Antarctica Live On Board

[LadyVol1]

More Antarctica Tips

 

1) Early in the cruise you’ll be given the chance to request to be put in the same color group as other people. If you made friends by the time this paper is delivered to your suite, know their names and cabin numbers. It doesn’t mean you’ll be on the same zodiac (to do that you’ll all need to leave the boot area at the same time), but it does mean that you will be on land at the same time. This comes in handy if you want your photo taken. If you know people in your landing group of ~90 people, chances are you will see one or two of them during the landing and can ask them for your photo to be taken.

 

2) Here’s what I wore to kayak: Three pairs of thick socks (compared to two pairs for landings), two pairs of exercise tights and my snow pants (not my waterproof pants), same top layers as landings including my Seabourn puff but not the parka and my balaclava. I used the neoprene “mittens” attached to the paddle but also had my big, bulky waterproof ski gloves for the zodiac ride to and from the kayaks. Once I was in the kayak, I stuck my big, bulky waterproof ski gloves between my drysuit and tight life vest and they were not going anywhere.

 

3) While kayaking if you have your iPhone in a waterproof camera case around your neck, keep the side with the camera lens next to your life vest since the other side will get drops of sea water on it. I lucked out on this and happened to have the lens side turned “in” so when I took my photo, it was clear.

 

By the way, I’m always cold so maybe I need more layers than average. My husband is always hot and for landings wears two pairs of tights, jeans, waterproof pants, 2 pairs of socks, thermal underwear long sleeve top, T-shirt, fleece jacket, Seabourn puff, Seabourn parka, balaclava, glove liners and waterproof ski gloves.

[Camillus112]

I have read through this thread and find that it has been wonderfully helpful for those planning to do this cruise. However, I -personally- have also benefitted by ascertaining, without any doubt, that this is the kind of cruise I would NOT want to do. Please continue your helpful postings and the interesting read.

[Kwaj girl]

We took the plunge today...and booked for next January! Looks like we will have a lot of cold-weather expedition clothing to buy....unless someone wants to sell us their gently-used items when they're done using them! Although we're in the teens and 20's today, Alabama just doesn't get cold enough for us to buy Nanook-of-the-North outdoor clothes. :D

[LadyVol1]

We use our clothing since we live in Kansas City but I bought our gloves, balaclavas, wool socks and long underwear layers at Costco last December. I bought our waterproof pants and glove liners from REI’s Garage (its outlet division) and was on the lookout for these items when they were on sale. Good luck! But, yes, I would think that someone on CruiseCritic would be willing to earn some money by selling their 2-week used clothing!!

[bitob]

Proper Clothing can be gotten at huge discounts. Try Costco, target, sams club and Sierra trading post.

 

76 in Tucson today[emoji57]

 

 

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[SKP946]

We bought our Antarctica gear at the Aldi annual Snow Gear sale (who I just discovered also have stores in the U.S.)

Ski pants, Merino thermals, socks, touchscreen gloves, ski mittens, and neck and face muffs

As it was inexpensive we had intended to leave it all behind on the ship, but it turned out to be of such good quality that we brought it all home. It has since made another two trips to Antarctica loaned to friends.

[SKP946]

I have read through this thread and find that it has been wonderfully helpful for those planning to do this cruise. However, I -personally- have also benefitted by ascertaining, without any doubt, that this is the kind of cruise I would NOT want to do. Please continue your helpful postings and the interesting read.

Camillus112, if you can live in New York you will find Antarctica balmy in comparison.

My wife hates the cold (she suffers with Reynard syndrome) but didn't have one episode while on the ship. She would go back tomorrow (in fact, at the end of our cruise she wanted to stay on and do it all over again! ) :)

[Chairsin]

Camillus

I think you point out a very valid issue. We can use information posted here to eliminate a cruise as well as determine it is one we want to book. I’m not sure which factors discussed here led you to decide Antártica may not be for you but I’m glad you found information that was helpful.

 

 

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[notjaded]

Believe you mean outfit and they are the full size 7X35 binoculars.

 

Another poster on a recent thread claimed that the full-size binoculars were only available in larger suites. Can you confirm that thes 7X35 binoculars are available in the standard veranda suites? Thanks.

[galeforce9]

Another poster on a recent thread claimed that the full-size binoculars were only available in larger suites. Can you confirm that thes 7X35 binoculars are available in the standard veranda suites? Thanks.

