Table Of Content
- Night Antarctic ExplorerDetails
- Our Small Ship Cruise Reviews & Articles
- Overnight River Boat Cruising In Canada On A Classic Small Ship — The Canadian Empress
- Atlas Ocean Voyages Antarctica Cruise – Chiriguano Bay and Jugla Point
- Our Best Tips for Choosing the Right Antarctica Expedition for You
- Worldwide ocean cruises
- Antarctica from New Zealand: Heritage Expeditions
With 144 passengers and 131 crew members, the crew to passenger ratio was essentially 1 to 1 on our voyage. Throughout our Atlas Ocean Voyages Antarctica cruise, there were several lectures led by the expedition members in the ship’s Auditorium. The topics varied from wildlife, to geography, history, and even the geo-political underpinnings of the continent. Some of these talks were more in-depth than others, but they helped to provide a greater appreciation of the White Continent.
Night Antarctic ExplorerDetails
Antarctic itineraries on Lindblad-National Geographic run between eight and 25 days. The shortest (and most economical) are the Fly the Drake cruises that let you skip sailing across the Drake Passage, thus allowing you to spend the entire cruise actually in the waters of Antarctica. Families are welcome, too, with many activities designed for multigenerational cruisers to enjoy together throughout the Antarctic cruise season, not just during the December holidays. We always recommend booking Antarctic cruises sooner rather than later. Book Celebrity with the right timing and you might find getting to Antarctica is more affordable than you thought.
Our Small Ship Cruise Reviews & Articles
I didn't have the luxury of trying multiple ships sailing expeditions to Antarctica, but it didn't matter. The first one was a hit, and my shipmates and I discovered that for a comfortable adventure to the ends of the earth, Viking Polaris was "just right." The expedition team members were always happy to take our photos, point out whales or chat with us out on deck.
Overnight River Boat Cruising In Canada On A Classic Small Ship — The Canadian Empress
Viking Polaris cruise ship review: A comfortable ship for adventurous cruising - The Points Guy
Viking Polaris cruise ship review: A comfortable ship for adventurous cruising.
Posted: Mon, 25 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
This cabin category features a queen-sized bed; Juliette balcony; a sitting area with sofa, table, and chair; a desk/vanity area; and a spacious bathroom. There are also robes, slippers, and binoculars for use during the voyage. For those looking to spend the night in, cruisers can request their favorite spirits, beers, and wines free of charge through room service. A mini-fridge is also replenished daily with a selection of basic alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The cruise line’s all-inclusive fare covers a wide selection of beer and wine, as well as an extensive cocktail menu.
9 things everyone should know before going to Antarctica; review - Business Insider
9 things everyone should know before going to Antarctica; review.
Posted: Mon, 26 Dec 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]
On the far side of the cozy beds (twins that can be pushed together into a queen), extra space is devoted to getting dressed because it's a tad more complicated on an expedition cruise. The extra floor space is needed for pulling on boots and wiggling into life jackets. The few times I stopped by The Hide during the day, I would collapse into an oversized chair, put my feet up below the slanted windows and immediately start to doze off, lulled by the rocking of the ship. In the evenings, we'd grab a double shot of Baileys at the speak-easy-style bar (all the booze, minimal mixers) and listen to the expedition crew members tell tales of their adventurous exploits, like a bedtime story for grown-ups.
Our Best Tips for Choosing the Right Antarctica Expedition for You
Even though Albatros is a relatively young expedition company, the firm is known for offering a superb selection of voyages at a competitive price point. A little-known fact about Antarctica is that there’s an annual marathon that takes place there and you can attend with Albatros Expeditions and their marathons team. What makes Hurtigruten stand out from other cruise operators is their commitment to sustainable travel. Windproof and waterproof clothing, including a jacket and overpants, with plenty of warm layers are essential.
What optional activities are available?
A visual landing is required at that airstrip — the pilot has to be able to see the runway — so we would end our cruise the following day instead of the day after. All landings and activities in Antarctica depend on the weather, and conditions can change quickly. We had morning and afternoon landings, and due to the size of the ship, everyone got to go — in Antarctica there’s a 200-person limit per landing site. With all-veranda-suite accommodations, marble baths, four restaurants, a casual cafe, a spa, salon and ocean-view fitness center, Silver Endeavour offers top luxury in any setting. We’ve all seen the pictures of icebergs and peaks reflected in glassy bays and sunset-pink skies. You may not see the sun for an entire week, which could impact activities, views and wildlife sightings.
Meanwhile, passengers who were in Punta Arenas for a scheduled pre-cruise hotel night would instead be flying a day early to King George to embark. I suggest bringing multiples of things that are likely to get wet, like gloves and hats, because there’s not always time to dry them between landings. In 1994, I made a once-in-a-lifetime trip — I thought — to Antarctica on Abercrombie & Kent’s plucky little red ship Explorer, cementing memories and friendships I’ve kept to this day. On our first landing, we battled the wind in a miserable trudge. Other times we stood in silence, punctuated by the braying of penguins, as snow gently swirled. Antarctica is an unforgettable destination, but time on the continent is precious and expensive.
Antarctica from New Zealand: Heritage Expeditions
If you’re prone to seasickness, consider flying down and meeting your cruise ship in Antarctica rather than making the crossing. These zodiacs held 10 people and were able to land directly onshore, though it meant that every landing was a water landing. Fortunately, the company provided us with waterproof muck boots. Although it took us 2 and a half days to get down to Antarctica, the journey was worth it.
I’ve been on a handful of cruises in my life, but I knew from the outset that heading down to Antarctica was going to be unlike anything I’d ever experienced. And although I’m more than comfortable traveling on my own as I do a majority of the time, tackling an adventure as extreme as Antarctica wasn’t something I wanted to do solo. We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners.
The bathroom was small but no smaller than I’d normally expect when sailing on a cruise ship. It included a sink, toilet, and shower, as well as a hair dryer. Although the Ocean Endeavour was originally built to hold upwards of 300 passengers, thanks to the Antarctic Treaty there were less than 200 of us on board (a total of 133 guests).
Finally, remember that it’s a privilege to visit Antarctica and you should always make sure you do so responsibly. There’s also only a couple of companies that are equipped for this and it’s quite expensive. Diving in Antarctica is a very unique experience where you can see marine mammals, krill and ice, but it does require advanced PADI certification, ice-diving certs and at least 20 logged ice dives.
We were all excited boarding the Zodiacs to watch the naming festivities from the water. As Silver Endeavour entered the ice-choked, mountain-ringed Lemaire Channel, I stood on my balcony, soaking in the ethereal beauty, the only sound drips of melting ice from the decks above. At Cuverville Island with its fascinating ice shapes and a big sprawl of beach with huge gentoo colonies, I got very cold. I went up to Deck 10 forward, the humorously named Sun Deck, where a crewman was sweeping snow. Onboard, I warmed up with soup in the Arts Cafe and chatted with the lecturer Nicholas Crane and his wife, who works for the publisher Penguin, which had just brought out climate activist Greta Thunberg’s new book.
