Large Ships to Continue Cruising Antarctica?

[edgee]

We returned from what we thought was Celebrity's last Antarctic cruise in February. Word was that due to new restrictions on large ships in Antarctica beginning late this year, only smaller (ie. Azamara, Oceania, smaller HAL) ships could cruise Antarctica. Now an April 8 Celebrity press release says Infinity will visit Antarctica twice in the 2012-2013 season. Does anyone know if the rules have changed, or how this can be? Our Infinity Antarctic cruise this past February was terrific due to great weather in Falklands and Argentina, but we had to abandon Antarctica after just a few hours of cruising due to horrendous weather. Would love to try again! Thanks for any insight anyone can offer on the future (if any) of large ship cruising to Antarctica

[hillslife]

We did Antarctica on a small explorer ship with OAT travel this Feb and then boarded the Star Princess in Valpariso - FLL. We were told Princess would not be going to Antarctica again due to the new fuel regulations for the larger ships. I took that to mean all the regular cruise lines (Celebrity, HA, Carnival, RCL, Oceania, etc) would be too big and use the same fuel that is now banned....so your info is different from what we heard on board the Star....

 

Maybe someone else has more info - or maybe the 'Antarctica' voyage they are talking about does not include crossing the Drake Passage and actually going to Antarctica - maybe they are just calling it that because they go to the Falklands???? Will be interesting to find out.

[piper28]

I *think* they can still take the larger ships, but they have to conform to the cleaner fuel requirement. The cruise lines don't really want to do that because it's significantly more expensive to do that, but other than cost, I don't think there's anything to stop them. (In fact, from what I can tell, they can't even have on board the heavier crude oil generally used as fuel, so the entire voyage would have to be taken with the cleaner oil, which definitely represents a significant cost.)

[digitl]

I believe the position is that if they wish to go south of 60º they need to use light crude oil and some of the 'larger' ships can do this.

[arcticmom]

I have no idea what fuel they are using but celebrity is returning to Antarctica in February of 2013. Prices are failrly similar to what we paid in 2010, and only $100 more that the cruises around the horn which makes me wonder about the fuel.

[Liv4cruzin]

Some ships may have been built to specs that would allow them to burn more than one type of fuel. The rest have the option of converting their engines to the type that CAN burn the higher priced light fuel. From what I've read elsewhere it's extremely costly to make this conversion. The lines that have the capability to sail there will probably capitalize on it. Hopefully there are enough ships that can go there to offer a variety of choices.

[floridatravelersforlife]

Infinity burns Jet Fuel A (kerosene) in its turbines. infinity is one of the original ships that were not converted to diesel engines and heavy bunker is what is banned from Antarctica. Good move on the part of Celebrity to leave a few ships to burn light fuel. This also allows Celebrity to burn approved fuels on the Alaska routes

 

Due to strict maritime restrictions, ships plying the Alaskan waters can only burn certain fuels. That's why Infinity always does Alaska.

[FLACRUISER99]

I have no idea what fuel they are using but celebrity is returning to Antarctica in February of 2013. Prices are failrly similar to what we paid in 2010, and only $100 more that the cruises around the horn which makes me wonder about the fuel.

Yes, I'am booked on the 02/17/2013 Antarctia RT from Buenos Aires.