Hurtigruten's Fram on way to Antarctica for 2014/2015 Season

[MMDown Under]

The last entry in Fram's blog shows that the ship is in the Cape Verde Islands, en route to Buenos Aires.

 

Has anyone visited these islands off the west coast of Africa?

[MMDown Under]

Our December cruise on MV Fram exceeded our expectations, in every way. What a memorable itinerary, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica, plus Buenos Aires. I now understand why so many cruisers, who planned a one time trip of a lifetime, return for further visits, despite the cost. Viewing unbelievable numbers of wildlife, spectacular scenery, together with experienced MV Fram staff and interesting fellow passengers from 17 countries - this cruise had it all.

[azcruise]

Our December cruise on MV Fram exceeded our expectations, in every way. What a memorable itinerary, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica, plus Buenos Aires. I now understand why so many cruisers, who planned a one time trip of a lifetime, return for further visits, despite the cost. Viewing unbelievable numbers of wildlife, spectacular scenery, together with experienced MV Fram staff and interesting fellow passengers from 17 countries - this cruise had it all.

It is so good to hear you enjoyed it so much. We go in less than 3 weeks! I have read everything I can find, and am really excited. I was wondering if you can tell me what you and the other passengers wore on the ship - for meals, etc. Hurtigruten suggests a jacket for the first and last dinners, but we were hoping not to have to pack extras. What was your favorite part? Anything you would recommend in BA? Our TA tells us we should get our travel documents next week. We bought an unspecified cabin, and are hoping to get our cabin assignment, as well.

[SarniaLo]

I was three times aboard MS Fram (twice in Antarctica and once in Svalbard). The atmosphere is very relaxed on board, I never changed from my "daily" clothes (= the one I have to go outside) to go to the meals. You are just required to leave your outer coat at the entrance of the restaurant. You really don't need to pack a formal jacket. Pack clothes for the "exploration" side of the trip (for cold/windy weather) and you'll be fine.

[azcruise]

Thank you very much. That is what I had hoped, and it will make packing much easier. We do a lot of backpacking, so we have a good supply of layers!

[MMDown Under]

It is so good to hear you enjoyed it so much. We go in less than 3 weeks! I have read everything I can find, and am really excited. I was wondering if you can tell me what you and the other passengers wore on the ship - for meals, etc. Hurtigruten suggests a jacket for the first and last dinners, but we were hoping not to have to pack extras. What was your favorite part? Anything you would recommend in BA? Our TA tells us we should get our travel documents next week. We bought an unspecified cabin, and are hoping to get our cabin assignment, as well.

 

You must be excited now, with your cruise so close.

 

I agree that a jacket is unnecessary. You are allocated a table for nights when dinner is served only. The rest of the meals and buffet dinners, when there is not early and late sittings, you can sit anywhere. As our table dressed more, in dressy casual, for these evenings, so did we, but you didn't have to.

 

The whole cruise was special, however the wildlife was the star attraction.

 

PS Take Vicks or Tiger Balm (for the smell).

 

How long are you staying in BA? It has wonderful museums, art galleries, parks and gardens (Japanese Gardens and Rosedal).

[digitl]

I was wondering if you can tell me what you and the other passengers wore on the ship - for meals, etc. Hurtigruten suggests a jacket for the first and last dinners, but we were hoping not to have to pack extras.

 

There's no need for a jacket. It's all casual. We usually didn't change out of what we had been wearing around the ship.

 

Anything you would recommend in BA?

 

A tango show! There are several different styles but if you you want a free lesson try Complejo Tango.

 

If you want to take a guided tour then Predro Werberg (http://www.amigodebuenosaires.com/) is excellent.

[eggydreams]

Hi azcruise,

I am looking forward to hearing about your trip. We are about to make a deposit for the Nov. 29 to Dec. 18, 2015 cruise on the MV Fram. I am hoping to figure out as well, how to pack efficiently.

 

Do you or does anyone on this thread know if the ship will stow suitcases? Or is this truly a light packing opportunity? :)

[digitl]

Do you or does anyone on this thread know if the ship will stow suitcases? Or is this truly a light packing opportunity?

 

We have always emptied our suitcases into the wardrobe and shelving, then stored the empty suitcases in the space underneath the TV shelf. We have never asked for the crew to store them for us but they're really helpful and I doubt they would say 'No'.

 

As for 'light packing', on our last trip we were hitting limits with enough for five weeks away including the Galapagos Islands and Rio as well as Antarctica!

Edited January 13, 2015 by digitl

[eggydreams]

Wow! 5 weeks. I can't imagine it, especially with the diverse climates you traveled.

