Anyone been on Celeberity Antartica Cruise?

[lobsterbake]

Hello,

 

We just booked a 14 night Cruise on Celeberity Infinity leaving Buenos Aires on Jan 21st 2018 and staying in an Oceanview Stateroom on 9th deck. Anyone else taken this cruise and how was your experience?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[az_tchr]

Really easy - MAGNIFICENT. Just hope you get to land in the Falklands. Weather there often makes tendering impossible. Be sure to spend some time in BA before and after your cruise to get your money's worth on your Argentine visa.

[lobsterbake]

Thanks for feedback. Really struggling on whether we should get a Veranda room but a big $$$$ difference. Any thoughts?

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

You should like it a lot.

 

Even better if you have MikeyLive and Milos Radakovich as the destination/enrichment speakers.

 

Keep in mind that these cruises are not feature 'wet foot' landings on Antarctica with zodiacs.

[ghstudio]

I think a veranda is worth the investment on this cruise....and it's a great cruise, even though you don't go ashore. Having said that, the weather is the real unknown. The falklands are subject to strong winds and a number of cruises have had to skip that stop. The seas between South America and the Antarctic can be very rough causing the cruise itinerary to change at the last minute so they can do crossings in both directions in safe waters. We had no wind in the Falklands, but we had to reroute, in fact we saw the entire Beagle channel in both directions, while we waited for the weather to clear in the Drake Passage. The captain also invited folks to the helipad while we were in the Antarctic (don't remember if it was just elites or some other criteria).

 

Book the trip and accept flexibility in the actual itinerary for the cruise. They usually get to Antarctica....

[Doctor G]

I took this cruise in February last year and highly recommend it. I would love to do it again. You have to know that the weather is very erratic. It's hot in Argentina, but gets colder as you go further South. We had a lot of fog, high winds, and rain. We were lucky enough to stop in the Falkland Islands and did a tour with Patrick Watts. It's a rugged trip across the island, but you see literally hundreds of three different types of penguins.

 

I agree with others that a cabin with a balcony is worth the extra money. While sailing through Antarctica, it is very cold and windy. We had snow one day; enough that the crew built a snowman (small one) by the pool. It was nice to be able to stay outside for awhile and then jump back in the cabin to get warm. There are good views from the upper deck lounge, but if you are not there really early you won't be able to get a seat with a view. Also the windows were fogged which impeded the view. You can, of course, be out on the open decks. But if your experience is like mine, you will be chased inside periodically. Maybe not if you are used to this type of weather!

 

I also agree that Buenos Aires is a wonderful place to spend a few days. I don't know your time or resource limitations, but we took a tour to Iguazu Falls. It is a 2 hour flight from Buenos Aires. It's one of the most amazing waterfalls in the world, much larger than Niagara Falls.

 

I hope you have a wonderful experience. This was one of my favorite cruises, and I'd go again in a heartbeat.

 

Carolyn

[msmardell]

We were on the 2/1/15 cruise and got very blessed by the weather. we made every port, Drakes passage was not rough. We also did the Patrick Watt's tour and highly recommend it I loved seeing all of the penguins especially the Kings.

It was nice to be able to go in and out on our balcony to warm up when need. We also went to Iguazu Falls and loved it, only spent one night there trying to save and really regretted it we wished we had spent at least 2 nights.

Hope you have a great cruise.

[GottaKnowWhen]

Hello,

 

We just booked a 14 night Cruise on Celeberity Infinity leaving Buenos Aires on Jan 21st 2018 and staying in an Oceanview Stateroom on 9th deck. Anyone else taken this cruise and how was your experience?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

 

There is an ongoing discussion at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2332741

so I won't repeat what I and others have said there. That topic is an around-the-Horn trip but my posts and those of several others do provide insights on travel in that region in general.

 

See my full review of our Feb 2015 Celebrity Antarctica cruise here:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=503280&et_cid=2183449&et_rid=138704681&et_referrer=Boards

Go and enjoy! Surf's up!

 

Edited March 26, 2016 by GottaKnowWhen

[GottaKnowWhen]

Really easy - MAGNIFICENT. Just hope you get to land in the Falklands. Weather there often makes tendering impossible. Be sure to spend some time in BA before and after your cruise to get your money's worth on your Argentine visa.

 

The reciprocity fee was suspended as of yesterday. So the cost of the visa is way way down! In any case, do spend time in BA and elsewhere in Argentina before and after.

