17 Day Antarctic and Chilean Fjords on MS Maud

[fctravel]

Just wondering if anybody has done this expedition cruise and could post their experience?  If not that cruise, doe anyone have experience with the MS Maud in Antarctica since it was refurbished?

Thanks in advance.

[CDNPolar]

Just looked at the MS Maud video on Hurtigruten's website.  It has all the features that our ship - The Nansen - had, but a slightly different layout.  

 

To us, although you want a comfortable ship, which I believe Hurtigruten ships are, you are on this cruise for the experience not the ship.

 

Don't know if any help for you, but we sailed the Nansen and below in my signature is our YouTube Channel and you will find our Antarctica experience.

 

The Fridtjof Nansen was a very comfortable ship, and the food was great, and the crew were great, but the spectacular part of the entire voyage was the Expedition Crew.  This is why we picked Hurtigruten over others because of their history in these waters and their reviews.

 

 

[fctravel]

Thank you for replying. I have enjoyed reading your other posts about your trip and have looked at your video on YouTube. Your enjoyment of your expedition to Antarctica with Hurtigruten shines through. I have been exploring their offerings because of their reputation and their reasonable prices. I just haven't been able to find out much about MS Maud's Antarctica-specific trips or the particular expedition through the Chilean Fjords. I'm thinking this ship hasn't been in Antarctica since it became Maud although I have found some info from when it was MS Midnatsol. But as you say, it's the expeditions and the team operating them that is most important on a trip like this, so I really appreciate your enthusiasm for this aspect of Hurtigruten's expeditions. Thanks again.

[CDNPolar]

14 hours ago, fctravel said:

Thank you for replying. I have enjoyed reading your other posts about your trip and have looked at your video on YouTube. Your enjoyment of your expedition to Antarctica with Hurtigruten shines through. I have been exploring their offerings because of their reputation and their reasonable prices. I just haven't been able to find out much about MS Maud's Antarctica-specific trips or the particular expedition through the Chilean Fjords. I'm thinking this ship hasn't been in Antarctica since it became Maud although I have found some info from when it was MS Midnatsol. But as you say, it's the expeditions and the team operating them that is most important on a trip like this, so I really appreciate your enthusiasm for this aspect of Hurtigruten's expeditions. Thanks again.

 

You are welcome... and I hope you find the information that you are looking for about the Maud.  Unfortunately there is not the same activity in the Hurtigruten forum as there is for outer cruise lines and it is difficult to get direct information.

 

We used a travel agent to book this cruise that knew Hurtigruten well and also Antarctica expedition cruises.  Mostly however it was because she had a direct connection to a Hurtigruten Rep that answered all our questions.  Perhaps you can find - no sure where you are located - a TA that specializes with Hurtigruten?

 

It is about the Expedition Team, and I am certain that Hurtigruten would not skimp on this, but also look at the total number of passengers on the ship because that will have an impact on whether you land once, twice, or can do more than one excursion in a day.  Also will determine your time on land.

[jakkojakko]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norwegian-cruise-ship-remains-north-sea-following-storm-power-outage-2023-12-22/

 

With the Maud disabled on the north sea today due to a rogue wave that shattered the bridge windows and disabled the navigation system, I wouldn't feel comfortable traveling the drake in a storm. 

 

 

[CDNPolar]

On 12/22/2023 at 11:49 AM, jakkojakko said:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norwegian-cruise-ship-remains-north-sea-following-storm-power-outage-2023-12-22/

 

With the Maud disabled on the north sea today due to a rogue wave that shattered the bridge windows and disabled the navigation system, I wouldn't feel comfortable traveling the drake in a storm. 

 

 

It was not that long ago that a Viking Expedition Ship was hit with a rogue wave in the Drake Passage and cabin windows were smashed out and one passenger was killed instantly.

 

The Drake is never safe and the more tourism that is going to Antarctica, the more accidents that are going to happen.  

 

We had 11 metre waves - and those are significant.  One woman fell and broke her hip on our cruise in the Drake and we had to return to port to get her to medical attention.

 

 

[jakkojakko]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

It was not that long ago that a Viking Expedition Ship was hit with a rogue wave in the Drake Passage and cabin windows were smashed out and one passenger was killed instantly.

 

The Drake is never safe and the more tourism that is going to Antarctica, the more accidents that are going to happen.  

 

We had 11 metre waves - and those are significant.  One woman fell and broke her hip on our cruise in the Drake and we had to return to port to get her to medical attention.

 

 

 

 

True,

The point is that not every ship is equally equiped to handle rough seas. These two ships show that they are vulnerable in these conditions.