Antarctica 2025

[Manchester is blue]

My wife and I have targeted an Antarctica cruise with Celebrity for 2025.

I notice that this itinerary has not yet been advertised, which seems a little late to me.

I wonder if anyone knows when the 2025 itinerary may be made available please. I am aware that this year, and 2024 it sails from Buenos Aries.

Also has anyone enjoyed this cruise in earlier years and can you offer advice / tips please .

Regards 

 

 

[cruisestitch]

Announcement is scheduled for December 4 week

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Manchester is blue said:

 

Also has anyone enjoyed this cruise in earlier years and can you offer advice / tips please .

Regards 

 

 

We have booked X's 14-day Antarctica cruise out of Buenos Aires twice and each time we have switched to either a 22-day HAL cruise RT from Santiago (Jan 2018) or a 16-day Princess cruise from Santiago to BA (Jan 2024), as their itineraries included 4 days cruising around the Antarctica peninsula.

[the penguins]

6 hours ago, Manchester is blue said:

My wife and I have targeted an Antarctica cruise with Celebrity for 2025.

I notice that this itinerary has not yet been advertised, which seems a little late to me.

I wonder if anyone knows when the 2025 itinerary may be made available please. I am aware that this year, and 2024 it sails from Buenos Aries.

Also has anyone enjoyed this cruise in earlier years and can you offer advice / tips please .

Regards 

 

 

We have been twice once on Celebrity and once on Hurtgruten (an expedition ship).

Provided you accept that X only gives you a "panoramic "cruise then go and enjoy.

If you want the "real" experience where you land and mingle with the wildlife then book an expedition type cruise and, if at all possible, include South Georgia where you will get to see (and smell) 10's of thousands of King Penguins.

You will never regret the extra costs.

No right or wrong just choices.

[Manchester is blue]

19 hours ago, the penguins said:

We have been twice once on Celebrity and once on Hurtgruten (an expedition ship).

Provided you accept that X only gives you a "panoramic "cruise then go and enjoy.

If you want the "real" experience where you land and mingle with the wildlife then book an expedition type cruise and, if at all possible, include South Georgia where you will get to see (and smell) 10's of thousands of King Penguins.

You will never regret the extra costs.

No right or wrong just choices.

What wonderful photos.mThanks for your advice and for sharing the photos.

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

14 minutes ago, Manchester is blue said:

What wonderful photos.mThanks for your advice and for sharing the photos.

 

 

It can be incredibly rough seas, keep in mind with X and other big ships you never actually get off when in Antarctica

[the penguins]

8 minutes ago, Manchester is blue said:

What wonderful photos.mThanks for your advice and for sharing the photos.

 

A pleasure. When comparing the scenic cruising experience provided for example by Celebrity, Princess, HAL etc with an expedition cruise Hurtigruten, Silversea you really are comparing chalk and cheese.

The Penguin pics shown by Celebrity etc are all taken in South America or the Falklands not on the Peninsular.

Icebergs: Scenic cruising you look down and don’t get very close.

Expedition you look up and get much closer- touching distance during landings 

Expedition cruising breaks down further between ships that are “basic” with the entire emphasis on the adventure (eg Hurtigruten) and ships that are “luxury” but still with the landings (eg Silversea).

The season splits in 2 early (Nov/Dec) late Feb/March.

 Main differences:

Early: more snow, more difficult landings lots of baby penguins/seals, and good chance of whales,

Late: less snow landings on rocks, juvenile penguins and seals, less chance of whales.

King penguins breed all year so it doesn’t matter.

We did Feb/Mar.

Hope this helps 

 

[foodsvcmgr]

We will be doing the Antarctica drive-by on Eclipse this January.

I will be sure to post some photos (600mm lens) and observations.

[Tinkbelle87]

Celebrity cancelled the 2024-2025 South America season. 2025-2026 sailings go on sail Dec 5.

 

We're taking Eclipse out of Buenos Aires in January 2024 so no tips yet but will have some when we return I'm sure.

[the penguins]

5 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

It can be incredibly rough seas, keep in mind with X and other big ships you never actually get off when in Antarctica

We have crossed Drake's Passage 5 times (4 on X and 1 on Hurtgruten - H returned via the Southern Ocean.

The 4 on X were the roughest seas we have ever faced (one reason why we now only go to Deck 7 and fairly central) culminating in 90mph winds and 60 foot waves. The sea came in through the doors next to the Sky Lounge (yes we know that's high) and, if you have ever wondered how well trained the crew is, they had the doors sealed and watertight very fast.