[GottaKnowWhen]

Thanks for feedback. Really struggling on whether we should get a Veranda room but a big $$$$ difference. Any thoughts?

 

We have only cruised with a balcony. Many of my sea bird, whale, seal/sea lion and penguin sightings on this trip were from our balcony. But we spent the bulk of our at-sea and Antarctica time on deck. Cold and windy sometimes, but quite manageable. If you are generally comfortable with an OV, then I wouldn't change for this trip.

[Briansbrain]

We have only cruised with a balcony. Many of my sea bird, whale, seal/sea lion and penguin sightings on this trip were from our balcony. But we spent the bulk of our at-sea and Antarctica time on deck. Cold and windy sometimes, but quite manageable. If you are generally comfortable with an OV, then I wouldn't change for this trip.

 

We went 2014, we couldn't go to to Elephant Island because of a storm approaching, instead we circled an island which had a sunken crater, name escapes me. Lots of whales, and penguins. They say the Drake Passage is either quake or Lake and when we saw the Pacific Atlantic convergence , it was a lake. We could actually see! The oceans meet! We also went on the Patrick Watts tour of the Falklands, which is a highlight of the whole cruise. Puerto Madryn was okay, but it makes for a lot of bus time, definitely take the boat tour out to the island at Usuhaia. We stayed at a B and B in the town of Iguazu, The Lazy Iguana. It is a taxi ride in and out of the park, but it was fun to experience the town and the local restaurants. Be prepared for heat and sun, and then cold, wind, and rain. Go!

[San Diego Mike]

We were on the 2/1/15 cruise and got very blessed by the weather. we made every port, Drakes passage was not rough. We also did the Patrick Watt's tour and highly recommend it I loved seeing all of the penguins especially the Kings.

It was nice to be able to go in and out on our balcony to warm up when need. We also went to Iguazu Falls and loved it, only spent one night there trying to save and really regretted it we wished we had spent at least 2 nights.

Hope you have a great cruise.

My wife and I agree, it was the best cruise we have taken so far. It was magical. The seas calm, the views spectacular, the crew wonderful. Everything worked out so nice, the crew was calling it the Golden Cruise. Do get a veranda. You can bundle up and watch all the activity from your balcony, and when you get cold, pop back in your room to warm up. Patrick Watt's tour was the high-lite of our trip! He books up fast, so don't wait too late. The drive to the point to see the penguins is brutal, but it is so worth it when you get there and see all the penguins. Again it was a wonderful experience...

[gogo65]

The reciprocity fee was suspended as of yesterday. So the cost of the visa is way way down! In any case, do spend time in BA and elsewhere in Argentina before and after.

 

Just to clarify this was for US citizens, the OP may not be from the US

[shipshape sam]

We had a balcony, BUT I would take an Oceanview vs NOT GOING.

 

Once you get to Antartica, you will want a 360 degree view and top decks give you that. We also had some great shots of penguins on iceberg from deck 4 I think as we cruised by.

 

Wishing you a great cruise! :)

[SPacificbound]

We were on Infinity for 3 two week cruises Feb-March 2015, the middle cruise was Antarctica.

 

We did make the Falkland Islands.

 

Saw more penguins of different types than I ever expected.

 

Seas were pretty rough in places going around the horn, but have had worse.

 

We had a balcony which was really helpful.

 

If at all possible, while you are in Argentina go to Iguazu Falls. Very short flight from Buenos Aires. Magnificent.http://www.iguazuargentina.com/en/

[ECCruise]

The only advice I can give is that with the price of these "drive-by" cruises (almost $12000 for an AQ), I have to recommend that you check the prices of expedition cruises to Antarctica. They are a completely different experience when you can actually put your feet on the continent (we did 12 landings in 5 days on the Peninsula including one on an berg). Are they pricey? Yes. But is the experience once-in-a-lifetime? Absolutely.

[Turtles06]

The only advice I can give is that with the price of these "drive-by" cruises (almost $12000 for an AQ), I have to recommend that you check the prices of expedition cruises to Antarctica. They are a completely different experience when you can actually put your feet on the continent (we did 12 landings in 5 days on the Peninsula including one on an berg). Are they pricey? Yes. But is the experience once-in-a-lifetime? Absolutely.

 

$12,000? I agree -- if anyone is paying anything remotely like that for a "drive by" (are they really?), they should be considering an expedition trip.

 

(Thanks to my generous aunt, we had the privilege of going on one. If anyone is interested in more info, please see my detailed photo journal linked in my signature.)

