the prices for the longer, more exotic itineraries naturally tend to come at a much higher cost, especially when coupled with the high air fares often incurred on such journeys. Life aboard most of these vessels will be more low key than on normal cruises, with an understandable emphasis on the region being visited rather than rock climbing walls and conga lines of Vegas style dance revues.

Despite it's low key nature, this kind of expedition cruising is growing in popularity, and it has fully mutated into a true niche market in its own right. As always, getting the best deal involves doing your homework first, plus having a very definite idea about exactly where you want to go. Happy travelling.