Explorer II: Falklands, South Georgia, South Shetlands & Antarctic Peninsula

[Gorm]

We were not able to find a review of Explorer II on the Boards, notwithstanding that it is one of the principal ships touring the Antarctic region during the Southern Hemisphere summer. Since we have always valued the opinions we find on the Boards, we hope this posting will be of some use to those contemplating a cruise to the Antarctic.

 

We have just completed a 15-day cruise from Ushuaia to the Falklands, South Georgia, South Shetlands and the Antarctic Peninsula aboard Explorer II. The ship (which is re-named Alexander von Humboldt during the Northern summer, when she caters to the German/European cruise market) was built in 1989 in Ukraine as a Soviet spy ship. She was extensively re-built in 1996 by Marrioti in Genoa, Italy (the same shipyard that built the Silversea ships, among others). She then sailed as Minerva II for Swan Hellenic for a number of years, before her present owners, Atholl of Monaco, purchased her for expedition cruising. She is managed by V. Ships, which operates many other cruise ships. Explorer II is 12,000 tonnes (gross), 135 metres long and 20 metres breadth. She usually travels at about 14-16 knots when cruising between stops.

 

The ship has accommodation for over 400 passengers, but she carries a maximum 199 in the Antarctic, to comply with International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) regulations that permit her to land passengers at all sites, except those designated as off-limits to tourists for scientific or environmental reasons. We were looked after by a multinational crew of 195. The very congenial and informative Captain, John Moulds, is British; the equally personable Staff Captain, Giovanni Viasutti, is from Italy; and most of the other officers are from Eastern Europe. The majority of the service staff are Filipino (and excellent), with European bar staff (some quite grumpy).

 

We boarded in Ushuaia, then sailed down the beautiful Beagle Channel through open waters for a day, before reaching the capital of the Falkland Islands, Stanley. This is a small (pop'n 2,500) town, mainly serving British military personnel, fishing fleets and tourism. Most interesting for us was our visit to a 23,000 acre sheep farm. We come from Sydney, Australia and often visit friends with large sheep properties, so it was fascinating to compare Australian and Falklands standards and practices! The Falklands have a bleak beauty, like the Highlands of Scotland and the inhabitants are intensely proud of their independence and British heritage. The war with Argentina is a very recent memory and comes up frequently in conversation. The effects of the conflict (e.g. landmines) are still quite visible. Other passengers had the choice of visiting penguin colonies, nature and bird reserves, or strolling the town (which doesn't take very long!) to see the interesting Christ Church Cathedral, next to which is the enormous whale bone arch, made of the jaw bones from two blue whales. We hoped to find a lovely woollen sweater or two, but they were not as comfortable as we hoped and the patterns were somewhat restricted to local geometric designs.

 

The next stop, South Georgia, came after a further two days on the Scotia Sea. This is paradise for those anxious to see Antarctic wildlife (e.g. penguins, elephant and fur seals and many sea birds such as the wandering albatross; storm petrels and the ever-present and attractive cape petrels), spectacular scenery and whaling history. We made five landings in Zodiacs, including one at Salisbury Plain to see the huge King Penguin colony that stretches up into the hills from the beachfront. We also landed at Elsehul, Gold Harbour (another highlight), Stromness and Grytviken (our other favourite "port" with Shackleton's burial site and the justifiably famous Whaling Museum). We were very fortunate with good weather allowing all planned landings to take place and for us to take some amazing photos. We were told that such good fortune is uncommon in South Georgia, whose weather is readily changeable. As we had chosen this cruise specifically because it included South Georgia, we were delighted with the outcome.

 

After a further two days at sea during which we saw many birds and some whales (during the cruise we saw Sei, Fin, Southern Rights and Humpback whales), as well as beautiful blue-ish icebergs, we made landfall at Half Moon Island in the South Shetland chain. After spending an excellent morning there, we travelled to Deception Island, which is known for its volcanic activity and the traditional "Antarctic swim" in the thermally heated waters alongside the beach. We were told that it can be quite pleasant but for us, given the incoming icy tide diluting the warm waters, it was still darn cold, but fun!

 

The next day we navigated to Neko Harbour, where we took our first steps on the continent of Antarctica. It happened to be 1 January 2006, a very special way to start the New Year. At Neko, we saw a Weddell seal and a colony of Gentoo penguins, as well as kelp gulls and skuas. During lunch, we sailed to Paradise Bay and anchored off an abandoned Argentine research station. During a Zodiac tour, we visited the cliffside blue-eyed shag colony and saw colourful green and blue rock formations.

