Review - Hurtigruten Fridtjof Nansen Highlights of Antarctica December 28, 2022

[CDNPolar]

12 hours ago, edhopper said:

Where there any extended hikes?

Not really as it is all about the time you have on the Continent.  We had one hour on land - give or take - each landing.  

 

The snowshoeing seemed longer because there was equipment to get on and we had to wait for all to get the boots strapped in, but in the end we were only one hour on the trail.  The kayaking also seemed longer because of the time to coach and then actually get in the kayaks, but all actual events once started are about an hour.

 

The general landings when you are more or less walking/hiking without a guide, you could steal a few more minutes because it is honour system to get back to the landing site, but then you may prevent someone else from landing.  You are told very clearly at each landing site when your feet hit the ground what time to be back there.

 

The only extended thing is the camping, but I don't think you are hiking with this.

[susiesan]

So is it possible that you might not ever get to get off the ship for a landing if your lottery number never comes up? 

[CDNPolar]

2 hours ago, susiesan said:

So is it possible that you might not ever get to get off the ship for a landing if your lottery number never comes up? 

 

First of all everything that you might do is weather dependent.  

 

With Hurtigruten - and this will be different for other cruise lines depending on the size of the ship - you are entitled to ONE landing per day, again, weather dependent.  Hurtigruten also may give you a zodiac boat cruise each day if time and weather cooperates.

 

The lottery is for the "optional" excursions which are additional cost.  These are snowshoeing, kayaking, and camping.  You sign up for these, and if chosen they bill your onboard account for the cost and you are given a time to report for your optional excursion.

 

The problem being that they cannot accommodate all 400 passengers on these optional excursions in the time they have.

 

You will get your included landings - hikes on the frozen continent - weather permitting.

 

It is possible that you will have a day, or more, with no landings... we had five days with potential landings, but the first day there were no landings because the weather did not cooperate.  So we missed a day of landing.

[GonzoWCS]

CDN, Could you talk a bit about the Hotel stays before and after. 

 

Were they Hurtigruten sponsored and/or did you book them yourselves.  

 

Thanks in advance.

Cheers

 

[CDNPolar]

If you are booking the same cruise we did, the first night is the package is a hotel stay.  
 

Hurtigruten basically stage everyone at the hotel the day before your charter flight to Ushuaia.  

We were at the Emperador Hotel.   We went one night early and paid for that night.

 

The hotel was okay.  Mid-level.  Nothing fancy.
 

We stayed after and stayed at the Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel and Convention Centre. It was a better location and because we had club floor it was convenient.  
 

I would recommend going with the Hurtigruten hotel before unless you want to pay extra and also get yourself to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia.  

[Raeofsunshinenz]

thanks for the detailed review.  I really enjoyed reading it, as our trip is scheduled for almost exactly a year after yours - same ship.  We leave NZ on the 31st of Dec this year (and I think the boat sets off on the 2nd of Jan).  Nothing you have said surprises me, so I feel my thorough research has set me on the right track.  I even had a feeling that transfer was going to be pretty early... but good to know an estimated possible time!  We are staying at the Hilton Buenos Aires, which is the hotel Hurtigruten organised, but I see our info does mention a group bus transfer, so I guess they use more than 1 hotel. 

 

I have a few questions building up and so might bombard you with a few - i hope that's ok!  Sorry if I missed this info, but how many were on your cruise - the full 500, or a few less?  And I know you say they didn't do the polar plunge, but do you know if it's a jump into the water with Hurtigruten, or a run from shore?  The info I keep finding, seems to show a shore run.  I think if i do it, it would have to be a jump that I can't turn back from!  The burger place you mentioned - are they the one that do milk shakes also?  This doesn't cost extra right?  Were the hot tubs in use much, or do they close these down in rough weather.  And I've heard the ship can provide good sea sickness meds - do these cost?  thanks in advance! 

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, Raeofsunshinenz said:

I have a few questions building up and so might bombard you with a few - i hope that's ok!  Sorry if I missed this info, but how many were on your cruise - the full 500, or a few less?  And I know you say they didn't do the polar plunge, but do you know if it's a jump into the water with Hurtigruten, or a run from shore?  The info I keep finding, seems to show a shore run.  I think if i do it, it would have to be a jump that I can't turn back from!  The burger place you mentioned - are they the one that do milk shakes also?  This doesn't cost extra right?  Were the hot tubs in use much, or do they close these down in rough weather.  And I've heard the ship can provide good sea sickness meds - do these cost?  thanks in advance! 

The ship holds more but we were 400.  Don't quote me on this but I feel that ships cannot carry out landings on the Continent if they have more than 400 passengers.  Actually I just read that it is 500, but the more passengers on a ship limits the landing sites.  Some sites are restricted to less people on the ship.

 

The other thing that limits the number of people on the ship is that there can only be 100 people on the Continent at any one time.  The more people on the ship the longer it takes to move people back and forth from the landing site and therefore limits the amount of time and number of landings that can happen.

