It's been a busy week for adventure cruise itineraries, with lines offering options from the North to the South Pole.
Aurora Expeditions has announced a new Polar Snorkeling activity on the company's small ship cruises to Spitsbergen and Greenland in 2016.
Travelers will get the chance to view wildlife, including sea anemones, sea urchins, nudibranchs, crabs and the occasional polar cod, beneath the Arctic waters on an excursion that does not require any scuba diving experience -- the activity is open to anyone with basic snorkeling experience. Polar Snorkeling is offered as part of Aurora Expeditions’ wider Polar Dive program, operated by long-term partner and cold-water diving and snorkeling specialists, Waterproof Expeditions. Waterproof Expeditions provides all polar snorkel equipment on board, including a Waterproof D9 Snorkel Dry Suit – designed for polar snorkeling – as well as hood, gloves, boots and a full snorkel set including fins, mask and snorkel.
Speaking of diving, Silversea Expeditions has announced its lineup of Scuba Diving Expedition Voyages for 2016 and 2017 in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The 120-guest, all-suite Silver Discoverer, the latest addition to the line's expedition fleet, will sail 20 voyages offering scuba diving opportunities for experienced divers in such regions as the Maldives, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the Palau archipelago, and the Andaman Islands, which have been celebrated as some of the world's most spectacular diving hot spots. The diving program is fully complimentary.
In addition to an onboard dive master, these itineraries will have a team of experts, including marine biologists, environmentalists, ecologists, and geologists, who will enlighten guests with their extensive knowledge of these amazing regions.
Zegrahm Expeditions has announced a diving expedition of its own in the Galápagos Islands, in addition to the line's signature 13-day Galápagos itinerary, for 2017.
Departing October 7, 2017, travelers on the Galápagos Diving Adventure will spend 10 days exploring one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. Aboard the 16-guest Galapagos Sky, participants will be able to dive up to four times a day, plus join night dives, as they search for whale sharks, dolphins, hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, and barracuda. Guests will also cruise to remote Darwin and Wolf Islands, where both large pelagics and colorful tropical species can be found in abundance. Priced from $8,480 per person.
For a more family-friendly adventure option, Hurtigruten has announced a new educational program designed for children traveling to Antarctica. The Young Explorers Program, available on Antarctica Discovery Style voyages aboard the Midnatsol between November 2016 and March 2017, encourages young travelers to learn more about the environment through the use of age-appropriate field research, games, re-enactments and lectures.
Young guests will get the opportunity to assist the Expedition Team staff, get lessons in the onboard science center, and even help set up an onshore landing site. The program is available on all six Antarctica itineraries aboard the Midnatsol.
Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for the latest cruise news, trends and updates.