I went on a 22-day Holland America cruise that cost just $144 a day

• I spent 22 days on a Holland America cruise and saw places like Antarctica and Chile.
• The cruise cost me $144 a day, and is one of the more cost-effective ways to see Antarctica.

As an extreme budget traveler — I've hiked the Camino de Santiago for around 15 euros a day and backpacked around South America for several months with $2,000 — I never thought I'd be able to afford a trip to Antarctica.

My recent 22-day sailing on Holland America's Oosterdam proved me wrong. I went with family members and we paid $3,175 a person, which is about $144 a day.

I was hesitant about the price tag until I considered that this price also included our food, accommodation, and travel once we stepped on board.

The cruise surpassed my expectations, and I was excited to finally fulfill my dream of seeing Antarctica.

This cruise is one of the more affordable ways to see Antarctica

I never thought any sort of trip to Antarctica would be in my budget, let alone a cruise.

Antarctica is a difficult destination to access, and I've seen cruises to the continent that cost over $10,000 a person. Even chartering a flight to Antarctica, which has no commercial airports, costs thousands.

Although we didn't stop on any Antarctic shores on this sailing, I felt like I saw a lot of the continent. It was a dream come true to spend four days sailing past icebergs, snow-covered mountains, and penguin colonies.

My family stayed in one of the ship's verandah suites, so we even had our own balcony to enjoy the impressive views from.

We saw a lot at each port

Before this trip, I assumed that cruise-ship passengers don't really see much of the cities their ships stop in. I was wrong.

I found that we were able to see quite a lot if we got off the ship early enough. At several port stops, I had even prebooked exciting excursions.

In the Falkland Islands, I went on an excursion to Bluff Cove, where I saw gentoo and king penguins in their natural habitat. At other ports, we enjoyed wandering around the city and hiring local tour guides.

The food on board was amazing

We alternated between eating in the dining room, a more formal restaurant with three-course meals, and the lido deck, a casual setting with buffet-style service.

I was worried that being on a cruise meant not sampling any local cuisine, but I was wrong.

The dining room had regionally-inspired dishes, and we had the opportunity to sample local delicacies at each port we stopped in, from empanadas to torta frita.

Even celebrating my birthday on board felt special

Although I missed my family at home and the regular traditions that we have, it was exciting being on board for my birthday.

In the afternoon, a chocolate cupcake and a birthday card signed by the ship's captain were delivered to our room.

Later, at dinner, our server sang at the table and gave me a delicious cake to bring back to my cabin.

The ship also had an impressive fitness center

Initially, I hesitated to book the trip because I was in the middle of training for a marathon, and I worried about how being on a cruise ship for 22 days would impact my running schedule.

Once on board, though, I was very impressed with the ship's fitness center. It had various machines, weights, and daily fitness classes.

In the gym, treadmills lined the bow of the ship, giving runners a perfect viewpoint. Watching as our boat approached Cape Horn while wrapping up a 17-mile run was unforgettable.

It was impossible to be bored on board

At first, I was a little nervous that I would be bored during our many days at sea, but our schedules filled up quickly with how much there was to do on board.

We attended arts-and-crafts classes, saw live shows, and regularly played trivia.

I also loved stopping by the ship's library, which was filled with new releases in all genres, and reading up in the café on the ship's 10th floor.

It had a coffee shop, board games, and incredible sea views.