skrink

Great catch!  There’s some good cabins available.  Sails RT out of Vancouver on the Grand.

If you can get your hands on an ExOfficio FlyQ vest, they’re very nice and the price is much better.  Unfortunately, in a bone-headed move ExOfficio discontinued most of their clothing line so finding one in the size you need is the challenge.  My FlyQ vest is good as new after months of travel to five continents.  Solid quality, comfort, and plenty of pockets and features.  Love it. 

Avian flu.

I booked through an agency in 2021 and highly recommend it.  Got a great rate plus valuable extra perks not offered by Atlas.  Communication from Atlas back then was abysmal—it was during their rocky first launch—and having someone else chase down details let me focus on more important things.  

As with booking any trip with a good agency, a TA will secure all discounts to which you’re entitled (military, first responders, past customer, etc.), buffer you from frustrations, and be a point person when issues arise before and during the trip.  Booking through tour operators—whether Atlas or not—sometimes means talking to a different person every time an issue needs resolving.  I highly recommend booking through an agency.

Atlas traveler here.  As a solo traveler, I paid $15,778 in April of 2021 for a B1 Verandah, so the pricing nearly three years later seems reasonable to me.  I think it was $10,199 pp double occupancy, with a 150% single supplement.  This was for a Jan 2022 9 day sailing.

Ways to save money on Atlas:  Book through an online travel company that offers extra perks, such as the $600 prepaid Visa card I got from mine after I took the cruise.  Plus another person and I each got another $50 prepaid Visa when I asked for and got a referral bonus.  Be sure you take advantage of military discounts, if eligible.  

Atlas ships are absolutely fabulous.  If you look at other companies, be sure to look at whether balconies are available, or if it’s just portholes or ocean view.  I wouldn’t want anything less than a Juliet balcony for Antarctica.  The penguins start swimming alongside the ship long before you reach the continent and with ships that small, your cabin will be very close to them, unlike on the large cruise ships.

On 10/27/2023 at 9:00 PM, hokiefans said:

I have about 15 downloaded....send a message if you are looking for a particular one.

These are such a treasure, I hate to see them perish in the ether.  Got any for Alaska?  I’m looking for Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, maybe others.

I bought Princess insurance for a 3 week Med cruise in ‘22 with Princess EZAir and used it when my flights home were canceled twice.  I submitted a clean claim with receipts for all hotel and meal expenses.  

It took six months and multiple frustrating contacts with Aon and Princess before they paid the claim.  During that time, claim status on Aon’s web portal sat unbudging as “waiting to be processed” (or similar wording).  The only silver lining was that once they finally processed it, they didn’t contest it or require me to jump through additional hoops.  

I won’t use Aon or Princess insurance again.

3 hours ago, JDPCruisers said:

We have been receiving mailings from Atlas as of late and was wondering what others think about them. We have cruised RC and X, strictly X up to this point, but curious about the smaller cruise lines and if their approach and amenities live up to their marketing of an intimate yacht experience. 

 

Any thoughts are appreciated, the good, the bad and the ugly! 

I don’t think there’s any comparison to RC or X.  

What makes Atlas work for some:

Tastefully luxurious but not ostentatious ships and accommodations

Small ships, ~200 or less passengers

Polar expeditions with stellar expedition crews

Access to Antarctica

State of the art, brand new ships

Few/no inside cabins and few/no obstructed view cabins (that I know of)

Good discounts during sales, which can be stacked with military discounts

Decent perks/inclusions

Absence of activities such as casinos, comedians, broadway shows, bingo, spas, etc.

No formal nights

No assigned dining time or table

What might turn some off from Atlas:

Limited communication pre-trip (their biggest problem)

Growing pains/staff turnover (in 2021-2022; not sure how it is now)

Absence of activities such as casinos, comedians, broadway shows, bingo, spas, etc.

Prices might be beyond someone’s means

For those who like lots of onboard entertainment, being nickeled and dimed by the large cruise lines, and being herded around in large groups to various excursions, then the luxury small ship experience probably isn’t for them.  I would cruise with them again, but would go into it knowing that they don’t communicate much beforehand.  Maybe that’s changing under the new CEO.

I’ve never sailed on a yacht so can’t speak to that point.  But their ships and the cruise itself?  Ohh myyy, is it ever nice!!

Copied from a promotional email about the sale:

”For a limited time, you can Buy 2 Expeditions Get 1 FREE on select back-to-back voyages, plus Second Guest Sails FREE, 50% Reduced Deposits and 3 FREE Cultural Immersions. Or you can combine 2 back-to-back expeditions with 15% savings and 2 FREE Cultural Immersions.”

Looks like it’s for B2B voyages, but I guess if you don’t want a third one for free they deduct 15%.  Maybe someone else will interpret it differently.

It’s confusing, all right! 

