Trip·i·da·tion: (Noun) a feeling of apprehension about an upcoming vacation
trip·i·da·tion
/ˌtripəˈdāSH(ə)n/
Noun. a feeling of apprehension or anxiety about an upcoming vacation.
Usage: Claire was feeling some tripidation about the physical demands of her upcoming expedition cruise in South America.
My first expedition cruise.
In 2023 I reached the Chairman's Circle level of sales in my host agency Trevello - a significant achievement for me, so I was excited to be invited to the Swan Hellenic expedition cruise in South America with senior management and other top agents in the organization.
However, I had never been an "expedition" person so I was unsure about expedition cruises.
Would I be able to physically handle the shore excursions? I already knew I would skip the more physically challenging activities like hiking in the jungle, but….
Would I be able to load into and out of the inflatable Zodiac boats that go ashore?
Would the easier excursions be boring?
What if I stayed on the ship? Would I be missing out?
What would I do while everyone else is having adventures?
I know that expedition cruise companies have excellent service, but I couldn't shake the image of me trying to 'rough it' and embarrassing myself.
I even considered cancelling, but instead decided to add a few days at the start in Rio and at the end in Buenos Aires, in case the cruise was a bust.
At the very least we would get to see some of South America.
And so, we went….
What was it like?
Why I changed my mind about expedition cruises:
It was surprisingly easy to load into the zodiac boats from the Base Camp door on the side of the ship. Crew members hold you by each arm as you step in and out, tricky on rough days. No one fell overboard!
I found my right level of shore activity among a range of choices and difficulty levels.
Safety was top priority at all times. I felt safe and not judged. Crew were helpful and friendly.
Expedition ships can reach unique places that large cruise ships cannot, like small villages and remote lagoons.
The food was some of the best I have had on a cruise.
Guest speakers gave fascinating talks on various subjects.
All of us in the Trevello Chairman's Circle had a great time.
Conclusion: I now love expedition cruising and would recommend it to anyone.
Watch my talk with Eric Bacon from Swan Hellenic titled “What are Cultural Expedition Cruises?”
Read about this South America Expedition Cruise from Brazil to Argentina.
See more samples of Expedition Cruises.
Contact me if you want to learn more about expedition cruises.