starcluster2

When in Antarctica Nov 2017 I used walking poles provided by the ship. This Nov I will be taking my own collapsible poles, don't leave home without them. You may be walking on all kinds of terrain but when the snow is deep, they are a god-send. As for walking on ice, do the penguin walk, shuffle along as the senior center tells us older folk, never let your feet leave the ice. (As an aside here, the senior center means well but in reality, after seeing penguins walk, the reality is much different 😉 )

Awe, I love hearing a Texas drawl 😀 Here's hoping that the rest of your present cruise gets much better. Sometimes it's hard to believe so much can go so wrong.

I'm curious, will you be on Le Boreal, Nov 7 to Nov 22, The Great Austral Loop, or the trip previous to that one?

Well, after reading these accounts I am definitely worried about my upcoming trip to Antarctica in November. I hope the ship will be running at full availability in all areas. I'm spending a lot of cash for this trip, even more now with the exchange rate on the US dollar being 35% for me. A lot of things have changed due to the Pandemic but now it feels like things are worse and not getting better. Communication with Ponant has been at best terrible, not knowing and needing to know certain situations has been stressful. I should not have to deal with stress when taking a vacation and especially one where the company says it is a luxury commodity. All one can do is hope for the best - but I wonder.........

I find your comments useful and informative. Hope that you can keep it up. I will be on Boreal in November for their first cruise in the Antarctic and looking forward to the trip. (Anyone else on that trip?) Everything 'seems' to be falling in place for the trip but after all the cancellations that I've had from Ponant I'm still on the anxious side. You mentioned a medical form as one of the heath requirements. I have been hearing that a medical is no longer required by Ponant - can you tell me what this was all about? I hope that ice will not be a problem - it seems these days that the Arctic is fast becoming 'de-iced' so to speak with climate change. And, here's hoping for great weather for you!

Do you still think that your trip will be a 'go'? My trip from Talcahuano to Ushuaia was also cancelled today, big upset with my plans as I've already booked my flights and such. Like, how does Ponant get the ship from Nome to Ushuaia without going down the west coast of the Americas? Do they turn around and go back to the Atlantic and go south that way?? Much to think about with my trip now as it will not be as I anticipated, I like spending days at sea. Also, a lot of money involved at the moment, it may be that I'll never get to go to the Antarctic again. Must check their web site to see what else is cancelled - if it goes that far out.

Host Jazzbeau Thank you for the information, yes, I have had the experience before of the expedition trips not having much following on the roll calls. It's not a problem as I usually go with no expectations of what a trip will be like and I'm usually very happy with the results. That said, I just hope that no more of my trips are cancelled and all will go well with them - it is always going to be a worry from now on until things settle down more........

I wish that I had seen this before I booked, I think it is a great resource for someone looking for a 'bonus' - every little thing helps. I am booked on a back-to-back cruise November 22 on Le Boreal. Ocean cruise from Talcahuano and the Great Austral Loop following. Anybody on those cruises? Or is there a 'roll call' for those cruises?