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Antarctica on l'Austral (long, with photos)


Dutch Diver

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Why Antarctica and why l'Austral? It all started with an episode of Mighty Ships on the Discovery Channel. This showed Le Boreal (sister ship) on a spectacular journey to Antarctica. When researching, we found that such a cruise was pricey, but we could afford it --and it was absolutely worth it! We saw amazing wildlife and beautiful scenery. It felt as if we were in a nature documentary for two weeks.

 

We compared prices with Fram/Hurtigruten, but we found they were priced about the same as Compagnie du Ponant. So the choice was easy, because we'd get a 5+ star ship (l'Austral) for the same price as a 3 star (Fram). This particular sailing (Feb 18-Mar 6) was the final Antarctic sailing of the season as well as a repositioning to Montevideo, and therefore 30% cheaper than a regular Antarctic cruise beginning and ending in Ushuaia.

 

We first requested a quote via the form on Ponant's website, but they never answered. We then used a local TA to arrange the booking (including flights, transfers and pre&post hotels) and everything was arranged.

 

*** Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego ***

 

We'd chosen to buy the transfer on the charter flight arranged by Ponant (about $500 per person) from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, mostly because this ensured that the ship would wait if the flight was delayed, but also because our luggage would be flying with us on the same airplane (which we'd read might not happen if you take a regular flight --indeed, we heard of some people on board who did not get their bags).

 

After having booked this transfer, we learned that this charter flight had rather restricted weight limits for checked and carry-on luggage. We were told weight for checked baggage was "limited to 44 lbs, one bag only and no option to buy a second bag". Carry-on was "limited to one piece, max 12 lbs". When checking in at Buenos Aires AEP airport, our carry-ons were neither weighed nor measured. In fact, the gate agents didn't even look at them. We saw pax taking 2 checked luggage - and here we were trying to stay on 1 item per person... which was no problem, actually. We had mostly polyester and fleece clothes, keeping the weight down and, even with our insulated boots, our checked bags were 10 lbs each under the limit - but we didn't bring anything fancy for gala night!

 

Service on the charter flight was good. The flight attendants brought several rounds of drinks, plus breakfast and snacks. You may want to bring something to read, because there's no movie shown. The 3 hour flight was uneventful and the approach into Ushuaia spectacular with tantalizing views of snow-capped mountains and green valleys. Upon arrival in Ushuaia, we met our tour guide, who showed us where to drop our bags for transport to the ship. Then we hopped on the tour bus.

 

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Included with the charter flight was lunch and a bus tour to Tierra del Fuego national park. Lunch was busy and chaotic (and not very good), but the tour through the park was enjoyable, even if it rained a little. Our only regret taking this transfer option is that we didn't get to spend any time in Ushuaia. If you can, spend a day or two here. It's a nice little town.

 

*** Embarkation ***

 

This was remarkably easy. Having previously cruised on 2500+ passenger cruise ships, we immediately noticed that on this ship, the atmosphere and the level of service was very different. No lines. We went up the gangway and were welcomed in person by cruise director Capucine Meyer and captain Erwann Le Rouzic. Inside, crew members were standing by with moist towels and welcome drinks, ready to take our carry-ons and escort us to our stateroom. It was a genuine, warm welcome.

 

Our luggage was waiting outside our stateroom. We learned that we were unexpectedly upgraded from a Superior stateroom (ocean view) to a Deluxe stateroom (balcony). This upgrade was worth EUR 1500/$2000, a very good deal! We'd booked the last available ocean view stateroom. It was an accessible room, but our TA said they didn't expect any disabled passengers on an expedition cruise. As it turned out, there was a passenger in a wheelchair on this sailing. She was assigned to the accessible room and we got an upgrade.

 

*** Stateroom ***

 

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Our stateroom was very nice and comfortable (about the size of a Carnival balcony stateroom). Two beds that convert to a king size bed, a desk with four drawers, a minibar, a clothes closet with hanging space and shelves, also with a personal safe, hairdryer and bathrobes. For your listening pleasure, there's an iPhone/iPod dock (with remote) that doubles a alarm clock. There are a two outlets at the desk, one 110V, one 230V. They voltages are labeled, but you'll see the difference as well by the shape of the sockets. Bring a power strip if you have more than 2 devices (who doesn't, these days?).

 

On the wall above the desk was a (white) 32" flat screen TV. We used the TV mostly used for viewing the cruise info/map channel that also showed the daily schedule. Sometimes we'd watch the ship's front camera, but the picture was not sharp and a bit over-saturated. There was no satellite TV signal, as we'd be out of range most of the time. There's a (tricky to navigate) entertainment system with a selection of about two dozen movies in several languages.

 

You get two complementary large bottles of mineral water and housekeeping restocks them when needed. Housekeeping staff was excellent. Always friendly, always able to help with requests. Turndown service included two biscuits (varying nightly). Tip: bring a Ziploc bag to store these biscuits overnight and you have mid-afternoon treat.

