Scott & Shackleton's Antarctic - Ross Sea Expedition. Ponant Le Soleal 3rd February 2022

[auswanderers]

We are a couple from the Gold Coast, booked on this cruise from Dunedin in Feb. 2022. Have been to Antarctica twice before, Quark in 2011 and Seabourn 2017, both to the the Peninsula from Ushuaia. This will be something different and hopefully will be able to get below the Circle on this one after missing by 12kms previously and also visit the historical sites. First time on Ponant but being based from NZ it will be a different cohort of passengers. 

 

We would like to hear of others stories. Auswanderers    

[gogo65]

We are booked on the January cruise (as of last week after our Kimberley cruise was cancelled), we've also been to Antartica from Ushuaia with Ponant.

WE loved our Ponant experience (we had a large cohort of Aussies on board).

Our cruise has the back to back special, so we are also booked on the cruise before hand (7 day NZ), as it works out cheaper if we do the NZ cruise.

I’m hoping there will be no issues with NZ by January, or at least they allow vaccinated travellers in (had my second shot today)

 

[Korimako]

It's highly unlikely. Our borders are set to remain closed until - at least late 2022. And even vaccinated NZ citizens are having to do 14 days in quarantine on arrival. Also Ponant have been denied entry to NZ.

Not looking promising😢

 

[gogo65]

3 hours ago, Korimako said:

It's highly unlikely. Our borders are set to remain closed until - at least late 2022. And even vaccinated NZ citizens are having to do 14 days in quarantine on arrival. Also Ponant have been denied entry to NZ.

Not looking promising😢

 

We are both in Oz and they are only selling to Australian and NZ people.

Understand there’s a high probability it won’t go ahead but at least we will be allowed in NZ (if state borders are open).

the only hurdle will be approval for the ship to sail.

Hoping with fully vaccinated crew and passengers and no ports as such, and less than 200 passengers they may allow it as one of the first to sail.

we will wait and see…

[phoenixxx]

Can't see this going ahead sorry

[ilikeanswers]

That is a cruise I would love to do some day 🤗. I really hope it goes ahead for you. Will you be stopping at any of the sub Antarctica islands? 

[gogo65]

1 hour ago, ilikeanswers said:

That is a cruise I would love to do some day 🤗. I really hope it goes ahead for you. Will you be stopping at any of the sub Antarctica islands? 

Yes it does! Macquarie, Balleny, the Snares and Campbell island. 

[lissie]

Ponant did themselves  no favours by lying to the NZ authorities trying to bring the ship in. The once cruise company that did operate last year (and we sailed with them) was Heritage Expeditions. They were allowed to operate their NZ only cruises but not down to  Antarctica - maybe this year htough - they do similar  itineraries - but its not a luxury cruise ship 

[gogo65]

On 7/12/2021 at 6:54 PM, auswanderers said:

We are a couple from the Gold Coast, booked on this cruise from Dunedin in Feb. 2022. Have been to Antarctica twice before, Quark in 2011 and Seabourn 2017, both to the the Peninsula from Ushuaia. This will be something different and hopefully will be able to get below the Circle on this one after missing by 12kms previously and also visit the historical sites. First time on Ponant but being based from NZ it will be a different cohort of passengers. 

 

We would like to hear of others stories. Auswanderers    

Auswanderers can I ask what you have planned for travel insurance?

 

[auswanderers]

On 7/15/2021 at 5:46 PM, gogo65 said:

Auswanderers can I ask what you have planned for travel insurance?

 

We have an insurance policy through one of our credit cards that we keep open specifically for the the free Certificate of Insurance that they provide underwritten by a major company. For a cruise there is a $25 extra payment. We also pay for our trips with another credit card that also provides a fully comprehensive cover. When we researched insurance for this trip we found very few companies offering policies. 

 

We have a full policy as per "pre Covid" normal including medical evacuation and cancellation.

[gogo65]

3 hours ago, auswanderers said:

We have an insurance policy through one of our credit cards that we keep open specifically for the the free Certificate of Insurance that they provide underwritten by a major company. For a cruise there is a $25 extra payment. We also pay for our trips with another credit card that also provides a fully comprehensive cover. When we researched insurance for this trip we found very few companies offering policies. 

 

We have a full policy as per "pre Covid" normal including medical evacuation and cancellation.

We also have credit card insurance but when I’ve done polar expeditions before I’ve always bought specific insurance for it. Unable to get this at the moment.

also our credit card insurance is not valid if there is a ‘do not travel’ or ‘reconsider your need to travel’ warning, which all the world has at the moment….

hoping they will lift this restriction before we sail. 

[auswanderers]

Our certificate of insurance clearly lists Antarctica as the cruise destination. Because of Ponant's refund policy we are not worried about a pre-cruise cancellation and the costs of pre and post flights and accommodation from Aus isn't really a problem.  

[gogo65]

On 7/18/2021 at 7:10 PM, auswanderers said:

Our certificate of insurance clearly lists Antarctica as the cruise destination. Because of Ponant's refund policy we are not worried about a pre-cruise cancellation and the costs of pre and post flights and accommodation from Aus isn't really a problem.  

Yes agree, the cancellation policy is quiet generous. My main concern is if we actually get to go , and finding a policy that doesn’t stipulate you’re not covered if we still have a ‘do not travel or reconsider your need to travel’ recommendation on smart traveller. 

[auswanderers]

Oh well, like everything else this was cancelled. We have managed to book for the same cruise next year departing Dunedin 22/01/23 and disembarking Hobart 13/02/23.