pdmlynek

18 hours ago, slidergirl said:

As one who has worked in Hospitality for years and has hauled a variety of luggage around, I will say I HATE spinners with a passion.  Hardwood is OK, carpet is a pain, cobblestones are nasty, gaps in tiles in train stations and elsewhere cause the bag to jump, hit your foot and blacken up your nice white sneakers!!  I prefer a 2-wheeler if I have to lug.  Otherwise, I have my 35L bag/pack (I can carry like a suitcase or put it on my back).  I'm 68, so I guess I'm still nimble enough to be able to handle my own bags in planes, trains, automobiles and ships.  

That is correct.  35 L bag is about the top limit for a carryon backpack, and is plenty for anything that you'll need on a cruise.

4 hours ago, Ilovesailaway said:

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Every flight crew I see uses soft sided 2 wheel luggage. Personal bag clips to the lager carry on. This works great for dragging your bags over any surface. Spinners are great for hard floors but carpets or anything uneven and you will wish you had a 2 wheel bag.

No.  A wheeled carryon is just a gimmick.  Unless you are physically challenged, A wheeled carryon works great for dragging on smooth surface only.  If you want to run up some stairs, climb a ladder, jump over a puddle, run through a crowd, etc. a wheeled luggage or a wheeled carryon will just slow you down.  Instead, use a backpack.  A backpack is much more handy, much easier to travel with than a wheeled luggage.

4 hours ago, Ilovesailaway said:

I am a huge fan of carry on only. It can be done for any length of trip.

I agree.  Take a look at people who go back packing.  They just have one bag.  They carry a sleeping bag, insulite pad, and a tent.  When you go on a cruise, you do nt need to bring a tent, or sleeping bag, or an insulate pad.  You don't need to bring food, stove, fuel, cooking utensils, cups, bowls, eating utensils, water purifier, dish soap, etc.  You do not need to bring a shovel, rope, ground cloths, etc.  No towels, no soap, shampoo, no toilet paper, etc.  You don't need to bring almost anything on a cruise. Everything, from a place to sleep, what you eat and drink, what is cooked for you, what is cleaned up for you, is provided for you.  Just exactly how do people manage to bring so much more stuff on a cruise?

I agree with @Ilovesailaway: just travel with a carryon.

On 6/10/2021 at 6:12 PM, skrink said:

I’ve put together some references and resources for planning a trip to Antarctica.  Please add more if you find them.  Thanks.

 

Excellent, very informative video about traveling to Antarctica.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ0tsHM34hk&t=2918s. Allow at least two hours to watch it.  Fast forward to just under the 10 minute mark to bypass webinar “housekeeping” information.  If you don’t want to be convinced to go, don’t watch it!  😉

 

Thread on whether going to Antarctica is worth it.  https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/australasia-pacific-australia-new-zealand-antarctica/topics/is-antarctica-worth-what-you-have-to-go-through-to-get-there

 

How a cruise to Antarctica works.  https://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/how-to-cruise-to-antarctica/

 

IAATO regs and info for visitors on what to expect.  https://iaato.org/visiting-antarctica/

 

U.S. Dept. of State info on travel to/from Argentina (often the embarkation point) during COVID.  https://ar.usembassy.gov/covid-19/

 

Travel tips for Antarctica.  https://www.lengthytravel.com/travel-tips-antarctica-antrtidatravel-guide/

 

Very good guide with facts, recommendations, photos, and travel info.  https://www.coolantarctica.com/index.php. Click the “menu” links across the top of the page to see numerous drop down subsections.

 

List of Antarctica links on TripAdvisor.  https://antarcticafaqs.boards.net

 

Weather and climate.  https://www.climate.gov/news-features/features/antarctica-colder-arctic-it’s-still-losing-ice

 

 

 

Thank you very much for this.  You have no idea how helpful this is to those of us considering going to Antarctica!

On 6/18/2021 at 11:10 PM, donaldsc said:

I have an idea which might be good and might be really dumb.  I recently spent several days in Ushuaia before I did a trip to the Falklands and S Georgia.  Wandering around the main street in Ushuaia, I saw a number of travel agencies advertising last minute cruises to Antarctica.  I have no idea how much you would save and what the chances you would have of not getting anything.  Has anyone out there done what I am suggesting and what were your experiences.  