 

The bathroom is split into two areas with separate doors. One has a toilet and the other has a shower and sink. The sink/shower area has a window which lets the daylight in, with a sliding door if you need some privacy. The shower had decent pressure and a big hose that could be fixed on the wall or hand-held.

 

The balcony about the size of a Carnival balcony, maybe a little bigger. It has two wicker chairs and a small table. Balconies on deck 3 have a solid railing, slightly different from the decks above where the upper part is open. The result is that on deck 3 balconies you can't see much if you're sitting down.

 

*** l'Austral ***

 

From whatever angle you look at it, the ship is beautiful. It's sleek and stylish, more mega-yacht than cruise ship.

 

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Public rooms:

All over the ship, the decor is chic and minimalist, with lots of natural materials creating a pleasant atmosphere. Color scheme is dark browns and creams, with grey accents. It doesn't scream luxury, but it certainly speaks softly of it.

 

On deck 3, midship is the reception desk. The two girls at reception were friendly and helpful. There's a stand with daily 'newspapers' in several languages to keep up with current affairs (although the real world seemed very far away indeed). Tip: if wildlife is spotted and you can't get to the upper decks quickly, there are two outdoor areas next to the reception where you can go outside and observe.

 

Further down deck 3, past the small shop (mostly overpriced clothing), is the Grand Salon. This large room stretches the full width of the ship. It's essentially a bar area, with couches and big chairs. During breakfast hours and at the end of the afternoon, you can get (free) tea and coffee here. They remove the coffee jars and tea bags, but they leave the hot water machine. So if you like tea, bring your own tea bags and you can get your tea here all day.

 

Several lectures were given in the Grand Salon (most English lectures, because there'd be a French lecture in the theatre). It was also the starting and ending point of the expeditions, as you would assemble here prior to going outside to the Marina (at the back of the ship) and into the Zodiacs. More on that later.

 

Deck 4 (aft) has the theater, with 260 seats (note: some of them are not comfortable, because the folding system had been overstretched and made seat cushion tilt forward too much.) The sound was okay, the projection system was clear but a little out of sync so the colors were sometimes a bit off. In addition to entertainment performances, this was also the venue for briefings, lectures and speeches.

 

Deck 5 fwd: the bridge. When allowed (there's a sign on the door), passengers were welcome to enter and see what was going on. On the first days, the bridge was closed most of the time. Later in the cruise, we could go inside and did so several times. It's very interesting to see what goes on and the crew are happy to answer questions.

 

Deck 5 aft is the photo desk, leisure area, spa and gym. We did not have any spa treatments, but we visited the hammam (steam room) a couple of times. Gym is small but functional. Tip: there are small bottles of water on the machines, so if you're in need of one (for instance, to take with you on excursion) you can get them there.

 

Deck 6 fwd: observation lounge and outer deck (Panoramic lounge & terrace). Also doubles as library and card playing area. There are four very comfortable, forward-facing chairs and a couple of couches. A popular place for watching the scenery (or to warm up if you'd been outside).

 

*** Entertainment ***

 

The musicians were skilled, however the style of music (show tunes, Latin) was not always to our taste and the singers were unable to hide their (Spanish or eastern European) accents when singing in English. Piano player Olena was exceptionally good. Most mornings, she'd be in the Grand Salon, playing classical music or improvising jazzy tunes - and she never needed sheet music! The ship's doctor, a decent jazz piano player, performed one night as well. We did not go to the late night dance shows, really not our thing. Plus, most evenings we were knackered and we needed our beauty sleep.

 

*** Food & drink ***

 

L'Austral has two restaurants, the main dining room on deck 2 and a buffet restaurant on deck 6.

 

We ate at the buffet restaurant just two times, once for breakfast, once for lunch. The food and service were okay, but we found the layout impractical. For instance, bread was at a table at one end of the buffet, butter at the salad bar on the opposite side. The chairs weren't as comfortable here compared to the MDR.

 

The restaurant on deck 2 is the main dining room. On gala nights, deck 6 was closed and all guests had to go to deck 2. On these nights, it got quite busy. Other nights, there were plenty of seats. We had a table for ourselves most times. Sometimes we'd join others, sometimes others joined us. If the swell is high, the windows get splashed by waves - quite spectacular, unless you're queasy.

 

Now, to food.

 

Compared to the big cruise lines like Carnival and NCL, the food on l'Austral is certainly better. However, don't expect Michelin star or Steak house quality. It's upscale restaurant food. I was surprised by the freshness of the ingredients, even after two weeks cruising. Also, there was good amount of variety, some days with exotic dishes like kangaroo and skate.

 

The breakfast menu stays the same each day, but it's very extensive with cereals, milk, yoghurt, juices, pastries, fresh fruit, cold meats, cheeses, salmon. The scrambled eggs are particularly good and the bread is baked fresh daily. From what I've heard, the bacon wasn't that good.

 

The lunch menu varies, with a different theme each day. You can get a (rather large) main course during lunch, that we skipped in favor of the salad bar (and the dessert bar). Both breakfast and lunch are buffet style, even in the MDR.

