beezer248

We are leaving for Ecuador next week. Need suggestions on what to pack for the dining room in the evening. I know nothing formal but wondering if polo's for men are ok. Thank you!

21 hours ago, Jujuju2 said:

 

This is precisely the question I am wrangling with right now.  After reading a bunch of Seabourn Antarctica posts early on, people were recommending just go with the rental boots, and so I forgot about even looking further.  NOW, when I think it would be a good idea to go ahead and order the boots, I find they do NOT recommend these boots if you have a high arch or calves more than 18" around.  I have high arches, husb has 18-1/4" calves.  AaaaiiiiEEEEE!!!  And it's NOT that I need an arch support, it is that my high arch won't even allow me to get my foot through the shaft of many boots.  Back when I was looking, I read a few things and decided I would probably buy a pair of Bogs.  I went to an REI store (expensive American athletic and camping store), could not even begin to get my foot into the boot.  And now when I Google boots for going ashore in Antarctica, the Antarctica websites say do NOT bring regular, uninsulated, knee-high boots, or you will be sorry, and it could be dangerous (frostbite, I presume they are inferring).  I am figuring we will probably end up renting the boots for husb. and I will also rent  men's size, as I often wear men's athletic shoes anyway.  I was on Sorel's (really big name in arctic boots) website earlier today and chatted with a representative, told him I needed 14" high, waterproof, preferably rated -40C degrees, boots for Antarctica.  He recommended Sorel Caribou for both men and women.  We have a high-end shoe store which carries Sorels here in my smallish northwestern USA town.  We will go tomorrow morning and see if they have any we can try on for height and size.  

 

We are on Feb. 23, 2020, Quest embarking Santiago.  How about you?

 

Judy/Juju

Use the ships boots! I am heading back to Antarctica with Nat Geo/Lindblad- traveled down there 3 years ago. I too worried about the arches and calf sizes stipulated for the boots, but ended up using the ships boots and they were great. They are very experienced with fitting people for the boots, and while they may not be your totally perfect fit, they will be perfectly fine for the amount of time that you will have them on. If you have high arches, bring orthotics and extra thick socks. It is certainly not worth it to haul large, heavy boots down there, not to mention hauling dirty boots back home. I can't vouch for Seabourn, but am sure that their boots are very similar to Lindblad and they are very warm, waterproof and have very good traction/tred. You will have the boots on for maybe two hours a day as you cannot wear boots that go to shore around the boat for contamination reasons. I cannot recommend enough using the ships boots.

On 10/8/2019 at 5:05 PM, Heartfelttraveler said:

Does anyone have any suggestions for any good books that involve Antarctica or Antarctica travel?

 

When I booked my Antarctica Expedition with Hurtigruten (Fridtjof Nansen) they sent me a list of books that I might enjoy.  They are mostly informative books.  I enjoy fiction and non-fiction, and some biographies.

 

I just happened to recently read a fiction book that I really enjoyed which had a whole section that involves a cruise to Antarctica.

So for anyone interested, the book is "Where'd You Go Bernadette" by Maria Semple.

Antarctica by Gabrielle Walker. Very informative and interesting read,

On 9/3/2019 at 7:04 PM, Carolyn Stevens said:

Hi there,

 

I've started researching clothing for the Antarctic, primarily because postage to Australia from the US or UK often takes weeks and is very expensive.

 

I've currently got a problem with footwear. I was going to rent the tall boots via Seabourn but the supplier said the boots aren't suitable for a person with high arches. And I have high arches.

 

I researched buying them, or something similar, but I can't find them in Australia. Which means I would need to:
—Pay an huge price to get them here from the US or UK, when I may never wear them again
—Carry them in my luggage from Australia to South America
—Risk having to post to-and-fro in order to find the right fit and style of boot.

 

Not sure what to do at this point. I'd very much appreciate your suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Carolyn

Definitely agree with the orthotics or some type of insert. And remember that you will not be wearing these boots for more than a few hours a day- maybe 2 or 3 at the most. You must take them off once you board the ship after being on land. The boots provided by the ships are wonderful- super warm and waterproof. I usually only wore one pair of wool socks and my feet never got cold. No way would spend the money to buy them or take up packing room in the suitcase. 

Interesting. I too loved the zodiac cruising. I will check this all out.

I went to Antarctica three years ago with Lindblad/National Geographic and am booked to go back in January. It was an amazing expedition- small ship (140 passengers),  twice daily landings and talks given by world renowned scientists and National Geographic photographers. We had a big mix of nationalities and ages. I can't recommend this line enough- if I won the lottery, I would take every trip that Nat Geo offers.

 It is such an expensive trip that it is wise to do as much research as possible. And if you are prone to seasickness, be sure and talk to your Dr. as the crossing can get pretty rough. 

I just picked up our travel documents on our Eclipse cruise departing Barcelona going to Italy, Greece and Malta.

 

 

 

In the inoculation/health section of the travel documents, there is a comment on getting certification on Yellow Fever vaccinations. It refers to our CDC.org website. Is this a requirement for Americans traveling to Europe?

