Laura

Introducing Laura

Laura has worked in the travel industry for 7 years having graduated in Music & Media Management; she developed a passion for marketing and began working for a luxury cruise line, developing knowledge of cruise travel and its operators. Living in Spain for three years gave Laura the zest for travel and since then she has visited many countries around the world including her first visit to the polar regions in 2022.

Laura's Top Tips

• Always think about what you want to see most when visiting the polar regions, this will help the specialists who are planning your trip with what time of the season to suggest
• Pre-book your experiences (where applicable). If you’re very keen to kayak, for example, try to pre-book before you travel to avoid disappointment
• Always travel with seasickness medication, even if you’re sea legs are quite good, you never know when you may be taken off guard, and at least you’ll be prepared, but only take them if you really need to as they can make you quite drowsy and you’ll need all your energy for exploring!

Your Favourite Polar Travel Experience...

I was lucky enough to visit Svalbard in early May 2022, the ice and snow were still in abundance and so it really was a white wonderland. This was my first trip to the polar regions, and it really didn’t disappoint. We saw a total of 9 bears across 6 days cruising in the archipelago, as well as Svalbard reindeer, arctic fox, seals and walrus. Filming a polar bear as she navigated the sea ice edge looking for seals, and playfully rolling in the snow was the highlight of the trip.

What Do You Recommend Taking With You On a Polar Cruise?

Hand warmer and feet warmer sachets! I can’t stress this enough and they are very inexpensive. I am quite a keen photographer, so I often have my phone or camera out to capture moments. When the temperature is below freezing, taking your gloves on and off to take pictures isn’t ideal, and also becomes a bit annoying. I would unwrap my hand warmers just as I was embarking the Zodiac so I could capture photos, gloves off, and then swiftly warm them up by just popping them in my pockets for a short time, much easier than taking your gloves on and off!

Where to next, and why?

I’d LOVE to go to Antarctica. Although the scenery may be quite similar to the Arctic in some ways, the wildlife is very different. The abundance of penguins in Antarctica is spectacular, and the opportunity to see whales, as well as leopard seals, would be amazing. I am also very keen on visiting the Canadian Arctic, and Alaska for their rich, history and cultural heritage.

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