Hapag-Lloyd Hanseatic - Perfect Combination of Luxury and Adventure Cruising

By Linda Garrison, About.com Guide

A story about cruising Antarctica would not be complete without discussing the magnificent wildlife. I can now readily identify the 5 species of penguins we saw, and thanks to our excellent onboard penguin expert Sylvia Stevens, I've become acquainted with and amazed by the life cycle of these funny, delightful birds. I didn't keep a record of all of the birds we saw on land and at sea, but David Fletcher, our expedition leader, did. He gave each of us a log of the wildlife, and it included almost 60 species of birds and 14 species of mammals, including whales, seals, and dolphins. Some memorable wildlife moments include --

• the rockhopper penguins on New Island -- our first penguins

• the thousands of downy brown Adelie penguin chicks on Paulet Island and their hard-working parents

• penguins zooming through the water like football-shaped missiles and then awkwardly waddling up the rocks to feed their chicks

• magnificent albatrosses soaring behind the ship

• following a pair of humpback whales for over 30 minutes one twilight night after dinner

• an up-close moment with a leopard seal

I could go on and on about this memorable cruise. Even my husband, who is much harder to please than I am, had everything he looks for on a cruise vacation--excellent ship, amazing wildlife, interesting history and excursions, and no shopping! As much as I love cruising the world, this experience will stay with me forever--thanks to the captain, crew, and expedition leaders of the Hanseatic!