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Antarctica - Small Ship Expedition

2552phxcrzr

By 2552phxcrzr,
in Antarctica

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diebroke

diebroke

Posted
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Although you addressed your question to H2SO4 & I am certain she wll have excellent advice, I thought I would throw in my 2 cents.

A website associated with our cruise offered a fine pair of boots for $125. My wife & I couldn't imagine ever wearing them again so we went with cheaper options. I paid $50 for a pair of wellie type boots at REI and my wife paid $15 for a pair at Walmart. We made lots of shore excursions, did lots of walking - up & down in snow, ice, & rocks, and both of us were always comfortable in them. Our trip was early December and temperatures were mid 20s to mid 30s. If we had it to do over, I would have gotten the $15 Walmart boots too instead of the $50 pair.

 

Having invested so little, we also had no problem leaving our guano scented boots behind for someone else and making room in our suitcases for our purchases.

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maztoz

maztoz

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We're booked on the Corinthian II, January '09. The trip is exactly 2 weeks, right at our anniversary. Our schedules wouldn't allow anything longer. Booked through Polarcruises. About an hour ago I received this great shot from one of my trip organizers, Sharon. She just got back last week from the Peninsula, lucky thing. I emailed her about the boot issue too.

I use rubber boots all the time in my big garden and pond, so purchasing a decent pair is no biggie.... but I'd hate to try walking 2-3 miles in the heavy clunkers I currently own!

One mile I could handle.

Thanks a million. Advice accepted gratefully!

 

http://*****.com/2quygs :D

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maztoz

maztoz

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Hey there Diebroke. Every two cent contribution adds up!

 

I have 3 pair of those Walmart boots in various stages of decrepitude. They are a bear to walk in over any distance, that's why I was asking H2so4 her opinion. But leaving them behind sounds like a pretty darn good plan! We shall see....

Foot comfort is a priority. Please pipe in anytime :)

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maztoz

maztoz

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So, you're a Rock Star on Fodor's too ?? Thank you SO MUCH! I haven't looked anywhere but here at C.C. for reviews. Guess I'll have to post to Philbill's thread to encourage further info.

Our direct flight Houston to B.A. is one of the reasons we booked the Corinthian II package. A few "all inclusive" trips leave from Santiago (a pain for us), and frankly, after reading your report, we wanted to go with the group from B.A. to Ush. Our timing is so tight, no way we can get to Ush a day early.

We're big fans of the Windstar ships and Celebrity's Xpedition, so we both wanted no more than 100 passengers. My husband demanded "comfy" and the open bar sealed the deal for him. I'll admit I'm looking forward to those Chilean reds at dinner too :D

Plus the Polar Cruises people are just so darned nice!

I had an interesting discussion with our Captain on the trip we took last month. He was familiar with the Corinthian and encouraged us to give her a go.

Erin, if you come across anything else, please post it here. Wish you guys were coming with us, wanna go again?

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2552phxcrzr

2552phxcrzr

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Maztoz - wish we could go with you. It's certainly not a a lack of "wanting" that is keeping us from returning to Antarctica. Having booked a small ship, I'm sure you can appreciate the cost involved!!!!! But, we definitely plan to go back - although we may have to wait until after retirement as I want to do the circumnavigation next time.

 

Until that dream becomes a reality, we have the polar bears in Churchill (Nov '08) and Peru (spring '09) to look forward to. Somewhere in there, we want to also go to the Galapagos - have not decided whether we'll do it with Lindblad or Xpedition yet. Do you by any chance have a review of your Xpedition cruise (and/or photos) that you'd be willing to share?

 

As for Fodor's - I post a lot of suggestions there for people to come here because there is so much more cruise info here, but every once in a while you do get some interesting cruise tidbits there as well.

 

I'll definitely post here if I come across anything else that might be of interest.

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maztoz

maztoz

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Oh yes, we have pictures :rolleyes:

We took about 4,000. Although they are not all online, I'd be happy to send you the 4 DVD's we made for our octogenarian parents. I've only loaded about 100 shots so far to the web album.