 

We all want to have at least one landing a day right?  (Our friends went on a small 100 passenger ship and they were able to land a minimum of 2 times a day and had lots of opportunity for other things like kayaking)

 

Weather prevented the polar plunge.  On our itinerary we apparently had 2 landing sites that would allow it.  The first was Deception Island - our first landing site - but we could not execute any landing that day because the weather was not cooperating.  The Polar Plunge was cancelled.  This would have been a jump off the side of the ship tethered to a harness.

 

The second landing site - I forget the name - would have been a run off a small "beach" area.  (Rocks actually) but again was cancelled because glacier ice was sheering off the cliffs and causing waves that were too large for safety.

 

Yes - the burger place does milkshakes too.  No, this place does not cost more, but we found the menu so limiting that we only ate their once - burgers - and to my standard the burgers were passable only.  Nothing worth having a second.

 

The Hot Tubs would be closed on the Drake Passage.  For sure.  The water would be sloshing out and would the people.  We were on deck many times when it was snowing and the hot tubs were open.  Other than the Drake Passage, I think that the hot tubs were always open.  We don't use them so we did not pay full attention, but we passed them daily going to the top decks outside.

 

In Canada, the over the counter medication that we can buy for nausea is called Gravol.  This is Dimenhydrinate and we bought and took with us the 50mg tablets.  The ship gives out this very same medication also 50mg tablets.  They are not identified by a name brand but the drug name and dose is on the blister pack they are in.  You are allowed 2 per day per person.

 

We found that 2 per day while crossing the Drake Passage were plenty for us.  We did not need any more, but many people did not show for meals on these days - many...  and the sick bags were in short supply on these days.

 

Hope this helps.

[Raeofsunshinenz]

thank you.  that information is all so helpful.  And yes I knew it was 500, and chose Hurtigruten as happy with 1 landing a day and being on a ballot for paid activities.  I weighed up costs, package deals, and so on with this information and decided as weather means there are no guarantees with any company, then this was a good middle ground.  

 

I have no desire to eat at the burger place - i'm looking forward to some nice meals.  But our 15 year old is likely to be keen, so just checking how it works!  

 

I'm yet to find determine exactly what sea sick pills i can get here, but the one I often see mentioned on Antartica travel pages is not available here, so good to know what's on the ship.  we'll bring something ourselves too, but good to have options.  

 

I'm pretty excited about it all, and am definitely a go-with-the-flow type of person, but this trip is definitely a bit outside my normal travel comfort zone.  It's kind of more my dream than my husband and daughter, so kinda want to be able to reassure them of what i'm getting them into!  

 

 

[CDNPolar]

36 minutes ago, Raeofsunshinenz said:

thank you.  that information is all so helpful.  And yes I knew it was 500, and chose Hurtigruten as happy with 1 landing a day and being on a ballot for paid activities.  I weighed up costs, package deals, and so on with this information and decided as weather means there are no guarantees with any company, then this was a good middle ground.  

 

I have no desire to eat at the burger place - i'm looking forward to some nice meals.  But our 15 year old is likely to be keen, so just checking how it works!  

 

I'm yet to find determine exactly what sea sick pills i can get here, but the one I often see mentioned on Antartica travel pages is not available here, so good to know what's on the ship.  we'll bring something ourselves too, but good to have options.  

 

I'm pretty excited about it all, and am definitely a go-with-the-flow type of person, but this trip is definitely a bit outside my normal travel comfort zone.  It's kind of more my dream than my husband and daughter, so kinda want to be able to reassure them of what i'm getting them into!  

 

 

 

The kitchen for the main restaurant and the burger one is shared - they back to each other... What I am not sure of is if you can sit in the main restaurant and get a burger for your child...?  Perhaps.

 

We found Hurtigruten to be a good middle ground as well - in price and offering.  Typically you have 5 days around the continent, and 5 days of potential landings, but we missed a full day because of weather - and the Polar Plunge....

 

I think that this trip is outside most people's comfort zone!  haha....  it is not your typical, especially the Drake Passage.  Hopefully you will not have injuries on your cruise that forces the ship back to port early.  It does happen...  We had to turn around one day into the Passage, and other ships have had to leave the continent early.

 

We had friends on a smaller ship and 2 people on that ship fell while sailing the drake passage and broke arms.  The ship was able to set and cast the breaks so they did not have to turn back, but this is something to take into consideration, and know that the Drake Passage is not an easy passage...  You must take moving about seriously when you are in the Passage.

[Raeofsunshinenz]

18 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

The kitchen for the main restaurant and the burger one is shared - they back to each other... What I am not sure of is if you can sit in the main restaurant and get a burger for your child...?  Perhaps.

 

 

Yes I was waiting to see if we either do that, eat at different times, or send her off to eat on her own if she wants to go to the burger place!  I dunno... i guess we figure it out when we are there.  I'm sure it will work out.    Can you get a shake any time, or only if you choose that place to eat at and then have one with your meal?