[ptrpanpens]

I am booked on that cruise in one of the new ocean view cabins aft on deck 3. (Cabins 3112-3144). These have huge picture windows almost as large as the balcony doors. And They were about $2,000 pp cheaper than vrrandas. Because I travel solo, this was a huge savings for me.

 

Furthermore, there is a chance that you will be able to upgrade after final payment if prices go down like they did this year. On my SA round the horn cruise in January, I was offered an upgrade from OV cat6 to veranda 2A cabin 3 weeks before sailing for $400 (single occupancy.) i was even able to choose the cabin. So I ended up with a $6,000 cabin with a large balcony for $3,800 when all was said and done.

 

I usually book veranda or above but when there is a very large difference I choose the lowest category I can live with to make sure I get onboard and hope for the upgrade fairy. Usually I get lucky but I don't count on it. Also, you must be flexible about your upgraded cabin or it wont work for you.

 

I was able to do alot with the $2,000+ I saved.:D

[Host Jazzbeau]

I'm glad that there are choices like these "drive by" cruises as well as expedition. My wife and I are active but we know our limits -- one of which is tolerance for cold. I had thought we couldn't do Antarctica at all until reading this thread. The Celebrity itinerary would be perfect for us, especially with the Iguazu Falls add-on. Too bad the most desirable cabins sell out so quickly. I have made a note to start checking in early December for the 2019 launch dates.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Host Jazzbeau
corrected year

[cl.klink]

We're doing this cruise in 2017 I an aft veranda. I think we have Milos Radakovich on board because some excursions are branded with his name. Does this mean he's the onboard speaker and also leads these excursions with his name? Sounds worth sign up for, yes? Anyone done it?

 

- Joel

[Northern Aurora]

In 2015 we were B2B2B on the Infinity with the first leg being the February 15th Antarctic cruise. So Doctor G (hello Carolyn) and GottaKnowWhen were on the same cruise too. We enjoyed that South American cruise series so much that we are repeating the second two legs in 2017, and would repeat the Antarctic cruise too if it was offered prior to the March 2017 cruises. My avid (but not obsessive) birder husband was extremely pleased with the birding on that cruise.

 

cl.link: We've been on several cruises with Milos and he was on all three legs of our 2015 series. We didn't do any ship sponsored excursions, so have no idea if he lead any excursions. But he did a lecture series, and also provided commentary.

[GottaKnowWhen]

I'm glad that there are choices like these "drive by" cruises as well as expedition. My wife and I are active but we know our limits -- one of which is tolerance for cold. I had thought we couldn't do Antarctica at all until reading this thread. The Celebrity itinerary would be perfect for us, especially with the Iguazu Falls add-on. Too bad the most desirable cabins sell out so quickly. I have made a note to start checking in early December for the 2019 launch dates.

 

We booked our Feb 1 2015 cruise on Dec 7 or 8, 2014. So, 6-7 weeks out. Concierge #8054. It was our first Celebrity cruise and we were quite pleased with the stateroom. Not aft, not a suite, but nice enough.

[GottaKnowWhen]

We're doing this cruise in 2017 I an aft veranda. I think we have Milos Radakovich on board because some excursions are branded with his name. Does this mean he's the onboard speaker and also leads these excursions with his name? Sounds worth sign up for, yes? Anyone done it?

 

- Joel

 

Milos does occasionally host excursions. But I don't know that he will be back on Infinity in 2017 - I understand he will likely be switching over to the Millennium in a month or so and who knows if/when he switches back. What you are seeing may be a typical Celebrity laxity in updating material on their website. And I agree that having Milos as speaker and/or excursion leader would be a great plus for any cruise. But this Antarctica cruise has a lot else to offer!

[onlybyland]

I took this cruise a couple of years ago, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Take plenty of layers, not for the cold, but for the windchill! It will be windy!

 

To get good pictures from the ship you will need a camera with good zoom. Something like a Canon PowerShot SX60 HS Digital, will not be too bulky for the amount of zoom it gives you.

 

Have a great trip and enjoy the onboard food.

 

Antarctica Cruise

[rn1414]

We took this cruise a couple of years ago, as well. Like others have said, weather plays a big role on this cruise, but it's part of the adventure! We had a balcony on deck 11, but anywhere on the ship will be good, sense you will probably spend a lot of time up top.

 

Lots of great memories - penguins, icebergs, and a snowball fight around the pool!