CRUISE FOCUS
Wild Side T
he biggest growth area in the cruising world is without doubt the boutique eco-adventure sector. With their high adven- ture/expedition factor going to areas not usually visited by the bigger cruise lines, they provide a superb opportunity to see wildlife up close. These ships come equipped with Zodiac inflatables – rubber boats that can hold up to 16 people, so guests can land in remote places and really get up close to the animals. You don’t have to be super-fit or under 25, either, and many have five- star comforts when you get back on board. The problem with specialist operations like this is you need specialist ships. So much so, adventure companies will hire out ships that are suited to this genre. “That’s absolutely true,” says Peter Harrison, one of the founders of Zegrahm Expeditions. “All our ships are chartered. We pick the ship first and then the captain, and both have to be exactly right for this kind of operation. “The ships need to be intimate enough to take a small number of guests, have a shallow draft to get in close and have the ability to launch up to five Zodiac landing craft so we can land anywhere nature or curiosity dictates. The captain has to have certain diplomatic skills not usually associ- ated with a Master Mariner’s certificate.” This may be expedition cruising but clients still want luxury style. Although each ship varies in design and function, they all share a range of qualities, spa- ciousness and comfort, with fine cuisine,
34 WORLD OF CRUISING I Spring 2011
A Voyage on the
Watching wildlife has always been part of cruising but now you can literally stare it in the face or watch it from the observation lounge with a gin and tonic. Steve Newman reviews some of the best places to visit.
lecture rooms and/or lounges and numer- ous decks for viewing opportunities. The ships, however, are continuously assessed and updated if needed. Vessels like Island Sky and Clipper Adventurer, with a small, 110-passenger size, are ideal for wildlife watching and companies such as Noble Caledonia also use them, as their style of travel works best when they embark and disembark everyone quickly into the Zodiacs, thereby making the most of every opportunity that presents its self. But, if leaping in and out of Zodiacs does not appeal, the regular cruise com- panies have also realised the attraction of wildlife to their customers and now offer excursions to wildlife spectacles as
part of their own itineraries. In Alaska, for example, Royal Caribbean offer a Whales & Rainforest Trails excursion from Juneau and Oceania a brown bear excursion. Celebrity Cruises even offer specialist cruises to the Galapagos. What follows is a brief description of
what’s on offer around the world and some of the specialist companies going there.
ALASKA: Bears and Whales It would be impossible to talk of Alaska without mentioning the humpbacks and orcas patrolling their regular feed- ing grounds; the brown bears feeding on migrating salmon along the state’s rivers; and the many bald eagles of the region.
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