 

 

 

Yes they are available in all suites as Chairsin has said.

 

 

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[Chairsin]

Or as I said in rather garbled fashion! Thanks Gayleforce.

 

 

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[rallydave]

They are in all suites

 

 

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[LadyVol1]

We had our sixth day in Antarctica cancelled due to weather and instead cruised by Elephant Island (Shackleton’s infamous spot). We spent two days going northeast to South Georgia Island and have four days scheduled here, weather depending. (Our original itinerary, at time of booking, was for six Antarctica days and two South Georgia Island days. In the first daily program it showed six and three and now we’re at five and four. I have not heard a single complaint about the change in schedule.) We have not gone on our landing yet today but from the ship I can see that we will see a HUGE King penguin colony and fur seals. Amazing.

 

Each cabin was given a book about South Georgia and we have now been given two each of three different Seabourn Antarctica postcards, one of which doesn’t even show the ship. I didn’t need to buy any postcards in Ushuaia...

 

Speaking of complaints, the only complaint I’ve heard about, and NOT my complaint, is due to the amount of in-cabin announcements. For instance, there are five landing groups and 15 minutes prior to the zodiacs being ready, the CD announces that the “blue group can come to The Club”. This announcement has happened as early as 7:45 AM and then occurs around every ~90 minutes until all five groups are done. Also, on the day we ended up having the landings cancelled they announced to everyone at 7 AM that they were cancelled and that we would be at Elephant Island around 8. At 8:05 AM a shipwide announcement was made that we were at Elephant Island. Several nights there have been announcements of a huge iceberg (2 miles long) and huge pods of whales. I think these announcements were no later than 9 PM. There is often an announcement around 6:15 PM prior to the very informative 6:30 PM briefing and there are announcements prior to the two required bio-security clothing checks and prior to the two briefings required by Antarctica and South Georgia. So, this isn’t really a restful cruise other than the sea days but that’s okay. I’m very happy with all of the announcements.

 

I tried to post a photo of Robert Burton’s “South Georgia” book but received an error. I’m guessing it’s a bandwidth problem since I also tried posting a different photo of the King penguins on the beach (from the balcony it just looks like a very big, speckled beach) and received an error on it, too. We were without WiFi yesterday from around 5 AM until 6 PM.

[LadyVol1]

We just got an in-cabin announcement at 10 AM saying that the remaining landings have been cancelled and the 2 1/2 remaining groups will have zodiac tours. Rather than going ashore at 11AM, our group will have a zodiac tour around 1PM. C’est la vie...

[LadyVol1]

Another shipwide announcement just occurred at 11:30 AM saying it is too rough to even have zodiac tours so they are going to bring the zodiacs back on the ship and then we are going to go to a different place and maybe at 1 PM they will have other news for us. Such is the life on an Antarctica and South Georgia Island cruise. I just used the “dead” time for my blue group to go to the gym. Flexibility is key!!! [emoji2]

[LadyVol1]

2:10 PM. Another shipwide announcement for the rest of the purple group to go ashore now and the blue group will go next at 3:45. So blue was originally scheduled for 10, then 11 and then it was going to be a zodiac tour at 1. Then that was cancelled and the ship moved to a totally different place and now we are scheduled for a 3:45 landing. We’re keeping our fingers crossed! The first group and 1/2 that went out at the original site said it was amazing.

[DCCruiselover]

2:10 PM. Another shipwide announcement for the rest of the purple group to go ashore now and the blue group will go next at 3:45. So blue was originally scheduled for 10, then 11 and then it was going to be a zodiac tour at 1. Then that was cancelled and the ship moved to a totally different place and now we are scheduled for a 3:45 landing. We’re keeping our fingers crossed! The first group and 1/2 that went out at the original site said it was amazing.

 

 

 

We are not going to the same spot! The people on the morning landings were very lucky. We will not experience their amazing views.

But I understand: safety first!

 

 

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[LadyVol1]

Yes, I know we’re at a different spot for the remaining 2.5 groups of landings. The ship moved after the first 1.5 landings. However the people that DID get off at Salisbury Plain in Bay of Isles said it was amazing.

