Do any HAL excursions allow you to step foot on Antarctica?

[Ipeeinthepools]

21 minutes ago, NaughtyNanna said:

I don't think you read my post properly.  I was on an expedition ship and we too had full access to the bridge, which was fascinating in itself.  And the brave amongst us did swim.  That was the point I was making.  That I felt to have the full Antarctica experience, it needed to be done on an expedition ship, not a cruise ship.  However, that is just my opinion, and others who have done it on a cruise ship differ from that.  The fact remains, no matter how we experience it, we are all very privileged to be there at all.  That may not be the case in the future. 

I only read the words that were posted.

[NaughtyNanna]

23 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

I only read the words that were posted.

Well maybe I misunderstood your post.  I took it that you were telling and showing me all the things you did on your expedition to Antarctica, that made it different than a cruise to Alaska.  All of which, and more, I had also experienced, and that was exactly what I had said in the first part of my post!  It seemed to me you had just picked up on what I said in my last sentence - that I thought cruising Antarctica is the same as Alaska.  Maybe I need to be more specific.  I had thought that cruising around Antactica on a large cruise ship (without the opportunity to go ashore, see the wildlife up close and personal, have full access to the bridge, sail around the icebergs in the zodiacs, etc) would be the same as cruising through Glacier Bay, for example.

If that was not the intent of your post, then I apologise for the misunderstanding!

[kangforpres]

I'm pretty sure you have to go on one of the smaller expitition lines to actually step foot on the 7th continent. I don't think any of the major lines are permitted to do that or have the equipment and properly trained staff.

[POA1]

Now, now kids... Don't fight. I merely asked if HAL ran any excursions that allowed you to set foot on Antarctica. The way this thread is going, I'm half expecting someone to chime in with, "Expedition ships are nothing. You really need to live in an Antarctic research station for a few months to get the real experience." 😁

Edited August 13, 2023 by POA1

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, POA1 said:

Now, now kids... Don't fight. I merely asked if HAL ran any excursions that allowed you to set foot on Antarctica. The way this thread is going, I'm half expecting someone to chime in with, "Expedition ships are nothing. You really need to live in an Antarctic research station for a few months to get the real experience." 😁

I can agree with that. Total of 12 mo ths over a 3 year period working out of McMurdo, including about 5 weeks each of those years camped out while traversing the sea ice in McMurdo sound. Best way to see Antarctica, living in a Scott Polar tent and watching the sun go around in a big circle each day.😁

Edited August 13, 2023 by ldtr

[NaughtyNanna]

31 minutes ago, POA1 said:

Now, now kids... Don't fight. I merely asked if HAL ran any excursions that allowed you to set foot on Antarctica. The way this thread is going, I'm half expecting someone to chime in with, "Expedition ships are nothing. You really need to live in an Antarctic research station for a few months to get the real experience." 😁

🤣🤣🤣  I had been thinking I bet @POA1 wished he'd never asked!!  I'm sorry!!  😉

Edited August 13, 2023 by NaughtyNanna

[OlsSalt]

6 hours ago, NaughtyNanna said:

I stand corrected then!  I have done both as well.  An expedition to Antarctica and and Alaskan cruise.  I had just imagined that without having the opportunity to leave the ship, and just sailing around, the experience would have been much the same as Alaska.  😀

 

Your original premise was comparing (1) a "drive-by" Antarctic HAL cruise to (2) cruising Glacier Bay in Alaska.  That is the failed premise. 

 

There was no intent to compare a HAL Antarctic "drive-by" to an Antarctic expedition cruise on Brand $$$$$.  

 

Those are apples and oranges.  Or penguins and polar bears. Both Antarctic choices can be 100% engaging, even if Brand $$$$ is inaccessible for many due to costs, add-on gimmicks, and rigors of expedition cruise requirements.

[OlsSalt]

Be careful what one is asking for when demanding only boots on the ground counts a  true Antarctic experience - remembering Scott and Shackleton. Where I believe they had to boil their boots in order to survive. And knock off more than a few cute penguins for the frying pans as well.

[bcummin]

1 hour ago, ldtr said:

I can agree with that. Total of 12 mo ths over a 3 year period working out of McMurdo, including about 5 weeks each of those years camped out while traversing the sea ice in McMurdo sound. Best way to see Antarctica, living in a Scott Polar tent and watching the sun go around in a big circle each day.😁

 

And then there are those who have wintered over in Antarctica.

Barbara

[bennybear]

Or the Antarctic bridge, where they fly you across.  Pricy but not sure I could survive the drake shake.