 

Were you in a suite or a standard 2-bunk room?

[digitl]

Standard cabin on deck 3...

[eggydreams]

Thanks. That is what we've booked.

[digitl]

Thanks. That is what we've booked.

 

It's all you need (and there's a lot less movement midships on deck 3 when the sea state gets 'interesting')!

 

Most of our time was spent out of the cabin and on deck*, on a landing*, in a lecture, in the top deck lounge or in the dining room. The cabin was for charging batteries, backing up memory cards, sleeping, getting changed or showering.

 

* mainly these two!

[eggydreams]

Thanks! Did you by chance use the internet on board? I see the area designated as such and am curious about how expensive it is.

[digitl]

Thanks! Did you by chance use the internet on board? I see the area designated as such and am curious about how expensive it is.

 

We did, but it's not always available as the satellite isn't always visible from so far south. It can also be slow, so it's best to use it when everyone is doing something else like eating or sleeping. The cost isn't too bad and buying more minutes as a single package reduces it a little. I found it useful to write all my emails before I logged on and then they would be sent in the minimum time. I also put any mailing lists I was on on hold while we were away to avoid having to download too many unimportant emails. On our next trip I will ask anyone who might need to contact us with something important to use a separate email account and correspond using just that one.

 

A word of warning: you must remember to log off when you have finished each session otherwise your time will continue to run until it's all used up!

 

All that said, we were too busy to use email too much.

[eggydreams]

Great! Sounds better than trying to use Holland America internet. :P

 

Hopefully he will let go of the world and enjoy the experience. I just wanted to be assured that I could contact my kids and mom (84) while away.

 

Thanks again!

[azcruise]

We are now only 10 days from flying to BA, and we finally got our documents, such as they are, from H.

 

They didn't answer some questions, and tell me I will get the information from the hospitality desk at the Hotel Emperador, so I am asking some of you that have travelled recently!

 

We didn't book airfare via Hurtigruten (2x price), and we also booked the Emperador directly, saving about 1/3 of the price that H was asking.

 

What time did the flight to Ushuaia leave? They say we will find out the night before, but if I have to book a car, I would like to do it before I leave.

 

Did you use the H transfer to the AEP airport in BA, or did you do it yourself?

 

Did you take the optional excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park? Was it worth the price? Did you go the TFNP on your own? Did you just hang out in Ushuaia? How did you get to the port if you didn't take the tour?

 

On the return, it sounds like you only get the transfer to the Ushuaia airport from the Fram if you book it through H - is that the case? Did you take the additional excursion?

 

I hope these don't sound negative - I am a planner, and there seems to be a lot of unknowns for being only a short time before the trip. We have booked an unspecified outside cabin, and don't expect to get the assignment until we board.

 

Thank you in advance for any enlightenment!

 

Jan and Mike

[MacWiz]

>> Did you use the H transfer to the AEP airport in BA, or did you do it yourself?>>

 

We're staying at the Emperador too although we let H arrange our stays (2 nights pre-cruise, 1 night post-cruise.) When we got our travel docs, we noticed they did NOT include the transfer to/from the domestic airport for the flights to/from Ushuaia. I called H directly (we had booked with them directly) and asked about the transfers. Through H, they're $66/pp each way. We went ahead and booked them through H just for the convenience of having it all done. Within a day, we received a new itinerary and travel docs showing these transfers. We arranged our own transfers to/from the Emerador and the international airport for when we arrive/leave BA. We arranged those through Viator.

 

>> Did you take the optional excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park? Was it worth the price? Did you go the TFNP on your own? Did you just hang out in Ushuaia? How did you get to the port if you didn't take the tour? >>

 

We decided against the Tierra del Fuego National Park tour in favor of just spending a few hours in Ushuaia wandering the streets. We've never been there before and decided we'd like to experience that town a little rather than being rushed through the national park tour. Based on the forums on TripAdvisor, that tour, when taken as part of the transfer from BA to U, is VERY rushed. We're hoping for a nice day in U to just walk around and stretch our legs before boarding the Fram.

 

>>On the return, it sounds like you only get the transfer to the Ushuaia airport from the Fram if you book it through H - is that the case? Did you take the additional excursion? >>

 

We booked the cruise and hotel in BA directly through H. Our booking included the transfers in Ushuaia between the airport and pier and were listed in our initial travel docs. We did nothing special to request them. We decided to not do a tour in U post cruise. Hopefully, the flight from U to BA will not involve an all day wait in U for the post-cruise excursions to complete. We want to get back to BA ASAP to have a few extra hours there before returning to the US.

