1. Penguins
2. Putting a GoPro camera on the bow of the ship
3. The fact you can fly there
4. Realizing that Austral summer isn’t ‘that’ cold
5. Going for a swim in the icy waters
6. The gentle sway of the ship at night
7. Hopefully catching sight of a Minke whale or even an Orca
9. Being completely disconnected
10. Getting a wink from a lazy Weddell Seal
11. Hiking along icy paths on the continent itself
12. Watching massive icebergs float safely by
13. Watching fur seals play
14. Exploring an Antarctic base and meeting the intrepid souls who live there
15. Crisp and clear blue skies
16. Waking up, looking out the window and gazing out upon the icy waters
17. Feeling like a real explorer instead of just another tourist
18. Penguins cuddling
19. Learning about the history of Antarctic exploration from expert guides
20. Parents feeding baby penguins
21. Taking a fly-cruise to avoid the Drake Passage
22. Walking (carefully) through a penguin colony
23. Enjoying even the stormiest of weather for the experience
24. The moment when it hits you that you’re in freaking Antarctica!
25. Not minding that all your clothes are covered in penguin poop
26. Pre-cruise activities in South America
27. Looking out upon the enormity of the Antarctic continent and suddenly feeling quite small
28. Fulfilling a lifelong dream
29. Penguins slipping on penguin ‘highways’
30. Gazing at the stars on a hopefully clear night
31. Discovering the remains of old whaling villages
32. Listening to great talks on animal life delivered by expert biologists
33. Daring to brave a walk on an ice flow
34. Humpback whales that follow your ship
35. Making new lifelong friends on the cruise
36. Sending a postcard from Antarctica is pretty cool
37. Zooming over the water on a Zodiac boat
38. Getting an angry look from the reptilian Leopard Seal
39. Realizing just how VERY far away you are from the rest of humanity
40. Taking photos – hard to take a bad one in Antarctica
41. Toasting an Antarctic sunset
42. Penguins on an iceberg
