Antarctica

[Docker123]

Thank you all for the comments, suggestions etc. The conversation here has help clear up some of the less friendly posts on the Antartica board.

 

One thing that has attracted me, from other exploring, is that Hurtigruten will have a new ship with an introduction of no single supplement. So 18 days with lots of landings. But should be nice and comfortable if physically limited.

 

I looked at ex-Hobart, but very expensive. The ones I saw end up in Invercargill. Still looking at these.

 

Anyway, still doing lots of research and reading through the brochures.

 

Mr Gut, since our lovely chat I have seen the neurosurgeon twice. Bone on bone is not good. Couple of options, surgery. Second is he said he sees people who decide to deal with the pain with the meds, facet injections -- and go on cruises to relax.

 

Surgery prognosis very positive from doc. Still taking other advice on this.

[GUT2407]

Thank you all for the comments, suggestions etc. The conversation here has help clear up some of the less friendly posts on the Antartica board.

 

One thing that has attracted me, from other exploring, is that Hurtigruten will have a new ship with an introduction of no single supplement. So 18 days with lots of landings. But should be nice and comfortable if physically limited.

 

I looked at ex-Hobart, but very expensive. The ones I saw end up in Invercargill. Still looking at these.

 

Anyway, still doing lots of research and reading through the brochures.

 

Mr Gut, since our lovely chat I have seen the neurosurgeon twice. Bone on bone is not good. Couple of options, surgery. Second is he said he sees people who decide to deal with the pain with the meds, facet injections -- and go on cruises to relax.

 

Surgery prognosis very positive from doc. Still taking other advice on this.

 

 

SOrry to hear its bone on bone, that's not nice. Facet the njections can work, they don't always but when they do they are great. Same with surgery, when the result is good it's great, when it's not, well..... keep us nformed whatever the decision. Some days I wish they'd advise me to have surgery, but most doctors say, no way general consensus is that I'd need to many levels done it's almost certain at least one would be catastrophic. Got a funny result recently radiographer was a friend of the doctor (and I know his m in law) "Well the good news is C2-C3 doesn't look too bad, probably about 50% on that one, now as for the rest....."

[MicCanberra]

Possibly.

 

Be my best chance.

Double cruise if you take the spirit of Tasmania.:cool:

[MicCanberra]

Thank you all for the comments, suggestions etc. The conversation here has help clear up some of the less friendly posts on the Antartica board.

 

One thing that has attracted me, from other exploring, is that Hurtigruten will have a new ship with an introduction of no single supplement. So 18 days with lots of landings. But should be nice and comfortable if physically limited.

 

I looked at ex-Hobart, but very expensive. The ones I saw end up in Invercargill. Still looking at these.

 

Anyway, still doing lots of research and reading through the brochures.

 

Mr Gut, since our lovely chat I have seen the neurosurgeon twice. Bone on bone is not good. Couple of options, surgery. Second is he said he sees people who decide to deal with the pain with the meds, facet injections -- and go on cruises to relax.

 

Surgery prognosis very positive from doc. Still taking other advice on this.

No matter what the situation, whether it be cruises or back surgery. Do the research, take in the information and then make an informed decision on the respective facts that suits you best.

[GUT2407]

Double cruise if you take the spirit of Tasmania.:cool:

But none of the lines will give me loyalty points for is, so must be a waste of time and money......:evilsmile::halo::')

[MicCanberra]

But none of the lines will give me loyalty points for is, so must be a waste of time and money......:evilsmile::halo::')

Loyalty points are not worth it, just when they start to give you something good, the goal posts move and perks are removed or lessened.

[GUT2407]

Loyalty points are not worth it, just when they start to give you something good, the goal posts move and perks are removed or lessened.

 

 

I actually don't care about them.

 

But think they should give them for tender trips.

[MicCanberra]

I actually don't care about them.

 

But think they should give them for tender trips.

LOL, a bar service on the tenders would be good as well.:p

[gogo65]

We did Antarctica in January with ponant.

We were very happy with the whole cruise. We just did the 10 night cruise, booked when itineraries were relaeased and saved 30% early booking bonus.

The ships are beautiful, very comfortable. About 40% were Australians,40 % Frencha BD the rest a mix from US, Canada and Europe.

We loved the twice daily zodiac excursions.

We had the drake lake both ways, we arrived to the peninsula half a day early so ended up with an additional zodiac excursion that day.

Highly recommend 😊

[MMDown Under]

I actually don't care about them.

 

But think they should give them for tender trips.

 

Then you would just stay on the tender, going back and forth, counting loyalty points!

[NSWP]

LOL, a bar service on the tenders would be good as well.:p

 

With complimentary adult beverages to all. :cool:

[MicCanberra]

Then you would just stay on the tender, going back and forth, counting loyalty points!

Ssshhh, don't tell everyone.;p

[MicCanberra]

With complimentary adult beverages to all. :cool:

Of course not all, people under 18 are not allowed to drink alcohol.;p

[PerfectlyPerth]

I meant the saving of having to sail across the passage t get to Antarctica saving at least several days each way. If you are flying from Sydney to Santiago and then Punta Arenas to get the connection it is much simpler.

 

Yes it does cut out the annoying additional BA flights which can be timewasting indeed.

[PerfectlyPerth]

Thank you all for the comments, suggestions etc. The conversation here has help clear up some of the less friendly posts on the Antartica board.

 

One thing that has attracted me, from other exploring, is that Hurtigruten will have a new ship with an introduction of no single supplement. So 18 days with lots of landings. But should be nice and comfortable if physically limited.