How fast cruises fill depends on what type you’re looking at.  The limited (like 1-2 sailings per year) drive-by cruises offered by large ships do seem to fill quickly but the pricey ones that let you actually set foot on the continent may or may not.

OTOH, if you’re looking to stop in Antarctica on a trip that involves crossing the Drake, midship cabins can fill first since everyone is concerned about seasickness and there’s less pitching midship than say forward or aft.  I snagged my dead-center balcony cabin quickly once the sailing I wanted became available.

Unless you’re looking at expeditions on small, polar class ships, you might want to post this in a forum that has a port or ports of call where you want excursions.  Places like the Falklands, for example, allow larger ships to call.  Small expedition ships are the only ones in which passengers are allowed to set foot on the continent of Antarctica and because they take so few passengers, they do things differently than the large ships.  (It’s part of strict IAATO regs, which ensure that tourism adheres to the Antarctic treaty.). In Antarctica, there are no ports or cruise terminals and rather than tender passengers on lifeboats, they take a few people at a time in zodiacs.  

1 hour ago, nini said:

Entering Canada by land or air before embarking on a cruise

According to the ArriveCAN website, this applies to cruise ship passengers who embark from a Canadian port.

1 hour ago, ilv4cruising said:

Thank you for the information.  Prior to my mom's passing she was a travel agent (all my life) so I'm good with doing all of trip prep 🙂 .

 

I haven't been able to find another forum for Atlas though.  Too bad you can't share it.  I find the one on Cruise Critic isn't very active. 

 

It is good to know that you would sail with them again.  That is positive for the ship at least. 

I wish I could, too, as it’s quite interesting to read.  Atlas and Princess forums are both much more active elsewhere. Don’t know about the other cruise lines.

As a new spinoff from Mystic Cruises, Atlas has had a bumpy start.  Communication prior to the trip is lacking and from another Atlas forum that I monitor, it doesn’t seem to have improved since I sailed with them in January.  However, since I do my own due diligence with trip prep, it wasn’t to the point that it was a deal breaker for me and I would sail with them again.

If you’re the type of traveler who expects the carrier to pay attention to all the details and inform you about the steps you need to take, Atlas may not be the cruise line for you.  But if you’re okay with doing your homework and monitoring progress toward final preparations, they‘re worth it.  Issues have been at the corporate level; the ship and crew are nothing short of outstanding.

>How are the waters actually down in Antarctica?  Can they still be rough or are they fairly calm?

Sounds like a wonderful trip.  The water around Antarctica is fairly calm but the weather is changeable - which means that flexibility is key.  I found the Drake to be a blast and would do it again in a heartbeat, rough seas and all.  Whatever the seas are like when you go, it will be worth it!

I was there in January on a small expedition ship.  

Be sure you understand that this is a drive-by cruise and you will NOT make landings on the continent.  Very strict regulations govern the types of ships that can allow passengers to set foot on land.  Only small ships built (or retrofitted) to meet the Polar Code, and which strictly follow IAATO regulations, can do this. 

A) Your room’s thermostat keeps the cabin temperature regulated.  More importantly, find out if the Sapphire has room darkening drapes since there’s longer daylight the further south you go.  I would think they do, since the Regal has them.

B) Decks don’t freeze, but they might get wet while crossing the Drake.  There may be times when they close the lower, forward outside decks due to sea spray.  We had the Drake Lake (instead of the Drake Shake) going to/from Ushuaia and at times the spray at the front of the ship was like going through a car wash.  Water washed over the ship as high as the 8th deck.  They asked us to stay off our balconies at those times, but as soon as we got out of the Drake it was smoother and we were out on our balconies watching penguins and icebergs.

C) People on my cruise were all over the ship, i.e. on their balconies, out on decks, in the auditorium attending lectures, and in eating areas.  I saw very few sipping warm beverages.  The ship offered hot cocoa after excursions, but very few people took advantage of it.  When wildlife and fantastic scenery were around, most were out on decks.  Seeing it was what we came for.

D) Come prepared with seasickness remedies.  If you’re not familiar with the what it’s like crossing the Drake Passage, do some research on it.  Even the crew got sick our first night in the Drake, despite having the Drake Lake.  (Our crew had been crossing the Drake regularly for a couple of months at that point.).  One member of the expedition team said that when it’s the Drake Shake, the only way to describe it is like being in a washing machine.  Watch for albatross in the Beagle Channel.  Binoculars might be handy.  

When I was there in January, it was warmer there than it was here in the midwest.  Temps were in the 30s (Fahrenheit) at our southernmost point (Lemaire Channel) and 40s (northern tip of the Antarctic peninsula).  I took a winter coat and it was perfect.  

The weather changes very quickly and the captain will have to navigate accordingly, so flexibility is key.  Just because they tell you where they’re headed doesn’t mean you’ll get there if conditions change.  This includes tidal and wind issues (which can cause icebergs to block your path) and channels unexpectedly becoming ice-choked.  You may never see these things, but the captain will be continuously monitoring conditions and navigating to avoid potential hazards.

