Silver Sea Explorer - South Georgia, Tristan da Cuhna to Cape Town - any trip reports?

[OlsSalt]

A few of us on the Silver Sea Explorer roll call who were signed up early for the current Ushuaia to Cape Town via South Georgia Islands including Tristan da Cuhna, had to cancel for various reasons. But we would love to hear any trip reports from those who are presently on board. Thinking of everyone that we "met" in the run-up to this special expedition itinerary and wondering how it all worked out.

 

Kudos to Silver Sea, they were perfect in the very speedy reimbursement of our fully paid "deposit" for this cruise when we realized we needed to cancel due to the ongoing boarding restrictions -which we assumed would be lifted by the time this cruise departed - but unfortunately were not.

[Fletcher]

I did note that Explorer was at Nightingale Island yesterday and is now heading towards Cape Town.  The Whisper called at the island group in February and organised zodiac cruises around Nightingale.  It did not land passengers at Tristan da Cunha because of Covid restrictions which I believe are still in force.  Not 100 percent on this and prepared to be corrected . . . 

[labrasett]

I was on the trip and got home to UK today from Cape Town.   Sometime before the cruise (maybe 2-3 months ago) we were advised that we would not call at the Falklands but have a fjord cruise instead on leaving Puerto Williams.   Fair enough, if Falklands are Covid free and wish to stay that way it is entirely understandable.   Unfortunately our flight from Santiago to P. Williams ran into weather problems and we had to divert to Punta Arenas for an overnight so we lost our fjord cruise.   So we set off a day late for Sth G.   The weather was what can only be described as vile, it was grey and overcast, very very windy and with high seas (20 - 30 foot swells).  Because of the weather we could not totally fulfill our promised landings on Sth G but we did get into Grytviken, visited Shakletons grave for the toast and walked around the village while the kayakers had a gentle paddle about.   There was a thin layer of snow on the ground and the sun shone all too briefly while we were there.   No contact with the local museum team nor the scientists and fisheries people and sadly no entrance to museum or the church.   We had two days around Sth G when the intrepid had two landings plus a zodiac cruise so three outings in total but the conditions were really poor and the crew and expedition team had to work incredibly hard to make it work.   The poor weather continued in the same vein as we crossed to the Tristan Group where we anchored in the harbour area but were not permitted to go ashore.   We were granted permission to land elsewhere on the islands but the weather was so poor it wasnt possible.   There were a couple of very difficult zodiac cruises offered and since there were only 57ish passengers everyone who wished to go out to go out at the same time.   The weather didnt improve until two days out of Cape Town and on arrival into Cape Town we were delayed in our arrival due to ...... yes bad weather, this time fog.   So instead of our planned day out we had lunch on the ship and had shorter trips out in Cape Town.   The plus points were that we saw some amazing wild life including three sightings of leopard seals in really close proximity to the zodiacs, we saw orcas and we saw every other species of wildlife we could have hoped or wished for.  The expedition team were absolutely fantastic and gave great and really insightful and comprehensible lectures.   The crew went out of their way to have fun with us and all told it was a good holiday if not a great one.   Cape Town airport on departure was an absolute zoo, total chaos and it took nearly 1 3/4 hours from arrival at the airport to get through passport control (of course not SS's fault).  We were fortunate that Covid requirements for return to the UK had been closed down so at least we didnt have too much admin to do for our return.   Hey, we went on an expeditioin and it was certainly that, not what we expected nor really what we might have chosen in the eventuality but most of it totally out of the control of SS.   

[drron29]

We did the Cape to Cape 5 years ago on the Explorer. magnificent but my 2 main desires were to see an Orca and land at Tristan Da Cunha. Neither happened. A Force 12 Atlantic Gale as we passed Tristan.

 

But here is a report which is in the middle of a rather extensive holiday. Our flight to Ushuaia begins on post 185 on this page and we board the Explorer on post 209. Lots on Ushuaia as we stayed there for 3 nights,the Falklands and South Georgia.

 

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/threads/from-cape-to-cape-expeditions-by-land-and-sea.81113/page-10

[Fletcher]

Thanks for that @labrasett and glad you are able to put a positive spin on what was clearly a flawed experience.  Put this together with the ill-fated Cloud trip to Antarctica and you have a lot of bad luck for Silversea at the moment.  Things usually come in threes. 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Fletcher

[labrasett]

34 minutes ago, Fletcher said:

Thanks for that @labrasett and glad you are able to put a positive spin on what was clearly a flawed experience.  Put this together with the ill-fated Cloud trip to Antarctica and you have a lot of bad luck for Silversea at the moment.  Things usually come in threes. 

No, I wasnt on the ill fated Cloud trip and I have done Cape to Cape twice before, once on the Explorer in 2015 and once on the Cloud in 2019.  This trip was a very different experience from either of those which both included lots of landings on South G and also into Tristan and on the first one we even got onshore on to Nightingale Island.  So how do we feel about the trip, a trifle disappointed but we very much appreciated the great effort everyone put in to giving us a good time.  

[FauxNom]

I'm so sorry to hear about the weather @labrasett but glad to hear you got some enjoyment out of the adventure. Sounds like it would be hard to live up to your great experience on the previous Cape to Cape expeditions. Thanks for your report.

[OlsSalt]

Thank you so much for coming back to this thread and sharing the details, labrasett.

 

Agree, one "pays their money and takes their chances" with  this itinerary. Even under the best of circumstances, it is an iffy one. Only 57 passengers must have been an unexpected treat - almost like your own private yacht and kudos the very helpful expedition teams who could offer so much more personal attention and interaction. 

 

In honor of the very recent Endurance discovery at the bottom of Waddell Sea, you got closer to Shakleton's own experience at a particularly poignant time - that alone - learning first hand the challenges of those very rough seas should be haunting.

 

Glad you got to do a whisky toss. But especially glad you offered us the report to both the relief and chagrin of those who wanted to take this voyage with you. Thank you again for your report. Arm chair cruising is all we have ourselves for the near future. Much appreciated taking us along with you.

[labrasett]

Sitting on the front of a zodiac and spotting a leopard seal very close to me in the bow was particularly rewarding as everyone else was calling out excitedly "leopard seal, leopard seal" staring over the aft of the Zodiac, so in fact two leopard seals cruising around us and peering up at us more with curiousity than mal-intent.   Our orca sighting was orchestrated by one of our lovely bar staff, a delightful young woman from Phillipines who while serving us with some fizz on the back deck looked up and spotted the orcas perhaps 3 - 4 hundred feet from the ship. So again a great privilege to see these beasts which are not too regularly seen.