Sorting Through Various Cruises

[AussieVisi2r]

I have not gone yet, but am booked for 2016. I made a comparison chart and found some compromises had to be made. I also got help from several tour companies who listed the possibilities.

 

The more luxurious ships are the larger ones. Some of the smaller ships were more expensive and the other small ones were very spartan.

 

We ended up choosing G Adventures Expedition. It is comfortable, and you can get a queen bed though you will pay more. However it has more than 100 passengers.

 

We are in a twin room with a window. There are good reports of lecturers and there is a resident photographer. The restaurant and lounge area have windows. Another feature is its mudroom which many of the ships do not have. As for laundry we will handwash and dry in our room. Apparently it is very dry there so things dry quickly. I cannot remember if the expedition has a laundry.

 

Some people will be kayaking which will give more shore time to the rest of us. They lend boots and give you parkas.

 

If you are interested you can find me on Trip Advisor (Nova Scotia forum), send me a message with your email and I will send the chart. You can edit it for your criteria as you continue your research.

 

Maryanne,

Thanks. I have sent you an email asking if I may also have the comparison chart.

 

Thanks

 

Raina

[Cruzin-K]

Turtles,

Thanks so much. I have just read your journal. I am no longer thinking of Antarctica in 2016.....I am going.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Now to sort out just how much I can afford and therefore who I cruise with!

 

Raina

I hope you'll be doing a review when you return. I really enjoyed reading your Radiance thread.

[PerfectlyPerth]

I hope you'll be doing a review when you return. I really enjoyed reading your Radiance thread.

 

Me too ! Has got me all ready for my upcoming Radiance trip.

 

Raina I have done 3 trips with Quark booked through their Aus sister company Peregrine - no complaints at all and 4th trip is in the planning. And if you take your dad - he would be treated marvelously.

 

If you find me on TA forums (same name) send me a PM and I can send you more info.

[PerfectlyPerth]

So many people just don't get that.

 

It's about the outside, not the inside...

 

Yup !!:p And even when I am inside - I am hanging out my porthole looking outside - all night - in case I miss anything!

[ducklite]

So many people just don't get that.

 

It's about the outside, not the inside...

 

 

There's more to being on a luxury ship than that. It's the level of service, food, quality of bedding and linens for a good nights rest. Obviously Antarctica is about being outside, but you don't spend every waking moment there, and when inside, the quality of those things matters. A lot.

[AussieVisi2r]

Thanks guys,

 

Glad you liked my review! I learn so much from them. And from these threads.

 

Raina

[2552phxcrzr]

There's more to being on a luxury ship than that. It's the level of service, food, quality of bedding and linens for a good nights rest. Obviously Antarctica is about being outside, but you don't spend every waking moment there, and when inside, the quality of those things matters. A lot.

 

... and that's what you should definitely seek to make your polar experience complete. I don't think any of the comments made by various posters -- including me -- are intended to try and change your mind. I think it's more a sharing of perspectives to help others who might find this thread when they are researching their own trips.

Edited October 26, 2014 by h2so4

[SarniaLo]

I think it's more a sharing of perspectives to help others who might find this thread when they are researching their own trips.

And in that spirit, here are some other points that may be of importance to consider when researching a trip to Antarctica and that haven't been mentioned so far (I think):

- is the ship sea-worthy, well stabilized and able to handle rough seas and strong winds?

- Is the ship's hull suitably ice-strengthened?

- is the company/the crew experienced in these waters?

- how is the expedition team, how many members, their credentials, how can the passengers interact with them on a daily basis?

 

More minor points but which can help make a choice if they matter to you:

- what kind of boats are used for landings? ( for instance MS Fram has these amazing PolarCirkelBoats which are very easy to get in and out from, and which are made of a sturdy plastic allowing them to cruise through shallow ice, as seen in the picture below).

- does the ship offers boots rental?

- is the bridge open to passengers at all times?

- are the outside decks adequate? This is tremendously important for me : I want to be able to access the bow of the ship, to go all around the ship (from bow to stern) without having to go back inside (this is not possible on Ponant's ships for instance), it's also nice to have spots where you can be outside but sheltered from wind and rain.

 

[PerfectlyPerth]

There's more to being on a luxury ship than that. It's the level of service, food, quality of bedding and linens for a good nights rest. Obviously Antarctica is about being outside, but you don't spend every waking moment there, and when inside, the quality of those things matters. A lot.

 

My experience is that even on the bodgiest of sturdy old icebreakers we still had white linen table service with 5 course lunches and dinners of multiple options (buffet breakys), morning teas, afternoon teas, canapes and champagne during pre dinner talks, top quality wines from all over the world, rooms serviced twice daily, nightly turn down service, laundry service with 24 hour turnaround. Not to mention free coffee/tea/hot choc etc 24 hours a day. And even with 100 people on board every waiter and bar tender and cleaner knew you by name and addressed you by name by day 2.

 

But even if I was making my own bed, and eating sandwiches all day - it still would have been the experience of a lifetime (3 times).

 

Agree with all of Sarnio's points above too. All things to be taking into account when selecting the right ship and the right expedition team.

