Call me a free spirit. Call me crazy if you want. But I've always been a spontaneous traveler. I remember the days when I would book a holiday months in advance and wait impatiently for it to creep round for two precious weeks of escapism and there was nothing wrong with that. It was my life for a long time and for many it is the only way to live around a full time job and family. But what really gets me going is spontaneous, unpredictable, exciting, adventurous travel. The thought of picking up and taking off in a heartbeat, waking up in a different city where no-one knows my name or my story. The is why I've always preferred travelling independently and not going on organised trips where everything is planned out - they can be great and I have friends who have raved about them. But for me, at this moment in my life, I need crazy wild adventures. I know there are so many out there like me, and I know how important it is to find ways to make travel as adventurous as can be, so when Planet Cruise asked me to write about my dream cruise experiences, I couldn't resist thinking of ways to incorporate my adventurous side with an organised trip.
Lucky for me, Planet Cruise are a company that really does cater for everyone and they have a huge range of cruises on offer - from the coastline of the UK and the fjords of Norway, to the romance of the Indian Ocean and the sparkle of the Northern Lights. There is sure to be a trip that sets your wanderlust a wandering! For me, I wanted to focus on the cruises that really push boundaries, that would take me to far off climes and exciting new landscapes while giving me the opportunity to see them from a very different vantage point than that of an airplane window or a coach. So what are my top 5 cruises that will satisfy the adventurer in you? Well you'll have to read on to find out!
Antarctica
The ultimate for any traveler - this one is a serious bucket list item. Imagine reaching the ends of the earth where there is nothing but ice and penguins. To see a world almost untouched by man and vastly undiscovered. It looks so magical and really would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm a big nature lover and I think it would be absolutely breathtaking just to see this raw landscape with my own eyes, to see the ice walls, the spiralling snow and the bare land.
Galapagos
As I said, I'm a serious nature geek and the Galapagos contain some of the most incredible creatures including one of my favourites - giant tortoises! I have a rescue tortoise living in my garden and am pretty attached to him, so the chance to see a giant version of him roaming free on these volcanic islands would be amazing. Plus a chance to explore with experts on the animals and environment would be a fantastic learning experience. A perfect place to step back in time while experiencing all the comforts of the modern age on board a ship.
African River
Imagine cruising down the Nile spotting hippos and crocodiles as you weave your way through Ancient Egyptian history. As someone who still remembers so clearly being fascinated by the Egyptians as a child, this would be an incredible experience. Seeing with my own eyes all those famous icons, the pyramids and the Sphinx that previously I had found among the pages of history books. Plus getting to experience an African safari would be the ultimate bucket list item.
Alaska
This breathtaking and captivating landscape sounds like one of the most exciting yet with a whole range of ways to experience this unique part of the world. This time your cruise will take you through glacier walls, allow you to sail alongside whales and experience the midnight sun. In a place where wildlife outnumbers people, there is no better place to see moose grazing on the fresh grass, eagles soaring and humpback whales breaking the water's surface. With no fewer than 10 national parks to explore, there is no end of amazing sights to witness. And there's be a huge range of activities available on and off board - you can experience everything from helicopter rides and dog sled rides to whale watching, forest ziplines and much more.
South American River
A luxury cruise in South America would give travelers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Cusco, Lima and more on a Peruvian river cruise. Along the way there would be amazing sights along the Amazon with pink river dolphins, caiman, giant otters and many more unique local species. Step into Charles Darwin's shoes by then extending the trip to include the Galapagos cruise experience as well.
Now if that doesn't get your adventurous taste-buds tingling, I don't know what will - I know these trips would be enough to get me excited! Any chance to see such amazing creatures as penguins, giant tortoises and pink dolphins in the wild would be beyond my wildest dreams. And getting to explore everything from the icy, barren landscape of Antarctica to the lush, green Amazon and the dry, dusty shores of Africa would be an amazing experience. All these cruises, and many more, are available at Planet Cruise.
Have you been on a cruise - where did you go? How was your experience? Where would be your dream cruise go?
