2/16 Fram Antarctic Trip Report

[WisRiver]

I just posted a trip report on our Antarctic trip on Hurtigruten's Fram on the Antarctic Adventures Board on Trip Advisor. It was a great trip, and I highly recommend it.

[davwen81]

WisRiver,

Can you put a link to your post as I can't find it under Antarctic Adventures on TA. Many thanks

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report. We are doing a similar trip over Christmas of 2017.

[WisRiver]

I hope this link works.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i12337-k9386883-2_16_Fram_Trip_Report-Antarctic_Adventures.html

[Tom47]

I hope this link works.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i12337-k9386883-2_16_Fram_Trip_Report-Antarctic_Adventures.html

 

 

I read and enjoyed your review. We were on the same cruise, cabin 511.

 

Tom:)

[davwen81]

Yes us too, good review , Wendy and David

[Cheekyrn1]

Thank you for your review...we take this cruise in January 2017. My question for you is what was the earliest time you were able to disembark on final day ?? I'm researching our flight options and I really would like to go straight to the airport. Thanks so much

[Tom47]

Thank you for your review...we take this cruise in January 2017. My question for you is what was the earliest time you were able to disembark on final day ?? I'm researching our flight options and I really would like to go straight to the airport. Thanks so much

 

I believe that we got off about 9am. We stayed in Buenos Aires 1 night and took an overnight flight the next day. Our tour company arranged a bus at 4pm the next day. I believe that some people got off before us. I don't know the earliest time. Be advised that there are frequent demonstrations that can cause horrendous traffic delays--up to 4 hrs, instead of a 45 minute trip.

Tom

[SarniaLo]

Thank you for your review...we take this cruise in January 2017. My question for you is what was the earliest time you were able to disembark on final day ?? I'm researching our flight options and I really would like to go straight to the airport. Thanks so much

I've been travelling with Fram twice to Antarctica and go back next winter. Unless things have changed, the flight back from Ushuaia to BA is part of the trip (and part of the price) and I would really advise you to keep with it because many things can happen before the ship arrives in Ushuaia and it is risky to plan for a flight on your own, particularly if you want to take an early one. Ushuaia airport is a bit of a mess, planes get cancelled and changed and I've known several people (travelling on other companies than Hurtigruten) that have booked Ushuaia-BA flight at a decent time, and then found out before the trip that the flight time was changed to much earlier in the day. If you want to arrange your own travel it would be safer to plan a night in Ushuaia.

 

Even for people who take their shuttle plane, Hurtigruten advise to stay one night in BA before flying back home, again to accomodate for possible delays. On my second trip the ship arrived in Ushuaia very early morning as planned, but because of huge disruptions in plane traffic (due to strikes) we arrived in BA at 11 pm!

 

Thank you WisRiver for your review.

[davwen81]

If you are disembarking in BA, then the earliest shuttle to the gate was 8 am. We got that and then had a wait for our luggage, went through customs, and hog a car pick up straight away and were at the nearby airport in 1/2 hr from disembark. If you are going to the international airport EZE, then you need to allow at least an hour for traffic. We got to the local airport by 9.20 and could change our 1.20 flight to the 11.20 flight.

[SarniaLo]

Sorry, I missed that you were disembarking in BA. Please ignore my previous message! ;)

[digitl]

If you are going to the international airport EZE, then you need to allow at least an hour for traffic.

 

One hour really isn't long enough. Two to two and a half would be far safer.

[Cheekyrn1]

Thanks for the responses. Yes things have changed. The round trip flight to Ushuaia is no longer included. I'm contemplating a noon flight from Ushuaia arriving EZE at 17:30 connecting to a Houston flight at 22:00... If things go smoothly then this would be ideal leaving us almost the entire weekend to recoup at home before Monday morning back to work...

[digitl]

The round trip flight to Ushuaia is no longer included.

 

I have the 2017-18 season brochure in front of me and the Buenos Aires - Ushuaia, Ushuaia - Buenos Aires flights are included.

[KirkNC]

I think it depends which trip you take. We are signed up for Christmas in Antarctica in 2017 and we have to do our own air arrangements.

[Cheekyrn1]

We are doing the frozen land of penguins January 2017 and flight not included but the overnight hotel in Ushuaia is

[SarniaLo]

It may also depend on the country where you book, because on the French catalog, air travel from BA to Ushuaia and back is included in both these trips in 2017. There is even a night in BA before the trip included.

 

If you have to do your own travel arrangement, then a night in Ushuaia before the trip is highly recommended to accomodate for possible delays. Planning to go back home on an international plane trip from BA on the same day you disembark in Ushuaia is not a great idea, unless you have serious travel insurance and/or are ready to face the financial consequences of missing your plane and having to find a replacement flight last minute. I would plan a night in BA for instance. Things can go really wrong with air travels in Argentina as far as delays are concerned.

[digitl]

The very latest brochure, which I received last week, shows a hotel night in Buenos Aires and return Buenos Aires - Ushuaia flights as included, including the 'White Christmas in Antarctica' trip leaving on 14 December 2017 (ref. CENFRANT1703).

 

From year-to-year the hotel and flight arrangements have varied but, as SarniaLo says, it may be country specific.

[Globehoppers]

We booked the 2017 Polar Crossing last August and decided joining in Ushuaia instead of BA was ideal for air connections. The website offered both options: BA overnight and Hurtigruten flights BA-USH-BA or Ushuaia only. Same day our T/A contacted H and was informed the that ALL cruises had to route through Buenos Aires and pay the extra charge for overnight and flights. I also discussed this directly with Annika at H and she was adamant we had to route through BA - period. Okay - paid the higher price. Two weeks ago called H to obtain specific information on times/dates and was informed that we were NOT booked through BA, rather scheduled to join Fram in Ushuaia. Our T/A has been working with H for the past two weeks to obtain clarification. Hurtigruten has not been forthcoming with any information. In the meantime we booked a hotel in Ushuaia since rooms were going quickly during their "high" season. Eager to book air connections but on hold waiting to hear from H... Not a happy camper!