The ship’s classical, elegant furnishings are timeless, and guest favorites like iPod docking stations and shipwide WiFi make it seem as modern as its youngest sister ship the Silver Spirit.

Another addition to the ship I really enjoyed was the outdoor Grill Dinner. Guests cook their own prime meats using a very hot lava stone. Cooking one bite at a time ensures the meat is hot.

The ship uses hot plates for hot food and cold plates for cold food in the other dining venues, but it’s difficult to keep a large steak hot for long periods (especially outdoors). The “hot rock” solves this issue. Plus, you can’t complain if the meat is not cooked the way you like it!

Silver Whisper Cruise Ship Profile and Tour

The Silversea Silver Whisper is an elegant cruise ship that really knows what it means to pamper its passengers and provide the type of service that is expected on a boutique, ultra-luxury ship.

All in all, the Silver Whisper was everything we could ask for. The accommodations are among the best at sea, the food delicious, and the service and attention to detail superb. Having sailed on the Silver Whisper several years before, my expectations for the hotel and tour services on the ship were high, and the ship and crew did not disappoint.

Overall, five factors made our cruise on the Silver Whisper a memorable one –

- Outstanding service, attention to detail, and all-inclusive pricing
- Fantastic food
- Wonderful suite accommodations
- Sleek, beautiful ship and superb on-board amenities
- Exciting, exotic itinerary
_________________________________________
SOURCES:

“Silver Whisper Cruise Ship”
By Linda Garrison
January 9, 2012
http://cruises.about.com
http://cruises.about.com/b/2012/01/09/silver-whisper.htm

“Silversea Cruises – Silver Whisper Cruise Ship Profile and Tour”
By Linda Garrison
http://cruises.about.com
http://cruises.about.com/od/silverseasilverwhisper/ss/silver_whisper.htm

Buenos Aires and Argentina are fascinating cruise travel destinations, filled with excitement. There are even tango dancers on (almost) every corner. Buenos Aires is the most popular port of call in South America. Cruise ships often sail up the river to Buenos Aires on itineraries from Rio de Janeiro, around Cape Horn to Valparaiso, or as a starting point for cruises to the Falkland Islands and Antarctica.

Although there is much to do and see in Buenos Aires, a day trip to a nearby Argentine ranch or a short flight to famous Iguazu Falls are also great options for things to do in and around Buenos Aires.
___________________________
SOURCE:
“Buenos Aires – Exciting South American City and Cruise Ship Port of Call”
By Linda Garrison
About.com Guide
December 3, 2011
http://cruises.about.com/
http://cruises.about.com/b/2011/12/03/buenos-aires-argentina.htm

Buenos Aires authorities describe the coming season as encouraging and better than 2010/11, pointing out that 72% of visitors are foreigners mainly Brazilians and Germans.

According to the International Association of Cruise Companies in 2009 the number of passengers world wide totalled 17.5 million, which was 22% above 2005 and the “estimates for 2013 are closer to over 19.5 million”, said Herman Lombardi Tourism and Culture minister from the City of Buenos Aires.

Lombardi said that the Costa Group originally was planning to operate three cruise vessels in South America but they have decided to incorporate a fourth unit. “This way the company will be offering an additional 31.222 beds, compared to the 164.270 already provided between December 2011 and March 2012, which represents a 43% increase of the offer from Buenos Aires compared to a year ago” said Lombardi.

Costa Magica, Costa Fortuna and Costa Victoria are scheduled to operate from Buenos Aires and Costa Pacifica from Brazil. To these must be added three cruise vessels from Ibero Cruceros belonging to the same company: two from Buenos Aires and a third from Brazil.

MSC Cruises have planned to extend the season until April 2012. “When the last MSC leaves April 14 from Buenos Aires it will be sailing to Southampton and Cherbourg in France” revealed Lombardi who added that the bed capacity compared to the last season has gone up to 41.000 from 35.000.

Buenos Aires City polls from last season indicate that 72% of cruise visitors were foreigners (51.3% from neighbouring countries, mainly Brazil) and the rest Argentines. A majority of Brazilians and Germans (80%) insisted that “it was very important” that the cruise vessels call in Buenos Aires, and so did 75% of US visitors.

