Own Winter Boots needed on Antarctica Cruise?

[CDNPolar]

I know that Hurtigruten provide boots for landings, but:

 

• Do we need to bring our own winter boots for on the ship decks outside?
• Do we need to bring our own winter boots for kayaking or do we wear the ship supplied boots?

 

Winter boots are heavy to pack and if we don't have to we don't want to.

 

Thank you to the experienced ones on this forum! 

[miklinga]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

I know that Hurtigruten provide boots for landings, but:

 

• Do we need to bring our own winter boots for on the ship decks outside?
• Do we need to bring our own winter boots for kayaking or do we wear the ship supplied boots?

 

Winter boots are heavy to pack and if we don't have to we don't want to.

 

Thank you to the experienced ones on this forum! 

We are on the Fram now.  We are just wearing regular shoes onboard.  From what those chosen in the kayaking lottery, you wear your long Johns, socks and tops, then they issue outerwear, so no extra boots should be required.

Safe travels!

[miklinga]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

I know that Hurtigruten provide boots for landings, but:

 

• Do we need to bring our own winter boots for on the ship decks outside?
• Do we need to bring our own winter boots for kayaking or do we wear the ship supplied boots?

 

Winter boots are heavy to pack and if we don't have to we don't want to.

 

Thank you to the experienced ones on this forum! 

We are on the Fram now.  We are just wearing regular shoes onboard.  From what those chosen in the kayaking lottery, you wear your long Johns, socks and tops, then they issue outerwear, so no extra boots should be required.

Safe travels!

Sorry for the double post...also wanted to comment that laundry is reasonable and overnight so you might be able to pack lighter.

Edited December 11, 2022 by miklinga

[CDNPolar]

15 hours ago, miklinga said:

We are on the Fram now.  We are just wearing regular shoes onboard.  From what those chosen in the kayaking lottery, you wear your long Johns, socks and tops, then they issue outerwear, so no extra boots should be required.

Safe travels!

Sorry for the double post...also wanted to comment that laundry is reasonable and overnight so you might be able to pack lighter.

Taking my own discussion off track... LOL...  This is our first time on Hurtigruten and we are packing lighter than normal because we read that the expedition cruises are more casual overall.  We will change from our daily landing clothes for dinner but not as "dressy" as we do on other cruises.

 

When you say that laundry is reasonable and overnight - I assume that you mean that the laundry department does the laundry?  Or are there self-serve laundry facilities available?

 

Why we asked about boots is that we see many pictures like these below and they kind of encourage us that boots would be a good idea?

 

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by CDNPolar

[miklinga]

22 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Deck has not been bad, crew keep them pretty clear and close them occasionally if too much ice. I have mostly worn trainers on board and husband wears Sketches slip on shoes with no problem.

No self service laundry. ex. Jeans, pants 5 euro, t-shirt 3 euro.

No one dresses up for meals, very casual. Breakfast and lunch are buffet, dinner is served most nights with an occasional buffet night. Wine at meals changes, but nice variety from worldwide at both lunch and dinner.  Beer also at meals.

Mix of guests from Australia, Europe, Canadians, Americans and a very few Asians.  All announcements have been in English, then German, then French. 

Enjoy your cruise.

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, miklinga said:

Deck has not been bad, crew keep them pretty clear and close them occasionally if too much ice. I have mostly worn trainers on board and husband wears Sketches slip on shoes with no problem.

No self service laundry. ex. Jeans, pants 5 euro, t-shirt 3 euro.

No one dresses up for meals, very casual. Breakfast and lunch are buffet, dinner is served most nights with an occasional buffet night. Wine at meals changes, but nice variety from worldwide at both lunch and dinner.  Beer also at meals.

Mix of guests from Australia, Europe, Canadians, Americans and a very few Asians.  All announcements have been in English, then German, then French. 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

Thanks so much for this information!

 

We have been waiting a long time for this.  We paid our deposit November 2020 and here we are more than 2 years later about to embark!  

 

Hope you continue to enjoy.  Stay Safe!

[Heartfelttraveler]

On 12/12/2022 at 11:27 AM, CDNPolar said:

 

 

Thanks so much for this information!

 

We have been waiting a long time for this.  We paid our deposit November 2020 and here we are more than 2 years later about to embark!  

 

Hope you continue to enjoy.  Stay Safe!

 

We paid in July 2019 for a December 2019 expedition.  Last January we were boosted, tested and filled out a mountain of paperwork.  As we were closing our suitcases to head to the airport, Hurtigruten had to cancel our sailing due to ten cases of covid on the trip prior to ours.  We are hoping/praying that this January actually happens.  We have been traveling pretty much since March 2022 without problems.  (Two trips were not cruises - Costa Rica, and Svalbard & Iceland.)

[CDNPolar]

11 hours ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

 

We paid in July 2019 for a December 2019 expedition.  Last January we were boosted, tested and filled out a mountain of paperwork.  As we were closing our suitcases to head to the airport, Hurtigruten had to cancel our sailing due to ten cases of covid on the trip prior to ours.  We are hoping/praying that this January actually happens.  We have been traveling pretty much since March 2022 without problems.  (Two trips were not cruises - Costa Rica, and Svalbard & Iceland.)

 

 

Interesting scenario.  I never really gave thought to that as a possibility.

 

Hurtigruten are testing us in the hotel the night before leaving for Ushuaia, and indicated that a positive means you are not getting on the charter flight - or the cruise.

 

A previous sailing that had a a semi-live thread on here did indicate that there were positive cases on board but never updated past that.

 

We are still in very uncertain travel times.  Being so many days away from full medical care, it does not surprise me if Hurtigruten assessed the risk based on the most recent sailings and decided to cancel.