 

http://*****.com/yumtsp

 

If you give me a mailing address I could send you the "show" set to music! We had a fantastic time. Xpedition was great. One of our new buddies reviewed the trip on C.C. His screen name is russg140 and you'll find the review under Xpedition reviews I imagine... September 12 or 13 maybe ???

Holler if you can't locate it and i'll find the link.

 

I know what you mean about the fares!! It was a giant decision to do Antarctica before retirement, and we'll have to forego 2 other trips to "make it so".... but my knees are going fast and we were afraid to wait too long. We plan to do the Arctic in '10 or '11. Full report please, on that trip.

Peru... fuggetaboutit :( The altitude made me miserable in Quito. Machu Pichu is officially off the list I'm afraid. I did the acetazolamide and the coca tea and still felt awful. Such a wuss. I get headaches in Denver.

We've got our sights on New Zealand now, thanks to that same Captain from the Costa Rica trip last month. He was a birder too, a "Twitcher" the Ziwi's call 'em... just like us. His pictures were unbelievable.

Anyway, let me know on the Galapagos.

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  • 3 years later...
  • 2 weeks later...
nomoss

nomoss

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Hi,

 

I have spent quite some time on this forum and have not been able to find my answer(s). I hope any of you will let me ask you for your input.

 

I have shortlisted the Silver Explorer and the National Geographic for our Antarctica cruise this December, I would like to get input on which to choose.

 

Thanks

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2552phxcrzr

2552phxcrzr

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Have not been on NatGeo ships; did Silver Explorer in the Arctic in July of this year. Was very pleased overall ... certainly much more luxurious than the ship we went to the Antarctic on in 2007. Good expedition team ... there were a lot of repeat passengers who had been to the Antarctic on the Silver Explorer ... and they raved about the experience. If I were to go back to the Antarctic (as I hope to do someday), I'd seriously consider the Silver Explorer, but only if I couldn't find a ship with less than 100 pax. For me, being able to go on landings and zodiac cruises without having to wait turns would far outweigh any other consideration (except safety and ice rating).

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scapel

scapel

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I think the wrap around glasses are important - there really is lots of glare on sunny days. We found relatively inexpensive ones at REI - I want to say they weren't more than $20-25. Make sure you get some anti-fog wipes to use with these glasses.

 

I thought I would make a comment on glasses. I had the automatic dimming things. They got so dark I couldn't see. Don't wear those. Use regular glasses and put snow goggles over them. Appaently not only glare darkens the automatic dimming glasses but so does cold. Protect your nose also.

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nomoss

nomoss

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Have not been on NatGeo ships; did Silver Explorer in the Arctic in July of this year. Was very pleased overall ... certainly much more luxurious than the ship we went to the Antarctic on in 2007. Good expedition team ... there were a lot of repeat passengers who had been to the Antarctic on the Silver Explorer ... and they raved about the experience. If I were to go back to the Antarctic (as I hope to do someday), I'd seriously consider the Silver Explorer, but only if I couldn't find a ship with less than 100 pax. For me, being able to go on landings and zodiac cruises without having to wait turns would far outweigh any other consideration (except safety and ice rating).

 

Thanks H2SO4. So, do you rate the Silver Explorer well on safety, ice rating, reliability, etc.? I am inclined towards the bigger ships because of stability (and whatever luxury possible, especially for our kids). Also, do you have any comments on their food, variety and flexibility in food choices (vegetarian)? Sorry if this sounds so trivial, but I guess it may be important when you are ship-bound for a majority of the time (and for 10-12 days).

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scapel

scapel

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H2So4

Your report prompted me to put just a short note on a trip Nov. –Dec. 2009

I had always wanted to go to Antarctica and was planning a trip when one ship sank after hitting an iceberg. No loss of life, but my wife said I should not go because it was too dangerous. She would not go. A couple of years went by and time cures a lot so I brought up the subject again and she agreed I should get it out of my system. She did not go with me. This was the most spectacular trip I had ever taken. I seem to want to do it again as I am reading this thread.