The average group of cruise passengers is made up of 3.4 people with 39.9% families (mainly Argentines and Brazilians), 28% couples, 27% friends and 4.6% singles. Almost half of the visitors spent at least a night in Buenos Aires because they boarded in the Argentine capital.

For the first time Buenos Aires will be receiving the exclusive Journey from Azmara and the Seabourn Sojourn, launched June 2010 with 450 passengers and 340 crew members. The vessels with the largest number of passengers are Costa Magica and Costa Fortuna with 3.400 visitors and 900 crew members, and Star Princess with 3.200 passengers and a crew of 1.100.
The longest vessels, since Navigator of the Seas cancelled the schedule, are the MSC Musica and Celebrity Infinity with 294 metres.
______________________________________
SOURCE:
“Buenos Aires launches 2011/12 cruise season; 400,000 visitors expected”
Monday, October 31st 2011
http://en.mercopress.com
http://en.mercopress.com/2011/10/31/buenos-aires-launches-2011-12-cruise-season-400-000-visitors-expected

Azamara Club Cruises today announced the cruise line’s 2013 line-up of voyages. Throughout the year, up-market travelers can choose among a total of 69 voyages aboard the cruise line’s two European boutique-hotel style ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest. Select Azamara voyages also coincide with cultural celebrations, such as Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, the Monaco Grand Prix, the Andalusian Festival and the British Open, to offer guests a truly destination-immersive travel experience. Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest will visit nearly 40 new ports in 2013, including Beijing (Xingang), Shanghai (Haitong) and Jinhae, South Korea in the Far East; as well as charming Amasra (Safranbolu), Turkey, and 2014-Winter Olympic host-city Sochi, Russia in the Black Sea. Cassis, France; Propriano, Corsica; and Palamos, Spain also will be maiden ports in the Mediterranean, as well as idyllic Honningsvaag, Gudvangen, Tromso, and Svolvaer (Lofoten) on the Norwegian Coast. Onboard, guests will delight in Azamara’s extraordinary service from every staff and crew member, as well as enjoy delectable dining options in four restaurants. All Azamara Club Cruises 2013 voyages are now open for booking.

“We are delighted to present Azamara’s next collection of voyages in 2013,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “We continue to offer more late-night and overnight stays in ports than any cruise operator to offer guests the chance to savor a destination’s nightlife, and oftentimes, after the other cruise ships have departed. We also encourage travelers to add on an Azamara cruisetour with their voyage to delve even deeper into a destination’s culture or combine consecutive Azamara voyages for a grand odyssey.”

At the beginning of 2013, Azamara Journey will sail four Southeast Asia voyages, 14, 15 and 17 nights in length, and two 14-night voyages throughout China, Korea and Japan – featuring overnight stays in such vibrant metropolises as Hong Kong; Bangkok (Klong Toey), Thailand; Hanoi and World Heritage Site Halong Bay, Ho Chi Minh City and Hue (Danang), Vietnam; Shanghai (Haitong), China; and Kobe, Japan.

The ship then heads to the Mediterranean for the summer and autumn seasons, Giving you the opportunity of enjoying the beautiful Adriatic and Greek Isles, spend some egypt holidays, ranging from seven to 12 nights. Overnight stays will include Alexandria and Safaga, Egypt; Venice, Italy; Mykonos, Greece; and Jerusalem (Ashdod), Israel.

Azamara Journey also will sail six French and Italian Riviera voyages in June and July featuring overnights in Monte Carlo, Monaco; St. Tropez, France; Ibiza, Spain; and Sorrento, Capri and Florence (Livorno), Italy. Azamara Journey then returns to the Far East via Dubai and Mumbai (Bombay), India to round out the year with three Southeast Asia voyages, culminating with an overnight call at Phuket, Thailand on New Year’s Eve.

Azamara Quest, on the other hand, will sail a range of South America and West Indies voyages, ranging from 12 to 18 nights, featuring overnight calls at Ushuaia and Buenos Aires, Argentina; Punta Del Este, Uruguay; Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for Carnaval; and St. Barts. The ship continues from Miami to the Spanish and French Rivieras in March for four- to 11-night voyages, featuring overnights in Seville, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona, Spain; Monte Carlo; Provence (Marseilles) and Cannes, France; and Lisbon, Portugal.