On Hurtgruten the seas going down were like a mill pond, so flat we questioned if we're heading in the right direction. On the way back the sea was very rough for about 6 hours. We never felt in any danger and, at least on Hurtgruten, had the reassurance of seeing the Captain eating in the dining room every night.

The expedition ships have an advantage in that once they reach the peninsular they are able to hide from the wind and waves by seeking out sheltered spots.

All the ships have stabilisers but these can only be deployed when the ship is clear of any icebergs/floating ice.

Expedition ships are also "ice strengthened" and tend to have deeper hulls in proportion to their height which adds to their stability.

We have cruised both styles and enjoyed both but for us the Expedition style is the only way to truly experience Antarctica's unique attractions.

Go with an "open mind" but above all "go"!

 

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

14 minutes ago, the penguins said:

We have crossed Drake's Passage 5 times (4 on X and 1 on Hurtgruten - H returned via the Southern Ocean.

The 4 on X were the roughest seas we have ever faced (one reason why we now only go to Deck 7 and fairly central) culminating in 90mph winds and 60 foot waves. The sea came in through the doors next to the Sky Lounge (yes we know that's high) and, if you have ever wondered how well trained the crew is, they had the doors sealed and watertight very fast.

On Hurtgruten the seas going down were like a mill pond, so flat we questioned if we're heading in the right direction. On the way back the sea was very rough for about 6 hours. We never felt in any danger and, at least on Hurtgruten, had the reassurance of seeing the Captain eating in the dining room every night.

The expedition ships have an advantage in that once they reach the peninsular they are able to hide from the wind and waves by seeking out sheltered spots.

All the ships have stabilisers but these can only be deployed when the ship is clear of any icebergs/floating ice.

Expedition ships are also "ice strengthened" and tend to have deeper hulls in proportion to their height which adds to their stability.

We have cruised both styles and enjoyed both but for us the Expedition style is the only way to truly experience Antarctica's unique attractions.

Go with an "open mind" but above all "go"!

 

 

 

Yup, can be incredibly rough seas and while I personally do not think you'd be in a dangerous situation, it can be quite uncomfortable for several days.  Stabilizers only somewhat help with the side-to-side "roll" and not the front-to-aft "pitch".  To our surprise, we've spoken to a few fellow X passengers who didn't realize you don't get off in Antarctica and/or didn't realize how rough the sea is.  I had to show one couple in particular on my phone that the Falklands were part of South America and not Antarctica as they later revealed they didn't realize penguins could outside of Antarctica (lol).  There are pros and cons to both kinds of sailings but it isn't uncommon for folks to not realize you don't get to step foot on Antarctica when on a big ship or how rough the seas can be on that route

[the penguins]

6 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Yup, can be incredibly rough seas and while I personally do not think you'd be in a dangerous situation, it can be quite uncomfortable for several days.  Stabilizers only somewhat help with the side-to-side "roll" and not the front-to-aft "pitch".  To our surprise, we've spoken to a few fellow X passengers who didn't realize you don't get off in Antarctica and/or didn't realize how rough the sea is.  I had to show one couple in particular on my phone that the Falklands were part of South America and not Antarctica as they later revealed they didn't realize penguins could outside of Antarctica (lol).  There are pros and cons to both kinds of sailings but it isn't uncommon for folks to not realize you don't get to step foot on Antarctica when on a big ship or how rough the seas can be on that route

I agree. The way some cruise lines promote/advertise their “Antarctic” Cruises and the photos usefd comes very close to breaking advertising rules. Look closely at the map X uses and you will see the ships barely get to the peninsular. Also X is now using S class ships and there is no way they are “ice strengthened 

[Manchester is blue]

17 hours ago, the penguins said:

A pleasure. When comparing the scenic cruising experience provided for example by Celebrity, Princess, HAL etc with an expedition cruise Hurtigruten, Silversea you really are comparing chalk and cheese.

The Penguin pics shown by Celebrity etc are all taken in South America or the Falklands not on the Peninsular.

Icebergs: Scenic cruising you look down and don’t get very close.

Expedition you look up and get much closer- touching distance during landings 

Expedition cruising breaks down further between ships that are “basic” with the entire emphasis on the adventure (eg Hurtigruten) and ships that are “luxury” but still with the landings (eg Silversea).

The season splits in 2 early (Nov/Dec) late Feb/March.

 Main differences:

Early: more snow, more difficult landings lots of baby penguins/seals, and good chance of whales,

Late: less snow landings on rocks, juvenile penguins and seals, less chance of whales.

