January 26, 2014 Journey to Antarctica

We have recently reserved space on this voyage and are interested in hearing from any of our fellow travellers as well as any who have done this previously in the same time period. We had wanted to go earlier in January but cabin choices were very limited when we booked. I'm wondering if we should try to be wait listed for an earlier date in case of cancellations, or is the end of January and early February considered optimum for seeing both young penguins and whales. I know the Drake Passage weather is completely unpredictable, so that's probably not a deciding factor, but I'd appreciate any comments and/or advice on the choice of dates.

Hi Sue,

We were on the Explorer in Antarctica this year during precisely the same time period -- we left Buenos Aires on Jan. 28, flew to Ushuaia, and boarded the ship that day. We returned to Ushuaia on Feb. 7. I haven't yet had the time to do a full blown report (though I have commented on threads here and there and posted pictures), but I will tell you that the trip was phenomenal.

Like you, I had worried a bit about whether we were too late in the summer, especially for the penguin chicks (work schedules precluded our going earlier in January). We were not! The abundance and variety of wildlife was astonishing, and there was plenty of ice. The penguin chicks were in various stages of development, being fed by their parents, running around the rookeries. Lots of activity! We saw killer whales, humpback whales, minke whales, crabeater seals, leopard seals, birds galore.

Very early one morning we came upon a group of killer whales and were roused out of bed to see them. They in turn spotted a minke whale (breakfast!) and gave chase. We followed the hunt for the several hours that it played out. It was like being in an episode of a Discovery Channel show, only we were there live.

Each day was so extraordinary we said that tomorrow could not be better, but then tomorrow was just as amazing.

I can't say what it would have been like earlier in January, and of course every trip is different because of weather, not just during that trip but also how the summer has gone so far. But we had the time of our lives.

And yes, you can't plan the Drake, so just forget about that in your scheduling.

Here are a sampling of photos. I'd be happy to answer other questions.

(photos by turtles06)

Thanks for the encouraging reply. We are currently booked in Cabin #323 on the main deck. Although there were balcony cabins available last week, my thinking was that this location might be better for stability, and it is also larger and less costly. However, we will not have our usual queen bed configuration, which is a bit disappointing. DH thinks that if I'm worried about motion sickness, he's better off sleeping alone for this trip!! Am I totally overthinking this? I have read many of your informative and well-composed posts on various Antartica boards and enjoyed your amazing photos. We have done some "soft" adventure trips with OAT and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them, but this one will definitely be a departure from our usual ventures to warm destinations!!

Thanks for the encouraging reply. We are currently booked in Cabin #323 on the main deck. Although there were balcony cabins available last week, my thinking was that this location might be better for stability, and it is also larger and less costly. However, we will not have our usual queen bed configuration, which is a bit disappointing. DH thinks that if I'm worried about motion sickness, he's better off sleeping alone for this trip!! Am I totally overthinking this? I have read many of your informative and well-composed posts on various Antartica boards and enjoyed your amazing photos. We have done some "soft" adventure trips with OAT and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them, but this one will definitely be a departure from our usual ventures to warm destinations!!

Thanks for the kind words.

I am definitely an "overthinker" sometimes (or, I would say, careful planner :)), so I can relate to where you are here. We booked the trip so far out that we pretty much had our pick of cabins (not that we could afford most of them!), and I called Lindblad several times to ask about various cabins and what was under what, etc.

We were on the Main Deck in a Cat. 2 cabin, which was perfectly fine (and in fact the bathroom was far larger than I would have expected). It was a great location near the stairs to the mudroom. You are also in a good location where you are in 323, but if having one bed is important, why not go Cat. 2? (Re the balcony cabin: lots of folks will tell you it's not worth it to spend the money for a balcony cabin on an Antarctic expedition, but if it is something you can truly afford, if it's not money you will miss, I say why not?)

I can't tell you how much more motion you'd feel one deck up (balcony cabin); but it's a small ship, it's not as though you would be ten decks above the water. Certainly the conventional wisdom is that if you are trying to minimize the motion you feel in your cabin, low down and midship is the way to go, and you are there with 323. (But if the Drake is rough, you'll still feel motion there....;))

I hope that's helpful.

Yes, that was very helpful and I think we will keep 323 for now. It does seem to have a large enough window, and the square footage is about 50 more than the balcony cabin. Whether or not we can actually "afford" it, I do like to think we're not indulging in conspicuous consumption. This trip is pricey enough to qualify for that label already, even in the least expensive cabins.