In June and July, Azamara Quest will sail North Sea, Norwegian Coast and Baltic voyages, ranging from nine to 14 nights, featuring overnights in St. Petersburg, Russia; Hamburg, Germany; Reykjavik, Iceland; Oslo, Norway; Stockholm, Sweden; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Azamara Quest then embarks on a series of French and Italian Riviera, and Adriatic Sea voyages in August and September that range from seven to 11 nights, before returning to explore the lesser-traveled island jewels in West Indies for the winter season on eight- and 12-night voyages. On the New Year’s voyage, guests will count down the seconds ‘en Français’ while overnight in St. Barts.

Travelers also can choose among two President’s Voyages in 2013. President and CEO Larry Pimentel and his wife Sandi will join guests on these special voyages and host parties, informal get-togethers, and a complimentary shore event. Guests will enjoy a destination-immersive travel experience as the cruise line’s chief visionary does, as well as receive a special gift. Azamara’s 2013 President’s Voyages are planned for the April 3, Art on the Cote d’Azur sailing of Azamara Quest, and for the October 1, Tuscany to Provence sailing of Azamara Journey.

Guests aboard Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest also enjoy more inclusive amenities, such as included gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; complimentary bottled water, sodas, specialty coffees, and teas, as well as complimentary red and white boutique wines to accompany lunch and dinner; complimentary self-service laundry; English Butler service for suite guests; and shuttle bus to city centers in ports, where available.

Strategic planning has most of 2012’s cruises beginning with a shipboard overnight stay in port, while 86 per cent of the voyages include at least one two-day call.

Together, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will visit 182 ports-of-call in 59 countries on 60 itineraries worldwide.

“Our goal for the year was to enhance the ease and value of travelling with Crystal,” explains president Gregg Michel.

“For example, by adding more overnights to the cruises, especially at embarkation, travellers only have to unpack once, yet get even more time to experience a culture, while still having their Crystal home as a luxurious base.”

The mix of overnight destinations includes both large cultural capitals like Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, and New York, and smaller locales with charm appeal, like Bordeaux, Edinburgh, Tahiti, and Sorrento.

Crystal’s 2012 cruise calendar offers cruises lengths from seven to 19 days, not including the three-month World Cruise.

Seven-day voyages are sprinkled throughout the year, with half in the Mediterranean, half in North America.

Beginning with its spring Trans-Atlantic voyages (March 19th and May 8th on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, respectively), all Crystal cruises will be all-inclusive, with complimentary fine wines and premium spirits throughout the ship, open bar service in all lounges, and pre-paid gratuities for housekeeping, bar and dining staff, including at Nobu Matsuhisa’s complimentary Silk Road and other on-board gourmet dining destinations.

Promotional offers, available for a limited time, include Two-for-One fares, bonus savings on select sailings, as well as fare reductions for repeat guests, families and friends travelling together, new-to-Crystal, early payment, and substantial savings for select back-to-back cruises.

Fares, starting at $2,755/person, double occupancy, include free airport/ship transfers and round-trip air from two dozen North American hubs (or substantial air credits).

All 2012 itineraries are outlined in Crystal’s 2012 Cruise Guide, as well as seasonal winter, Europe and an upcoming Fall Collection brochures.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort in history.
__________________________________________
SOURCE:
“Crystal Cruises launches 2012 itinerary”
22-08-2011
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/crystal-cruises-launches-2012-itinerary/

Hailed as the ‘Grand Hotel at Sea’ the elegant five-star cruiser is soon to be recognised under a different moniker, as a London 2012 Olympics hotel ship! Before mooring in London’s docklands next July, the intrepid cruise ship will offer the ultimate blend of expedition and luxury cruising.

With many different itineraries to suit those seeking urban cultural encounters, off the beaten track adventure, nature discovery or relaxation on sun-kissed beaches, eWaterways and the Deutschland will start by showcasing the best of Latin America’s diverse and magical landscape.

Gold Coast of South America: Rio to Buenos Aires (Visiting Brazil – Uruguay and Argentina) 19th December 2011 5th January 2012

Guests aboard this 18 day cruise will be able to celebrate the festive season in the party capital Rio de Janeiro, before setting sail for the historic towns of Buzios and Paraty along the Costa Verde. After visiting Punte del Este and Montevideo in Uruguay, the cruise crosses over to Argentina, where passengers will cruise the Parana River – the continent’s second longest river after the Amazon – docking in Rosario, a city famed for its neoclassical architecture.

