'What it was really like on the most expensive cruise I've ever done'

Cruising with 9Travel brings you the best tips and tricks plus everything you need to know, from self-confessed cruise addict, Honida Beram aka Cruising With Honey. She has sailed the seven continents of the world, on a seafaring mission to uncover the globe and share her adventures.When I was seven years old, I remember learning the world was made up of seven continents.I learned by rote, parroting along with my classmates in a sing-song, "North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australasiaaaaa" (It was the 80s, it's since been updated to 'Oceania/Australia').I remember staring at the map hanging on the wall, thinking that I'd never see the icy land; a place for rugged explorers with icicles hanging off their beards, i.e Douglas Mawson as featured on the $100 bill.Fast forward 40 years, and here I was, in a zodiac, zooming through a blanket of sea ice, surrounded by monolithic icebergs, and heading towards actually stepping my clumsy boot-clad feet on continental Antarctica.READ MORE: Unique luxury cruise offerings you've probably never heard ofWas this a dream? I actually could not comprehend what my eyes were seeing. I'd describe the feeling as an almost out-of-body experience. A sharp gust of frosty air slapped me back into the present, followed soon after with the unmistakable scent of pungent penguin poo.Cruising for me, up until this point, was South Pacific sandy beaches, European cobble-stoned towns and watching spectacular stage productions while sipping a gaudy cocktail. Not this.A cruise to Antarctica was as far away and as foreign as possible to anything I could have ever envisaged. I'd never even seen snow before! And, I knew, as cliche as it sounds, that this adventure would be a life-changing experience.Expedition in styleThere's expedition cruising and then there's luxury expedition cruising. As with all destinations, there are a multitude of cruise lines that offer Antarctic cruises. The type of experience you want really comes down to price.READ MORE: Tassie shines in Lonely Planet's 'Best in Travel' destinations for 2025As you can imagine, a cruise to Antarctica is a bucket list, once-in-a-life time voyage, in other words, it's going to cost you a bit of coin. You can opt for a gritty expedition on a ship that's not as lavish or splurge for all the creature comforts. The price will depend on inclusions, number of passengers, length of voyage, cabin type, and luxury level and can range from $7000 to $50,000 per person.I was hosted on Swan Hellenic's SH Vega, a very new, very stunning, and very capable vessel. Honey tip: Do the research on the ship itself, not just the itinerary. Cruising in Antarctica, the ships need to be purpose-built to withstand sea ice, the rough seas and storms. SH Vega features a PC5 ice-strengthened hull, the latest in cruising technology, and extra-large stabilisers. This was reassuring to me as I'd seen enough TikToks on crossing the Drake Passage (more about that below).In addition, the ship has a very high crew to passenger ratio (122 crew to 158 passengers).And if that wasn't enough, the icing on the cake was the stunning Scandi design. My balcony cabin had a fireplace. A FIREPLACE! Okay, so it wasn't a real fireplace (remember, no flames on ships) but a faux fireplace that I could adjust the crackling sounds of the 'flame' to suit my mood. I. Kid. You. Not.AND, the food, or should I say, cuisine, was exquisite, the drinks top-tier and the facilities onboard (sauna, gym, pool, library) were 5-star. I could go on and on about the ship and her crew, suffice to say, this ship exceeded every expectation.READ MORE: Airlines crack down on annoying airport behaviour with new boarding technologyThe voyage to embark on the voyageA week before departing, I was overcome with anxiety. Do I have the right clothes? Will I get seasick, and will it be all I expect? But the biggest worry was the distance. This would be the furthest and most remote location I'd travelled to.I was travelling solo, and I was anxious about being so far away from my kids. Luckily, my husband reminded me that THIS was an adventure I'm never going to be privileged to do again and to be courageous.Thinking back to that map in Grade 2, Australia does not look all that far away from Antarctica. But Antarctic cruises (mostly) start in Ushuaia. And where the heck is that?Well, it's the southern-most town in the world, right at the bottom of Argentina at the foot of the Andes. That, was a long, long way from Sydney. Sydney – LA – Houston – Buenos Aires (a night in Buenos Aires) then another flight to Ushuaia. (I'm sure there are more direct flights to Buenos Aires, and I would highly suggest a few days at least exploring this ridiculously beautiful city).Landing in Ushuaia was like landing on a completely different planet. At that point in time, standing on the tarmac of this tiny airport, surrounded by the snow-capped Andes, I thought I'd seen the most spectacularly, stunning view of my life. It was also my first real taste of the cold. From Ushuaia, I was ferried a short distance to board, and a few hours later, we set