"The experience of visiting Antarctica is so remarkable that most get to do it only once—making your selection of vessel a precious one. Aboard the sleek Viking Octantis, the goal is to get you as close to the continent’s most striking landscapes as possible, without the discomfort one might assume is standard for traversing this unforgiving destination. Every one of the 189 Nordic-style staterooms from which you can see the icy, sapphire waters outside—broken, perhaps, by the arch of a humpback whale or the speedy porpoising of gentoo penguins. You’re just as likely to score orca sightings from the open-air Norwegian badestamp in the spa or from plush armchairs facing floor-to-ceiling windows in the expansive library, where bartenders keep Irish coffees and crisp Sancerres coming, and lauded naturalists and an on-ship wildlife photographer are almost always within earshot for questions—and answers. It's not easy for a cruise ship to compete with Antarctica's scenery, but the Viking Octantis puts up a fair fight: Time on board is not time wasted. 13-day sailings from $12,995 per person. —Megan Spurrell" - CNT Editors
