Woodrowst

The ships built specifically for ice and rough seas are generally those that do landings in Antartica. Drive by ships are typically the same vessels used for more typical sailings in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and elsewhere. While these ships are usually bigger than expedition ships, they also typically have a shallow draft making them susceptible to the same physics that makes a rubber ducky bob like a cork. Stabilizers may help offset the left to right bobbing, but the disadvantage in rough seas of a shallow draft more than offsets any advantages of a larger ship. I would rather be in the Drake passage on a smaller purpose-built expedition ship than a larger ship that is meant for other areas of the world.

Toseaornottosea is quite right; Antarctica excursions on the two Seabourn expedition ships consist of zodiac rides and landings. There are no charges for either and you do not sign up before boarding the ship. The only excursions that cost money are the submarine rides and the kayaks. T…..a has given the submarine charge. It should be noted that you won’t see fish or mammals when in the submarine. The focus is on flora and wildlife (e.g. sponges, starfish) growing on the sea floor. This focus is made clear on board but not so much when people sign up prior to sailing. As a result, many are disappointed that they, “didn’t see anything”. In terms of Kayaking, I was charged $200 for the kayak in Antarctica on the Venture last month. It was really neat to be that close to the water. It also gives you bragging rights to be able to say you kayaked in Antarctica. This bragging right is much warmer than the polar plunge “I swam in Antarctica” bragging right. ☺️

In addition to the excellent recommendations you have received to your post, your cruise lines should have a suggested list for their Antarctica cruises. A google search works well, too.

My statement was a generic one made without knowing the position of any ship. Of course I have no specific knowledge of the specific port changes they could make. Another possibility is that the cruise is essentially turned into a cruise to nowhere and spends most of its time at sea - that has also occurred with some lines. I guess this could turn into a game of port/cruising roulette…..

SS may be deciding on alternate ports rather than cancelling the cruise. A number of cruise lines have turned their Middle East cruises into Greek isles cruises. And some have refused to give refunds or even discounts when doing so saying that their contract states they can change ports at any time, even if it changes the entire nature of the cruise. I do hope they cancel the cruise rather than turning it into one you would not have booked in the first place. Good luck.

I was on the Venture a few weeks ago. The fitness center is a compact space that has the basics. Compared with my experience with bigger small ships such as Oceania and Crystal, the major difference is that it has fewer lower body machines. The view is lovely, although some equipment faces a solid wall. There is an underutilized studio space for exercise classes down the hall that in hindsight might have been better utilized to expand the main workout space. One of the things I appreciated was that the fitness center on the Venture was open 24/7. I believe this was the first ship I have sailed on with such expansive access.

As the Templar Knight said in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: You have chosen wisely 🙂

We disembarked the Venture a few weeks ago and our flight back from Ushuaia landed at EZE in B.A at 2:30pm. That leaves you 2H15M to make your flight. In many airports that will work but due to our experience I would not count on it. I had heard about the nightmare that is EZE and it was confirmed. I have traveled internationally to over 60 countries in my career and I can honestly say that the Buenos Aires airport was the worst I have ever experienced. Besides the noise and chaos, there are myriad time gobblers. First, you do not deplane at a gate. The charter flight from Ushuaia lands out on the tarmac and you need to take a bus to the terminal. That takes time. Then, the baggage handlers take-how should I say it-a laid back approach and it takes a greater than usual time to get your bags at baggage claim. Then you have to carry your bags to the international terminal for check in. That takes time. The check in was pure chaos with an endless line. We were in business class and it still took us 2 hours to get our bags tagged. Then you have to go through security, another chaotic experience. There is no such thing as a fast pass lane as with many countries; you just have to wait it out. Then, for whatever reason I still can’t fathom, they put you through an emigration line that checks your passport the same way that immigration did when you arrived in Argentina. This line took us 45 minutes to get through. Then you have find your gate and it could be a 15 minute walk. Having the experience I did, if I wanted a 4:45pm flight I would take a hotel room and fly out the next day. Or take a later flight giving myself 3.5+ hours to make the connection.

Here is an alternate perspective. I asked the Seabourn staff in Buenos Aires if I could take my roller board with me on the plane. They told me it was no problem. I was fully prepared to check it if they told me not to carry it on board. So I was indeed following the rules by carrying my roller board on the plane.

A quick question: Do you really want to take the chance that the onboard store might be out of stock with gear that you want? It does happen. You are spending a fortune (as my wife and I did) to have an incredible experience. Do you want to try and save 1% or less of that amount by taking the risk of not bringing warm weather gear on board. As Clint Eastwood once said: Do you feel lucky? Just a thought….

I wonder if I can get a discount for embarkation boarding with the luggage bins rather than having to pay for the gangway….

I have seen two types of people who like food. The first are people who want traditional preparations done really well. The second are those who want creativity and non traditional preparations. Every one of the eight cruise lines I have sailed with - from mainstream to luxury - has focused on the first group. So I can understand why passengers whose focus is creative preparations are disappointed by the food on their ship.

I think this is a difference between the traditional and expedition ships. All landings and zodiac rides have been complementary on the expedition cruise. The only things that have charges are the submarine and kayaks. This is similar to a Silversea expedition cruise we will be taking in the Spring - all excursions (mostly, but not exclusively, walking tours) are complimentary.

