The Traveling Widower

Tag: cruising

  • Living the Good Life in Antarctica

    November 20th, 2025

    This will in no way, be as weird as the last one. I promise.

    As I’ve mentioned previously, Jan and I avoided cruise vacations, with the exception of the one trip to the South Pacific Islands. The ship we were on, the Paul Gauguin, was relatively small (300 passengers), had all the usual features one would expect on a cruise liner (multiple restaurants, swimming pool, casino, etc.) but at the time, was fairly old and dated. We thought it was nice, but had nothing to compare it to. 

    The three ships I’ve cruised on this past year were even smaller, and were extremely comfortable and function for expedition activities, but not worthy of a separate write up. No complaints at all (other than the cavitation issue), but just not worth describing at any length.

    The ship I’m currently on, the National Geographic/Lindblad Resolution, is worth posting about. I’d seen pictures of it, and kind of glanced through the Web site, but was absolutely floored when I set foot on board. Wow would be an understatement.

    At first glance, as we walked up from the catamarin we had cruised around the Ushuaia harbor, the ship looked huge compared to the 3 other ships I had sailed on. It is an ice breaker, and has to have more bulk, but you don’t really get a feel for how “bulky” until you walk up to it. The ship is relatively new, and has the smell of a new place. It’s beautiful inside – very modern, and extremely high-tech. They have an IT officer who manages all the software (hmmm …. I’d go back to work to get that job).  Rather than go on endlessly like I always seem to do, I’ll just throw out a bunch of photo’s with descriptions.

    The photos above are of the ships lounge, name the Ice Lounge – this is the gathering place for presentations, mandatory training, and daily summaries. It also had the main bar, and the photography workshop. Very techy, with LCD screens all over the place, and a great view toward the aft. 

    The lounge is also a nice place to watch the sunset with a nightcap – this was at 10:15PM. It never really gets dark this time of year

    The eight level forward has another small restaurant (TheDen) and a library/observatory, the best viewing spot on the ship. There is also a huge “iPad” which has a map and current position. The view is incredible, and if you remember to bring your parka up there, the observation deck is the best place for viewing wildlife and scenery.

    We were getting our first views of Antarctica after 4 days of travel. Woo Hoo! This level is also a great place to have breakfast – while watching whales spouting. Never done that before.

    Right below the observation deck is the bridge – all the National Geographic/Lindblad ships have an open bridge policy. You can go in anytime of day, unless there is a crises, and as long as you do not touch anything. No steering wheel – it’s all electronic.

    I was able to talk to Captain Picard for while the last time I was up there. Most of the staff are Klingon. If you touch anything, they will phaser you (on stun of course). The transporter room is right next to the bridge.

    The main dining room is on deck 5 (just down the hall from my cabin) – it’s all open seating, and buffet style for dinner. The food is excellent as expected. Lunch and breakfast are also served here, as well as the smaller kitchen on deck 8. Everyone gets an invitation to a special, multi-course tasting dinner at the smaller restaurant. It was a lot like being on the CNN Michelin Star show – the head chef puts out an incredible menu, and you can also do a special wine paring with the meal (it was worth it…of course I did that).

    The ship also has a large spa with sauna’s, two hot tubs, and igloos if you want to sleep out in the freezing cold all night. No thanks.

    And a few more random images above from inside the ship.

    After four days of travel, we can finally see Antarctica. Penguin Day has arrived!!!!

  • Traveling Solo

    And the waitress is practicing politics
    As the businessmen slowly get stoned
    Yes, they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness
    But it’s better than drinkin’ alone

    Billy Joel, Piano Man

    I wrote an entry in my grief journal a couple of weeks ago, describing my experiences and thoughts on traveling alone.  I’ve been thinking about that since then and decided to expand a bit on the topic, and post it in the blog this time around. 

    I have recently read through a few other blogs about traveling solo, and for the most part, the authors are doing this as a life-style choice, not as the result of the loss of their spouse. These blogs are chock full of interesting travel stories, tips on places to go as a single – all happy stories about fulfilling dreams of traveling the world with the freedom of being unencumbered with jobs or relationships. Life is good – you can do what you want, go where you want, and make new friends if you want.  Freedom is the key word.

    Solo traveling for widowers is a different ballgame – it is not a choice, but more of a necessity for surviving a world turned upside down. Once you get through the initial shock of losing your spouse, you are faced with the enormous challenge of learning to live life as one, not as a couple. Travel beckons as an escape, a means of finding some direction in what has suddenly become an empty life. It is a poor substitute for a vibrant life filled with the joy of sharing new experiences with your partner, and for introverts like myself, it requires some significant personality changes. And then there is the dreaded “can I join you” moment at meals onboard a cruise ship. 

    AI created cartoon of bad dinner companions on a cruise
    Solo traveler nightmare –
    may I join you for dinner?

    But for me at least, I enjoy the new experiences and adventures, which fill some of that void. Do I feel a sense of freedom going it alone? No, not at all and doubt if I ever will. I’d prefer to have my soul mate with me. But sometimes, as I did this last trip to Alaska, I find moments of incredible peace and tranquility, sitting by myself and taking in the incredible beauty surrounding me. Those moments make it all worthwhile. 

    Glacier Bay, Alaska
    Glacier Bay, Alaska
    Sunset on glacier bay
    Glacier Bay, Alaska as sunset approaches

    On a related and more positive note, there was an article in the Washington Post today about travel companies finally starting to encourage solo travelers. It’s about time! With the exception of Road Scholars, most every travel/expedition company adds a single traveler “surcharge” or penalty which in most cases, can be many thousands of dollars.  I understand, sort of, the justification for doing this – most of the cabins on cruise ships are configured for two occupants, and the published trip prices are based on double occupancy. The surcharge is an attempt to make up the difference for a single occupant. Some of the companies do offer single travelers the opportunity to double up with another solo – and in some cases, if they do not find an appropriate room mate (I assume based on gender), you do not have to pay the surcharge. Sharing a small state room, and even smaller bathroom, with someone other than my spouse does not work for me. I cannot even imagine sharing a tiny cabin on the National Geographic/Lindblad ships with another guy, and even worse, a complete stranger. Too weird for me at least. (See note below on an exception to my rule). 

    I think the travel companies, especially the high-end ones like National Geographic/Lindblad, Ponant, Paul Gauguin, etc., figure that most solo travelers are willing to pay the surcharge, and the majority of solo travelers wind up booking with a close friend or family member. So why bother making special arrangements for a small population. From my limited experience to date, I have been the only single guy on all but one of the trips. There have been a number of widows on each trip, all of whom traveled with someone close (daughters, parents, friends). According to the article, that demographic seems to be changing, so maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised in the future to see an invoice without that extra charge. I’m not holding my breath for that. 

    I mentioned there was an exception to my rule of sharing quarters with a complete stranger. Next February I am scheduled on a Natural Habitat trip to photograph the huge brown bears on Kodiak Island. There are only 8 passengers on this trip, sharing cramped quarters on a converted fishing trawler. I’ll be sharing an extremely small space in a half a modified shipping container – bunk beds, a sink, and a shared bathroom for four. It’s more like camping on a boat. I can survive four nights of that…I hope. I’ll be worried enough about surviving the bears.