King penguins breed all year so it doesn’t matter.

We did Feb/Mar.

Hope this helps 

 

Yes, it really does help inform my decision making. Thanks for taking the time. Appreciated.

 

[Manchester is blue]

15 hours ago, Tinkbelle87 said:

Celebrity cancelled the 2024-2025 South America season. 2025-2026 sailings go on sail Dec 5.

 

We're taking Eclipse out of Buenos Aires in January 2024 so no tips yet but will have some when we return I'm sure.

I didn’t know that. Thank you

[the penguins]

2 hours ago, Manchester is blue said:

Yes, it really does help inform my decision making. Thanks for taking the time. Appreciated.

 

Always happy to help a fellow Brit even if you do support a team that plays in the wrong colours - up the Gunners!

You can tell from our Roll Call name how much we enjoyed the Antarctica, If you need any other help, tips etc please email us. geoffanita at hotmail dot com. 
Geoff and the boss (Anita). 
PS: all the pics I attached were taken by the Boss. Geoff.

[Ken the cruiser]

15 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Yup, can be incredibly rough seas and while I personally do not think you'd be in a dangerous situation, it can be quite uncomfortable for several days.  Stabilizers only somewhat help with the side-to-side "roll" and not the front-to-aft "pitch".  To our surprise, we've spoken to a few fellow X passengers who didn't realize you don't get off in Antarctica and/or didn't realize how rough the sea is.  I had to show one couple in particular on my phone that the Falklands were part of South America and not Antarctica as they later revealed they didn't realize penguins could live outside of Antarctica (lol).  There are pros and cons to both kinds of sailings but it isn't uncommon for folks to not realize you don't get to step foot on Antarctica when on a big ship or how rough the seas can be on that route

Speaking of penguins and where they might be found. I recently had fun building this chart as we do enjoy the "hunt" for them on certain itineraries. Who knew so many different types can be found in New Zealand!

 

So far, we have seen the King, Adelie, Chinstrap, Gentoo, Fairy, Magellanic, Humboldt, Rockhopper, Galapagos, and African varieties on previous cruises to Antarctica, South America, South Africa, Galapagos, and Australia. Hopefully, on our upcoming cruise back to Antarctica and SA in January, we'll be able to add the Emperor and Macaroni to the list; although seeing the Emperor might be a little tough since we won't be going ashore in Antarctica. However, if we go to New Zealand again, we might have to book a pre-cruise land tour to the South Island if we want to see some of those indigenous to that area.

 

Types of Penguins
Great Penguins	Emperor penguin	Antarctica
	King penguin	South Georgia, Falklands, Tierra del Fuego
Brush-tailed Penguins	Adelie penguin	Antarctica, South Georgia, Sandwich, Falklands
	Chinstrap penguin	Antarctica, Falklands
	Gentoo penguin	Antarctica, sub-Antarctica regions
Little Penguins	Fairy or Blue penguin	New Zealand, southern Australia
	White-flippered penguin	South Island NZ
Banded Penguins	Magellanic penguin	Patagonia, Falklands
	Humboldt penguin	Pacific coast of South America
	Galapagos penguin	Isabela and Fernandina Islands
	African penguin	South Africa, Namibia
Yellow-eyed Penguins	Yellow-eyed penguin	SE New Zealand
Crested Penguins	Fiordland penguin	New Zealand
	Snares penguin	Snares Islands NZ
	Erect-crested penguin	Antipodes and Bounty Islands NZ
	Southern Rockhopper	Sub-Antarctica waters
	Northern Rockhopper	Southern Atlantic and Indian Oceans
	Macaroni penguin	South Georgia, Orkney, Sandwich, Falklands
	Royal penguin	Macquarie Island NZ

[Manchester is blue]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

Always happy to help a fellow Brit even if you do support a team that plays in the wrong colours - up the Gunners!

You can tell from our Roll Call name how much we enjoyed the Antarctica, If you need any other help, tips etc please email us. geoffanita at hotmail dot com. 
Geoff and the boss (Anita). 
PS: all the pics I attached were taken by the Boss. Geoff.

Yes, right up the gunners indeed 😂😂

The itinerary is most certainly one that I and my own boss have been umming and ahhring about for some time.   Of course, ultimately,I’ll do as I’m told, however, really do quite fancy this itinerary. Your photos have only served to whet the appetite. 
Many thanks for your advice and offer of further help.. Most kind indeed.

Best wishes for the remainder of the season too. 
Cheers mate.