Cruising allows you to enjoy some fantastic and unique experiences that you otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to do. Many people have a bucket list of destinations they want to visit in their lives, but cruisers may have an entirely different set of things that they wish to see and do whilst on board a cruise ship. If you love holidaying at sea, here are five things to add to your cruising bucket list.
Crossing The Equator
Although the equator is a theoretical line across the middle of the globe, crossing over it is still a big deal when you are on board a cruise ship. This event is marked by something known as a line-crossing ceremony and is an excuse to have a party on board.
Guests and crew members dress up as King Neptune and other assorted sea-faring characters as the ship glides across this imaginary point on the globe. Those who have never crossed the equator before are nicknamed ‘Pollywogs’ and are playfully teased by the ‘Shellbacks’ who have been through it all before. Mostly, though, it’s about dressing up and having fun.
Traversing the Panama Canal
It’s unusual for a destination at which nobody gets off the ship to be a highlight of your cruise, but this is definitely the case when you see the Panama Canal on an itinerary. This man-made marvel changed the face of maritime travel and is a fantastic example of engineering.
Experiencing it for yourself not only allows you to learn more about the canal and its history but to also visit unique ports in the surrounding area. There are partial and full transits available, with the latter taking a day to complete as you travel through six locks, the giant Gatun Lake and the Culebra Cut (a straight that cuts across the continental divide).
Seeing The Northern Lights
OK. So the Northern Lights are not something that can only be experienced on a cruise ship but being aboard a vessel gives you a much better chance of seeing them. Obviously, the only time the light show appears is during the hours of darkness and so usually, on land, you would have to book onto a tour, travel throughout the night and hope for the best.
Conversely, during a cruise, you can tuck yourself up in bed and wait for the captain to announce any potential sightings. Also, a cruise allows you to search for the lights every night without having to pay extra for a tour and then be disappointed if they don’t grace the skies.
Crossing The Drake Passage
The Drake Passage may be one of the roughest stretches of water anywhere in the world, but it is still a bucket list experience. Known to offer ridiculous waves (the Drake Shake) or eerily calm waters (the Drake Lake), this famous passage lies between the tip of South America and Antarctica.
It may be a somewhat ominous experience to look forward to, but crossing the Drake Passage leads to another, far more pleasant, bucket list adventure when you arrive to see the pristine landscapes of the seventh continent.
Sailing Into Sydney Harbour
There are many cruise ports that greet you with fantastic sights, those in the Norwegian Fjords being high up on the list, but the most iconic welcome to any cruise ship is offered by Sydney.
With its historic harbour and world-renowned landmarks, arriving in the Australian city is definitely something that you will want to witness from the top deck with a camera in hand.
Cruising affords the chance to enjoy many fantastic experiences around the world, from the ones mentioned above to others than are equally enthralling. If you would like to discuss the itineraries available, call our knowledgeable team today.