[bennybear]

2 minutes ago, bcummin said:

 

And then there are those who have wintered over in Antarctica.

Barbara

Definitely not for the faint of heart.  We have some very experienced Arctic pilots in our city that had to fly down to make a rescue in the Antarctic winter, quite the journey.

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

Be careful what one is asking for when demanding only boots on the ground counts a  true Antarctic experience - remembering Scott and Shackleton. Where I believe they had to boil their boots in order to survive. And knock off more than a few cute penguins for the frying pans as well.

Mostly seals, based upon what is at their expedition huts on Ross Island.

[POA1]

1 hour ago, NaughtyNanna said:

🤣🤣🤣  I had been thinking I bet @POA1 wished he'd never asked!!  I'm sorry!!  😉

And right you are! I had the answer to my question very early on. I really appreciate the quick responses.

 

Then, the thread drifted. South. So far south that the compass needle pegged into the upright with tray tables stowed position.

 

[OlsSalt]

12 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Mostly seals, based upon what is at their expedition huts on Ross Island.

 

More on Shakleton's crew stranded on Elephant Island.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15350763/

[DanJimmy]

Holland America is cruise only. You cannot get out of the ship while in Antarctica region. The number of people on the ship does not allow according to Antarctica regulation.

[anniegb]

On 8/11/2023 at 7:56 AM, Ipeeinthepools said:

The short answer for HAL excursions is no.  However, I’m not sure exactly what you are asking with the term “step foot on the continent.”  We were on a National Geographic trip last year and actually only landed on the continent once during our trip.  All of the other landings were on islands around Antarctica.

 

However at least some of the HAL excursions sail very nearly the same path around Antarctica as the expedition ships.  We had friends on the Volendam last year that spent several days around the Antarctica peninsula and they sailed very nearly the same path as we did on the National Geographic ship.  The whale watching and the scenery should be a very nice experience on HAL.

Is the number of days spent 'driving by' material ?

 

NCL has 1 cruise with 1 or 2 days 'drive by' whereas HAL et al normally allow 4 days.  JMO it is a very long distance to travel for 1 or days 'drive by'?? or am I missing something.

 

Mobility issues preclude me from doing zodiac excursions.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by anniegb

[OlsSalt]

The number of "drive-by days" is material, because the weather is so variable.  

 

So the more days, the better chances of getting at least a few days of clear weather. Bright, sunny and surprisingly "warm" - long days at this time of the year means lots of sun reflecting off the ice.

 

We had exceptionally clear weather on our Jan 2020 "drive-by" with stunning views, but was reported an earlier cruise on the same ship for the same number of days, it was fogged in and they could not see the spectacular mountain backdrops, but still saw lots of wildlife - penguins, whales, and the massive tabular icebergs.

 

If you do pick a "drive-by" by all means pick the longest number of days spent in this region.

[anniegb]

14 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

The number of "drive-by days" is material, because the weather is so variable.  

 

So the more days, the better chances of getting at least a few days of clear weather. Bright, sunny and surprisingly "warm" - long days at this time of the year means lots of sun reflecting off the ice.

 

We had exceptionally clear weather on our Jan 2020 "drive-by" with stunning views, but was reported an earlier cruise on the same ship for the same number of days, it was fogged in and they could not see the spectacular mountain backdrops, but still saw lots of wildlife - penguins, whales, and the massive tabular icebergs.

 

If you do pick a "drive-by" by all means pick the longest number of days spent in this region.

Thank you.

[Linaeve]

On 8/13/2023 at 3:37 AM, NaughtyNanna said:

Well maybe I misunderstood your post.  I took it that you were telling and showing me all the things you did on your expedition to Antarctica, that made it different than a cruise to Alaska.  All of which, and more, I had also experienced, and that was exactly what I had said in the first part of my post!  It seemed to me you had just picked up on what I said in my last sentence - that I thought cruising Antarctica is the same as Alaska.  Maybe I need to be more specific.  I had thought that cruising around Antactica on a large cruise ship (without the opportunity to go ashore, see the wildlife up close and personal, have full access to the bridge, sail around the icebergs in the zodiacs, etc) would be the same as cruising through Glacier Bay, for example.

If that was not the intent of your post, then I apologise for the misunderstanding!

 

Unlike others, I understood what you were saying and was thinking something similar. It's one reason I have really only considered smaller ships if I were to do Antarctica. Thank you for sharing your perspective given your own personal experience! ❤️ 

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, anniegb said:

Is the number of days spent 'driving by' material ?

