Traveler2222

On 12/27/2021 at 6:45 PM, joepeggy said:

Thanks for your update.  We are on the 2 February sailing and I'm wondering about the jacket and the boots.  Do you have any pictures you can share?  Will we be able to tuck our pants into the boots?  How cold was it?  Any suggestions on what to pack.  Also, what did you do on the last day after getting off the ship until your flight home.  Thanks for any and all info and pictures. 

Peggy

The provided boots and jacket are great. Better to have pants on the outside so you are less likely to get water in your boots. (Ask me how I know!) Be SURE your pants are waterproof before you go. I bought some on Amazon that said they were waterproof but were not. When a wave crashes into the zodiac you'll quickly have a soggy bottom if they're not. Luckily, the onboard shop sold Helly Hanson waterproof pants, and had my size.

Some expeditions were colder than others; one day was snowy and choppy seas, but our last day was sunny and the ocean was calm. Better to be prepared. Warm leggings and waterproof pants worked for me, but I wore a lot of layers on top: a tank, a close base layer, a turtleneck and a heated vest. I was absolutely burning up after putting on my expedition parka and life jacket, but felt comfortable once outside on the zodiac or on land. Make sure you have good waterproof gloves, a good hat, and glasses or goggles. Some people had ski goggles that made sense. A warm neck gaiter or similar is also helpful. You need very little clothing for non-expedition hours. Leggings and a top and warm, easy to take off booties were about all I wore. i also had a warm jacket for going out on deck. It can be very windy...

Sorry for the photo - every which way I attach it it turns out upside down!

On 12/23/2021 at 8:39 AM, joepeggy said:

What did you do on your final day after getting off the ship until your flight?  Thanks.

The last day was LONG. After breakfast and disembarkation they drove us to a local hotel up in the mountains. They had rented a large room, with wifi, where everyone camped out. They had shuttle buses running to town, but because we were there on a Sunday, many shops were closed. A group of us went in for lunch and a bit of wandering around. That evening, we had a sort of banquet style meal at the hotel, and some entertainment. Then on to the airport and the long wait there for the flight.

Hello fellow travelers,

I know we’ve all been interested to learn details of the new Atlas Ocean Voyages experience, so I’ll share what I can from my perspective. I was on the 3rd Antarctic sailing, scheduled to depart Ushuaia on December 10. 

Please note that this is a long post and that I’ve likely provided more information than anyone wants or needs about what happened before we boarded the ship, but I was writing in real time, so it is what it is. 

And please, please read through to the end, because although it may not sound like a good endorsement at first, it was really one of the best cruises/ expedition trips I’ve ever been on, and I’ve been fortunate to travel a lot. 

My friend and I flew into Orlando a day early and over-nighted at the Hyatt Regency at the airport, the same location where we were to meet the group around 1 pm. Check in was very smooth if all paperwork was done. (See my previous post about filling in the Argentina Sworn Health Document.) There were issues for people who purchased the AOV recommended COVID specific insurance, because no 1 page PDF “certificate of insurance”was provided, but there were plenty of Atlas staff to assist and get everyone squared away.

They took our bags, and we were free to roam around for a bit. At approximately 2 pm, they started calling people by stateroom number to go down to the National Airlines desk to have our documents re-checked, handle luggage, check in with the airline and receive boarding passes.

Antigen testing in the hotel ballroom was efficient and results were quick. After receiving negative results, guests were moved into the adjacent ballroom where there were sandwiches, fruit, Kind bars, cookies etc. as well as drinks including beer & wine. Atlas hired entertainment to make the long wait to board (about 5 hours after my antigen test) more tolerable. A personable magician went around the room performing sleight of hand tricks, an incredible electric violin player performed every song we requested, and Flamenco Tropicale featured a guitar player/singer and a dancer. It was fun. 

I wish Atlas had been communicative with the group as to the time we were supposed to board. Someone was told 7:15, so we started getting antsy at that point, but didn’t actually board until around 8 pm. (The charter leaves from the regular passenger terminal so note that you must go through security before going to the gate.)

The airplane is an Airbus A330 and there was lots of room to spread out. Although the ship’s capacity is just under 200 passengers, our group is far less. I’ve heard all sorts of different numbers, but we are definitely less than 100.

The captain announced that the flight time to Ushuaia is 11 hours, which is significantly better than the 14 hours Google told me it would take!

