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Roald Amundsen has started on the first Antarctic Cruise of the Season


AlanCruise
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On 12/18/2021 at 11:27 AM, Bizmark'sMom said:

The weather was much warmer than I expected it to be. 

Pilling on the questions...

 

How warm were the rooms/interior of the ship kept? We tend to like it on the cooler side, so would like to know if they have it dialed up or not.

 

Also do you happen to remember that brand the shampoo/conditioner products were?

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I do not remember the brand of the shampoo. But it really was good. My hair is thick and coarse. My SIL's hair is fine. We were both happy with the onboard toiletries.

 

The interior of the ship is definitely on the warmer side.  With my air conditioner in my cabin as cool as it would go, I slept on top of the covers most nights.

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On 12/15/2021 at 2:55 AM, CraigShanklin said:

This is Craig…I’m on board the Roald Amundsen now (2nd cruise of the season) and happy to answer any questions. We only have 179 pax on board.

Hi,

Can you comment on the current cruise a little, please?  We are trying to live vicariously still. 
also, there have been several questions that haven’t been answered since you boarded.  
I hope you are having a great time!

Gaylee

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On 12/9/2021 at 9:56 PM, DemExplorers said:

This is my first post.  I cannot figure out how to do a reply.  
We are scheduled for January 11th.  I’m interested in more packing advice. I know snow pants and goggles for landings and comfortable clothes on board…and good books. 
How is the jacket?  What other layers do you recommend?

How are the boots?  Do they grip well or is there lots of slipping and twisted knees?

 

I saw that most dining tables are small. Often the dinner table is where friendships happen.  Did you interact and make friends on board. 

 

I look forward to every post and hope someone takes over for the next couple cruises.  Thank you so much for sharing!

Gaylee

Hello…I’m on the Amundsen now and will try to help..

one pair of rain pants (Columbia, REI, North Face is all you need)

the jacket is very nice…professional quality but not insulated…It is a wind/rain blocker layer 

the boots they loan you are excellent…good fit and warm. We wore 2 to 4 layers under that jacket.

Unlike most cruises, dining tables are small…2 or 4 people with a few larger options. Because the number of guests is so low…179 on ours…it is easy to make friendships

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On 12/15/2021 at 9:04 PM, Greg and Betsy said:

Hi

 

my friend and I are on the 1-28/22 cruise. We have a couple of questions. 
 

we arrive into Santiago the night before the cruise boarding. Do we do anything with H that day? 
 

what does the day we board the ship look like? When do we leave the hotel, how long in the airport before the flight and what if anything can we do in Puerto Arenas? 
 

when we were in Puerto Arenas in 2020 ( just before Covid broke) we took a great boat trip to an island and saw penguins. I would like to do this again if possible. 
 

What does  the last day look like? Arrival times into Santiago? We leave this day at 1030 pm. 
 

how cold abs wet has it been? Rain, snow, getting wet from riding in the zodiacs? 
 

thanks for your help. We are really looking forward to cruise. 
 

Betsy 

I am on the Amundsen now and will try to help…

 

The day of flying from Santiago to Punta Arenas is tough…a 3:30am wake up, meet in lobby at 4:30am, etc. It all works but it is a VERY early day. No time in Punta Arenas. Just a bus direct from charter flight to the ship…and another COVID test.

 

if you arrive the day before, H has a desk to check into at the hotel.

 

It has been cold but with layers very comfortable.With your waterproof layers you won’t get wet.we made snow men on deck yesterday! Yes it snows! It has been perfect.

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On 12/26/2021 at 3:24 PM, cruiseboy243 said:

Anyone who is on the ship now, were you able to make landfall on the Falkland Islands?

Yes, we just got back to Punta Arenas this morning from the Amundsen and had three fantastic landings in the Falklands. We had been focused on Antarctica but the Falklands were a real highlight of the trip. The wildlife and birds were incredible. We were not allowed to go to Stanley (Chilean rule) but we didn’t really mind.

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On 12/25/2021 at 9:53 PM, Flintchem said:

Enjoying everyone's comments about onboard life and experiences! We are booked for the Christmas cruise next year on the Fram. Did they do anything special for Christmas?

We just got off the Amundsen’s holiday cruise and it was well done. Lots of little Christmas touches, events and decorations but not over the top. The focus was not on it being Christmas but it was celebrated in small ways throughout the cruise.

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Hello.
 Is anyone from the current cruise going to take over the reporting duties?

 

Can you tell If there are more issues with testing at the airport than the earlier cruises?

 

How many passengers onboard this time?

 

Do the boots have good traction on the ice?

 

What do people wear over bathing suits going to the outdoor pools?

Thanks, 

Gaylee

 

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10 hours ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

For those whose cruise is over - how many days in Antarctica did you actually get off the ship?

We got off 7 or 8 times as I recall. There is not a set schedule. Most were landings but a few were long rides in a Zodiac scenic cruising. It was just about right.