I am on an Antartica cruise. I get the feeling that service is great across the Seabourn fleet. What does make my current cruise unique is that they have 26 Antarctic naturalists on board. So there is always an expert around to tell you what you are seeing and to fill in gaps. The naturalists also come on shore when we use the zodiacs.

I am just finishing up my first Seabourn cruise after a number of Oceania cruses. A recurring theme on the Oceania cruise critic board is whether Seabourn is worth extra money over Oceania. So I thought I’d post my experience. Caveats: * I am on a Seabourn expedition ship. So I do not know how my experience generalizes to a tradition Seabourn ship. * With one exception, all of my half-dozen cruises on Oceania have been on the smaller R ship. Spoiler alert: While I have thoroughly enjoyed my Oceania Cruises, I felt that Seabourn was a cut above and worth the extra price. It is the difference between a luxury line and a premium line. Examples: * The cabin on Seabourn was much larger than on Oceania. A very nice feature is the walk in closet. * The food on both Seabourn and Oceania is wonderful. But Seabourn offers more options. The evening menu had 12 appetizers and 12 main dishes to choose from-much more than Oceania * Coffee/lates/cappuccinos were outstanding in the Seabourn square. They were the best I have ever had at sea, even slightly better than the coffee drinks in Oceania’s Barista. * The cookies and ice cream were better on Seabourn. * The level of service was higher on Seabourn. They always said yes when you asked for something. * There were no lines anywhere and sometimes you thought you were the only person on the Seabourn ship. There have been times on Oceania where I had to wait in line at the dining room or for a coffee drink at Baristas. Not with Seabourn. There was never a line to get into the dining room and I never had to wait more than 30 seconds for a cappuccino at Seabourn Square. * Wine was served immediately at both lunch and dinner on Seabourn (if you wanted it)and they continued to fill your glass without being asked. There have been times on Oceania where I had to wait quite a while to have wine offered. * Caviar was always available. I know that does not matter to many, but I like a gin martini and caviar goes really well with gin. * The Seabourn ship had an open bridge policy where you could visit any time you wanted. Oceania does not do that. * The exercise room is open 24/7 on Seabourn. Not so with Oceania. * Because my current cruise is an expedition, there was little traditional entertainment; just a couple of lounge acts after dinner. I did miss the string quartet. The entertainment time was taken up with lectures and discussion about the local flora and fauna. This worked well for us. I was very impressed with Seabourn. So if Seabourn charges more than Oceania for the same itinerary is it worth it? My answer is yes if it is in your budget. If not, Oceania is also a fine choice.

The reason my wife and I, along with many experienced cruisers, follow SR’s advice on boarding in the afternoon is not only about getting on the ship. It is also about being on the ship. Since so many board as early as possible, it really is no fun navigating noisy and crowded lunch venues trying to find a seat and weaving in and out of carry on luggage as everyone waits for their cabins to become available. If you value quiet and space, having a nice peaceful lunch in the embarkation city (if applicable) and boarding in the early afternoon works well.

For some unknown but I am sure interesting reason responses to your question have focused on why people choose not to eat in the main dining room. So to answer your question directly: My wife and I have been on (and enjoyed) five Oceania cruises. None of them had any advertised “special” nights. Yes, there were evenings that the main dining room might have lobster or chateauhoweveryouspellitbrion or caviar but none were highlighted as occurring on a special night. I suspect that special dinners vanished when formal nights disappeared. I am old enough to remember cruise lines that did the baked Alaska parade on the last formal night at the end of a cruise. At least I am comforted by knowing that I am not old enough to remember throwing streamers from the railing as the ship departed 😊

As a heads up, many cruise lines have either canceled or repositioned their 2024/25 Middle East cruises including stops in Egypt due to the crisis in Israel and Gaza. So booking a cruise with stops in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, or other Middle East country for the next couple of years runs a risk of being cancelled or becoming a cruise of the Greek islands. There are many CC posts about people whose Middle East cruise have become a Greek Island cruise and the cruise line will not issue a refund nor will travel insurance cover a cancellation.

My wife and I were on the Insignia six months ago and there was indeed a rowing machine. It is to the right as you walk in from the spa.

SR has given you wise advice. You can always tell experienced cruisers - they board at a later time then newbies and look much more relaxed for it ☺️

Thank you for your postings. My wife and I are on the following Venture trip and you are certainly whetting our appetite. Out of curiosity, does the ship change time zones when transversing from Ushuaia to Antarctica?

Good to know!

Thanks for all comments. To close the loop, my TA quickly returned my call and was surprised as Seabourn had not notified her of the change. She got Seabourn on the line and had them put us back in the original cabin. Seabourn did indeed consider this a two category complimentary upgrade but for the life of me I cannot figure out why they think Venture cabin 828 is better/more expensive than 610. After perusing the deck plan, I would think the opposite would be true which is why I thought we had been downgraded. All is well!

I am confused. How can it be an upgrade if it is the same size cabin but in a worse location - farther from the center of the ship and now under a potentially noisy venue instead of having a cabin above us?