[AussieVisi2r]

I too love the at sea days - and when on a ship with helicopters the at sea days are more adventurous and exciting as you get to do scenic flights.

 

On my first two trips of 30 days each we were doing daily flights, landing on bergs or zooming around the ship as it ploughed through ice. Nothing better ! Plus flying inland to hang out with emporers.

 

I would prefer that to daily shore landings personally - simply because I am a helicopter fan.

 

.

 

Awesome. So are helicopter flights amn add on paid extra? How expensive were they?

 

Thanks

Raina

[PerfectlyPerth]

Awesome. So are helicopter flights amn add on paid extra? How expensive were they?

 

Thanks

Raina

 

No not an add on - but they are built into the budget for the voyage so it makes for a pricier trip.

 

The Khlebnikov had two choppers and its 30 day voyages were roughly 30 to 60K depending on how many people in a cabin.

It retired from tourism sadly - I went on its final voyage in Dec2011/Jan2012.

 

So the only ship currently offering voyages with choppers now is the Ortelius with Oceanwide (via Aus agency eclipse travel)

 

On board the Khleb - if the weather was good and the choppers were not being used for scenic flying - I know some of the rather wealthy passengers did request private charters at about $3000 for 15 minutes, and we had a doco team on board who would charter them every spare moment they could. It was also dependent on the flying hours and rest times of the two pilots etc.

 

I havent read any reports from passengers on the Ortelius that have mentioned availablity of provate charters during the voyages.

 

PS have sent you a bunch of useful links via email :) Happy reading !!

[ducklite]

And in that spirit, here are some other points that may be of importance to consider when researching a trip to Antarctica and that haven't been mentioned so far (I think):

- is the ship sea-worthy, well stabilized and able to handle rough seas and strong winds?

- Is the ship's hull suitably ice-strengthened?

- is the company/the crew experienced in these waters?

- how is the expedition team, how many members, their credentials, how can the passengers interact with them on a daily basis?

 

More minor points but which can help make a choice if they matter to you:

- what kind of boats are used for landings? ( for instance MS Fram has these amazing PolarCirkelBoats which are very easy to get in and out from, and which are made of a sturdy plastic allowing them to cruise through shallow ice, as seen in the picture below).

- does the ship offers boots rental?

- is the bridge open to passengers at all times?

- are the outside decks adequate? This is tremendously important for me : I want to be able to access the bow of the ship, to go all around the ship (from bow to stern) without having to go back inside (this is not possible on Ponant's ships for instance), it's also nice to have spots where you can be outside but sheltered from wind and rain.

 

 

 

For the luxury ship I will sail on, yes to all. It is a purpose built ship with experienced crew that spends half the year in Antarctica and half the year in the Arctic, and has been doing so for years.

[Shawnino]

Agreed with PP.

The sheathbills don't care how much luxury you've paid for or trolled about: they're going to crap on your parka regardless. The penguins are going to be completely disrespectful of the rule to keep ten feet away from you, even if they wear tuxedos.

[2552phxcrzr]

And in that spirit, here are some other points that may be of importance to consider when researching a trip to Antarctica and that haven't been mentioned so far (I think):

- is the ship sea-worthy, well stabilized and able to handle rough seas and strong winds?

- Is the ship's hull suitably ice-strengthened?

- is the company/the crew experienced in these waters?

- how is the expedition team, how many members, their credentials, how can the passengers interact with them on a daily basis?

 

More minor points but which can help make a choice if they matter to you:

- what kind of boats are used for landings? ( for instance MS Fram has these amazing PolarCirkelBoats which are very easy to get in and out from, and which are made of a sturdy plastic allowing them to cruise through shallow ice, as seen in the picture below).

- does the ship offers boots rental?

- is the bridge open to passengers at all times?

- are the outside decks adequate? This is tremendously important for me : I want to be able to access the bow of the ship, to go all around the ship (from bow to stern) without having to go back inside (this is not possible on Ponant's ships for instance), it's also nice to have spots where you can be outside but sheltered from wind and rain.

 

 

Entirely in agreement.

[2552phxcrzr]

For the luxury ship I will sail on, yes to all. It is a purpose built ship with experienced crew that spends half the year in Antarctica and half the year in the Arctic, and has been doing so for years.

 

Looks like you've made up your mind. Silver Ex has a strong following of passengers and their itineraries sell out quite quickly. You'll want to keep track of the approximate timing of when itineraries come out, so you can be ready to book quickly. You'll have plenty of time between now and then to familiarize yourself with all-things Antarctic ... I find the pre-trip planning and reading time to be almost as exciting as the trip itself.

[PaulMCO]

Looks like you've made up your mind. Silver Ex has a strong following of passengers and their itineraries sell out quite quickly. You'll want to keep track of the approximate timing of when itineraries come out, so you can be ready to book quickly. You'll have plenty of time between now and then to familiarize yourself with all-things Antarctic ... I find the pre-trip planning and reading time to be almost as exciting as the trip itself.

 

They are out now for 2016.... They do sell quickly...