We had done the beautiful horn cruise before and had visited Argentina twice in the past. We had a Drake Lake around The Horn on to Ushuaia and the Falklands on our previous trips.

I found a trip that used the Professor Multanovskiy (P-M) and the tour started in Punta Arenas, Chile. I flew to Punta Arenas with private arrangements and met the tour. Our first night was in a hotel where we got our boot sizes and lectures on how to board and disembark the Zodiacs.

The next morning we were scheduled to leave PA at 8:00AM but got a call at 6:00 AM stating we should hurry since we had a weather window to make. We were allowed to bring suitcases to PA but would store them in the hotel and travel with only a duffle bag.

In the process of hurrying to pack my cheap duffle bag the zipper developed a 6 inch tear. I used the ever present duct tape for temporary repair and then aboard used the clinic with a needle holder, forceps and suture to repair the tear. Past surgical experience helped since the doctor on board said he couldn’t repair it.

We flew from Punta Arenas to Frei Chilean base on King George Island over the 600 mile Drake putting on our boots on the BAE-short runway take off plane, so when we landed we would be walking in the “snice” (My term for the snow ice). Flight was around 2 hours.

We boarded the Professor Multanovskiy (P-M) via Zodiacs and our luggage was delivered the same way.

The P-M is the sister ship of H2So4’s ship. It had a capacity of 48 but we only had 25 and used only one of the dining rooms. We had three passengers from the U.S including me. We wished each other Happy Thanksgiving. Others were from Australia, Japan, Spain, Argentina, Netherlands, Israel, Greece, England, Italy and a few others.

I had found Scopace by this time and took some with me using it only once when the crew used the term “The ship will move tonight”. I originally thought they were stating we were moving from one position to the other. Not so—

Branfield strait crossing was a full gale. I wanted to go up to the bridge to take videos of the ship riding the waves, but feared I would be thrown around. One passenger was thrown against a rail and broke a rib and another was literally thrown out of a chair on to another table. My bunk was crossways so while things were sliding around in the cabin, I simply would slide to the head of the bunk and then back down to the foot. Scopace is what I took when I realized what “the ship will move” meant. One tablet of Scopace last about 6 hours.

 

I found the best clothes to wear for the Zodiacs would be two pairs of socks, one the liner type with wool outer, gel insoles, long silks, blue jeans and over that a plain rain pants part of a rain suit. The top was silk undershirt, wool shirt, and down jacket with hood. I used a baseball cap (with string attached to prevent loss with wind). The baseball cap keeps the hood from sliding down over the eyes and also keeps sprinkles off the glasses.

I had insulated hunting pants, but found the rain suit pants better for water protection in the zodiac. I would bring two pair in case one broke a catch.

I had a waterproof camera bag, but even though it saved me when we hit a wave in the Zodiac, I think I could have just as easily protected my cameras under my large down jacket. (Be sure it is big enough). When the Zodiac slows down for pictures, just get the camera out from under the jacket and put it back when the Zodiac is running.

I’m going to use the waterproof camera bag to shoot video while running some rapids in Alaska next June.

Yes lots of video tape because you have to run a lot to catch the whales. I actually believe one of those Orcas slipped up below the bow of the P-M a blew right under me while I was filming in the distance. Can’t you hear that Orca’s thinking? “Watch me scare this tourist” He did.

 

I had difficulty keeping up with the group on landings. I was 73 at the time and not as strong as in the past. I would take a step and might go down 10 inches and then have to maintain balance while making the next step without falling. The next step might or might not go down. Walking sticks are of absolutely no use. Maybe snow ski sticks might help to maintain balance. One of the expedition guide people helped me. She would not leave me alone and I realized later that if an Antarctic wind came up and blew snow into a whiteout I would be lost. The guides however had hand held GPS.

On the first day after getting off the plane, I fell down 5 times while trying to walk in the slice. I wouldn’t get hurt, but would just stay there laughing at myself. I finally stopped and stuck out my thumb to hitchhike and got a ride to the zodiac departure area.

On our cruise all the liquor was complimentary, but this cruise with the flight etc was a little more expensive. We were so busy doing landings that one didn’t have time to do any drinking.

