As tourism is so widespread, we read much about the great cities of the world being over-run, with local residents giving way to the ubiquitous Airbnb, and local cultures and traditions falling before the tourist dollar.
But in fact, there are plenty of wilderness regions, places inaccessible to tourists, where civilisations eking out a living in tandem with the natural world. Taking your tourism infrastructure with you, you can visit these locations on an expedition ship - and if you are worried about the impact of your visit, take time to learn about the ways in which responsible expedition companies work in tandem with local people and organisations to ensure they benefit the areas they visit.
When looking for an expedition cruise line to suit you, within the 'luxury' sector you can take as a given that the food will be excellent, the beds comfortable and the service attentive. So what else should you be looking for? We met up with Conrad Combrink, SVP Expeditions, Destination and Itinerary Management at Silversea, to dig deeper into the intangibles of expedition cruising.
Your experience is very dependent on the expedition staff, who look after the logistics of the programme, judge conditions to ensure you get the very best experience whatever the weather, are great communicators whether in a lecture hall, on a hike, or exploring by Zodiac.
You may have noticed that some high profile photographers or scientists appear on the websites of a number of different companies, as they hop from contract to contract. At Silversea, about 50% of the 200 odd expedition staff on their books work exclusively for Silversea, and some of them are on year round contracts, bringing their shipboard and field experience ashore to assist with honing itineraries, developing new destinations and ensuring that your experience is as good as it can possibly be.
As an adventurer on an expedition ship, you want to be sure that the company you are travelling with knows a region in depth, has past experience there, and has built their programmes from a position of hands on operations.
Each team member can then contribute to the ongoing field staff training, so as new team members join, they are building on the cumulative expertise of their colleagues.
Currently the world expedition fleet is in a period of growth, and as a result there is a high demand for new expedition leaders and team members. As a result, your experience on board may not be optimum, if you have chosen unwisely. What if you end up with a lecturer who follows his or her own passion, but is unable to interpret every aspect of your experience? Or someone who is self-evidently knowledgeable, but is unable to communicate effectively?
Even if every team member is experienced, the balance may not be right. You can end up learning about things that are not relevant: it is essential that the expedition is planned carefully in advance on a platform of themes and topics that ensure you make the most of your trip, and that within the planning, you get plenty of advice and information in advance, to improve your experience.
Finally, when you are on a 'soft' expedition for example to remote parts of the British Isles or Iceland, Silversea have a dedicated team planning amazing shore experiences which add to your in-depth exploration, such as the opportunity to meet local people, taste their food and understand their culture, folklore and history.
An expedition team member also needs some very important hard skills relating to safety and operation of the zodiacs, so the Silversea constant requalification and refresher courses are, like good insurance, an essential support which you hope never to need.
In short, when you are planning an extraordinary trip off the beaten track, make sure you investigate thoroughly to ensure that what looks like a bargain price is not a wasted investment, and we recommend you lean heavily on our expertise at Mundy Adventures to weigh up the options available.
All images ©Silversea Cruises Ltd.