DON

I've heard of that as well. Typically, in a travelogue by someone who happened to be in Ushuaia at the time. 

I am not sure how good of a strategy that is. We've done walk on a ferry in Greece pre-internet, but with limited sailings, is it a good idea to hang around Ushuaia for a few weeks hoping for a suitable opening?

However, I've noticed that prices of some Antarctica cruises drop at the last minute. If one's job allows one to take a vacation instantly, it might be worthwhile to buy last minute cruises, even accounting for increased airfares. 

On 11/12/2020 at 11:31 PM, Heartfelttraveler said:

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If you are planning on at least a window cabin check out Hurtigruten.  Check pricing on the 12 night on the norwegian site (www.hurtigruten.no) and do the currency exchange to get the equivalent in USD.  Then call the USA office and ask them to match the pricing.

Is there a reason to go through the US office? Can't one simply book through the Norwegian site? 

You probably know the stock answer to this common question, but it might be worth repeating to newbies: Princess and Holland America are considered the most experienced cruise lines in Alaska. They have the most ships, most itineraries in Alaska. 

5 hours ago, Jenig0013 said:

 

 

That said, dad and I are both dry suit divers, have dove Iceland extensively, and are very comfortable in 34 degree water. We met in the lifeguard Olympics (decades ago tho).

I do not deny that there may be some people on cruises that wear dry suits when kayaking, and who have been life guards in the Olympics. Such people who have no issue getting out of a kayak, self rescuing, etc. Such people are way above average in their experience. You may be in the top 10%.

The issue is with the average person, who weighs 100 kg, who has a tough time getting into a kayak. And now consider the bottom 10%. People who have never been in a kayak. Who have no idea how to paddle. Who are careless. Who are uncoordinated. Etc. Such people would easily die if a sea kayak were to overturn.

5 hours ago, Jenig0013 said:

I think you’re completely misunderstanding the nature of these kayaking trips - no one is doing rapids.

 

 

I am not misunderstanding kayaking. I did both sea kayaking and white water kayaking. I've led kayaking trips. I know both types. 

Because I know kayaking, I also know that although sea kayaks are more stable, does not mean that people accidently do not flip over. Considering how foolish many people on cruises behave, I would think that there would be many people who flip over than what you hear about.

On 10/2/2022 at 12:58 PM, larrywizzit said:

We mostly sail HAL.

 

They’re not terribly “family friendly” so we see very few children or minors aboard. 

Isn't a requirement for HAL to be at least 60? 😄😄

On 2/23/2023 at 2:48 PM, Woody14 said:

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why the stress to get off the ship as one of the first people? 

...

Some people want to get off the ship early on disembarkation point for the same reason as in any other port: they want to go sightseeing. We typically sightsee after disembarkation and the flight home, if there is time.

On 2/23/2023 at 2:48 PM, Woody14 said:

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you don't have to book the 9:45 am flight. 

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Some people may have to. They may have several connection to make, and the early flight is the only one that will get them home, or to the next destination in a reasonable time, or at reasonable cost.

On 2/23/2023 at 2:48 PM, Woody14 said:

Okay I get wanting to board early to get my vacation started

...

 

My vacation starts when I leave home. I enjoy the embarkation city, sightsee, and try to get on board relatively late. Why be stuck on a ship, instead of sightseeing? 

On 2/23/2023 at 4:42 PM, sanger727 said:

I don’t usually count my travel day home as a vacation day. 

You don't take a vacation day to travel home? Do you take a sick day or a personal day? Or does your shift start late in the day enough so you can fly back and clock in for the shift on the same day as the disembarkation day?

6 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The bottles are mostly CO2, with a small amount of nitrogen added to prevent freezing. Immediately after inflation, the valves and fabric are extremely cold, which is why the gas enters the raft in a diffuser to protect the fabric. The gas is contained in multiple bottles, which are secured pockets below the floor.

 

Air is used for the annual recertification, as it degrades the fabric less. I believe CO2 is used as it is cheaper and is stored at lower pressures.