At this point in our lives, our thought is that we ought to do the more strenuous itineraries while we are still able and save the lolling around on the luxury liners for later. I know demographics vary from trip to trip, but what would you say the age range was on your recent voyage?

Thanks for the kind words.

 

I am definitely an "overthinker" sometimes (or, I would say, careful planner :)), so I can relate to where you are here. We booked the trip so far out that we pretty much had our pick of cabins (not that we could afford most of them!), and I called Lindblad several times to ask about various cabins and what was under what, etc.

 

We were on the Main Deck in a Cat. 2 cabin, which was perfectly fine (and in fact the bathroom was far larger than I would have expected). It was a great location near the stairs to the mudroom. You are also in a good location where you are in 323, but if having one bed is important, why not go Cat. 2? (Re the balcony cabin: lots of folks will tell you it's not worth it to spend the money for a balcony cabin on an Antarctic expedition, but if it is something you can truly afford, if it's not money you will miss, I say why not?)

 

I can't tell you how much more motion you'd feel one deck up (balcony cabin); but it's a small ship, it's not as though you would be ten decks above the water. Certainly the conventional wisdom is that if you are trying to minimize the motion you feel in your cabin, low down and midship is the way to go, and you are there with 323. (But if the Drake is rough, you'll still feel motion there....;))

 

I hope that's helpful.

Yes, that was very helpful and I think we will keep 323 for now. It does seem to have a large enough window, and the square footage is about 50 more than the balcony cabin. Whether or not we can actually "afford" it, I do like to think we're not indulging in conspicuous consumption. This trip is pricey enough to qualify for that label already, even in the least expensive cabins.

 

At this point in our lives, our thought is that we ought to do the more strenuous itineraries while we are still able and save the lolling around on the luxury liners for later. I know demographics vary from trip to trip, but what would you say the age range was on your recent voyage?

The window in our cabin on the Main Deck was huge. I really enjoyed just staring out, watching the water, the ice... I took a number of photos out the window, and when the light was right, you wouldn't even know it was out the window.

As for the demographics: I'd say that the majority of folks ranged in age from the 50s to the 70s. And I agree with you, I want to do these sorts of trips before I get too old!

We'll be 63 and 71 by January - fortunately still able to be quite active. We can climb lots of stairs and ride bikes, also do some kayaking so looking forward to doing some on the trip. I do dancercise and weights at the "Y". We did the wet landing thing on our Galapagos trip a few years ago, so hopefully we can still manage that OK. Do they separate the shore groups into various levels of strenuousity? (I know that's not a word but I liked the sound of it!):D

The window in our cabin on the Main Deck was huge. I really enjoyed just staring out, watching the water, the ice... I took a number of photos out the window, and when the light was right, you wouldn't even know it was out the window.

 

As for the demographics: I'd say that the majority of folks ranged in age from the 50s to the 70s. And I agree with you, I want to do these sorts of trips before I get too old!

We'll be 63 and 71 by January - fortunately still able to be quite active. We can climb lots of stairs and ride bikes, also do some kayaking so looking forward to doing some on the trip. I do dancercise and weights at the "Y". We did the wet landing thing on our Galapagos trip a few years ago, so hopefully we can still manage that OK. Do they separate the shore groups into various levels of strenuousity? (I know that's not a word but I liked the sound of it!):D

We are 78 and have just reserved our 3rd voyage to the Antarctic in January of 2015. It is an extraordinary experience and we want one more before reality sets in! Boarding and climbing ashore with wet landings are still no problem (I think) and we'll opt out of the long climbs. Getting ready for going ashore is pretty tough - several layers - boots or NEOS,gloves, hats, cameras etc. One thing we haven't done, but will this time is take out trip insurance! Have been lucky on crossings - only one tough transit. Our first trip was in 1997 on original Explorer (now at the bottom of Antarctic waters), next in 2003 - including South Georgia on Lindblad Endeavour, next will be on NG Orion - can't wait!

Getting ready for going ashore is pretty tough - several layers - boots or NEOS,gloves, hats, cameras etc.

We definitely felt like Pillsbury Doughboys when we were finished dressing and had added the life vests on top of our parkas! I was happy to be on the Main Deck with a quick walk down (and back up) to our cabin when we were ready to go. The good thing was that after doing it once, you really got the hang of how long it took to get ready for going ashore.

It was also handy to have a mental (or actual) checklist of what to throw on quickly when an announcement was made over the PA system that a whale or something else of interest had been spotted.

