Quest Antarctica

[hoya68]

The Quest has a January 2024 cruise from Chile with a number of days of "Antarctic experience." Do I read the description correctly that there are no Zodiac landings in Antarctica - only cruising through the area?

[FlyingScotSailors]

No, you do not read the description correctly.

 

There will be daily zodiac landings, conditions permitting.  Since the Quest has a little over 400 passengers in Antarctica, there will usually be one landing per day, in order to comply with the 100 passengers ashore at the same time limit.  We have done other expedition cruises with two landings per day, but did not feel deprived in any way by "having" to spend time on the Quest before/after the landing, with "nothing to do" except watch the scenery and wildlife, sometimes from a hot tub with drink in hand.

[cruiseej]

@hoya68 If your focus is on the Quest ship experience and/or the other South America parts of the itinerary, no problem; you'll love it! If your focus is on Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands, you will certainly get to see them on this cruise, but you'll get to see a lot more on a smaller expedition ship where you will get twice as many landings, zodiac cruises, and opportunities to kayak. Of course, the scenery is spectacular on any ship, but the stars of this area are the wildlife you get to see up-close when you go ashore or cruise just feet from  their seaside habitats.

 

We first talked about going to Antarctica about five years ago, and it would have been on the Quest. But after talking to a lot of people (including those who had done a Quest Antarctica trip), we decided we'd rather go on a smaller ship in order to get off twice as often. (We just came back from an Antarctica/South Georgia/Falklands cruise. We ended up booking on Silversea because the Seabourn Venture was delayed, and much more expensive, at the time we were booking back three years ago pre-Covid.) We love Seabourn, and love the Quest, but I'm glad we chose to go on a ship half the size in order to do twice the number of landings. 

[hoya68]

 

Thank you for the answers. One landing a day would be fine for us.

[frantic36]

On 2/2/2023 at 4:32 AM, hoya68 said:

 

Thank you for the answers. One landing a day would be fine for us.

 

Yesterday on Quest I did an experiment getting dressed in the multiple layers...thermal, day clothes, jacket, water proof pants, socks, boots, neck scarfs, gloves & beanie. Mainly to see how long it would take and to check my waterproof pants would go over my boots. 

 

I came to the conclusion as much as I love seeing wildlife doing this once a landing per day would be fine.😄

[hoya68]

Good point!

[Mr Luxury]

3 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

Yesterday on Quest I did an experiment getting dressed in the multiple layers...thermal, day clothes, jacket, water proof pants, socks, boots, neck scarfs, gloves & beanie. Mainly to see how long it would take and to check my waterproof pants would go over my boots. 

 

I came to the conclusion as much as I love seeing wildlife doing this once a landing per day would be fine.😄

Pictures Julie,that's what your audience wants.

[frantic36]

1 hour ago, Mr Luxury said:

Pictures Julie,that's what your audience wants.

Dear Mr L,

 

Demanding soul that you are 😄. As soon as I sort out the connectivity between phone and laptop you will get your pictures.

[Mr Luxury]

2 hours ago, frantic36 said:

Dear Mr L,

 

Demanding soul that you are 😄. As soon as I sort out the connectivity between phone and laptop you will get your pictures.

Thanks Julie.

Are you going to book a cruise with New  Crystal 😉

[frantic36]

Just now, Mr Luxury said:

Thanks Julie.

Are you going to book a cruise with New  Crystal 😉

Not at this point in time, I am quite happy.

 

I think it is something in my settings on my devices not the ship's connectivity this time. I will try to get one of the IT guys to look at it for me. I have been trying airdrop etc but no luck as yet.

[Mr Luxury]

3 minutes ago, frantic36 said:

Not at this point in time, I am quite happy.

 

I think it is something in my settings on my devices not the ship's connectivity this time. I will try to get one of the IT guys to look at it for me. I have been trying airdrop etc but no luck as yet.

You teenagers are so tech savvy

[DTtravelers]

On 1/31/2023 at 2:46 PM, hoya68 said:

The Quest has a January 2024 cruise from Chile with a number of days of "Antarctic experience." Do I read the description correctly that there are no Zodiac landings in Antarctica - only cruising through the area?

 

Hi hoya68:

 

My wife and I did this trip on the Quest in 2019 from Miami to Buenos Aires and loved it.  We did not get to South Georgia so now we will just have to go back.

 

Neither Quest nor Venture or any other expedition ship has control over the weather, so the number of landings will always vary.  We were truly blessed and got to kayak 3 times and got 6 additional Zodiak trips and made 6 different landings.  But that was back in the "olden" days - this year's trip was not quite as intensive, as Venture has taken over that role.   

 

Daily logs, photos and video journals are available for all the Quest Antarctica voyages going back 10 years, including this years ongoing trip.  Venture trips are there too so you can compare.  Warning: you can spend hours there.

 

https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/experience/voyagetracker/index.html

 

A big plus for the Quest itinerary (for me anyway) is that you do not have to fly to/from Ushuaia, and there are some really interesting places to see, especially Castro, Chile and Montevideo, Uruguay.

 

Also, after you have been there, you will realize that Antarctica isn't really "check list" type of place.  I would go back in a second.

[tv24]

We had a terrific experience on the Quest in 2018. Weather allowed us to land on shore once and to have an extensive zodiac experience on another day.  Otherwise the weather was just not good enough to venture out.  But also saw lots of penguins in the Falklands.  Lots of wildlife, extraordinary views.  Plus the lovely Seabourn experience.  It was a trip of a lifetime!

[lincslady]

Maybe the OP is confusing Seabourn with some other lines with large ships, which now do just that, 'scenic cruising' round the area.