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4 hours ago, DemExplorers said:

Hello.
 Is anyone from the current cruise going to take over the reporting duties?

 

Can you tell If there are more issues with testing at the airport than the earlier cruises?

 

How many passengers onboard this time?

 

Do the boots have good traction on the ice?

 

What do people wear over bathing suits going to the outdoor pools?

Thanks, 

Gaylee

 

People wore a bathrobe (sullied in our cabin) when going to teh spa, pool or jacuzzi.

 

The boots had great traction and were high quality. Take time when selecting your boots to get the right size...not to big. You will spend a lot of time in the boots including some long hikes so be sure they fit properly.

 

We had 179 pax on board during last week's cruise, Not sure about now. It was great having so few. It would have felt different with 500.

 

We flew from Santiago yesterday and the procedures appeared unchanged at the airport. Very efficient and professional. However be sure to have all your paperwork and have completed all the Chilean forms. 40 people were turned away by Chile on the first cruise and 14 on our our cruise were denied entry into the country.

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4 hours ago, CraigShanklin said:

People wore a bathrobe (sullied in our cabin) when going to teh spa, pool or jacuzzi.

 

The boots had great traction and were high quality. Take time when selecting your boots to get the right size...not to big. You will spend a lot of time in the boots including some long hikes so be sure they fit properly.

 

We had 179 pax on board during last week's cruise, Not sure about now. It was great having so few. It would have felt different with 500.

 

We flew from Santiago yesterday and the procedures appeared unchanged at the airport. Very efficient and professional. However be sure to have all your paperwork and have completed all the Chilean forms. 40 people were turned away by Chile on the first cruise and 14 on our our cruise were denied entry into the country.

Typo...It should say ...bathrobe (provided in our cabin) when going to the spa, pool or jacuzzi.

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6 hours ago, TravelGal20 said:

It is disconcerting the number of people turned away from Chile.  Do you know if they were able to get refunds or credit for their trip from Hurtigruten?  Thanks.

I don't have any idea on refunds. If turned away by Chile because you didn't complete the paperwork properly may not be a Hurtigruten issue.

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Anyone on board right now who can report about the current situation on Roald Amundsen? Several CoVid-cases ( 4 passengers and some crew) have been reported to be on board . ( serious media reports!)  Passengers isolated in their cabins - hopefully with a balcony!) . It seems like a very stressful situation in a place like Antarctica even if I'm sure it's handled as well as possible.

It's getting rather obvious in my opinion that this Omicron strain is so contagious ( clever little virus 🥶...) that it's able to escape even the strict testing done before boarding.

A few hours ago I read about 2/3 of a number of scientists sitting in their Antarctica station affected, fortunately with mild symptoms and still bravely working on.

I sincerely hope the situation will get better worldwide - for all of us cruising enthusiasts, of course as well.

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21 hours ago, movin12 said:

Do you know why they were denied entry?  What paperwork was missing?

I don't have any specific information on that. All I know is that they were denied entry upon arriving at the airport. Perhaps they did not complete the Chilean Mobility Pass ahead of time or didn't have sufficient health insurance coverage ($30K)

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7 hours ago, grayjay said:

Anyone on board right now who can report about the current situation on Roald Amundsen? Several CoVid-cases ( 4 passengers and some crew) have been reported to be on board . ( serious media reports!)  Passengers isolated in their cabins - hopefully with a balcony!) . It seems like a very stressful situation in a place like Antarctica even if I'm sure it's handled as well as possible.

It's getting rather obvious in my opinion that this Omicron strain is so contagious ( clever little virus 🥶...) that it's able to escape even the strict testing done before boarding.

A few hours ago I read about 2/3 of a number of scientists sitting in their Antarctica station affected, fortunately with mild symptoms and still bravely working on.

I sincerely hope the situation will get better worldwide - for all of us cruising enthusiasts, of course as well.

That is surprising that there are active cases on board considering the VERY strict protocol to even get on board. Where did you hear that?

 

I know that on our cruise last week, they had guest rooms (on deck 4) set up to handle potential quarantine of anyone sick. These rooms had special air filtration, everything wrapped in plastic, etc. However, they were not needed on our cruise, other than one was used as the onboard testing lab for onboard Covid tests.

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13 minutes ago, CraigShanklin said:

That is surprising that there are active cases on board considering the VERY strict protocol to even get on board. Where did you hear that?

 

I know that on our cruise last week, they had guest rooms (on deck 4) set up to handle potential quarantine of anyone sick. These rooms had special air filtration, everything wrapped in plastic, etc. However, they were not needed on our cruise, other than one was used as the onboard testing lab for onboard Covid tests.

Yes, I would be interested to know where grayjay heard this.  “Serious media reports”, I can’t find any news on this.  I hope it won’t affect the Jan. 11th cruise.

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