We did the wet landing thing on our Galapagos trip a few years ago, so hopefully we can still manage that OK. Do they separate the shore groups into various levels of strenuousity? (I know that's not a word but I liked the sound of it!):D

You should be fine getting into the zodiacs, but you'll have a few more layers on than you did in the Galapagos! :) Seriously, the crew are phenomenal at making sure people board the zodiacs safely from the ship and from the shore.

My own concern was that I'm pretty short, and the best way for getting back aboard the zodiac when you are standing in water is to approach it backwards and jump up onto the side (and then swing your legs aft). However, when we were in Neko Harbor [the last photo I posted above], the water was sufficiently deep that I could not jump up high enough to get my butt onto the side of the zodiac. Before I knew it, the crew had pretty much picked up my legs and thrown me into the boat. It wasn't pretty, but it was definitely effective, and I got a good laugh out of it!! (And I wasn't the only short woman who got that great help...) On most of our landings, the crew were able to get the zodiacs sufficiently onto the rocks or beach that we could disembark and board without getting into the water.

The shore groups are not separated by any sort of fitness or activity levels, BUT you will have the option on some landings of heading off on a hike (sometimes long and/or steep) or just hanging out and wandering around at your own speed and seeing what there is to see. There are no required activities ashore, so don't worry about that at all.

I am also altitude challenged - barely 5'2" and trying hard not to shrink as I age. Were you able to get petite sized waterproof pants? And do you recommend the lined pants or wearing lighter weight waterproof pants over separate fleece pants?

I am also altitude challenged - barely 5'2" and trying hard not to shrink as I age. Were you able to get petite sized waterproof pants? And do you recommend the lined pants or wearing lighter weight waterproof pants over separate fleece pants?

Hi Sue,

My partner (much taller female) and I both wore and LOVED LL Bean's lined waterproof snow pants. (They come in petite and regular sizes.) We were totally comfortable and warm (and dry!) with just a base layer under them. Great features, including zippered pockets, and zippers up the side for easy use with your boots. I can't say enough good things about them.

BTW, I have a good deal of info about looking for and buying gear and clothes for the expedition on the blog I was writing as we prepared for the trip. I still owe it a detailed post-trip review.... (but a lot has gone on to deprive me of the time to do it so far). The Bean's snow pants are described in my GEARing Up post of Sept. 23, 2012.

https://antarcticjourney.wordpress.com/

A lot of the fun of this trip was getting the gear!

PS: I look forward to your thoughts after your upcoming Baltics cruise. We did a TA on the Eclipse last spring; just loved the ship. We are booked with Celebrity to the Baltics next May, but are going on the Connie so we can leave from Amsterdam and spend some extra time there. Otherwise, I think the ports are pretty much the same. (Being the planner that I am, I'm already reading up...)

Thanks so much. I took a quick look and your blog looks great!! I'll check it out in detail before I make any gear purchases. I'll have to go in person to a good outfitter for hats and gloves as I never know what'll fit my very small hands and head. I do, however, have real hips so sometimes petites are a challenge.

I need to focus on the upcoming Baltic cruise, so I'll try to get my head out of Antarctica till we get back. We were on the Eclipse in December for the Christmas Southern Caribbean itinerary and just loved the ship! Aqua Class and Blu were wonderful.

We have recently reserved space on this voyage and are interested in hearing from any of our fellow travellers as well as any who have done this previously in the same time period. We had wanted to go earlier in January but cabin choices were very limited when we booked. I'm wondering if we should try to be wait listed for an earlier date in case of cancellations, or is the end of January and early February considered optimum for seeing both young penguins and whales. I know the Drake Passage weather is completely unpredictable, so that's probably not a deciding factor, but I'd appreciate any comments and/or advice on the choice of dates.

Is there anyone else who's booked for this date? I know we won't be alone - where are you:confused:

Is there anyone else who's booked for this date? I know we won't be alone - where are you:confused:

Hi Sue -- please don't be too disappointed if no one from your expedition ever replies. Only a small percent of the cruising public has ever heard of Cruise Critic, and when you factor in how few folks there will be on the Explorer, you'd be very lucky to have someone else from your sailing date come on here. But I hope you get lucky! (No one we met on the Explorer had heard of CC.)

When do you leave for the Baltics, or have you already gone?

Hi Sue -- please don't be too disappointed if no one from your expedition ever replies. Only a small percent of the cruising public has ever heard of Cruise Critic, and when you factor in how few folks there will be on the Explorer, you'd be very lucky to have someone else from your sailing date come on here. But I hope you get lucky! (No one we met on the Explorer had heard of CC.)

 

When do you leave for the Baltics, or have you already gone?