[critterchick]

One ship that I've had my eye on for a long time is Corinthian II, but it appears that she won't be going to Antarctica after 2015.:( She is an all-suite ship with 114 passengers, also with a properly reinforced hull. Perhaps she will be back in the market when we are ready to go in 2016 or 2017 <knocking wood>

[2552phxcrzr]

One ship that I've had my eye on for a long time is Corinthian II, but it appears that she won't be going to Antarctica after 2015.:( She is an all-suite ship with 114 passengers, also with a properly reinforced hull. Perhaps she will be back in the market when we are ready to go in 2016 or 2017 <knocking wood>

 

Corinthian II is/was now operating under the name of Sea Explorer ... whether the name is a permanent change, I have no idea. Friends sailed her as Corinthian II to the Antarctic and really enjoyed it.

[PerfectlyPerth]

Yes she is the Sea Explorer now and the last time I saw her was in March when she was at the wharf in Ushuaia surrounded by scaffolding and a heap of welders and repairmen - with several passengers and crew in hospital, having been pretty damaged in a Drake storm a day ahead of my ship.

 

So I personally wouldnt sail on her in the Drake - seems more suited to the flatter seas in the Arctic.

[2552phxcrzr]

I forgot all about that damage.

 

Here's a snippet from the Sea Explorer Wiki re: current status of the ship ...

 

In June 2014, Australian cruise line, AP Touring, along with UK partner, Noble Caledonia, announced they had acquired the vessel. It will officially join the fleet in October 2014, along with former Renaissance sister vessels, MS Island Sky and MS Caledonian Sky. The ship will have a refit in April 2016.

 

Also link to press release.

[critterchick]

Well, it's quite the incestuous industry, isn't it? Now Corinthian, which used to be an Orion ship but is owned by Travel Dynamics, is sailing Antarctica, at least until January. I think I have a headache.:p

[pepsi216]

Hello everyone! My husband and I are planning to visit Antarctica in early 2017, and are starting to explore what itineraries are out there. I suppose this is a "milestone" trip of sorts - last big trip before we take the plunge and have kids! :D We crossed the Arctic Circle last year for our honeymoon and had a blast, so we were thinking it'd be awesome to cross the Antarctic Circle (or try, anyway). After reading about South Georgia and the Falklands though, we're quite torn now on what we want to do. I'd love to do both (no idea if we'll have the opportunity to come back), but the price may be prohibitive, not to mention taking that much vacation at once. Clearly I need to move to Australia!

 

Your posts have answered some of our questions, but we had a couple to ask and I'm sure we'll come up with more. First, DH is a little concerned about the length of the trip; not that he'll be bored per se, but having never been on a ship for that length of time, is there such a thing as "too long"? We did 12 days cruising on our honeymoon (broken up by small Norwegian ports every other day or so) and had a blast, but does there ever come a point where you lay down at night and say, "okay, I've had fun, but I wish I was home now"? Somehow I think the trip will pass in a blink of an eye, but it's a valid question to ask.

 

Second question is related to booking; in your experience when is the best time to book your Antarctic adventure? I imagine this varies a bit from cruiseline to cruiseline, but overall is there a better time? I'd initially read to book as soon as the voyage opens, but this morning I received a promotion from Hurtigruten offering a pretty nice discount on their cabins for Jan/Feb 2015, plus onboard credit and a free excursion to Tierra del Fuego. Sounds like a nice deal to me! Too bad I can't go this season. Is this pretty typical though, that a company will start offering perks later on to fill up cabins, or is this an unusual occurrence and we're better off booking way early? Picking my cabin is nice but not essential; I'd ride in steerage if it means I get to go! Bookings for 2017 won't open for a little bit, but I'd like to start thinking about it now so I can have my game plan in place when the time comes.

 

Thanks for your help!

[digitl]

The risk of having had enough? Pretty much nil in our experience! There's so much to see, do, learn and understand, and there's always something different coming along...

 

The best time to book? As early as possible. It's worth remembering that Hurtigruten have what they call a 'fluid pricing policy'. In other words, cabins start out at one price and then, generally, rise as they sell and capacity reduces. We try to book on the day the brochure is published, though the 2015 offer you have received sounds 'interesting'. If your Norwegian trip was on Hurtigruten, and for more than 3 consecutive nights, then you are entitled to a 5% discount if you travel with them again.

[peterscot]

If you prefer to be home, it may not be the trip for you. I know there are some who go simply to stand on the continent and be able to say they've been there. The rest of the trip, watching albatrosses, penguins icebergs and whales.... might be a bit dull for them after that.....

 

As for booking, do you really want to be sitting there in late 2016 wondering if you will get on a cruise or flight?

 

Yes, there may be late discounts, but you can only take advantage of them if you are very flexible. Plus you will almost certainly pay more or get less choice with flights and hotels at that stage.

 

BTW, watched the Polar Pioneer and Akademic Vavilov anchor in Stanley harbour this morning... Fram is here tomorrow!

[digitl]

Fram is here tomorrow!

 

That's left me feeling pretty envious/jealous/I wish I was there again!