It’s no secret that taking a cruise has never been the vacation of choice for serious adrenaline addicts. Granted, it can be exhilarating to snag an unclaimed lounge chair on the pool deck after 10 a.m., but for most thrill-seekers, traditional cruises seem unbearably tame. Well, times are changing. In the past few years, ships of all sizes have launched itineraries designed to appeal to even the most adventurous travelers. Far-flung ports, challenging wilderness excursions and heart-revving, life-list experiences have replaced duty-free shopping and drive-by bus tours. The payoff? Indelible memories, a deep sense of accomplishment and—after a full day of calorie-burning—guilt-free return trips to the buffet table.
ANTARCTICA
A 12-day Adventure Life voyage carries 49 passengers from the mountain-ringed city of Ushuaia in southern Argentina across the Drake Passage to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula—where summer highs top out at 50 degrees and the sun can shine for 20 hours a day. Guests board inflatable boats to see Gentoo penguins, orcas and Weddell seals; paddle sea kayaks through a maze of ice floes; and scale glaciers using crampons and ice-axes. They can also ski the white wilderness or do the full Shackleton: an overnight ice-camping excursion. Departs Dec. 6 and 16, 2007; alvoyages.com
ALASKA
Cruise West’s 138-passenger Spirit of Yorktown sails for nine days from Ketchikan to Juneau (or vice versa) along the Inside Passage, the spectacular island-studded southeast Alaska shipping route. From the decks, guests can spot breaching humpback whales and beachcombing grizzlies. For off-ship thrills, you can travel by helicopter from Juneau to a remote glacier camp, where veterans of the Iditarod will take you dog-sledding across the ice fields; head for a zip-line adventure high in the Tongass National Forest; fish for king salmon in the waters off Sitka; or go rafting in the shadow of the snow-topped peaks surrounding the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. A three-day Denali National Park extension can be added. Trips run May through Sept.; cruisewest.com
CHILE/PATAGONIA
The nimble 28-passenger, 150-foot Atmosphere, launched last year by Nomads of the Seas, carries its own helicopter and jet-boats—the better to make quick trips to the trout-filled lakes and streams of the cold Chilean rain forest. Though the emphasis on this eight-day trip is on fly-fishing, non-anglers are welcome, too: They can spend their days kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, rafting and whale-watching. Back on board, a masseuse awaits to soothe weary shoulders, and a chef prepares Chilean nouvelle cuisine in the open kitchen, to be paired with free-flowing—and superb—local wines. Weekly departures Oct. through April; nomadsoftheseas.com
CARIBBEAN
Board the five-masted Wind Surf in Barbados for a seven-day sail through the lesser-known gems of the Southern Caribbean. In tranquil Bequia, join local anglers in pursuit of big game fish like dorado and wahoo; in mountainous Dominica, you can traverse the vertigo-inducing bridges and cables of a rain forest ropes course. On other excursions, you’ll explore St. Lucia’s rugged northeast coast by all-terrain vehicle, go snorkeling off tiny Mayreau and take a hike in Tobago’s bird-filled Main Ridge Forest Reserve, followed by a rinse under a thundering waterfall. Biweekly trips Dec. through March; windstarcruises.com
HAWAII
Even the big ships are going extreme. Norwegian Cruise Line’s 12-deck, 2,000-passenger Pride of Aloha ranks shore excursions by level of difficulty during its 11-day island-hopping trips. The most strenuous outings (Level 3) include a six-hour hike through the still-steaming lava fields of the Big Island’s Kilauea Volcano, an afternoon of rock-climbing at a high-ropes course on Kauai, and a 38-mile bike ride (at sunrise) down Maui’s Mount Haleakala. If that’s still not enough to earn that extra Mai Tai, surfing lessons, scuba diving, sea kayaking, horseback riding and hiking to hidden backcountry waterfalls are also available. 11-day trips depart Nov. 10, Dec. 22, 2007; Feb. 2, Mar. 15, 2008; ncl.com
BALTIC SEA
Silversea’s 296-guest Silver Wind is so elegant—teak verandas,marble bathrooms and round-the-clock service—you may find it hard to even contemplate going ashore during the seven-day voyage from Stockholm to Copenhagen. But don’t miss the stop in Estonia’s medieval city of Tallinn, best seen by mountain bike; or Helsinki, for a hair-whipping speedboat ride through the Finnish archipelago. The ship anchors for three days in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the bonus excursion (for a mere $30,000 extra) is two days in a town near Moscow where you can learn to pilot a supersonic MiG-31 fighter jet. 7- to 15-day trips run May through Sept.; silversea.com
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Lindblad’s homey 80-passenger Polaris is equipped for exploring these remote volcanic isles, 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador: it carries its own kayaks, snorkeling gear and a glass-bottomed boat, as well as underwater cameras and hydrophones to eavesdrop on marine mammals. Among the highlights of the weeklong cruise: snorkeling with penguins off Bartolome Island, hiking the mossy highlands to see giant tortoises on Santa Cruz, paddling off the coast of Isabela in search of mola mola sunfish, and watching prehistoric-looking black marine iguanas bask on Fernandina’s warm volcanic rock. Onboard naturalists tell you more about what you’ve seen over cocktails on the aft teak deck. Trips run weekly year-round; expeditions.com
HIT THE DECK
Cruise ships are also beefing up onboard adventure. Some examples: The Norwegian Pearl and the Norwegian Gem have climbing walls, bowling alleys and waterslides. ncl.com Italy’s Costa cruises offer Grand Prix race car driving simulators. costacruises.com The newest Royal Caribbean ships have boxing rings, mini-golf, ice skating and wave-simulator surfing pools. royalcaribbean.com The luxurious Seabourn Spirit has a water sports marina that’s lowered when the ship is in port so passengers can go windsurfing, waterskiing, boating and snorkeling. A steel mesh cage forms an instant saltwater swimming pool. seabourn.com