 

Special requests were dealt with swiftly. For example, one lunch time my wife asked if she could get an omelet. No problem. Our waiter asked the chef and it was ready in 5 minutes.

 

Dinner in MDR was at 8PM, on deck 6 at 7:30PM. Quite late for our internal clock, but we had to go with the flow. Dinner menu is 4 courses, with three or four choices of starters, entrees and desserts. Steak and hamburger were offered daily, other items varied. I had the steak twice but I didn't like it very much, somehow my interpretation of medium well is different to that of most chefs. Other entrees were good to very good, albeit a bit low on vegetables. We compensated by having a large salad at lunch.

 

The desserts were absolutely delicious, the real star of the meal. The pastry chef provided us with many delectable treats. One of our favorite desserts was Lemon ice cream with vodka, and there wasn't a day we had a bad dessert. Yum, yum, yum.

 

Wine (red, white, rosé) and mineral water is included, coffee and tea are complementary as well. If you don't like wine, you can get a soda like coke or 7up at no charge, but only at meal times (if you order soda at the bar, you have to pay --unless you've got an open bar account).

 

*** Clientele ***

 

Compagnie du Ponant is French, so expect the primary language on board to be French (unless the vessel is chartered by an American or Chinese TA). On this sailing, there were 179 passengers, 75% French and 25% other (UK, Australia, USA, Germany, Belgium, Hong Kong). On the previous sailing, only 25% was French so YMMV. All crew and staff spoke English, so there was never a language barrier, nor were non-French speakers treated differently.

 

We got along fine with most pax and said our bonjours and bonsoirs, but, on occasion, the French could be quite rude. For instance, there were announcements over the PA during dinner, first in French, then in English. French pax were quiet during the announcement in French, but when the announcement was repeated in English, they resumed their conversations, at a loud level. Shushing did not help.

 

Age profile. I'd say more than 75% was over 60 years old. In our early 40s, were one of the youngest people on board. Given that this was primarily an expedition cruise, we were surprised to see quite a few passengers that had difficulty walking (some had to use a cane, one was even in a wheelchair). Prior to this cruise, each passenger had to provide a medical form signed by their personal physician. How a doctor could have declared these people fit enough to participate is beyond us. On the other hand, the staff were very helpful and did everything they could to accommodate these passengers. On a few occasions, the landings were too rough for those with special needs and this was specifically mentioned in the announcements.

 

*** Dress code ***

 

Casual during the day, casual at regular dining. There were 3 gala nights, where I saw a couple of suits and the odd tuxedo. No elaborate dresses for the ladies, like we see on Caribbean cruises, but many had upscale tops and dress pants/skirts.

 

We had brought dress pants and shirts/blouses for the more upscale dinners and never felt underdressed. If you can, bring something stylish. If you can't, here's the best tip I read on the boards: ladies, bring a shawl. It makes your outfit look more sophisticated in an instant.

 

*** Naturalists & Lectures ***

 

Naturalists/Guides:

We had a very capable team of 10 naturalists/guides. The team was an interesting mix, some with PhD's in biology, physics and history, some general naturalists, some with a tourism background. They were all passionate about Antarctica and always ready to answer questions. Tip: you can sign up for 'dinner with a naturalist' at reception.

 

Lectures:

There were one of two lectures each day, about all things Antarctica. Many were about animals, but there were also lectures on history and exploration. There was even a lecture about the ship itself and the green technology that is used to reduce environmental impact.

 

Most lectures were given both in French and English (not simulaneously). Several, however, were only given in French. Some naturalists, while capable of speaking English, were not comfortable giving their lectures in this language. This was too bad, because some of their lectures were very interesting, like zootherapy (animal-assisted therapy) and scuba diving. I understand French well enough to attend these lectures, but most of the English-speaking passengers missed out.

 

*** Safety ***

 

Briefings were thorough and clear. The expedition crew, both on the ship and on shore, was highly capable. Of course, they'd been doing this for the past three months and everyone knew exactly what to do by now.

 

There was one emergency during one of the excursions and I got to see how well prepared and trained the team was. In their shore kit they had a stretcher, thermal blankets and probably lots of other equipment. With clearly practiced coordination, they got the passenger into a zodiac and back to the ship. After that, they went right back into their routine of unloading other passengers from the zodiacs. Very professional.

 

A further note about safety: we had a second captain on board, Jean-Philippe Lemaire (recognized from the Discovery Channel documentary). With over 10 years of polar experience, he was our ice pilot in Antarctic waters (as mentioned in Ponant's FAQ http://en.ponant.com/FAQ#q105). We also learned that beneath the Antarctic Convergence, two crew members had to be on permanent watch for icebergs and growlers. Should something slip through, you'll be pleased to know the ship is equipped with a 1C Ice Class reinforced hull.

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*** Drake passage ***

 

We got pounded. Departure was delayed to avoid the very worst of it, but we still had 30-35 ft waves and howling 50-knot winds from the West (10 Beaufort) for at least 24 hours. The ship's doctor was swamped with sick passengers as more than half the ship was incapacitated because of severe seasickness. We were wearing scopoderm patches and we were VERY glad we did.