@chengkp75 Hopefully the Chief can contribute his engineering knowledge.

Thank you!  I appreciate your helpful comment.  This part of cruising is just so foreign to me. 

59 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

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In general, the CO2/Nitrogen bottles are armed with a pin, which is secured to the painter line. When the painter is pulled, the pins are removed and the gas inflates the raft.

...

Two quick questions:

(1) The bottle that supplies the nitrogen just contains compressed nitrogen, right?  It is not a reaction product of chemical reaction like sodium azide in airbags, right?

(2) Why is the compressed gas nitrogen or CO2?  Why not just use air?  What is the advantage of N2 or CO2?  After all, air is mostly N2 anyway.  Is it to combat moisture? 

52 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

My reference to automatic inflation was for inflated rafts for topping up. There is no automatic system for topping up the chambers, as all gas from the cylinders is used during the initial inflation.

...

OK, now, I undertand you.  Thank you for your helpful disussion!🙂 

3 hours ago, kaisatsu said:

Oceanwide is exploring options for trips farther into the Weddell Sea since reducing ice cover is making the area more accessible, especially late in the season. By the end of March, a lot of the penguin colonies in the South Shetlands will have cleared out, so there’s not a lot of reasons to visit many of those sites. So Oceanwide is most likely using the extended season to explore new areas and run some more unusual trips.

Thank you for your detailed and helpful answer.  

I guess that I am not using the terminology correctly.  Aren't the liferafts inflate, as you write, in 60 seconds, just automatically inflated?  

Further, doesn't SOLAS require hydrostatic release and automatic inflation of liferafts if a ship sinks?

Or am I not understanding you?

21 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

I have worked with all the commercial liferaft manufacturers and have never seen a liferaft with automatic inflation. Liferafts are supplied with bottles of Nitogen/CO2 that are required to inflate the raft in 60 secs. 

 

 

5 hours ago, Nitemare said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Antarctica

😄 😄 Thanks!

I knew that volcanoes in Antarctica exist, and that on geological scale highly active vocanic activity has resulted in increasing the velocity of ice sheets which in turn has increased the ocean levels, but wow, that's a lot of volcanoes all over the continent!

Also, it is concerning that there are so many volcanoes around the Antarctic Peninsula.  Several years ago I've read the evacuation plans for some station on Deception Island, and for most events there was a contingency plan, but for some, it read like: "yeah, if this event happens, there is nothing that can be done, and you'll 100% die."  Scary reading.

8 hours ago, kaisatsu said:

....

And most itineraries don’t even come close, since it’s out of the way if you’re not coming to/from South Georgia.

....

This itinerary surprises me in as well. The majority of ships visiting Antarctica spend some time in visiting South Shetland Islands, yet this itinerary seems to bypass them except for the out of the way Elephant Island. Surely it would have been much easier to visit some of the central South Shetlands. 

Given the out of way location and the extreme difficulty in landing, can you think of any reason why the cruise line would choose to visit Elephant Island?

On 6/13/2021 at 5:33 PM, Sailkeywest said:

Oops, here is the actual itinerary:  (f anyone would like to see)

 

This expansive expedition takes you into the Antarctic Circle, combining the rich animal life of the Weddell Sea with the surreal shores and islands of the Antarctic Peninsula. Such key landing sites as the legendary Elephant Island and Crystal Sound make this voyage truly exceptional.

Antarctica – Elephant Island – Weddell Sea – Polar Circle: -

This adventurous polar expedition in the Antarctic Circle combines the exciting Weddell Sea with the amazing Antarctic Peninsula, including such iconic landing sites as Ernest Shackleton’s legendary Elephant Island and the many icy and wildlife-filled islands of Crystal Sound.

Day 1: End of the world, start of a journey

Your voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.

Day 2 – 3: Path of the polar explorers

Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting up sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.

Day 4: From Point Wild to the Weddell Sea

We will arrive early to the famous Point Wild, Elephant Island, where Shackleton’s crew made their first landing after the loss of their ship, Endurance. This inhospitable spit of land is a favorite among our guests, and if conditions permit, we will offer activities around the point before setting off for the Weddell Sea.

