The ocean is really big. Sometimes when you leave one place and sail on the ocean to get to the next place, it can take a long time. In today’s modern world, we generally think of time spent traveling as downtime. This is not the case when traveling on the ocean. When you’re lucky enough to find yourself on an ocean voyage, you have the luxury of time. And when you’re extra lucky and sailing aboard National Geographic Explorer, you also have many options on how to spend that time. 

You could decide to hear a lecture on seabirds of the Southern Ocean, led by naturalist Bud Lehnhausen, who has spent decades studying them. Or you could hear our expedition leader Russ Evans share tales of the Falkland Islands—he knows all about them; the Falkland Islands are his home since birth. Perhaps you want to improve your photography skills before arriving at South Georgia… Join National Geographic photographer Phil Schermeister, photo instructor Michael Nolan, and the rest of the photo team for tips and talks. Or join our Global Perspective Guest Speaker Peter Hillary to hear about going from pole to pole and then to the top of Mount Everest. Or maybe you just want to watch the open ocean and spot the seabirds that make their home there. This too is possible. All this is possible—until Captain Aaron Wood’s welcome cocktail party. Always best to do, as the captain says.