the penguins

Just don't pre pay the grats then they will be added to your account every day. Once added OBC will be used to pay the grats again on a daily basis. Non refundable OBC will be used first then refundable. Make sure your accounts are linked otherwise it will only deduct the tips from one half - if not easily linked at Guest Relations. All done automatically.

No you haven't you have simply changed cruise lines. HAL, Princess (i.e Carnival ships) have self service laundrettes, Royal including Celebrity don't.

you are more patient than me. One chance to put it right then straight down to Guest Relations.

agree it looks smart but please don't put credit cards or driving licence in what you describe as a "pretty secure back door". Phone lost or stolen and you will be annoyed phone lost or stolen with credit cards/driving licence with it and you are in deep trouble. Credit cards should always be kept separate from everything else.

with you 100%. The Boss (Anita) uses a walker the lanyard is essential. Having the card easily accessible is essential for unlocking the cabin door, ordering coffees at Al Bacio, in the shops etc. Have lost count of the number of times passengers struggle to find their cards when the server asks to see it or realise it's still in the cabin and have to go to Guest Relations for a replacement. Once off the ship the cards and lanyards is kept in a security pocket in my shirt. Once we get back to the port lanyards back round necks as it makes it easier for the checks that are involved.

If you do decide on an Expedition type cruise, and especially if you choose Hurtigruten, we will be happy to send you "Hints and Tips" on how to make the most of your trip including the answer to "Why you need to take 4 metres of elastic cord/string" with you. Pre Covid Hurtigruten did presentation evenings especially for the Antarctic - we went to 2 before finally deciding to book - which also may help you. We can be contacted at: geoffanita at hotmail dot com - sorry for the odd way of writing it stops the bots. Enjoy the planning and of course the trip itself. Geoff and the boss (Anita).

Sums up exactly how we felt and why we went back on an expedition ship. My only advice is don’t leave it too long as you never know what lies ahead. Mobility issues would now make the trip on an expedition ship impossible but as we always said “ if we end up sitting at home in a wheelchair we will do so with memories not regrets”

we could but you have already said you are going to take the cruise - which to me is a sort of double standard. Everyone is free to make up their own choice.

must be a flaw somewhere. it also works the other way round i.e. USA to UK and back - useful if your first cruise is from UK to USA. Hope this helps. Geoff and the boss (Anita).

this is getting crazy. Easy to do on the BA site under Customise your booking. Put in the flights first, then add a hotel or car and see how much you can save. The hotel can be anywhere so if you really don't need one look for the very cheapest. As this is a "holiday" you also benefit by only having to pay a deposit not the full amount. If you collect AVIOS you more by booking as a holiday If anything goes wrong you are covered by the ATOL Regulations. You travel on the same flight, same seats you just pay less. I

somehow the message sent part way through - to continue - Easy to do on the BA

sorry had to go out. Another potential way to save is to book a holiday instead of flights. Basically to qualify as a holiday you need a return flight and either a minimum of one night hotel or 1 days car rental. If you you plan to stay overnight before the cruise that solves the problem. If not book the cheapest car and simply don't pick it up. Easy to do on the

I’m happy with that - which ever it’s unique and never forgotten.

Not as long as you use the outward/first flight- you just become a no show. If you didn’t use the outward the whole ticket would be cancelled. I will send you a tip for a return ticket later

I totally agree that it's important to have different view points. However your solution would wipe out a lot of the world's tourism industry including for example snorkling/diving on the Great Barrier, and all safari's. Antarctica is unique in that it is protected by an International Treaty/Convention (not one or a group of countries) which tightly controls all aspects of how the area can be accessed/exploited. Almost no tourism visits are permitted on the main land and all commercial exploitation of the mineral/oil/gas reserves are banned. The fees paid by the Cruise Lines helps fund the Convention.

our solution which may not help you but works for us is to do 2 TA's a year thus we buy a return air fare which works out cheaper. Also worth exploring on the BA site is to book a return ticket where you choose say Premium economy out which includes baggage etc but the cheapest return i.e. no bags etc as you wont be using it it doesn't what the dates are. The cruise line may also have special one way deals.

Authentic in as much as, at least for a brief moment, you get to experience what life is like without the assumed benefits of any human "civilization" and where the animals/birds have no fear of man. We know from experience that it leaves a deep and lasting impression that affects our actions when we travel to other areas that do not have this protection.

