Oceania in Antarctica, do you set foot on the continent?

[clo]

2 minutes ago, Traveler67 said:

Surely, you must be wrong according to this alleged expert.  Anymore questions?

"Alleged" being the operative word. Right?

[Paulchili]

19 hours ago, clo said:

She was on holiday and was going to be in Budapest where we had been. I referred her to a restaurant there where we had the best dinner of our lives.

Just out of curiosity - which restaurant in Budapest?

[Paulchili]

Just now, Paulchili said:

Just out of curiosity - which restaurant in Budapest?

I hope you had foie gras 😀

 

[clo]

32 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Just out of curiosity - which restaurant in Budapest?

I hope you had foie gras 😀

Oh, honey child, did we ever! Twice in one meal.

 

https://www.chowhound.com/post/budapest-borkonyha-wine-kitchen-972616

 

PS: We have a third of a lobe that will be our self-isolating app for Thanksgiving!

[Paulchili]

3 hours ago, clo said:

Oh, honey child, did we ever! Twice in one meal.

 

https://www.chowhound.com/post/budapest-borkonyha-wine-kitchen-972616

 

PS: We have a third of a lobe that will be our self-isolating app for Thanksgiving!

WOW!

That’s what I look for anytime I am in Budapest.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving “turkey” 😀

Sorry for going OT.

[clo]

13 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Sorry for going OT.

Ditto.

[kathy9]

We sailed to Antarctica on SilverSeas Explorer in January 2018. Truly a trip of a lifetime! TripAdvisor has great information about planning trips to Antarctica. I see they have changed their website but here is the orginial form.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i12…

Another resourse is this website

Travel to the Poles

This website contains a list of of all the ships that sail to Antarctica and information about them.

Happy planning!

Kathy

[chengkp75]

53 minutes ago, kathy9 said:

We sailed to Antarctica on SilverSeas Explorer in January 2018. Truly a trip of a lifetime! TripAdvisor has great information about planning trips to Antarctica. I see they have changed their website but here is the orginial form.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i12…

Another resourse is this website

Travel to the Poles

This website contains a list of of all the ships that sail to Antarctica and information about them.

Happy planning!

Kathy

Unfortunately, the ice ratings mentioned in this article are now obsolete, and the vast majority of the ships on that list are no longer allowed to operate below 60*S, or above 60*N.

Edited November 22, 2020 by chengkp75

[chengkp75]

1 minute ago, chengkp75 said:

Unfortunately, the ice ratings mentioned in this article are now obsolete, and the vast majority of the ships on that list are no longer allowed to operate below 60*S, or above 60*N.

Sorry, duplicate.

Edited November 22, 2020 by chengkp75

[clo]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Unfortunately, the ice ratings mentioned in this article are now obsolete, and the vast majority of the ships on that list are no longer allowed to operate below 60*S, or above 60*N.

That's applies to the North also, doesn't it?

[kathy9]

 

 

3 hours ago, kathy9 said:

 

Travel to the Poles

This website contains a list of of all the ships that sail to Antarctica and information about them.

Kathy

 Thanks you for pointing this out. Too bad the ship information on that website has not been maintained. I know the Explorer was due to get refitted shortly after our sailing.

It is good that the regulations goverening sailing in Antarctica are followed so rigorously. Antarctica is incredible and needs to be protected.

Kathy  

[Tranquility Base]

It is being reported that Covid cases have now been found at a Chilean Antarctic base.

[clo]

2 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

It is being reported that Covid cases have now been found at a Chilean Antarctic base.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/22/covid-cases-recorded-in-antarctica-for-first-time

[1985rz1]

4 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

It is being reported that Covid cases have now been found at a Chilean Antarctic base.

It's up to 36 people at the base and another 3 on a supply vessel:

 

https://us.cnn.com/2020/12/22/world/antarctica-covid-chile-military-base-intl/index.html

[clo]

I messaged someone I know who lives and works at McMurdo Station. They had just heard about it. She said it's on the other side of the continent from them.

[CincyAL]

Research PONANT everything first class.  Make sure that your trip includes South Georgia Island.