 

A huge wave hit the starboard side at 6AM and knocked all balcony dividers on our deck clean out of their locks. They had to fix it with rope, as the steel locking mechanism had broken. That's the force of the ocean for you. We later learned that this was the worst weather the captain had ever experienced on this ship. He'd stayed on the bridge two days straight to keep an eye on things and ensure safe sailing.

 

There's an upside to high winds: lots of birds. We spent many hours watching (and photographing) the Petrels, Prions and Albatrosses that were following the ship.

 

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Also that day was the mandatory vacuuming of clothes, camera bags and backpacks. For this, housekeeping had provided several vacuum cleaners in the main lounge. Cleaning is an IAATO regulation (http://iaato.org/dont-pack-a-pest), intended to keep non-native species out of Antarctica.

 

On the next day, at the end of the afternoon, the seas subsided, the skies cleared and we got a glimpse of things to come. A big tabular iceberg, with dramatic features resembling a medieval castle, appeared on the horizon. All guests were called on deck to observe this beautiful spectacle. (This was not the first iceberg of the trip. We'd spotted one several hours earlier when we were bird watching. Remembering the competition that was announced in the daily program, we phoned the bridge and won a bottle of champagne!)

 

The next morning, we were in Antarctica.

 

*** Antarctica ***

 

I awoke at 5 am. The ship was still moving and I opened the curtain a little to see if I could see land. In the dawn light, the first thing I saw was a whale fluke about 50 yards from the ship. There were snow-capped mountains, patches of ice in the water, even little icebergs. What a sight! Needless to say, we didn't go back to sleep. We dressed warmly and went out on the chilly observation deck.

 

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Speaking of cold, I'll make a little sidestep to:

*** Polar Dress code ***

 

First off all, it isn't *that* cold, but you'll have dress well nonetheless. Consider the wind chill factor. In 0 C/32 F, a gentle breeze will make it feel like -8 C/18 F. Add to that the ship sailing at 10 knots, or a zodiac ride at 15 knots and you'll understand why you'll need to cover up.

 

We had our parkas provided by the ship. These kept spray water and wind out and kept us warm. We also received life jackets - not the big orange ones that you wear at muster drill, but compact, self-inflating red ones.

 

For excursions, we dressed as follows:

Head: Polartech buff, beanie, UV cat 3 sunglasses.

Upper body: thermal motorbike shirt, polyester long sleeve t-shirt (or short sleeve, depending on the type of excursion), fleece sweater.

Lower body: thermal underwear, ski/snowboard pants.

Hands: silk liners, waterproof gloves (I used Aquatech gloves that made it easier to operate my camera.

Feet: thin polyester trekking socks, Smartwool heavy trekking socks.

Boots: we couldn't rent our boots (long story), so we brought our own. They were Spirale winter boots with fleece lining. We bought them back home at an outdoor/agricultural store and they performed nicely. Warm, comfortable and non-slip profile soles. Also quite cheap, just EUR 30/$40.

 

Needless to say, we were never cold. More importantly, we were never too warm, either! (Except for the Falklands, but that's not Antarctica).

 

Most clothing we'd bought at a discount sport store, even at our local supermarket, at bargain prices. We don't plan on wearing them that often, so why bother buying expensive brands? My gloves were the most expensive item at EUR 59/$ 50.

 

So, now we're dressed, we can do:

 

*** Shore excursions/expeditions ***

 

Depending on the location, there was zodiac cruising or a (wet) landing. Some days we had one landing, other days two.

 

In order to comply with IAATO regulations, only 100 passengers at a time are allowed on shore in Antarctica. For this, passengers were split into color groups, three French, one English. Two groups would go first, the other groups 1 to 1.5 hours later. When necessary, CD Capucine made sure there'd be just English-speaking passengers on the zodiacs.

 

Time of departure was clearly mentioned in the daily program, on TV screens next to reception and on the cruise info channel in your stateroom TV. About 15 prior to excursion time, CD Capucine made an announcement on the PA (in cabins as well) to make your way to the Grand Salon and kit up. We'd walk fully dressed, but with boots in our hands, to the back of the ship.

 

In the Grand Salon, the chairs were rearranged in rows alongside the so passengers could sit and put on their boots and do some last adjustments to clothing. Then, we'd wait outside on deck 3 before going down to the marina on deck 2. When we'd go ashore, we had to decontaminate our boots - by stepping through a large tray with detergent - before getting into the zodiac.

 

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When returning to the ship, we cleaned your boots using the brush stations. Before going back inside, we removed your boots (chairs and bootjacks available) and then we went into the main lounge. Immediately you're back in the cocoon of luxury, with live piano music and comfy seats. Another nice touch: "a broth is served to warm hands", which meant there was a big bowl of soup, different every day. In the afternoon they had warm drink like coffee (with a dash of liqueur), hot chocolate, even grog.

 

There was a recap at the end of each day, highlighting some of the things we'd seen. There would also be a briefing for the next day, if there were excursions scheduled.

