Lap of Luxury

At least once during a lifetime, the facilities should include marble countertops, designer inspired bowls and shower, and Bulgari soaps and lotions. The butler, champagne, and private party invitations weren’t bad either. But what can compare with the choice of a shower with multiple styles of showerheads, or a large bathtub with its own hand held retracting shower? The marble countertop with backlit mirrors was positioned in between.

Arctic cruising aboard Silversea’s Prince Albert is probably a bit different than Amundsen’s painful and painstaking journeys. Our rugged activities included getting dressed for climbing into the sturdy zodiacs—it takes a lot of effort to put on thermal underwear, waterproof pants, several layers of tops and sweaters, several layers of socks, waterproof boots, heavy parka and an infuriating contraption designed to keep us afloat if necessary. It was probably designed to challenge one’s understanding of knots and satisfy the insurance underwriters.

The reward for all this work was the chance to see breathtaking scenery and wildlife straight out of a National Geographic TV special. I also gained a little appreciation for the patience of a true wildlife photographer. General disappointment during the first few polar bear-free days was somewhat alleviated with specialty drinks from an attentive waiter. Still we did persevere. Or rather, our captain understood that 122 people on a ship for 10 days without any polar bear sightings could put a serious dent in his stocks of liquid.

And polar bear we did see, and walrus, reindeer, humpback whales, and a huge variety of birds, sometimes by the thousands. Our excitement watching a magnificent polar bear hunting for food rivaled that of any fan watching the seventh game of a World Series. There were hikes up glaciers, sailing among crackling blue ice, a beautiful ring-necked seal surfacing almost next to the zodiac. A pod of humpback whales breached playfully along side the Prince Albert, showing off their classic fluke. Plus everyday there were the sights of snow covered mountains. That is everyday and all day. June north of the Arctic Circle means 24-hour daylight.

As Silversea guests our hunt for food was much easier than our polar bear’s. Mostly it was a matter of getting out of all the expedition layers, changing into a somewhat different attire, and showing up in the restaurant. There charming Uta would seat us at our favorite window table, darling Bernadette would explain the evening’s choices, and fun-loving Karolina would choose our wine. We would share stories of the day’s adventures, and hope our polar bear finally had his dinner, too.