Day 5: Weddell Sea Devil Island

Today you enter the wondrous Weddell Sea, a relatively unvisited area in which we hope to carry out activities in Erebus and Terror Gulf. We may also visit such places such as Beak Island and Devil Island, which boast some stunning scenery as well as the pack ice for which the Weddell Sea is famous.

Day 6: Exploring the most remote regions

As we continue to explore the area of Erebus and Terror Gulf, we look for new opportunities for activities. You may also visit Vega Island, experiencing the wilderness of Antarctica in its most remote places.

Day 7: Orléans Strait whale search

Now we sail down the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, entering the Orleans Strait. Here we hope to see humpback and orca whales as we sail toward Mikklesen Harbor for our afternoon activities.

Day 8: Port monuments and island wildlife

Passing the Lemaire Channel, you next arrive in the area of Port Charcot, where there is a cairn that was erected by the French Antarctic Expedition of 1903 – 05. In the afternoon, we head to Petermann Island to see a great variety of birdlife. You might also enjoy Zodiac cruises among icebergs that are highly popular with leopard seals and crabeater seals. Minke whales, humpbacks, and gentoo penguins can also be found here.

Day 9: Detaille Island’s historic station

Today we reach Crystal Sound, viewing the area’s beautiful ice formations and wildlife before landing at Detaille Island. This remote island was once home to a British research station that is now an historic monument.

Day 10: Amazing Argentine islands

Next you arrive at the Yalour Islands, a small archipelago composed mostly of isolated rocks and one principal island that offers us a rewarding landing. Home to Adélie penguins and some of the most southerly gentoos in the world, Yalour also has small patches of bearded and crustose lichen, including xanthoria, buellia, caloplaca, and usnea. Extensive moss beds and some Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica) can be seen as well.

We hope to also visit the nearby Ukrainian research station, Vernadsky, where a warm welcome awaits us. Here you can take a guided tour of the facilities, which include a small gift shop, a post office that is always popular with our guests, and Wordie House, a well-preserved historic hut. This hut still contains its rations, tools, and beds, so you can compare the amenities of an early facility with a modern one like Vernadsky.

Day 11: Farewell to Antarctica

We have our farewell to Antarctica in the Melchior Islands for our final activities before heading towards the Drake Passage.

Day 12 – 13: Familiar seas, familiar friends

Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

Day 14: There and back again

Every adventure, no matter how great, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next journey leads.

Wow, this itinerary sounds wonderful!

27 minutes ago, kaisatsu said:

Popular landing sites can easily see hundreds of visitors per day. There is no fauna to cover up human waste, and yellow snow is going to stand out among the pink penguin poop. You are expected to stick to shared paths at many sites to minimize the visitor impact, so you’d basically be urinating right alongside a route that many people will be using right after you. Everyone wants to enjoy the most unspoiled environment they can, so pissing on the path won’t go over so well. Especially since most landings are just a few hours, and the staff will take you back to the ship if nature calls.

Thank you! Your explanation makes sense.  I appreciate it.

I had no idea that the visitors are concentrated in just a few spots. I just thought that the ships navigators take the ship along the favorite islands, and given the weather and time, will land at any suitable landing spot.  I did not realize that there were land routes that are used over and over.

So is there some sort of a list of approved or prefered landing sites, or do captains land where ever they want?  I'd like to see which landing sites are more popular and which are less popular. 

7 minutes ago, kaisatsu said:

From my understanding, the passengers from the zodiac accident did not die of hypothermia but were injured in the accident. The zodiacs weigh a lot, and they were in shallow water at the time, so it’s quite possible that they were pinned underneath or suffered a tragic injury during the accident. Especially if they had limited strength or mobility.

...

Thank you for the explanation.  I'll be intrested in reading the final report on this tragedy when it comes out.

On 6/12/2021 at 2:37 PM, Sailkeywest said:

Hi there, my hubby and I are still planning an Antarctica Cruise and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this itinerary and/or the ship?   Room Suggestions?  and thank you for any and all insight 🙂....

Did you ever buy these tickets?  Do you have any comments if you did?