 

We then proceeded through the stunning Lemaire Channel. Even though it was cold and late at night, we stayed awake to watch the ship's progress through the narrow, ice-packed channel, which is seven miles long and only 400 feet wide at its narrowest point. The Explorer II's lack of a forward-facing observation lounge was most acutely felt that evening, as we stood in the freezing wind above the bridge for over two hours, with fog swirling around us, trying to capture the experience on film.

 

By the way, we found our digital camera worked much better and was easier to use under Antarctic conditions than was our film camera. We took four gigabytes of memory and used most of it. We had no battery problems, but make sure you take several spares and a charger. We did not carry a laptop or card reader, but many other passengers did, notwithstanding the problems passing through airports. We were able to view each day's photos by hooking up the video cable from our camera to the TV monitor.

 

On the final day in Antarctica, we stopped first at Petermann Island to see Adelie penguins and then at Port Lockroy, home to a fascinating historic British research station, surrounded by a colony of nesting gentoo penguins with chicks. Port Lockroy is also known for its small gift shop and postal facilities, enabling one to send a postcard from the world's most southern post office at latitude 65 degrees south!

 

The best was yet to come (for those of you worried about seasickness, as we were): the two-day voyage across the notorious Drake Passage back to Ushuaia. Instead of the legendary monster waves and huge storms, our luck held and we were treated to the "Drake Lake", with smooth conditions and only 3-4 metre swells. In fact, for the whole of our trip, the seas were generally calm and the weather, though often cloudy and sometimes snowing, was conducive to extensive tours and walks ashore.

 

Against this background and bearing in mind that the opportunity to closely observe the wildlife and natural beauty of Antarctica was for us a once-in-a-lifetime experience, we have the following comments on the cruise aspects of our trip. We should begin by saying that Explorer II's advertising (at least in Australia) bills her as one of one of the most luxurious small ships in the world. Far from it!

- The ship's interior is quite run-down, with worn furnishings and threadbare carpets in places.

- Cabins are small and utilitarian. We were in a Suite (one of the ship's largest) that measured just 290 square feet and which, in our opinion, was poorly laid out and decorated. The furniture, linens and amenities were not luxurious. The cabin's good features were a very comfortable queen-size bed and the balcony, which we used often for viewing and photography. We had an excellent cabin steward from the Philippines.

- The food, while adequate, was again not up to first class standards, as exhibited by luxury lines such as Silversea and Seabourn. The cuisine was generally heavy and somewhat bland and typical of mass-market cruise line food, notwithstanding the small size of the ship. Non-European dishes were infrequent and generally poor.

- The complimentary wine selection was limited to mostly South American wines, which we found to be of low quality, with some notable exceptions. The complimentary "champagne" was a sweet sparkling white burgundy. (We discovered by accident on the last day that a container with high-quality food and wine had missed the ship in Ushuaia, which may explain our disappointment on this front.) Drinks are complimentary, except for premium wines, champagne and spirits.

- The expedition staff and naturalists were a mixed bunch. While some were excellent, others were overbearing and arrogant, which became irritating, especially when ashore. We had done extensive research about Antarctica and its ecology prior to the trip and were generally disappointed to find that we often knew as much or more than many of the "experts" aboard.

- Communication about landing logistics, procedures and rules within the expedition team and from them to the passengers was often frustratingly confusing. On many occasions, we found that we had to regroup or wait while something was clarified via walkie-talkie with the ship or the expedition leader, Suzana D'Oliveira, who persisted on running a tight programme.

- We felt that the many enrichment lectures (which we had looked forward to) were often "dumbed-down" to accommodate the many passengers who appeared to know little about the trip or what they were likely to see and do. To us, it was one of the most surprising and disappointing features of the trip that so many had come so far and paid so much for an expedition cruise that highlights learning without educating themselves at least somewhat beforehand. We often watched the lectures on the small TV in our cabin.

- The Captain was always available to answer questions and we and several other passengers enjoyed a lot of time with him and his Staff Captain. Both are extremely enthusiastic about Antarctica and its wildlife and went out of their way to steer us to the best observation places.