 

NCL has 1 cruise with 1 or 2 days 'drive by' whereas HAL et al normally allow 4 days.  JMO it is a very long distance to travel for 1 or days 'drive by'?? or am I missing something.

 

Mobility issues preclude me from doing zodiac excursions.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

You also need to consider the probability of actually getting close enough to see something, which can be severely impacted by weather and ice conditions.

 

Most of the ships completing the scenic cruising do not have Polar Class hull ratings, so the Master is restricted when ice is present. Basically they are restricted to similar conditions experienced in Alaska with bergy bits. The Expedition ships, with Polar Class hulls can operate in thin 1st year ice.

 

The Master may also be limited by the weather, both wind and seas, and the potential for moving ice.

 

Therefore, if NCL only has 1 or 2-days scenic cruising, you have a higher potential of not seeing anything. With 4-days scenic cruising, the Master has more options to work around ice, wind and seas. 

[anniegb]

5 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

You also need to consider the probability of actually getting close enough to see something, which can be severely impacted by weather and ice conditions.

 

Most of the ships completing the scenic cruising do not have Polar Class hull ratings, so the Master is restricted when ice is present. Basically they are restricted to similar conditions experienced in Alaska with bergy bits. The Expedition ships, with Polar Class hulls can operate in thin 1st year ice.

 

The Master may also be limited by the weather, both wind and seas, and the potential for moving ice.

 

Therefore, if NCL only has 1 or 2-days scenic cruising, you have a higher potential of not seeing anything. With 4-days scenic cruising, the Master has more options to work around ice, wind and seas. 

Thank you.

 

I had already discounted NCL but TBH I am surprised they are spending so few days there.

 

The wildlife interests me less than the scenery. I have a library of footage of whales and penguins from previous trips to the southern hemisphere.  I am conflicted about visiting the region because of the impact of global warming but I DO want to see it before it is possibly too late.

[OlsSalt]

40 minutes ago, anniegb said:

Thank you.

 

I had already discounted NCL but TBH I am surprised they are spending so few days there.

 

The wildlife interests me less than the scenery. I have a library of footage of whales and penguins from previous trips to the southern hemisphere.  I am conflicted about visiting the region because of the impact of global warming but I DO want to see it before it is possibly too late.

 

You might be interested in watching The Great Courses series "How Our Planet Works" which sets out all the geologic forces at work on our planet - from inside the deepest molten core to the massive layer of volcanic magma, to the ever shifting tectonic plates which all impact what we call the surface "climate".

 

I would not put much credence in CNN or NYT alarmist "climate change" reports targeting only cruise ships in the Antarctic, when so many other factors totally outside our control are at work and have been at work for 13 billion years, let alone add the variability of sun spot activity on earth temperatures. 

 

That said - pollution is pollution - and we all need to pay attention to that so the least impactful visits remain the better choice. BTW - "starving penguins" may be the direct result of "saving the whales," since they both compete for krill as their primary dietary source.

 

Our onboard naturalists claimed they had never seen so many whale on our "drive-by" visit last Jan 2020 while we cruised into a quiet bay and spotted hundreds of them, many swimming in  "circling bubbling" to capture more krill right off the bow.

[AroundWithMAPTravels]

As you probably have figured out by previous replies… if there is ANY way you can swing going there on a smaller ship that will allow passengers off, DO IT!  If that is not an option, choose the trip with longest time there…. It’s a rather long sail with the possibility of some rather rough seas (it’s called the Drake Shake for reason).  However, it is truly mind-blowingly awesome!   Been to Alaska several times.   Love it.   Been to the arctic and encountered some really good ice(And LOTS of polar bears). Love it.    But there is still NOTHING like Antarctica.  Other posters are correct in that with out ice class ship, the area traveled will be limited, but still worth the trip.   Was there in February on a Lindblad/NatGeo trip…. I still remember the awe on everyone’s faces when we got our first glimpse of the ice and mountains !   Time spent on land/island/ice was special, but so was cruising.  
 

[OlsSalt]

Here is a novel way of setting foot on Antarctica - a one-day flight from Cape Town, South Africa - $13K per person: https://white-desert.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/GreatestDay-201920-.pdf

[AroundWithMAPTravels]

If I had the 13K to blow on one day (play the lottery, maybe?)…. I would SO do it.

what an awesome day that would be!

and the 6x6 that you can get driven around in looks like fun !
ahhhhh, to dream.

again, if this is the ONLY away you could get there….worth it 😄