I watched a movie and since dinner still hadn’t been served I chose to skip it and try to get some sleep. I call this part of the trip “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The plane is a 2-4-2 arrangement and I was unlucky enough to be on the side with 2 seats. The good news was that because of the small number of passengers, my friend and I were able to spread out: she moved back a row. The bad news was that we were on the side with 2 seats. People who had been seated in the middle also spread out so it looked like almost everyone had a row to themselves. Of course that means the folks in the middle section had 4 seats to stretch out on, while I unfortunately had only 2. And these seats barely recline and the armrests aren’t even padded. The center armrest, when raised, sticks out into the seat about 3 inches. I highly suggest arm wrestling a fellow passenger for a center row of seats or at least bringing a neck pillow, because it is impossible to be at all comfortable in these seats on a long flight, and I’m a small adult.

Upon descent into Ushuaia, the mountain and lake views (from either side of the plane) are stunning, even with overcast skies.

Our group of 100 or less were boarded onto 3 buses for some sightseeing around Ushuaia, and later a lunch at a local tourist place. Very basic. After that, more sightseeing, and sometime during the afternoon our local guide mentioned that we would be taking a catamaran trip. What??? People had been traveling since at least early Thursday, had little or no sleep, and we all just wanted to board the ship, unpack, and unwind. But we boarded the catamaran and were served dinner and drinks. 

Eventually an Atlas rep told us that a crew member (or 2?) had been tested positive and that they were making every effort to comply with Argentinian requirements to get us safe to travel. An update would be provided at 8, and then at 9. We asked questions but received less than forthcoming answers. It was a really frustrating experience, to say the least. At least there was plenty of food and drinks, because we weren’t allowed off the catamaran.

LONG story short: we were finally told we’d be taken to local hotels to spend the night. I think we got in our hotel room around 1 am, and were told there would be an Atlas rep there to give us an update at 9 am. So we set the alarm, got up and showered, and were ready for - nothing. No word. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel and had NO idea whether we would be able to sail or not. We were taking go/no-go bets. 

Finally the announcement came that we would board at 9 pm!! Our trip was a go!

Despite beginning the journey a full 24 hours later than scheduled, the Drake Passage was very kind to us and so we had all of the time in Antarctica that we were due, and it was FANTASTIC. 

Aside from the extremely poor communication and the rough start, I can only compliment the line, the crew, the ship, and the expedition team.  And the positive effect of what we’d been through was that all of us passengers bonded and made true friendships before setting foot on the ship. 

Importantly, around the third day of the cruise, Atlas gave everyone what I believe to be very generous compensation for the bad start. 

It is true that there aren’t 6 dining venues, but we never wanted for anything. We all felt the food was good to very good to excellent. Breakfast and lunch are buffets, but the quality and freshness of the food was great. Cocktails were wonderful! My favorites were the Smoky Margarita and the BBC (Baileys & Banana Colada). Wine was plentiful and while not the finest I’ve ever had, I was happy with the choices. 

The crew could not have been nicer or more helpful - I have nothing but top marks for them. 

The real stars of the Atlas Ocean Voyages trip to Antarctica, however, are the expedition team, led by Henry Wolff. Other team members were a Marine Biologist, an Ornithologist, a Historian, a Logistics Coordinator and various paddle and sea kayak guides. These people worked 16 hour days and had unending enthusiasm to show us Antarctica.

That’s all I can share now - we’re flying back to Orlando tonight. 

9 minutes ago, Cnfrank said:

Thanks for posting this important info.

We purchased the insurance from Atlas. How did you get an insurance certificate? Every time I call about it, they (Atlas and the insurance company), have no idea what I’m talking about. They keep sending me the same generic 31 page document that has no policy number or our names on it. 

Unfortunately comprehensive travel insurance, while important for other reasons, often doesn’t specifically cover COVID. I purchased a Trawick policy from Insuremytrip.com for $92. The email with the certificate that’s needed as well as an ID card arrived minutes after purchase. I recommend calling and speaking to one of their agents if you have questions - they’re very helpful…

Hello fellow Antarctic Travelers,

I successfully completed this form and thought I’d offer my answers to some of the unanswerable questions. I don’t know if there are “more right” answers but these worked for me. The Reason for Travel section, is self explanatory. In the Transport section, Estados Unidos de America is country of origin. Point of Entry is, of course, Ushuaia. Airline is Vuelo Especial. Under Flights I chose New Flight, and for Flight # I typed Atlas Ocean Voyages. Vaccination scheme data section is also self explanatory. Under Address of stay I chose Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, and typed Atlas Ocean Voyages for the street and World Navigator under Number. The zip code is 9420. The only other slightly tricky answer is under the Passenger section, Nationality. If you’re American, the answer is Estadounidense from the drop down menu. Uploading the PDFs of my negative PCR test and my insurance certificate were straight forward. The required number to upload to MyAtlas comes in an email a few minutes later. 
 

YAY! On my way!!
 

On 1/16/2019 at 7:44 PM, mimzim77 said:

I have a referral coupon for any first timer on Seabourn.  

 

 

 

We are looking to book our first Seabourn! I'd love to use it!