off for Antarctica.Drake Shake, Drake LakeThis is where you buckle up and read my tale about the Drake Passage (cue, creepy sea shanty). Without getting too technical, the Drake is where three oceans meet: the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean, the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Ocean. In layman's terms, it's a stretch of water that usually resembles a storm in a teacup. For lucky people, The Drake can be as calm as can be, The Drake Lake. For unlucky people, it can transform into The Drake Shake. I am not a lucky person, in fact, if there was an Olympic medal for the unluckiest person, I would sweep all medals for eternity.The Drake knew I was coming. I'm sure in its mischievous plan, it called up on all of his god-mates (the current, the wind, the wave, the thunder) and decided it would be fun to give Honey the super-duper-spin-tumble-cycle-rollercoaster of all Drake Shakes. For 48 hours.Honey tip: Be prepared to face the Drake with every sea-sick medication you can carry. It takes two days to cross the Drake, each way. In a weird kind of way, looking back, I wear the "I survived the Drake Shake TWICE" badge with honour (the way back was much worse, if you can imagine). Not many people in this world can say the same.Icebergs ahoyNothing will ever compare to seeing an iceberg for the first time. There's nothing around the iceberg to compare it with except other icebergs, so it's almost impossible to make sense of the size – and that's only what you can see above water. I kept trying to make sense by thinking, "Is this iceberg the size of an apartment building, a Westfield or maybe even my suburb?" I literally had no idea. And, it's a very humbling experience.I did not want to miss my first iceberg sighting, and the captain informed us we'd complete the Drake crossing at about 2:30am, meaning we'd arrive in Antarctica proper. I kitted myself out and stood on my balcony, waiting. A few minutes passed and there it was. The first iceberg. I thought it was HUGE. As the minutes passed, the icebergs became larger and more abundant. Each was uniquely beautiful; some resembling melted candles, others sharp jagged ice cubes, all in a variety of hues.The sea ice looked like the most intricate tapestry, cracking and alive, creating a sea symphony. It was all magnificent.Penguins: adorable weirdosBefore embarking on a cruise to Antarctica, you will have a checklist of what you'll expect. I can confirm that:it's bloody cold – must wear layers and thermalsyou will see penguins (at least eleventy-million) and their guano stinksyou will see sealsEach day, depending on the ship, you'll head off on an expedition to a location, sometimes twice per day, that the expedition leaders have already scoped out and laid out a walking track to follow. Remember, this is an expedition where you'll be trekking in heavy gear, in the snow and ice.Honey tip: Know your fitness levels and abilities.And there are rules to protect the environment and yourself. In fact, the crew meticulously vacuum clean all passengers' clothing before leaving the ship to go on expedition. If you get injured, you are VERY far away from a hospital. So, don't get near those seals, they move fast and they bite.Other rules include:Don't approach any wildlife (they are wild)Don't put your bag, gear or any other equipment on the groundDon't take any food or leave anything behindPenguins are curious and have a silly gait and will walk towards you. The rule is to stay still if they approach you and not walk across their penguin highways.No other cruise will ever compareThe question I'm asked the most, is 'what is the best cruise I've ever taken', and without hesitation I will say Antarctica. I don't mean it is the best ship, the best food, the best entertainment (entertainment on this ship was in the form of lectures). It is the best cruise in the sense that nothing can compare to the experience, the scenery and the wildlife.I will never again have champagne delivered to me to sip on while kayaking in the waters of Antarctica.I will never again catch snowflakes on my tongue while trekking on an active volcano.I will never again be awakened by the sound of orcas playing just outside my balcony.I will never again munch on sea ice, spy a lost lone juvenile emperor penguin, and zoom around icebergs.I will never again step out onto a ship balcony as it glides through Antarctica with nothing more than a smile to test my resolve against the frigid elements. (It was a dare and I lasted five seconds).I will never again jump into the Weddell Sea and submerge myself in near-freezing water.Is it the most expensive cruise I've ever been on? Absolutely. But, as the saying goes, the memories created are priceless. It's actually my biggest flex telling people that I've been to Antarctica. A year and a half on, I still catch myself thinking about this wondrous adventure and I'm certain that in many, many years in the future, I will still reminisce about the time Honey made it to the final, icy, frontier.Cruising With Honey was hosted by Swan Hellenic. The cruise retail price including airfares and pre-cruise accommodation was in excess of $30,000.