We leave on Wednesday, July17th for London and then the cruise begins on the 20th. It's been very time consuming, planning all our port excursions NOT with the cruise line, but I'm hopeful that all will go smoothly. Getting ready for Antarctica should be easy by comparison - just have to collect the proper clothing and everything else is planned for us!!

We still have to decide when to leave for Buenos Aires so I can book our plane tickets soon after we get back in August. Any advice in that department?

We leave on Wednesday, July17th for London and then the cruise begins on the 20th. It's been very time consuming, planning all our port excursions NOT with the cruise line, but I'm hopeful that all will go smoothly. Getting ready for Antarctica should be easy by comparison - just have to collect the proper clothing and everything else is planned for us!!

 

We still have to decide when to leave for Buenos Aires so I can book our plane tickets soon after we get back in August. Any advice in that department?

I'm amazed you can even think about Antarctica this close to your departure for the Baltics!

Have you been to Buenos Aires before? We arrived a few days early (Friday, Lindblad flight to Ushuaia was on Monday) and we used a private guide for the first day and a half, to maximize what we could see in that time. We enjoyed the city, and I'd recommend spending some time there if you can swing it.

I've finally had the time to start putting up daily, detailed entries in my blog about our trip to Antarctica, so if you want to read a little bit about how we spent our time in BA, it's now up (as is the beginning of the Antarctica portion)....

https://antarcticjourney.wordpress.com/

Have a FANTASTIC time in the Baltics!! I hope when you return you'll come back and give us a report and tips!

I'm amazed you can even think about Antarctica this close to your departure for the Baltics!

 

Have you been to Buenos Aires before? We arrived a few days early (Friday, Lindblad flight to Ushuaia was on Monday) and we used a private guide for the first day and a half, to maximize what we could see in that time. We enjoyed the city, and I'd recommend spending some time there if you can swing it.

 

I've finally had the time to start putting up daily, detailed entries in my blog about our trip to Antarctica, so if you want to read a little bit about how we spent our time in BA, it's now up (as is the beginning of the Antarctica portion)....

 

https://antarcticjourney.wordpress.com/

 

Have a FANTASTIC time in the Baltics!! I hope when you return you'll come back and give us a report and tips!

THANK YOU. My report won't be anywhere close to what you've been doing. You're a very talented writer and photographer and I really appreciate all the information. I will contact the tour guide you recommend in Buenos Aires. Can I mention where I got the information - I realize that don't know your name!

I need to focus on the upcoming Baltic cruise, so I'll try to get my head out of Antarctica till we get back.

Sue, how was the Baltics cruise?

I'd love to know whether you went to Berlin and, if so, whether you used a private tour operator (who?) or a ship's tour, and how you liked whatever you did.

And did you use a private tour operator in St. Petersburg -- if so, who and what did you think?

I'm sure you're getting very excited now about Antarctica -- I know that after Labor Day, it was feeling very close!

Sue, how was the Baltics cruise?

 

I'd love to know whether you went to Berlin and, if so, whether you used a private tour operator (who?) or a ship's tour, and how you liked whatever you did.

 

And did you use a private tour operator in St. Petersburg -- if so, who and what did you think?

 

I'm sure you're getting very excited now about Antarctica -- I know that after Labor Day, it was feeling very close!

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you - life sure does get in the way sometimes!! The Baltic trip was great - everything went just as planned. Since this is probably not the best forum to discuss that experience, I'd be happy to reply in an email if that's OK with you. Let me know at suerich42atverizondotcom.

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you - life sure does get in the way sometimes!! The Baltic trip was great - everything went just as planned. Since this is probably not the best forum to discuss that experience, I'd be happy to reply in an email if that's OK with you. Let me know at suerich42atverizondotcom.

Hi Sue, thanks very much! And you are right to move this off your Antarctica thread, but I just sent you an email to the address above (replacing the AT and dot with @ and . of course) and I got a reply that the email was undeliverable. Is there an error or problem?

Thanks!

Hi Sue, thanks very much! And you are right to move this off your Antarctica thread, but I just sent you an email to the address above (replacing the AT and dot with @ and . of course) and I got a reply that the email was undeliverable. Is there an error or problem?

 

Thanks!

Correction - it should be dotnet. Another senior moment!! Sorry

Correction - it should be dotnet. Another senior moment!! Sorry

I was hoping it was something simple like that! :)

You have mail . . .

I am doing the Antartica for the first time jan2015

Are you going in the beginning or late jan?

What cabin are you?:)

We have decided to cancel this trip for a variety of reasons. Have a great time.