 

I looked at ex-Hobart, but very expensive. The ones I saw end up in Invercargill. Still looking at these.

 

Anyway, still doing lots of research and reading through the brochures.

 

Mr Gut, since our lovely chat I have seen the neurosurgeon twice. Bone on bone is not good. Couple of options, surgery. Second is he said he sees people who decide to deal with the pain with the meds, facet injections -- and go on cruises to relax.

 

Surgery prognosis very positive from doc. Still taking other advice on this.

 

Most of those of us who post on the CC Antarctica board also post on the Trip Advisor Antarctica forum (which I got TA to create many years ago when everyone was posting their queries all over the place and there was no one board to consolidate them all).

 

Just re the single supplement - the majority of the companies only charge that if you specifically want an entire cabin to yourself. Mostly folks just pay for the bed and get paired up with same gender. I did that in twin share on my first 3 trips. 4th trip I scored a suite all to myself (yeay). A couple have actual solo cabins. Orion does but with a supplement. Quark has two of its ships with solo cabins now but I havent looked at the pricings lately.

 

Enjoy gazing through the brochures - thats the fun bit! And big decisions to be made re your surgery or living on cortisone injections (which my uncle is having in his spine every 2 months just to continue his travels until he cannot travel any longer then he may decide to have surgery). Mine is two bulging discs that flare up when they feel like it. Due to curvature of the spine surgery is not an option so I just have to be super careful not to jar myself and cause the flare ups. Staff on all my expedition ships have been awesome with regards to getting in and out of zodiacs.

[Aus Traveller]

I have started researching Antarctic cruises. This has been on my 'wish list' for years but until fairly recently I was very prone to motion sickness. I seem to have outgrown it :D:D so I feel I can consider the Antarctic. I have been reading about the MS Fram and Chimu's Sea Spirit. What is the name of Les' son's?

 

I feel if we spend the money to go, we should do a 19-21 day trip to include the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia Is and Falkland Islands. On two cruises we have been unable to land on the Falklands. :( I would be happy to hear any recommendations or opinion or thoughts or wishes ......

 

We have cruised around the tip of South America twice and each time the Drake Passage was calm, but I know it is notorious for being rough.

[jcruizer]

It was rough going around the horn for us early this year. However we are all booked for Feb18 on Quark to visit Antarctica. Not looking forward to the crossing but I hear its really worth it.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Aus Traveller]

It was rough going around the horn for us early this year. However we are all booked for Feb18 on Quark to visit Antarctica. Not looking forward to the crossing but I hear its really worth it.

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Is this a 20-day trip to Falklands, Sth Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula? That is the type of trip I am looking at.

[Gwendy]

Formal night crossing Drake Passage, Captain's announcement Ladies please wear flat shoes!

Long walk back to cabin, one side to the other even using hand rails.

Antarctica is so beautiful, looked over railing early one morning and there was a minke whale looking back at me.

[Aus Traveller]

Formal night crossing Drake Passage, Captain's announcement Ladies please wear flat shoes!

Long walk back to cabin, one side to the other even using hand rails.

Antarctica is so beautiful, looked over railing early one morning and there was a minke whale looking back at me.

What ship were you on? What itinerary?

[MMDown Under]

We went on the cruise route you are interested in, on Fram. Smooth seas except from South Georgia to Antarctica.

 

Lots of valuable information and reviews (including mine) on Trip Adviser Antarctica Forum (started by Perfectly Perth).

 

Everyone wants to go again! There was a senior lady on our cruise who cruised with her husband at the beginning of the year and returned with a relative, at the end of the same year, she loved it so much!

 

Enjoy the planning which is half the fun.

[Aus Traveller]

We went on the cruise route you are interested in, on Fram. Smooth seas except from South Georgia to Antarctica. Lots of valuable information and reviews (including mine) on Trip Adviser Antarctica Forum (started by Perfectly Perth). Everyone wants to go again! There was a senior lady on our cruise who cruised with her husband at the beginning of the year and returned with a relative, at the end of the same year, she loved it so much! Enjoy the planning which is half the fun.

One of my daughter's friends has been on around five Antarctic cruises. I will have a talk with her. :) I read an Antarctic cruising forum. I think it was Perfectly Perth's. It was very informative.

[PerfectlyPerth]

Just to clarify - its not "my" forum. All I did many years ago was ask Trip Advisor to create an Antarctica forum because people were posting questions on Aus/NZ/Sth Africa and Sth American forums and getting no responses or the posts were just fading away to the back of the queue. And here on CC the existing Antarctica forum was predominantly for the big cruise ships doing drive bys. https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowForum-g1-i12337-Antarctic_Adventures.html

I did personally build the FAQs for the TA forum simply to create a data base for the many trip reports (cross referencing years, expedition companies/ships) and also roll calls. Plus the wealth of info and tips from past travellers. So newbies can read and research to their hearts content.

[Aus Traveller]

Just to clarify - its not "my" forum. All I did many years ago was ask Trip Advisor to create an Antarctica forum because people were posting questions on Aus/NZ/Sth Africa and Sth American forums and getting no responses or the posts were just fading away to the back of the queue. And here on CC the existing Antarctica forum was predominantly for the big cruise ships doing drive bys. https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowForum-g1-i12337-Antarctic_Adventures.html

I did personally build the FAQs for the TA forum simply to create a data base for the many trip reports (cross referencing years, expedition companies/ships) and also roll calls. Plus the wealth of info and tips from past travellers. So newbies can read and research to their hearts content.

Thank you for your post. I had read some of this info previously, but have just spent a few hours reading through the reports, questions and answers.

[MicCanberra]

There is some great info on the forum, cheers.