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*** Day by day ***

 

I'll give a brief overview of the stops and sights. Keep in mind the experience and wildlife sightings can vary greatly, depending on weather, ice/sea conditions and animal behavior.

 

Feb 21

Morning: Paradise Bay, zodiac cruise in Skontorp Cove. Scenery: Argentine base, cliffs, ice. Wildlife: Gentoo penguins, Blue-Eyed Shags, Kelp Gulls, Weddell seals.

Late morning: Cruising. Bonus wildlife: 2 pods of Orcas, Orca attack & confirmed kill. Best Orca encounter ever in 6 years for our marine biologist.

Afternoon: (continental) landing in Neko Harbor. Scenery: rocky beach, glacier. Wildlife: Gentoo penguins, Skuas, Weddell Seals. Bonus: pod of 15 Minke Whales, backlit by glorious sunset.

 

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Feb 22

Morning: Wilhelmina Bay. Landing on ice floe, followed by zodiac cruise. Scenery: pristine ice floe. Wildlife: Leopard and Weddell seals.

Early afternoon: Neumayer Channel. Cruise only. Scenery: fjord-like passage through mountains. Very windy. Wildlife: none observed.

Late afternoon: landing in Port Lockroy, then adjacent Jougla Point. Scenery: English base (museum & shop), gentle slope. Wildlife: Gentoo penguins, Sheathbills.

 

Feb 23

Morning: zodiac cruise Pléneau (iceberg graveyard) followed by landing at Port Charcot. Scenery: icebergs, then sheltered bay. Wildlife: Gentoo & Adelie penguins.

Late morning: Lemaire Channel, cruise only. Scenery: spectacular. Steep cliffs and an iceberg-filled passage. Wildlife: one or two whales.

Afternoon: Dallmann Bay, cruise only. Scenery: wide bay surrounded by mountains. Wildlife: 30+ Humpback Whales in various groups. Observed one group bubble-net feeding. One mother & calf came within 10 m/30 ft of the ship. Best whale sighting ever in 6 years for our marine biologist.

 

Feb 24

Early morning (6AM): Deception Island. Landing at Baily Head. Scenery: volcanic black sand beach. Wildlife: large Chinstrap penguin colony, Giant Petrels (attacking Chinstrap penguins), Fur seals. Bonus: thick fog creating a mesmerising atmosphere.

Mid morning: Deception Island. Landing at Whalers Bay. Scenery: black sand beach, caldera, derelict whaling base. Wildlife: Fur seals.

Late afternoon: landing at Hannah Point, Livingston Island. Hike to Walker Bay. Scenery: volcanic cliffs, sand, rocks. Wildlife: Gentoo and chinstrap penguins, groups of very smelly Elephant seals, a few Fur seals. Plants: the only 2 vascular plants in Antarctica. Bonus: fossils (trees and ferns), dating back 170 million years.

 

Feb 25

Morning: Antarctic Sound. Cruising past several large tabular icebergs. Scenery: half mile wide icebergs. Wildlife: penguins in the water.

 

Mid-morning: landing at Gourdin Island. Scenery: rocky coastline. Hike uphill to nice panoramic view. Wildlife: Gentoo, Chinstrap & Adelie penguins, Sheathbills, Skuas (feeding on a fresh kill) and Fur seals.

Afternoon: (continental) landing at Brown Bluff. Scenery: rocky beach, little icebergs in the surf, sheer cliffs, some snow, glacier. Wildlife: Gentoo penguins, a few Adelie penguins, Sheathbills, Skuas, Fur seals.

 

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Feb 26

Morning: Point Wild, Elephant Island. Zodiac cruising. Scenery: snow-capped mountains, rocks, glaciers. Wildlife: Chinstrap penguins, Fur seals and Leopard seals. Bonus: close up view of the statue of Luis Pardo, captain of the Chilean steam tug Yelcho which rescued the 22 stranded crewmen of Shackleton's expedition from this very spot in August 1916.

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At noon, we headed North, onto the Drake Passage. This time, it was much more manageable with only 4 m/12 ft waves. We had one and a half sea days before we arrived on:

 

*** Falkland Islands ***

 

Feb 28

Morning: Stanley. Free-time port call with tender to harbor. We visited the museum (a mile away, but there was a complementary shuttle), a couple of stores and enjoyed walking through town. Note: your cell phone will probably not work here. We spoke to various passengers, but no one seemed to be able to get on the network. Something to do with roaming agreements.

Afternoon: landing at Volunteer Point. Scenery: wonderful 3 km/2 mile sandy beach, which we had to hike the full length of to get to the penguin colonies. Wildlife: Gentoo and King penguins. Bonus: King penguins had eggs and recently hatched chicks.

 

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Mar 1

Morning: landing at Saunders Island. Scenery: "The Neck", a narrow waist of open dune and sand flats between two hills. Wildlife: Gentoo, King, Rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, Elephant seal (juvenile), Striated Caracara, Dolphin Gull, Oystercatchers, Falkland Steamer Ducks. (A superb site. We were the last ones off the island and they practically had to drag us into the zodiac.)

