Back From 6710 Ultimate Patagonia & Antarctica

My husband and I recentlyreturned from our first Seabourn cruise, the January Voyage to Antarctica fromBuenos Aires to Santiago on the Quest. We have mostly cruised with Crystal, but choseSeabourn for this trip based on the itinerary. It was a fabulous experience inevery possible way! Here are our thoughts, organized by category:

Itinerary

We have always chosen ourcruises based on itinerary, and we loved that this trip offered an expeditionexperience, exploring Antarctica by zodiac and walking on the White Continent,as well as interesting South American ports and the Falkland Islands. It waswonderful to board in Buenos Aires rather than flying from Buenos Aires toUshuaia, where the smaller expedition ships embark.

The Crew

What a delightful, happy,friendly, helpful crew! Everyone from our cabin stewardess to the waiters tothe guest services staff was just top-notch. We marveled that we were greetedby name after a short time. Not one negative or so-so experience in threeweeks!

The Ship

The public spaces on theQuest are beautiful and comfortable, busy but not overly crowded. Even on seadays, we were able to find a place to sit and chat or work on our laptops.Seabourn Square was our clear favorite! The Internet was surprisingly strong aswell, even in Antarctica. It was sometimes slow in our cabin, but never aproblem in a public space. My husband was able to get work done on some of thesea days, which was critical for him on such a long cruise.

The laundry facilities arequite limited – four washers and four dryers, all on deck 5, that serve theentire ship. I woke up really early onemorning to secure the machines. The ship provides pod-style detergent, but nodryer sheets.

The Food

The quality of food wasjust outstanding. We joked that after we returned from dinner every evening, wefound ourselves checking out the Herald newsletter to see where we wanted toeat the next day! Room service – great for breakfast before early excursionsand an occasional dinner “in” – was terrific, always on time with hot foodand beverages. The Thomas Keller Grill is definitely worth a night or two. ThePatio is wonderful for a casual meal – even in Antarctica, with blankets andheaters! – and has a fabulous new chef from Italy who makes pizza that tasteslike you’re dining in Naples J.

On such a long cruise, wefelt the Restaurant’s menus could have offered a little more variety and more“healthy” choices. And as we had read on these Boards, the quality of the complimentarywine was disappointing. If you ask for an alternative to what they are servingthat evening, they will happily find something that is more to your liking thatis still included in the “complimentary” category.

The Cabin

The Quest’s standard cabinwith a verandah was extremely comfortable and modern, with a walk-in closet,separate vanity and nice-sized dining/desk table with two chairs. The storage spacewas significant for a 21-day cruise that involved lots of bulky cold-weatherclothing. I would recommend bringing a power strip for charging computers andcameras and a travel clock for the bedside table. Oddly, there is a wall clock,but nothing by the bed.

The Expedition Team

I can’t imagine a bettergroup of expedition leaders, headed by the delightful Iggy. Experts ineverything from penguins to birds to whales to history, this group of abouttwenty gave us an incredible experience in Antarctica. They led our zodiacoutings, gave lectures on sea days, were available on outside decks atdesignated times to answer questions and look for wildlife and even hosted dinnertables in the Restaurant. The team held a recap & briefing meeting everyevening before dinner to go over plans for the following day. In Antarctica,the weather determines everything, and there is no set itinerary almost untilthe moment you get off the ship.

Excursions

In addition to theincluded expeditions in Antarctica, we booked several excursions throughSeabourn in other ports. We found them to be similar to the high-quality excursionswe’ve taken with Crystal. Buses were never crowded, guides were generally quitegood (there always seems to be a stand-out and one who’s just okay) and theincluded meals were excellent.

The Captain

In a place as remote asAntarctica, you quickly realize the difference a great captain can make. TheQuest’s Captain Dag was just phenomenal, a great communicator who shared thewonder of what we were seeing as if it were as new to him as it was to hispassengers. We loved the way he ended his daily announcements with a poem –“the verse of the day,” as he called it – and how he navigated us through theLemaire Channel, one of the most stunning places imaginable.

After four days inAntarctica, we had two medical emergencies that required evacuation. CaptainDag made the tough call to head back to get help for the passengers. It was, ofcourse, the right thing to do. What I really appreciated was the way CaptainDag handled the situation, acknowledging that even though all of us would wantthe same decision for our loved ones, it was still disappointing to leave sosuddenly. He told us he would try to replace one of the lost days in Antarcticawith the chance to sail past Cape Horn. And he did.

For anyone who isinterested, I’ve just posted my first blog from the cruise and will have photosand stories from every port, including our experiences in Antarctica.

http://www.themodernpostcard.com/buenos-aires-day-1-la-recoleta-cemetery-la-casa-rosada-a-starry-touch-of-russia/

Mary

Travel Blog: http://www.themodernpostcard.com

So glad that you enjoyed your first Seabourn cruise. Nicely written review, thank you.

Isklaar - Thank you!

I'm Mary's husband and I can't stress enough the Internet - how well it worked on this cruise. In a Q/A with the staff the response to the Internet's quality was that they had switched satellite providers - something like this. What I know is this: I realize Internet quality on ships can be spotty, but if it can work well in The Drake and in Antarctica, it should be able to work well off the coast of Europe. Didn't for us on the Crystal Symphony and review of the Symphony and Serenity seem to suggest that issue persists regardless of where they cruise. Yes, it was expensive to go unlimited ($399) but for some of us a good, somewhat fast and somewhat reliable connection is essential. I hope our next trip on Seabourn, whenever that will be, has an equally good Internet connection. The quality on this trip set a high bar.