from our experience the lengths the expedition cruise ships go to to protect the environment is extraordinary: 1) during the voyage down all outer clothing that will be worn ashore has to be vacuumed to remove all possible contamination. 2) boots provided to use during the landings are disinfected as you return to the ship and are then dried before the next. 3) All outer clothes are checked before you can reboard and are hosed down as needed. 4) Once on land you are forbidden to put anything on the ground, to pick up or move anything, or to use anything like tissues. 5) you can't approach any animal or interfere/cross any penguin pathway. If animals approach you must stand still and wait for them to pass. 6) Any breaking of the rules will result in an immediate warning and a subsequent breach will result followed in you being banned from future landings. We agree with your mum and always try to " leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but memories. Landings give you the unique opportunity to see animals and birds living in an environment where they have no fear of man and indeed where animals give us the briefest of looks before returning to their normal way of life. The ships contribute to the Antarctic Organisation that works to preserve the area. The "Cruise by" option basically gives you the opportunity to see ice bergs but nothing of the wild life that makes the area unique. We have done it both ways and provided that the ships continue to operate within the rules laid down by the Antarctic Convention I see no issues with them offering this type of cruise. Indeed you could argue that the traditional cruise ships that are not ice strengthend and carry over 2000 passengers are potentially a bigger threat than ships that are designed to operate in these waters and are limited to around 200 passengers. It's a choice we all must make individually.

Expedition prices: some very expensive 5 and 6 star lines now offer this type of cruise with all the facilities you would expect on a traditional cruise. Others, for example Hurtigruten, provide a more basic and to us more authentic type of experience but still with a highly professional Expedition team. As you will spend most of you time on deck, attending briefings, talks, enjoying the observation lounges and of course the landings you will spend so little time in your cabin an inside cabin is really all you need.

The months matters on an expedition cruise . Basically you have 2 choices: Early - from the start of the season until mid November: early in the breeding season so best chance to see baby penguins/seals etc. More snow which can make landings more difficult. Best time for whales. Late: End Jan - March: penguins/seals etc all now juveniles (any babies will have been born too late and will be "Skewer Meat". i.e. won't survive). Less snow landing mainly on rocks. Less chance to see whales. Note: King Penguins breed all year so any time you can see everything from eggs to fully grown adults. If price is not an issue the Christmas/New Year cruise with Hurtigruten with a special Christmas Day service in the church on South Georgia followed by a walk to Shackleton's Grave would be our number one choice (we actually went end Feb/early March

There are no passenger number limits on the type of cruise offered by Celebrity as it doesn't land anywhere covered by the Antarctic Convention. The most important decision you need to make is what sort of experience do you want? 1) that offered by Celebrity, Princess, HAL or any of the other traditional cruise lines which is basically a few days of "scenic Cruising" among ice bergs. The pictures of penguins they include is, I consider misleading as most are either taken in South America or in the Falklands (less than 50% of ships get in to Stanley due to the weather and the long tender ride. 2) A cruise with a specialist company which includes numerous landings enabling you to really experience this unique environment. We have done it both ways once on Celebrity Infinity and once on Hurtigruten's Fram and the Fram wins by a mile. For ship's like the Fram passenger numbers are restricted to around 200 (Fram takes 208 but outside Antarctica it carries over 500). Landings are restricted to 100 at a time with no one person being allowed on shore for more than 1 hour at a time - groups are rotated to to meet these requirements. Prices vary widely - the best usually available as soon as each seasons itineraries are announced and on ship you choose. A few pics to whet your appetite:

as long as you don't remove auto grats tips paid through that system are not shared. Any extra tips you pay direct are also not shared.

just to clear up an "urban myth" about new ships and post Covid Staff which were tackled head on during a wide ranging Q and A session on Silhouette organised by the wonderful Guest Relations Director Julie. with the Hotel Director, Executive Chef and Chief Engineer all taking part 1) It's simply impossible to move all the experienced staff to the new ships. The crew have "sea mans visas" that are valid for the duration of a contract and are ship specific - moving them is impossible. Nor can crew be held without pay waiting for a new ship. 2) experienced staff get more choice over which ships they sail on and many choose only to sail in M or S class. 3) Staff in the same Departments have different length contracts - for example a new Cabin Steward could start with 3 months whilst a more experience one be on 6 or more months - this is essential to avoid all the crew having to be replaced at the same time. Pre Covid this occurred naturally but Post Covid it had to be arranged "artificially" as when a ship sailed for the first time all the crew started on the same day. 4) After Covid over 80% of staff returned - at first this meant it was easy to fill the ships as they restarted but as more of the fleet resumed sailing it became harder. The strict Vaccination/Quarantine regulations also increased the delays - pre covid from offering a contract to boarding a ship could be days post covid it was weeks. 5) Covid and Russia's invasion of Ukraine also highlighted the risks of recruiting mainly from a fairly small number of countries and X has been stepping up recruitment in new areas including the Caribbean and South America. We have sailed numerous times since the restart and have found the level of service to be generally of the same high standards and delivered in the same friendly manner as it was pre covid.

We always pre book. Wait times will vary depending on how many passengers turn up at the same time - just like any other restaurant. If there is a long wait you may be offered a buzzer enabling you to wait in a bar. Wait times can be reduced if you tell the check in staff you are are happy to share - our choice is a table of 6. We don't cruise to eat alone we do that at home.

You can hardly use the term steerage on E class as only around 5% of passengers have the forward view you love. One reason we will never cruise E class.