Call your local/ largest hospital and ask if they have a travel clinic or someone who advises on travel med/ inoculation needs. The CDC site is a great place to start but most large hospitals have travel clinics that are very knowledgeable and up to date on what is needed- not always required but highly recommended

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I agree that the sailings from Europe differ greatly from the Caribbean sailings. I was on the September 1st Fjords sailing and in general, the passengers dressed a bit nicer ( not fancier) than on the more tropical trips. You will see everything, but will probably see more men in slacks and dress shirts/blazers than you might on tropical sailings. There were some tuxedos and ball gowns but those are so much easier to pack if you are driving rather than flying to the port.

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We were there last month on Queen Victoria. A big MSC ship was in port so they got to use it. Quite the long walk as it rather zig-zags. I believe it is a recent addition.

The pier at Geiranger is such a great solution to tendering. It was not a very long walk. The tender line for the other ship in port was at least 100 people long.

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We will be in Alesund on the Celebrity Silhouette and would like to have lunch somewhere local in Alesund. Needs to be walking distance from the cruise port. Thank you!

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Thank you for all the replies!

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We are on the Millennium Feb 16 from HKG. Board on the 16th but depart on the 17th. Will the safety drill be on the 16th or 17th? trying to figure out tours in HKG but don't know when we have to be onboard for the drill. Will obviously check in and drop off luggage but would like to spend the afternoon and evening touring. Celebrity could not answer this question when I called. Thank you!

Do the BLU menus change daily or is it the same menu every day?

We will be carrying off our own luggage but are confused as to whether we should go to the Theater ( designated area) or Qsine ( Elite waiting area). We need to get off as quickly as possible and wonder if it is better to be on deck 4/theater vs deck 11 Qsine. Do they escort Elites off? Thank you!

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I personally am considering this cruise. Would I like to set foot on it, yes, but it is very $$$$. Plus, I am single so add the single supplement. If my choices are to see it and not step foot or never see it - I would rather see it and not step foot as opposed to never see it ever.

Lindblad/ National Geographic will match you up with a roommate on their Antarctica expeditions. I went as a solo two years ago and paid the solo price but there were solos who had been paired up w other solos thus paying half the price. It is a very expensive trip but very, very worth it.

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I travelled to Antarctica two years ago w Lindblad/ National Geographic. We too had a wide mix of ages and Nationalities. Truly an amazing trip. Only negative is that I am dying to go back!

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We were on the Allure two weeks ago in a Crown Loft Suite which includes all meals in CK. We neglected to make an advance reservation for one night and were told that it was booked for the night. When we mentioned that CK was supposed to be available for us for dinner, we were told that we should have booked a time for each night on boarding day. Having sailed many times on Celebrity and having had access to their private dining room, Luminae, we were excited to try Coastal Kitchen. It is a nice space but overall we were underwhelmed by the food and the service.

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We did our first River Cruise last September with Avalon and loved it. We are 54 years old and have traveled all over the world via cruise ships and trains. There was a good mix of ages on the River Cruise and it was what I would call a very spry group. There is so much walking required for the tours in the towns and there are also usually options for more strenuous hiking, say up to a castle or through a vineyard. There were also bikes onboard that could be checked out and used while in port. It is a great way to see lots of small towns within a short time period. Rooms on the boat were a good size with the entire wall as a sliding glass door. Food was good. Overall we loved it and will hopefully do many more.

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We have stayed in the CLS twice and while it is very nice to be on the very quiet 17th floor and close to the the lounge and Canyon Kitchen, we will probably go w the Owners Suite next time. We like the larger balcony and no stairs plus only 3 of the CLS have a bathtub. Also- agree w previous post concerning the stairs. May be hard for some to carry their suitcases up and down the stairs. But, they are both very nice!

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Bus is easy and safe. The Bermudians on the bus are very friendly and helpful. Tell the driver your destination- they will let you know when the bus is at your stop.

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I am looking for suggestions for a private limo to take us to the Eiffel Tower and then our hotel.

 

 

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Look at the Viator site- easy to book a private car through them. Or ask a travel agent to arrange a car through Travel Bound. I have had great luck with both companies.

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We are currently in San Juan staying at the Condado Vanderbilt. Amazing property and they are totally up and running. We leave tomorrow on the Star Pride/ Windstar. We were booked at the Ritz but they are now closed for a year. The Condado area of SJU is in pretty good shape w some of the surrounding hotels fully operational.

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In regards to my comment- you may be on a BA flight that is code shared w AA. So, you would be on a BA aircraft but would earn AA miles. If so, BA has excellent service and fully lie flat seats.

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The price difference may be due to various factors including an aircraft difference- lie flat seats vs simply reclining seats. The seat is what is most important to me so if the seats are comparable, would definitely choose the lower fare. Does AA fly direct from CDG to DTW?

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The parkas are now in your stateroom when you board the ship. Some people simply carried them off at the end of the trip. They are fairly heavy and bulky, so I would suggest packing a small, nylon type bag ( the ones that fold to the size of an envelope) that can be used for dirty clothes or overflow from your main suitcase. This should create room for your parka, or the parka can go in the nylon bag. I would also suggest bringing a large trash bag to pack the coat in- while you won't be rolling around in mud, the coat can still get dirty. The vacuum seal bags are also quite handy- they compress the coat while also keeping it sealed away from your other clothing. Have a wonderful trip! It is truly amazing.