From here the glistening skyline of capital city Buenos Aires beckons, the final destination on this remarkable cruise where guests can celebrate the New Year in style.

Around Cape Horn: Buenos Aires to Valparaiso (Visiting Argentina, Uruguay and Chile)
6th January to 23rd January 2012
________________________________
SOURCE:
“Central and South American expedition cruises from eWaterways”
31-07-2011
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/central-and-south-american-expedition-cruises-from-ewaterways/

Argentina’s legalization of same-sex marriage last year has catapulted Buenos Aires to the forefront of gay tourism in South America, said Jose Maria Jaroslavsky, director of the tour operator Thesys, one of the cruise’s organizers.

The cruise, dubbed “EGO,” will take to the seas during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer on the luxury liner MSC Opera. Seven bars, four restaurants, pools, a spa, theater, casino, eight disc jockeys and themed parties will be on hand to quench hedonistic pursuits.

Cruise fares, which do not include airfare, start at $999 per person for a triple and go up to $1,598 per person for a double with balcony and ocean view. Included are three meals and two snacks a day; Argentinean taxes and port taxes; and gratuities. Packages are also available for pre-cruise hotel stays in Buenos Aires.

For reservations: Contact: EGO or a travel agent.
_____________________________
SOURCE:
“South American cruise to cater to gay travelers”
June 27, 2011
By Benoit Lebourgeois
Special to the Los Angeles Times
http://articles.latimes.com
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/27/news/la-trb-south-american-cruise-20110607

“Ego is the first cruise for gays and lesbians in Latin America,” said Jorge Giorno, who owns the Thesys organizing firm. He noted demand was “very high” since Argentina passed a measure in July legalizing gay marriage.

The ultra-modern cruise ship is 220 meters (722 feet) long and features 1,000 rooms, seven bars, four restaurants, a casino, a discotheque and four swimming pools.

“We are getting calls from around the world,” said Giorno, 10 months ahead of the December 12 departure for Punta del Este and Montevideo in Uruguay.

Buenos Aires is considered a prime location for the gay community. The tourism bureau estimates that 18 percent of Argentina’s tourism bureau comes from goods and services tailored for gays and lesbians.

Argentina’s gay law amended the phrase “husband and wife” to “contracting parties” in the Civil Code.

It also extends equal rights to homosexual couples in matters of adoption, inheritance and social benefits.
________________________________________
SOURCE:
“Latin America’s first gay cruise set for December”
AFP
Thursday, 17 February 2011
http://www.independent.co.uk
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/latin-americas-first-gay-cruise-set-for-december-2217287.html

You won’t find this information front and center in your Antarctic tour company’s brochure: Even if perfect weather enables all of the scheduled shore excursions, you will still spend 90 percent of your trip on board the ship in a confined space with a bunch of complete strangers.

It’s got the makings of a season of “The Real World.” Fortunately, your fellow humans can be a highlight of your Antarctic adventure. I traveled on the first sailing of the 2010-11 Antarctic travel season (which runs from early November through May) aboard the M/V Antarctic Dream and was surprised to discover that my shipmates were not the well-heeled-but-dull older travelers I’d expected based on the fact that these trips are pricey and sometimes involve the word “cruise.”

Stacey Richman brought a snow cone machine to Antarctica.
Eric Mohl, Special to the Star Tribune

Views like this compel people to travel to Antarctica.
Eric Mohl, Special to the Star Tribune

I shouldn’t have been surprised. Antarctic tour companies are reporting a trend toward younger passengers. Nadia Antetomaso, a guide with GAP Adventures, says the company has noticed the shift over the past few years. Some of that is driven by price — GAP Adventures and Antarctic Dream trips tend toward the more economical end of the Antarctic travel spectrum, which typically ranges from $3,500 to $16,000 per person for 11- to 35-day trips.

Whatever the reason, many of the passengers on my sailing were in their mid-40s or younger and most of them were hilarious companions. First, we survived the Drake Passage together. Then the real fun began.

Drake Passage drama

“We could lose the ship in seconds.”

