Cruising to Earth’s Extremities

If a week’s cruise around the Mediterranean doesn’t thrill or challenge you, and you can barely contain a yawn at the thought of an extreme sports holiday – you might find it hard to pick a jolly which satisfies your yearning for adventure. So as ambassadors of the cruise industry, we’re rising to the occasion and pitching these itineraries to the real extremities of the planet.

The Arctic

The northernmost past of the planet, the Arctic’s temperature barely rises above freezing during the warmest months of the year. The Arctic region has long been a source of interest for explorers and some areas of the Arctic Circle were still unexplored into the 1990s.

Many of the early explorations into the region came by mistake, with the first Vikings to veer into the Arctic Circle, led by Gardar Svararsson, doing so when blown off their intended course by harsh conditions.

However it is now possible to explore the Arctic Circle by cruise ship, with some itineraries exploring the regions and settlements. The Baltic Kiel Canal & North Cape Explorer cruise aboard the MS Rotterdam explores the Northern Norway ports of Hammerfest and Honningsvag – both found within the freezing Arctic Circle.

The Antarctic

If you’ve been to the Arctic, and ticked that off the list – it’s probably time to visit the other freezing extreme of planet Earth: the Antarctic. Visited by just 40,000 people a year, this fascinating ice land has no indigenous people with the harsh conditions too mean to support life. The only permanent inhabitants are the scientists who use the unique conditions to further their research and tour guides helping visitors around the barren, snowy extremity.

If it all seems a little too similar to the Arctic, make sure you take some time to check out the local wildlife – with seals, penguins and the world’s largest squids call the region home.

The Silver Explorer ventures into Antarctic waters during a roundtrip from the Argentinian port of Ushuaia.

Mt. Chimborazo

Located in Ecuador, close to the Equator, the summit of Mt. Chimborazo is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre thanks to its location along the equatorial bulge. Combine this with the soaring heat of Ecuador, and Mt. Chimborazo secures its position as one of the world’s most extreme locations.

If you fancy the daunting task of scaling the inactive stratovolcano, the Cape Horn cruise aboard the Ocean Princess calls in at the city of Guayaquil just a few hours from the foot of the mountain.

Angel Falls 

The world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall; Angel Falls is locally named Parakupá Vená, meaning “the fall from the highest point”. The Venezuelan waterfall is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Americas – offering a range of extreme adventures. Kick your day off with an exploration through the isolated jungles (with a guide of course) which surround the foot of the falls.

Then make your way to the base of the falls with a river trip guided by the indigenous Pemon people – after arriving on Venezuelan shores aboard the Fred. Olsen Caribbean with Panama & Venezuela trip.

Whether you’re looking for an extreme holiday, or a beautifully relaxed trip atop the seas, Cruise1st have a huge range of deals on an eclectic mix of itineraries. For the full range, visit our homepage or call our dedicated team on 0808 2746 777.

Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Clay Gilliland, Jo Simon