[surfcitygirl]

I would second the above post. Ponant was fantastic. We thought we were crazy when when booked it, but after the trip felt is was worth every penny.

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, surfcitygirl said:

I would second the above post. Ponant was fantastic. We thought we were crazy when when booked it, but after the trip felt is was worth every penny.

Did you encounter any difficulties related to language.  We have thought about Ponant but our French is far from fluent.

 

Hank

[surfcitygirl]

20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Did you encounter any difficulties related to language.  We have thought about Ponant but our French is far from fluent.

 

Hank

Hank, all the announcements were made in french and english and for the zodiac excursions the passengers were grouped  according to their primary language. Most of the staff were non French speaking, but there were a few waiters that were French. Probably about 30% of the passengers were French, the rest mostly US, Australia, New Zealand with a sprinkling of many other countries. Most of the excursion team were not French speaking.

[Ride-The-Waves]

Hurtigruten Fram February 2017 R/T from Ushuaia - traveled south of the Antarctic Circle for 3 days with zodiac landings.  Fantastic trip - comparable to the 14-day safari in Tanzania and Kenya with Tauck.

 

Fram is a great ship with excellent crews - both navigation and wildlife explorers.  Booked 18 months in advance, flew MIA-USH via EZE (Buenos Aires) on Aerolineas Argentinas Business at half the price Delta was asking for the same seats on the same airplane.  Two night pre-cruise in Ushuaia provided opportunity to tour the town - nice.  Calm seas across the Drake - no issues.  Food was Norwegian and excellent.  Crew spoke English.  We made about 12-plus landings total.  Each one well managed by the crew (I had knee replacement surgery less then 3 months prior) who provided great support.  Good weather.  Take a walking stick - landings vary from gravel to rocks.  A couple of opportunities for dipping in the cold waters...  Opted out of local zodiac trips (knee).

 

For us it was a once in lifetime opportunity.  Going there and not setting foot on the continent (either a small island within Antarctic waters of the continent itself) would have been a disappointment.  Three stops at research stations - one moored so we could walk-off.  Wildlife amazing, to include killer whales trying to force penguins off ice floes as they dove under the flow pushing water across the top.

[clo]

5 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

For us it was a once in lifetime opportunity.  Going there and not setting foot on the continent (either a small island within Antarctic waters of the continent itself) would have been a disappointment.

We did Hurtigruten's Midnatsol at that time and feel the same. And I understand that it doesn't matter to some. But wow, what a trip. Bucket list indeed.

[Ride-The-Waves]

24 minutes ago, clo said:

We did Hurtigruten's Midnatsol at that time and feel the same. And I understand that it doesn't matter to some. But wow, what a trip. Bucket list indeed.

Along with an African safari to watch the Great migration and Galapagos.  We made it north of the Arctic Circle 5 years ago and sailing south of the Antarctic Circle closes that circle (pun intended).  Interestingly we saw 4 sailboats in Antarctic waters - small personal boats.

Edited January 9, 2021 by Ride-The-Waves

[CintiPam]

8 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Wildlife amazing, to include killer whales trying to force penguins off ice floes as they dove under the flow pushing water across the top.

 

 

 

 

Penguins! ❤️

[clo]

2 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

 Interestingly we saw 4 sailboats in Antarctic waters - small personal boats.

Where do you suppose they were from?

 

We were booked on a Galapagos trip for this year but canceled. We visited Kenya and Tanzania is '08 and our Norwegian coastal cruise took us across/in the Arctic Circle. We've reminded ourselves that if we never travel intl. again we've been more places than most and are grateful for those opportunities

[Ride-The-Waves]

Hearty people from around the world according to the navigation team.  There are a few companies which charter sailboats into Antacrtic waters.  Environmental rules must be followed and permission must be obtain from your country of residence (State Department for AMCITs).  Everyone is cautioned that there is no emergency assistance available.  Even for passengers on Fram we had to complete a medical check/form, get an up-check from our PCP, and go through a screening with the ship's doctor.  I would think that weather must be closely watched, especially crossing the Drake.