That was our distractingly dapper captain’s totally honest answer when asked what the worst-case scenario is when sailing among icebergs and crossing the Drake Passage.

Things do go wrong in the Drake Passage — which must be crossed in the first and last few days of all Antarctica tours to and from Ushuaia, Argentina (the main port). That’s because the Drake Passage is the spot where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans literally crash into each other, resulting in some of the roughest seas on the planet.

In early December 2010 the Clelia II lost an engine in the Drake with 165 people aboard and spent days being tossed around by 30-foot waves before the ship was repaired and able to continue on to Ushuaia.

Thankfully, the most dangerous things passengers on the M/V Antarctic Dream encountered during my journey through the Drake were the increasingly askew hairdos of passengers who had been confined to bed either by seasickness or by the drowsy side effects of seasickness medication. Trying to determine how many hours fellow passengers had spent in bed based on the state of their hair served as a great icebreaker, so to speak.

The penguin chicks

Two 30-something women, Hannele Luukkainen from Finland and Helen Joannidi from the United Kingdom, were riding along only as far as Port Lockroy. The British-run former research station has a small museum, gift shop and one of the most remote post offices in the world, and it serves as a shore excursion that most Antarctic tour operators make.

We would leave Hannele and Helen at Port Lockroy to begin their five-month volunteer stint during which, they explained with equal measures of excitement and trepidation, they would live in a dorm with two other volunteers, use an outhouse (no shower), help run the gift shop and count penguins as part of ongoing research into the effect of tourism on the animals’ behavior.

My emerging clique of passengers immediately dubbed them “the penguin chicks.”

Handing out nicknames became something of a ritual on board but one passenger came pre-nicknamed. “The Glen,” a 28-year-old long-term traveler from Australia, may have had a short name but he was full of big surprises during our shore excursion to Deception Island.

The island was formed when a caldera flooded and heat from the still-active volcano, we were told, now warms the waters around the island, making a quick dip possible.

We all optimistically packed our swimsuits before we scrambled into Zodiac boats and headed for Deception Island to explore its abandoned whaling station and small cemetery. In the end, though, the Glen was one of only four brave souls who took the plunge — and the only one who did it without a swimsuit.

Before we knew it, the Glen was naked and bounding into the not even vaguely warm water. A huge tattoo of the Antarctic continent was plainly visible in the middle of his bare back as he sprinted gingerly into the water.

Snow-cone treats

At first glance Stacey Richman, a defense attorney from New York City, might seem like the kind of traveler I was expecting to find on an Antarctic cruise. Then she opened her luggage and revealed an unexpected traveling companion. On a whim she’d brought a hand-cranked Snoopy snow cone machine featuring America’s favorite cartoon dog snowboarding across a plastic mini-Matterhorn. She planned to use it to turn some of that 1,000-year-old glacial ice into delicious frozen treats.
_______________________________________________
SOURCE:
“Icebreakers in Antarctica”
By KAREN CATCHPOLE, Special to the Star Tribune
Last update: January 30, 2011
http://www.startribune.com
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/travel/114740509.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUvDEhiaE3miUsZ

Sunita Puri, a doctor at the MedCare clinic on Madison Boulevard, visited the Earth’s southern most continent in December 2010.

It was incredible,” Puri said. “I’m planning to go again.”

Puri took a 12-day cruise to Antarctica that departed from Ushuaia, Argentina.

She said visiting Antarctica was something she had always wanted to do.

“It was something different, something adventurous,” Puri said.

There were only 89 other passengers onboard because Antarctica only allows small ships, according to Puri.

“That’s how it stays so pristine,” Puri said.

Puri experienced the landscape firsthand through land excursions. The cruise ship anchored twice a day for three to four hours so passengers could travel on land via smaller motorized boats called zodiacs.

She said her favorite part of these excursions was seeing the wildlife, especially the penguins.

While onboard the ship, Puri attended lectures on the environment, glaciers, whales, climate change and birds.

She said her favorite thing she saw while in Antarctica was the glaciers.

“Standing by a glacier was an incredible experience,” Puri said.

She said she was joined on her adventure by people of all nationalities and ages, as passengers on the cruise ranged from 14 to 85.

“Age has nothing to do with it,” Puri said.

Puri described the continent as “paradise on Earth.”