Afternoon: landing at New Island. Scenery: hike from a sandy bay to the formidable coastline of cliffs on the West side. Wildlife: Black-browed Albatross (chicks on nest), Rockhopper Penguins, Striated Caracaras, Blue-eyed Shags (with large chicks). Bonus: feral cats (thankfully, not too near the chicks).

 

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With that, the excursions had finished. L'Austral set sail for Montevideo.

 

*** Final sea days ***

There were more lectures and lots of time to relax. Also, a good time to catalog the photos we took and pick out the best ones.

 

Surprisingly, the farewell gala dinner was held on the first of the final three sea days. During his speech, the captain told us why: we were heading into a storm. Not as heavy as the Drake Passage on the first days, but with big waves nonetheless. He'd judged - correctly - that the passengers would be more comfortable having their cocktails and dinner while the sea was still calm.

 

We were quite unexpectedly invited at the captain's table on the final gala night, a real treat. At 42 years, we were among the youngest English-speaking couples on board, and the captain told us he'd want a young table. On the two previous gala nights he had older, French guests (probably repeating guests). We had a very good time talking with the Captain and our fellow tablemates, and the evening went very fast indeed. We received a signed copy of the menu as a souvenir.

 

The next day, the storm was upon us. Because we were heading North and the wind and waves were coming from the South, we were not as affected by the waves as in the Drake Passage, where they'd come from the West. Even though the waves were 6 m/20 ft, it didn't feel uncomfortable. Both our patches had run out days before, but we didn't get seasick at all. The storm lasted almost two days, but as we were nearing the end of the voyage, the seas calmed.

 

On the last afternoon, there was a cocktail party on the aft pool deck. We arrived in Montevideo almost half a day early, at 10PM in the evening, and spent the final night on board docked in the harbor.

 

*** The End, almost ***

 

Disembarkation was easy. We were asked to place our bags outside our cabin before 7AM, had a last breakfast in the MDR. Getting off the ship was a memorable experience. Goodbyes from CD and captain, then the entire expedition team was on shore at the end of the gangway. We thanked each of them personally. Then we collected our luggage and grabbed a taxi to our hotel.

 

About Montevideo: we had an extra night in this city, but we'd rather flown straight home. The city is not that interesting, especially after an adventure like we had.

 

Final note:

*** Photography ***

Protect your camera during zodiac rides! Even zipped up inside a camera bag it won't be safe, as one unlucky couple found out. On a particularly choppy sea, a splash of water got in the bag and fried the electronics. We had rainsleeves (OP/Tech) that kept cameras dry while keeping them operable even in rain/spray. For added protection we'd 'borrowed' a laundry bag.

 

Tip: if you see the ship's photographer and videographer during a landing, stay close to them. They know the area and the animals, and they'll pick out nice spots for their photos. Observe and learn!

 

It's been said many times: bring as much storage as you can, then double it. We met someone who had to delete photos taken earlier in the trip to accommodate for new ones. We had two Nikon D90 cameras, each with 32GB SDHC cards. On the jpg+raw setting (raw because you might want to edit the white balance), we'd get about 1.800 photos on a 32GB card. During the 2 hour whale encounter at Dallmann Bay, I set the camera on high speed motor drive, taking 7 shots per second. That adds up quickly. Some days, we would take 1000 (yes, one thousand) photos. At the end of each day, I'd copy the photos to my laptop and save a backup on an external hard drive. In total, we had about 10.750 photos - a little over 150GB.

 

*** The End, really ***

 

This review has given a fair and detailed impression of our trip. Photos or words can't describe Antarctica, though. If you like cruising and if you love nature, you have to get out there and experience it for yourself. I can recommend a nice ship or two :D.

 

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This is the one of the three or four most useful reviews I've read on Cruise Critic, and I've been coming here over a year. Thank you so very much for posting it--it's descriptive work like this that are the real gems of the Internet.

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Thanks for taking the time to do such a detailed review and post those great photos. Having returned from a Jan/Feb trip on the Nat Geo Explorer, your statement that "Photos or words can't describe Antarctica" is exactly what we've told our friends. I am still going thru my own photos (I came back with around 7,000) and plan to post a review, but looking at your pics was a great reminder of the fantastic adventure we just had. Thanks!

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How do you get 1000 photos a day, even with burst mode on flying birds?

 

I have a Canon 7D which does burst mode, and I used it on flying birds extensively, but only only on them, whales, dolphins, and penguins in or jumping into water.

 

On my 21 day trip I took 1477 photos. Of those about 150 were deleted

right after taking as absolute failures (i.e. sky only, no bird, or carpet only.)

After culling and processing, I just checked my jpeg folder (the camera saves raw only) and find 150 pictures. There are lots more good ones from

Miami (where I stayed a day), the Everglades, Buenos Aires (two days) and the park outside Ushuaia, but they are redundant and would bore people.

 

I checked other recent vacations and find: Panama (1 week) 499,

Borneo (18 days) 1170 plus 20 minutes video

 

What is on those 1000 frames per day? What fraction has something

(e.g. a bird) on it? How many pictures do you take inside the ship?