[eggydreams]

Hi there,

We are going on the 11/30/15 sailing with H. I was told that I had no option but to have them arrange our hotel in BA, the flights to/from Ushuaia, and the transfers from the hotel in BA to the airport, and the Ushuaia transfers as well. I inquired about doing all of this on our own and lowering the cost of the trip. They said that the price was fixed regardless of whether we used those services. Did any of you experience this response as well?

 

I am getting very excited about the trip. Can anyone who has done this tell me if their boots are comfortable? A friend has offered to give me her boots which she used on a similar trip. I suspect they will be heavy and big to pack. Thoughts?

[azcruise]

Thanks for the reply, MacWiz. Looks like you will be getting on when we get off! We will try to leave her in good shape! We are probably going to skip the TFNP trip as well, and wander around U. We just weren't sure of logistics of getting to pier, since I read in someone's comments that we had to arrive with the group for embarkation.

 

We booked via at TA, not H, and they are trying to get answers. Mostly I would like to know the flight time from BA to U, so I can make arrangements. The car service we are using to get from EZE to the Emperador quoted $25 US to get from the hotel to AEP - for the car, not per person...

 

Eggydreams - we are doing (or attempting to) do the end bits own our own - H provides the flight from BA to U, but we booked the hotel by ourselves - about $160 a night, with breakfast optional for an extra $20pp for the one day we will be there for breakfast. I don't remember what our TA quoted from H, but it was a lot more.

 

I will make a post either from BA or when we get back mid February and will outline the logistics part of the experience!

[digitl]

What time did the flight to Ushuaia leave? They say we will find out the night before, but if I have to book a car, I would like to do it before I leave.

 

The flight leaves early in the morning and there will almost certainly be two. From memory, I think ours was ~06:00. You will be given details of your particular flight by the reps at the Emperador on the afternoon before you leave. We asked our hotel the night before to arrange a taxi for us. It cost ~AR$56.

 

Did you use the H transfer to the AEP airport in BA, or did you do it yourself?

 

The arrangements for each of our trips were slightly different. On the first trip, Hurtigruten included a pre-cruise night at the Emperador and the Emperador - AEP transfer was included. On our second trip the pre-cruise night and transfer were not included so we arranged the taxi I referred to above.

 

Did you take the optional excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park? Was it worth the price? Did you go the TFNP on your own? Did you just hang out in Ushuaia? How did you get to the port if you didn't take the tour?

 

We have done the tour twice and have been underwhelmed both times. We won't be taking it on our next trip. Others did enjoy it. It depends on what you want to see and your expectations.

 

If you don't take the National Park tour you are taken on a 'city tour' and then dropped off next to the port. Your luggage remains on the coach and you are free to do as you wish until you return to the coach at the time you are given. You are then driven into the port to board Fram. It's not possible to walk into the port to board Fram, you have to be driven in.

 

On the return, it sounds like you only get the transfer to the Ushuaia airport from the Fram if you book it through H - is that the case? Did you take the additional excursion?

 

The Fram - Ushuaia Airport is, in our experience, included in the basic package. At this stage of the trip we have taken the opportunity to have another wander around Ushuaia until the coach leaves for the airport.

 

I hope these don't sound negative - I am a planner, and there seems to be a lot of unknowns for being only a short time before the trip.

 

I, too, am a planner and like to know exactly what to expect but be reassured, Hurtigruten will answer all of your questions at the Emperador: they have done all of this many times and it works.

 

You will have a superb trip!

[digitl]

Can anyone who has done this tell me if their boots are comfortable?

 

The boots are very comfortable.

[azcruise]

Thank you so much! I really thought we would get more details with the trip documents, but there isn't anything that wasn't on the web.

 

I think we will skip the tour in U and do a wander about on our own. We are hikers and enjoy walking, and love seeing new places. It sounds like we will just book a taxi from the hotel once we know which flight and the time.

 

Did anyone recently take alcohol on board? We know they say no, but we have heard that if you just have it in your cabin it is mostly ok. We enjoy a little whiskey in the evenings :-)

[MacWiz]

Hi azcruise,

 

How long before your trip did you (or have you) paid your Argentinian "reciprocity fees"? The website says as close to your departure date as possible. I'm thinking I'll do it a couple weeks before hand just incase there are any glitches in trying to get it done.

[azcruise]

That is exactly what I did. We did it a week ago, so 2 weeks prior. It is good for 10 years, so I saved it as a PDF as well as printing it out. I did have an issue with my credit card company refusing it, so had to do it a second time. Also, on my computer Internet Explorer 11 didn't display it right, so I used Chrome.