“I’m planning to go back,” Puri said.

Scroll down to read Puri’s first-hand account of her trip.

PARADISE ON EARTH, BY DR. SUNITA PURI

There is something very special, almost spiritual about Antarctica. I could not escape the “little voice.” The world’s largest ice mass can be found in Antarctica. Ice covers 99 percent of the landmass except some rocky coastal area and tallest mountain peaks. It is quite magical to get close to the icebergs, especially when the sun is shining and glistening on the ice water like millions of sparkling diamonds.

I was standing on the deck of the ship at 1 a.m., gazing at the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula in the golden glow of the midnight sun. The scenery was so impressive that I stared with stunned silence. There was nothing to say. Is it not amazing what God can do with his color palate? God started painting the sky again with different shades of color at 3 a.m. sunrise. Yes, there were 22 hours of sunshine in Antarctica. It was summer in Antarctica. The weather is very unpredictable. It is very windy at times.

Antarctica is not as difficult to reach as it sounds. The incredible journey begins and ends in the southernmost city at the bottom of the world, Ushuaia, Argentina. Ushuaia nestles between the dramatic summits of the Andres and the Beagle channel. The Drake Passage is a filter of 600 miles of famously rough water called “Drake shakes.” It separates South America from Argentina. It is one of the reasons Antarctica remains such a pristine place. Ten to 30 feet water waves are common in the Drake Passage, but when I saw the glaciers I forgot about the rough water!

Antarctica is the fifth largest of the seven continents. It is a land of snow-capped mountains, dramatic rock formations, ice fjords and floating giant icebergs. Ice cliffs, ice shelves, ice sheets, glaciers, pancake ice and packed ice dominate the scenery. Pancake ice looks like lily pads, which become curled at the edge as they collide with each other. Extensive brash ice and growlers reflect their amazing colors on the water.

In the winter, sea ice freezes. When the temperature warms in the spring, ice breaks off and the pieces begin to move with wind. Most of an iceberg is under the water. There exist cathedrals of ice that are charged with mystical blue lights, which seem like an “out of earth” experience. There is an international agreement that protects the entire continent of Antarctica. Antarctica is a natural reserve devoted to peace and science. It is politically neutral.

Every cruise ship to Antarctica carries a fleet of zodiac crafts, which are sturdy and inflatable. They are hulled, and are used to reach inaccessible wildlife and scientific sites. Initially, getting in and out of a zodiac with cameras becomes an often hilarious attempt at stepping ashore. Then it becomes second nature.

The most famous inhabitant of Antarctica is the penguin. These birds do not fly; however, they are superb swimmers that move with ease and grace. They breed on the land or ice surface along the coast and islands. Penguins incubate eggs in a nest of pebbles, just out of pecking range of each other. During spring, baby chicks are born and thousands of them are seen everywhere. I was sitting on a rock at Neko Harbor Island and three seals were sleeping peacefully on the ice. Beyond them across the impressive blue water was a colossal glacier cracking and caving in the sunshine. Two whales cruised by in the open water; their distinctive blows clearly visible to the naked eye. Behind me was a vertical mountain of weakened rocks, which provided a home and nesting place for countless birds. Hundreds of penguins on the nearby beach and rocks were enjoying playing in the water; they are not afraid of human presence. Seals were floating on ice slabs. They were watching us with their brown eyes as curiously as we were watching then. It was breathtaking.

In Antarctica there are so many places like this. It is the wildlife and scenery that explain the white continent’s allure. A penguin tried to clamber up my snow boots. I cruised among the icebergs bluer than sky. I watched humpback whales so close that I could identify them by the shape and color of the tail. I photographed a seal sliding off a chunk of ice, swimming menacingly towards a zodiac before disappearing in the blue water behind us. Three whales surfaced and put on a good show for more than 30 minutes.

I truly experienced a “paradise on earth.” Traveling to Antarctica is something that “grabs” you. It is a spiritual adventure. You can barely comprehend the power and beauty of nature that makes Antarctica so addictive.
__________________________________________
SOURCE:
“Local resident visits Antarctica”
January 26, 2011
By Laura Vaughn
http://www.madisoncountyrecord.com
http://www.madisoncountyrecord.com/2011/01/26/local-resident-visits-antartica/