I took very few, just a few to show the ship and some of the staff and

some of New Year's Eve goings-on.

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We were instructed to stay five yards away from the wildlife, but some of the sheathbills, penguins, and seals were complete jerks about the rule and they'd just walk right up to me and start playing with my boots, rolling on my dry bag, or inspecting my folding chair. Talk about a complete violation of personal space. An absolute outrage, and I was taking about 5-10 pictures a minute to present as evidence as part of my plan to demand a refund.

 

I took 13,000 snaps in three weeks. Half were complete crap, and half of the rest were effectively duplicates. I'm still happily sifting the rest.

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Dutch, thank you for such a detailed review! I adore all the logistical details...knowing these before I even book allows me to know what questions to ask and what qualities to seek in a journey. I figure by this time next year I will need to book a berth on one of these ships- I'm learning quickly that there is not much any one of the expedition teams on any of these vessels can do that would "ruin" this amazing experience, so choosing will become nitpicking among tiny differences!

Your photos are lovely, but your advice about what to wear//bring/ expect are also so helpful!

 

I enjoy kayaking, but don't enjoy wet exits in cold water ( I kayak in Maine, so I understand the danger the cold presents in a very short period ( minutes!) of time, and how changeable the weather can get in a hurry, and I really don't enjoy myself if I am fearful, maybe the hiking and zodiac excursions are best for us!:eek:

 

Shawnino, we had some of those animals who had clearly not brushed up on National Park rules our Galapagos trip too. My dad always jokes when we see some animal in the wild demonstrating uncharacteristic behavior " well, they don't read the guidebooks!"

My favorite was in Botswana, where a wild dog had been left behind by her pack ( no one knows why, injury?) and instead joined a black back jackal pack- I witnessed the alpha jackal and the wild dog resting together after a hunt and a meal while the rest of the jackal pack ate after them. Seemed none of them had heard they weren't supposed to form a mixed pack, they just went with it because it worked for them both!:D

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I enjoy kayaking, but don't enjoy wet exits in cold water ( I kayak in Maine, so I understand the danger the cold presents in a very short period ( minutes!) of time, and how changeable the weather can get in a hurry, and I really don't enjoy myself if I am fearful, maybe the hiking and zodiac excursions are best for us!:eek:

 

 

The kayaks used on the Nat Geo Explorer are pretty much turnover proof, and they don't let anyone out kayaking unless the conditions are suitable...

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How do you get 1000 photos a day, even with burst mode on flying birds?

 

I have a Canon 7D which does burst mode, and I used it on flying birds extensively, but only only on them, whales, dolphins, and penguins in or jumping into water.

 

On my 21 day trip I took 1477 photos. Of those about 150 were deleted

right after taking as absolute failures (i.e. sky only, no bird, or carpet only.)

After culling and processing, I just checked my jpeg folder (the camera saves raw only) and find 150 pictures. There are lots more good ones from

Miami (where I stayed a day), the Everglades, Buenos Aires (two days) and the park outside Ushuaia, but they are redundant and would bore people.

 

I checked other recent vacations and find: Panama (1 week) 499,

Borneo (18 days) 1170 plus 20 minutes video

 

What is on those 1000 frames per day? What fraction has something

(e.g. a bird) on it? How many pictures do you take inside the ship?

I took very few, just a few to show the ship and some of the staff and

some of New Year's Eve goings-on.

 

Everyone is different.

 

Some people took less than me - others took far more.

 

For me a "light" photo day just at sea with no landings was 50 to 100 shots and a landing day of 14 hours on the continent was 1000 to 2000.

 

I did 2 30 day voyages and came home with over 10,000 shots from each. Plus videos.

 

I took many in and around the ship itself, many of the ship from above in the helicopters, tonnes of my fellow passengers on board and on landings (as we all shared afterwards any shots we had of each other), and tonnes of landscapes, waterscapes, creatures etc.

 

I value every single one of my shots and look at them regularly to reabsorb my trips.

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Dutch Diver....great review. Thank you. We are going Jan 14 on different cruise line. I don't feel so bad with the number of photos I take. Question re lenses you used. Great photos...what lenses did you use? I'd rather not take a heavy lense. Thanks.

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Thanks everyone for the kind words. I had a great time on this cruise and writing the review made me relive these fond memories.

 

As for the amount of photos. Yes, >10.000 may sound excessive, but keep in mind this is (probably) a once in a lifetime trip. About 10% of my photos is very good, 10% really bad, and the rest is in between. Applying the law of numbers, if I take more photos, more of them will be good. Why take 2 photos when you can take 20? or 50? It's not as if you can run out of 35mm film anymore. JMHO and YMMV. :D

 

Question re lenses you used. Great photos...what lenses did you use? I'd rather not take a heavy lense. Thanks.

 

For the close-ups, I use my trusty 4-year-old Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II (1390g/49.0 oz). Just prior to this trip I bought a Sigma 2x TeleConverter. I didn't have to use it with penguins because they would be very close. For birds and seals, the 2x addition was very useful.