 

(and yes hopefully no injuries or sickness...)

[CDNPolar]

3 hours ago, Raeofsunshinenz said:

Yes I was waiting to see if we either do that, eat at different times, or send her off to eat on her own if she wants to go to the burger place!  I dunno... i guess we figure it out when we are there.  I'm sure it will work out.    Can you get a shake any time, or only if you choose that place to eat at and then have one with your meal?

 

(and yes hopefully no injuries or sickness...)

I don't remember the hours of this smaller restaurant, but there are hours of the day that there is only free coffee service near the expedition desk and in the top lounge.  Would not say anytime... on these smaller ships, you sort of have to follow meal times.

[AlanCruise]

We were recently on Roald Amundsen (the sister ship).  We eat a couple of lunches in the 'burger' restauarant - actually it did more things than that. And a couple of evenings whilst in the main restaurant my wife fancied the chicken from the other restaurant and they happily delivered it.

[Maggie North]

Thank you for this review. We are looking into Hurtigruten for a cruise in the future and this certainly helps to put it into perspective. 

[CDNPolar]

Our trip on the Nansen this past January...

 

 

[CDNPolar]

 

[holakat]

CdnPolar - thanks for the review and info.  We are booked on Rolad Amundsen Dec 14-Dec 29 this year.   This question will only apply if you had Falklands with your itinerary.

 

What are you thoughts on Falkland Islands private tour out of Stanley.  How long were you anchored there?

[CDNPolar]

39 minutes ago, holakat said:

CdnPolar - thanks for the review and info.  We are booked on Rolad Amundsen Dec 14-Dec 29 this year.   This question will only apply if you had Falklands with your itinerary.

 

What are you thoughts on Falkland Islands private tour out of Stanley.  How long were you anchored there?

 

Sorry we did not have Falkland Islands....

Hopefully someone will come by that did.

[Wildcat85]

So Polar,

Do you know anything about phone calls or  internet availability on Antarctica cruises? How connected or not will we be? I’d like to call my elderly mom from the ship if possible. I leave next month on a Highlights cruise. 

[CDNPolar]

11 hours ago, Wildcat85 said:

So Polar,

Do you know anything about phone calls or  internet availability on Antarctica cruises? How connected or not will we be? I’d like to call my elderly mom from the ship if possible. I leave next month on a Highlights cruise. 

 

Hello Wildcat85

 

The simple answer is there is no cell service (traditional) in Antarctica.  Once you leave port from South America, you are basically a prisoner of the ship WiFi and that is all you have.

 

We sent all our friends and family a note saying that we might be completely out of communication for the duration of our cruise because we did not know what the situation would be for certain.

 

I would say that if your elderly mom has the ability to receive a call on WhatsApp then you are good to go.  We use WhatsApp often in Europe and far East destinations as our Canadian plans for cell roaming are ridiculously expensive.

 

The WiFi signal was good, but not the best, but I was successfully uploading pics to Instagram while in Antarctica.

 

I don't think that we had reason to make or receive any calls while on this cruise, but based on the WiFi connection, I would bet that you could at least have a successful voice call on WhatsApp or FaceTime, especially if you turned off the video and just did voice.

 

You might - but I don't know for sure - might be able to use a ship phone if a call was critical.  I don't know if they would charge you or not.

 

Summary is that you would need to use WhatsApp, or FaceTime, or Skype - something that is WiFi enabled. 

Edited October 27, 2023 by CDNPolar

[GonzoWCS]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Hello Wildcat85

 

The simple answer is there is no cell service (traditional) in Antarctica.  Once you leave port from South America, you are basically a prisoner of the ship WiFi and that is all you have.

 

We sent all our friends and family a note saying that we might be completely out of communication for the duration of our cruise because we did not know what the situation would be for certain.

 

I would say that if your elderly mom has the ability to receive a call on WhatsApp then you are good to go.  We use WhatsApp often in Europe and far East destinations as our Canadian plans for cell roaming are ridiculously expensive.

 

The WiFi signal was good, but not the best, but I was successfully uploading pics to Instagram while in Antarctica.

 

I don't think that we had reason to make or receive any calls while on this cruise, but based on the WiFi connection, I would bet that you could at least have a successful voice call on WhatsApp or FaceTime, especially if you turned off the video and just did voice.

 

You might - but I don't know for sure - might be able to use a ship phone if a call was critical.  I don't know if they would charge you or not.

 

Summary is that you would need to use WhatsApp, or FaceTime, or Skype - something that is WiFi enabled. 

Thanks for this Wildcat85!

 

Cheers

[AlanCruise]

We did similar cruise on Roald Amundsen, which has the same free Starlink WiFi.  It was very good and reliable. There are various restrictions on Cloud storage and video streaming, but you can do calls using messenger for example. We managed a video call to parents on Christmas day from Antarctica and had regular email access.