Skrink

The free totem pole museum in Ketchikan is very good and contains authentic totem poles (among other cool things).  I’ve read here on CC that the totem pole excursion offered by ships doesn’t contain authentic poles. I walked to it from the dock.  There is also a fish ladder on the stream that runs through town.

52 minutes ago, njguy_south said:

Hi, skrink -- Thanks for responding so quickly.  Can you share the pics here (post)? I am particularly interested in pics of the ship. Thanks! --Robert

You’re welcome.  See if this link works for you.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/BWgtCypxowiXksi59

I sailed to Antarctica in a Deck 6 Horizon cabin (cabin 619) on World Navigator in January.  The ship is gorgeous, the stateroom was the most spacious and beautifully appointed of the six ships I’ve sailed thus far, the shower is to die for, and the food very good.  The expedition team had amazing knowledge,  enthusiasm, and energy.  They truly bent over backwards to make the voyage the absolute best it could be and that’s an understatement.  We sailed at about half capacity and there was no problem finding seats in the dining room.  The only negative with my sailing (which is actually also a positive!) was that it set the bar impossibly high for any subsequent cruises on other carriers!  It was that good. On Antarctic sailings, the pool is not used or even filled, as water would slosh out due to rough seas in the Drake Passage. Chaise lounges were battened down for the same reason.  I have ship photos if you’d like to see them. 

(FYI, that’s the World Navigator in my profile pic.)

The World Navigator is indeed a beautiful ship.  Her expedition team is top notch.  

Atlas recently revamped their pricing and I wonder if they might have missed adjusting the price on the Juliettes.  

I had a B1 Veranda in Antarctica and appreciated the balcony.  It was nice to be able to stay outside for extended periods (especially when the scenery was spectacular), yet still have privacy.  I spoke to someone with a Juliette balcony who mentioned that they didn’t have a good view during the polar plunge.

A balcony becomes even more valuable when quarantined to one’s stateroom — which fortunately did not happen to me but it might be worth considering for your trip. 

Have you  compared square footage of the cabins to see if that’s a factor? 

Good write up.  I would rate the expedition team, officers, bridge, and cabin stewards as superior.  They really make Atlas shine and without them, this would be just another cruise with good staff, albeit on a gorgeous ship in a gorgeous locale.  I, too, am very happy that I went on the Jan. 15 voyage and would do it again.  However, Atlas leadership has a very long way to go in representing the brand as well as crew on board the World Navigator did. 

On 1/7/2022 at 12:15 PM, deedee1054 said:

If you don't accept the FCC/can't sail in 2022, do you know if insurance covers the cancellation? This is my first cruise ever, so I have no idea how these things work. 

That would depend on the terms of the policy you bought.  You have to read yours to get your answer. 

Thank you for posting this.  Please let us know if you hear more.

On 12/19/2021 at 2:57 PM, kml246 said:

Have not been able to find out how many pieces of luggage each passenger can check and what is the max weight of each piece?

From the Terms and Conditions:  “No baggage or items heavier than 70 lbs. will be loaded onto or off-loaded from our vessels.”.   I’ve seen no mention of how many pieces of luggage each passenger can check.  Doesn’t mean it isn’t there, just that I haven’t seen it.

On 12/19/2021 at 2:57 PM, kml246 said:

Do you think there is something that can be done to enhance the acceptability of the AOV suggested policy?

I forwarded my Atlas email (about requiring covid-specific coverage) to my TA, who contacted the insurer from whom I’d bought travel insurance, who then sent a one page pdf that had been edited to show covid-specific coverage.  Bam.  No need to buy additional coverage.

On 12/19/2021 at 7:44 PM, swkrupa78 said:

I am not certain what the actual time is for when to take the test.  I assumed it was 72 hrs from departure (as that makes the most sense).  Was not aware of what Atlas is saying.  Perhaps someone who is on an earlier sailing can clarify.

 

With regard to the PCR test, as long as the test results says PCR, I think a RT PCR will be valid.  I am trying to find places here in CT where I can get a PCR for free as I understand they can be quite costly ($150+) if it is not covered by insurance for travel.

It is within 72 hours *of arrival* in Argentina.  The Ministry of the Interior’s website says, “For their part, non-resident foreign people who enter for tourist reasons must present a complete vaccination schedule, negative PCR 72 hours prior to boarding and COVID-19 health insurance, being exempt from quarantine.”

Keep in mind that there is likely a time zone difference to account for.  World Navigator is scheduled to arrive in Ushuaia at 9:45 AM Ushuaia time, which is 6:45 AM central time where I live.  

References:  https://www.argentina.gob.ar/interior/migraciones/ddjj-migraciones And an email from Atlas.