 

0547+2c+DSC_1925.jpg

 

For wide-angle shots, I have a Tamron 18-270MM F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD. A great travel lens, light (450 g/0.99 lb) and versatile. It can even take decent zoom photos, but I used it mostly for wide to medium. We used it also to get a couple of 'making of' photos.

 

0605+1b+_DSC2871.jpg

 

Antarctica542.jpg

 

Incidentally, these photos show the flagrant disregard of the five yard distance rule by some of the local penguin population. You have been warned. :)

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...what lenses did you use? I'd rather not take a heavy lense...

 

When we did Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands a year ago my most used lens was my Sigma 150-500. The lens was heavy at 1.91kg, but without it I would have missed the opportunity of taking a lot of my best images. Transferring it from time-to-time from my Canon 5D Mark III to my Canon 60D gave me an effective 240-800 range and allowed me to get in even closer which was especially useful on the ship.

 

I now have a Sigma 50-500 which is slightly heavier at 1.97kg but it will be going to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands with us next year. The 'inconvenience' of the weight is far outweighed by the opportunities it offers.

 

You may wish to consider whether you want to take a heavy lens and get some really special images, or a lighter lens and return home disappointed.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dutch Diver,

 

Thank you for the very detailed review (I will be going to Antarctica to Ponant next year).

 

At the end of your trip, at what time was your flight from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires? When would you recommend booking return flights from BA (same day, day after, etc.)?

 

Thanks very much,

Alessandro

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At the end of your trip, at what time was your flight from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires? When would you recommend booking return flights from BA (same day, day after, etc.)?

 

We did not go back to Ushuaia, we finished in Montevideo. (I did mention that in the review, right? ;))

 

As for return flights, if you haven't had a chance to check Ushuaia out before the cruise, you may want to stay a couple of days. As for Montevideo, we'd rather have flown straight back home.

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As for return flights, if you haven't had a chance to check Ushuaia out before the cruise, you may want to stay a couple of days. As for Montevideo, we'd rather have flown straight back home.

 

Oddly enough, our experience has been the opposite of that. We've been to Ushuaia a couple of times and found it, and its surroundings, totally devoid of anything of interest whilst Montevideo was fascinating. Each to their own!

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At the end of your trip, at what time was your flight from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires? When would you recommend booking return flights from BA (same day, day after, etc.)?

Delays in crossing Drake Passage and arriving into Ushuaia are quite possible, as are delays on the flight north. It's recommended that you don't arrange to fly out of Buenos Aires until the day after your scheduled Ushuaia - Buenos Aires flight.

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Re: flights: I won't re-hash our crap charter flights nor the exact details of the chaos surrounding our aeroport listings here (they are in my reviews on the Lindblad board...) but one thing I would add is to nail down what aeroport your charter lands at going from Ushuaia back to BA and then what aeroport your outbound leaves from. AEP and EZE, depending on traffic, are anywhere from 30-90 minutes away from each other.

 

We did have people on our trip who thought they had a leisurely three-to-four hours' grace to make a connection--the charter was late arriving, they had an aeroport switch they didn't know about, and... kablooey.

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one thing I would add is to nail down what aeroport your charter lands at going from Ushuaia back to BA and then what aeroport your outbound leaves from. AEP and EZE, depending on traffic, are anywhere from 30-90 minutes away from each other.

 

Very good point.

 

We had an overnight stay between flights and our TA had booked us in an airport hotel at EZE. When the flight documents arrived (just a week before departure), I noticed the charter left from AEP. TA had not seen this. On my instigation, they were able to switch hotels, otherwise we'd have had a really short night.

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My cruise was not involved with charter flights, but we were repeatedly

warned that the airlines have been known to change airports for a

flight on zero notice. That means you go to AEP, check in, get to gate,

its time to board, they announce the plane is at EZE, you go to

baggage claim, get bags, meet bus, etc. It apparently actually

happened to one cruise on that boat in 2011. That was not a charter.

 

I admit i'm paranoid. I used to get physically ill when involved with

scheduled airlines. I'm better now, but I still plan on at least 3 hour

connections in the USA, preferably four. For my antarctic cruise

I had to stay two nights in Miami (visiting Everglades on the whole day),

three nights in Buenos Aires, and two nights in Ushuaia on the way down.

On the way back I was not so worried, but connections were such that I

actually had to stay a night in Buenos Aires and one in Miami, there

was no avoiding it (without an impossibly tight (less than one hour) connection in Chicago, usually resulting in taking a very very late bus from Chicago to home).

 

 

Doug McDonald

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My cruise was not involved with charter flights, but we were repeatedly

warned that the airlines have been known to change airports for a

flight on zero notice. That means you go to AEP, check in, get to gate,

its time to board, they announce the plane is at EZE, you go to

baggage claim, get bags, meet bus, etc. It apparently actually

happened to one cruise on that boat in 2011. That was not a charter.

 

 

Wow. That takes the cake.

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