- Zodiac landings are quite easy and soon became routine. The crew were excellent assisting passengers on and off. However, we found the Zodiacs to be less suitable for sightseeing cruises along the shoreline, given that at any given time half the passengers will have their back to whatever is being pointed out and discussed by the guide. During sightseeing cruises, the smell from the aged outboard motors on the Zodiacs is quite nauseating.

- Explorer II is a no tipping ship - officially. Unofficially, some of the staff spend considerable effort ingratiating themselves for tips by bestowing what they claim are special favours (such as reserving a certain bottle of wine or arranging seats in the dining room) when in fact these are normal courtesies of the ship. The Captain, at the end of the cruise, invites passengers to contribute to the Staff Welfare Fund, which provides well-earned amenities for the crew. We accepted his invitation, as we think most other passengers happily did.

- Clothing aboard ship was very casual, with only a few male passengers wearing coats and ties at dinner; women wore comfortable pantsuits and skirt/sweater combinations. There were no "formal" evenings, as is common on many other cruise ships. For going ashore, three to four layers of lightweight material (e.g. silk, polypropylene, microfibre and fleece) topped off with waterproof pants and the excellent parka provided by the ship is perfectly adequate. Air temperatures were around the freezing point and the wind chill factor was low. The ship also provided comfortable, well-fitting Wellington boots and a useful lightweight backpack. When going ashore you will also be required to wear a small lifejacket over your parka for the Zodiac transfer. We spent a lot of time worrying about clothing but realised that simply following common sense is sufficient. Make sure you take a good warm hat, a neck gaiter (rather than scarf), wraparound sunglasses and two pairs of thin gloves you can wear over each other (particularly if you are an active photographer). There are only two ancient washing machines and driers aboard for passengers' use. We used the laundry service instead, which was excellent and very reasonably priced (e.g. US$2.50/shirt).

 

The bottom line is that an Antarctic expedition (including especially South Georgia) is a wonderful experience. It's not cheap, but if you can take the opportunity to see the animals and natural beauty, you will be well rewarded. However, don't expect too much from the ship itself. This cruise is all about the destination and not luxury aboard.

 

We will try to respond to any queries posted on the Board.

 

Gorm & Geoff

[Druke I]

Thanks for an interesting review.

 

Editorial comment - Minerva II is a former Renaissance R class ship, currently in service. Were you refering to its predecessor, Minerva (I)?

[pacmom]

My husband and I happened to be present when she was renamed in Ushaiua this past Feb. We were on a Uniworld tour on the NCL Crown and were coming back to the ship during this ceremony. Very interesting to hear her history and new sailing. Thanks Pat

[LHT28]

We have just completed a 15-day cruise from Ushuaia to the Falklands, South Georgia, South Shetlands and the Antarctic Peninsula aboard Explorer II. The ship (which is re-named Alexander von Humboldt during the Northern summer, when she caters to the German/European cruise market) was built in 1989 in Ukraine as a Soviet spy ship. She was extensively re-built in 1996 by Marrioti in Genoa, Italy (the same shipyard that built the Silversea ships, among others). She then sailed as Minerva II for Swan Hellenic for a number of years, before her present owners, Atholl of Monaco, purchased her for expedition cruising.

Gorm & Geoff

some confusion here

Was your crusie through RSSC?

The Explorer II was formerly Society Explorer, Lindblad Explorer, World Explorer.

Minerva II was R 8 until the bankrupcy of Renaissance Cruises

[Gorm]

some confusion here

Was your crusie through RSSC?

The Explorer II was formerly Society Explorer, Lindblad Explorer, World Explorer.

Minerva II was R 8 until the bankrupcy of Renaissance Cruises

 

 

Our apologies, Druke 1, the Explorer II was indeed the first Minerva (guess we just got used to typing the “II”).

 

LHT28 There is no confusion, the Society Explorer/Lindblad Explorer/World Explorer is another ship entirely. Minerva II is the former R8.

 

Our cruise was through Abercrombie & Kent, but RSSC have also chartered the Explorer II.

[LHT28]

LHT28 There is no confusion, the Society Explorer/Lindblad Explorer/World Explorer is another ship entirely. Minerva II is the former R8.

 

Our cruise was through Abercrombie & Kent, but RSSC have also chartered the Explorer II.

 

Thanks ..looks like a great cruise

a friend of our was looking at the Polar Star but I will mention this on to him

He has done the Marco Polo several times and was looking for a change.