While it’s not really my thing, TipsForTravellers has a youtube channel about taking cruises – from classic Caribbean cruises to those European riverboard cruises.

I did find this video on Antarctica cruises to be interesting and they shared a lot of information I had never heard:

1. The cruise line practically never does the itinerary stated. It’s a suggestion and depends on weather and sea conditions. You may start from different ports, skip whole sections, etc. It can sometimes open surprise bonus locations, but if weather is bad on a location landing day you won’t get to land.
2. You need to check the month you’re going if you want to see certain things. Snow is only early in the season. Animals migrate different months.
3. If a crew member or passenger gets injured or seriously ill, the ship will immediately return to port. No refunds.
4. Mandatory regulations can stop visits. If there is a illness breakout at an animal colony you may not be able to land. During covid, you couldn’t visit research stations. There are lots of mandatory briefings you must attend and you must do lots of bio-risk screens on all your equipment.
5. The expedition leader calls the shots with captain. Experienced leaders get you better experiences.
6. Size matters. Many places limit the number of visitors per day. Don’t pick a ship with more than 200 people since many places won’t allow bigger ships to land. Bigger ships of like 400 only do scenic cruising and don’t come ashore.