[notjaded]

Another shipwide announcement just occurred at 11:30 AM saying it is too rough to even have zodiac tours so they are going to bring the zodiacs back on the ship and then we are going to go to a different place and maybe at 1 PM they will have other news for us. [emoji2]

 

Thanks for all the great information. Just a question: Does the reason for rough-seas cancellation appear obvious to passengers when they look out the window, or are people saying "This is rough?"

[galeforce9]

LadyVol1 I’ve been avidly reading your posts throughout the day. I really hope you got the landing and that you enjoyed it. Now I’ve bagged Antarctica I really really must travel to South Georgia! I wish seabourn would include South Georgia and the Falklands throughout the season, as Christmas cruises aren’t an option for us due to work commitments.

 

 

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[DCCruiselover]

LadyVol1 I’ve been avidly reading your posts throughout the day. I really hope you got the landing and that you enjoyed it. Now I’ve bagged Antarctica I really really must travel to South Georgia! I wish seabourn would include South Georgia and the Falklands throughout the season, as Christmas cruises aren’t an option for us due to work commitments.

 

 

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Our 3:45 pm landing was just unbelievable and indescribable. The expedition team worked very hard - the afternoon landing spot was a first for Seabourn and the entire expedition team.

 

 

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[galeforce9]

Our 3:45 pm landing was just unbelievable and indescribable. The expedition team worked very hard - the afternoon landing spot was a first for Seabourn and the entire expedition team.

 

 

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I’m so pleased for you and hope you get many more over the next few days. Did all groups manage to land?

 

 

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[DCCruiselover]

I’m so pleased for you and hope you get many more over the next few days. Did all groups manage to land?

 

 

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Thank you! Yes everybody made it this afternoon. We came back on the ship and hot mulled wine was waiting for us at the Patio bar. Indian buffet tonight in the Colonnade and Liars Club in the grand salon. Should be a great finish to a spectacular day!

 

 

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[LadyVol1]

Does the reason for rough-seas cancellation appear obvious to passengers when they look out the window, or are people saying "This is rough?"

 

 

Today I saw the zodiacs bobbing up and down a lot so I guess it was rough. Other than lots of ocean cruising, I know nothing about sea conditions. Even when ports are cancelled I can rarely tell why. But, even saying that, it is VERY obvious to me that the Expedition Staff wants to do the landings as much or more than we do but they are definitely putting safety first. I don’t think anyone questions their decisions and the fact that Seabourn was willing to move the ship a little bit to try to find a new landing spot (and DID!), is quite something. I feel like I’m definitely getting my money’s worth from the Expedition Team.

 

Today was amazing. You actually had to be kind of careful in order to not step on any seal pups since they were everywhere. And the King penguins, bull seals and huge birds all over the place, too, were also unbelievable. I wish I could post photos but it keeps giving me an error message.

 

Expedition team members have repeatedly told me that South Georgia is “better” than Antarctica and now I 100% agree. Seabourn will never do Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands due to the distances involved. Someone asked that question the other day.

[galeforce9]

Today I saw the zodiacs bobbing up and down a lot so I guess it was rough. Other than lots of ocean cruising, I know nothing about sea conditions. Even when ports are cancelled I can rarely tell why. But, even saying that, it is VERY obvious to me that the Expedition Staff wants to do the landings as much or more than we do but they are definitely putting safety first. I don’t think anyone questions their decisions and the fact that Seabourn was willing to move the ship a little bit to try to find a new landing spot (and DID!), is quite something. I feel like I’m definitely getting my money’s worth from the Expedition Team.

 

Today was amazing. You actually had to be kind of careful in order to not step on any seal pups since they were everywhere. And the King penguins, bull seals and huge birds all over the place, too, were also unbelievable. I wish I could post photos but it keeps giving me an error message.

 

Expedition team members have repeatedly told me that South Georgia is “better” than Antarctica and now I 100% agree. Seabourn will never do Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands due to the distances involved. Someone asked that question the other day.

 

 

 

I’m not sure why the distances would matter? Cruises can be any length plus I’m not sure of the need to go to Santiago all the time. Why not run ba to Ushuaia? There are a lot of sea days and fjord days on the Pacific side and if the weather closes in as it did with us, then it really isn’t great? Far better and a bigger selling point to have these two mega locations, the latter not accessible by air for us, on each cruise itinerary? I’m sure any supply issues could be tackled in Ushuaia and whilst it doesn’t have direct intercontinental flights, a hop via ba is not too inconvenient, or from punta arenas back to Santiago.

 

 

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