The ship was maintained at 70 Deg F. If it got too hot in the cabin you simply opened the port hole and left it open to whatever degree you wanted. It didn’t take long to cool off.

One day at breakfast we were at anchor and we heard a thump and looked out the window to see nothing but ice. We had drifted into an iceberg or it had drifted into us. No problem. My Netherlands friend rushed to get his camera and I realized I must be getting old, because I did not rush off with him as I would have done in years past. I was on deck 5 in a double cabin but since we were not full, I had it all to myself.

When we returned to King George Island, our runway was frozen over with 15 cm ice so we could not fly out. Antarctica XXI made arrangements for us to visit the Korean Scientific base which was an impromptu thing. It was very nice and the Koreans were very hospitable. We were able to fly out the next day. Flights home had to be changed because of the delay, and Antarctica XXI did a good job in doing that.

 

I think that H2So4 gave one of the best detailed discussions of an Antarctic trip that one can find. I wish I could be that organized.

 

I think ones experience in Antarctica will be guided more by the weather than the ship one is on.

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2552phxcrzr

2552phxcrzr

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Yes, the Silver Explorer has a 1-A rating -- we comfortably went through quite a bit of ice ... feel free to check out my blog ... still working on it, but you'll find photos in the posts in the archive showing us going through ice ... http://2totravel.blogspot.com/2011/07/nordaustlandet-brasvellbreen.html. I'd definitely consider her a safe ship. As for food, breakfast and lunch was buffet-style and dinner was table service. I'd say the variety was good (didn't specifically seek out vegetarian options, though). I'm a picky eater and always found something that was more than satisfactory.

 

 

Thanks H2SO4. So, do you rate the Silver Explorer well on safety, ice rating, reliability, etc.? I am inclined towards the bigger ships because of stability (and whatever luxury possible, especially for our kids). Also, do you have any comments on their food, variety and flexibility in food choices (vegetarian)? Sorry if this sounds so trivial, but I guess it may be important when you are ship-bound for a majority of the time (and for 10-12 days).
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nomoss

nomoss

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Yes, the Silver Explorer has a 1-A rating -- we comfortably went through quite a bit of ice ... feel free to check out my blog ... still working on it, but you'll find photos in the posts in the archive showing us going through ice ... http://2totravel.blogspot.com/2011/07/nordaustlandet-brasvellbreen.html. I'd definitely consider her a safe ship. As for food, breakfast and lunch was buffet-style and dinner was table service. I'd say the variety was good (didn't specifically seek out vegetarian options, though). I'm a picky eater and always found something that was more than satisfactory.

Many thanks to H2SO4 and Scapel.

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nomoss

nomoss

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Yes, the Silver Explorer has a 1-A rating -- we comfortably went through quite a bit of ice ... feel free to check out my blog ... still working on it, but you'll find photos in the posts in the archive showing us going through ice ... http://2totravel.blogspot.com/2011/07/nordaustlandet-brasvellbreen.html. I'd definitely consider her a safe ship. As for food, breakfast and lunch was buffet-style and dinner was table service. I'd say the variety was good (didn't specifically seek out vegetarian options, though). I'm a picky eater and always found something that was more than satisfactory.

 

Hi again,

 

Do you have any opinion on Ponant L'Austral? Thanks. You see, we got waitlisted on Silversea....

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  • 7 months later...
nomoss

nomoss

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It is a wonderful ship with awesome stability. It is beautifully furnished and the staff do a good job of hospitality. The food is of excellent quality and our captain did a good job of trying to show us as much as possible. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a luxury cruise. The complimentary (unlimited) wine & beer during meals is more than sufficient even for lushes.

 

The downsides - it is tough if you are a vegetarian like us; more so because the meat-eaters get all this elaborate and elegant cuisine, while the vegetarians don't get even close in variety and/or elegance. (I just made up drinking a lot of wine!).The other areas where there is scope for significant improvement - they need more real naturalists who share quality information (not just time); being more comfortable with English (they are clearly partial to French).

 

It is the twin of Boreal.

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