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Drake's Passage Question....


radsailor

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We did the trip with Silversea, sailing from Tierra del Fuego to the northern peninsula of Antarctica. The ship's itinerary had us sailing through Drake's passage for 2 full days after the departure date (which they took). So we left the first afternoon, had 2 days in Drakes Passage, and arrived in Antarctica the morning of the 4th day of the trip (so 3 nights sleeping on the ship before we got there).

 

As an aside, I cannot express how much I absolutely LOVED that trip. It's an amazing experience that I want to repeat.

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How long does it take to sail through Drake's Passage?

 

We left Usuhaia late the evening of Feb 23rd, sailed all the day & night of the 24th and arrived late on the 25th.

 

We loved it so much we have booked another trip for November of next year.

 

RonC

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  • 3 months later...

I'm booked on this same cruise (Infinity, Feb. 3, 2013) and really looking forward to it. I am a bit concerned about Drake's Passage. I think I'll be okay, but my husband has been seasick in the past. He was fine in Alaska, the Caribbean, and the Arctic Ocean, but this may be more than he can easily handle. I hope that ginger pills, seabands, and bonine will take care of him. I'm thinking that I will probably use some or all of these myself, just as preventive measures. Even if we get seasick, I think this trip will be totally worth it!

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We left Ushuaia at 6pm on day 2, and arrived in the South Shetland Islands in the afternoon of Day 3. Keep in mind that Drake's Passage can be rough, but it can also be very mild. We had so little wind on our way down that we saw very few birds (they use the wind for flying). Going back was a bit rougher but very manageable.

It also depends on how well the ship handles rough sea. We were on the MS Fram and she behaves very well in big waves (she has good stabilizers).

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We left Ushuaia at 6pm on day 2, and arrived in the South Shetland Islands in the afternoon of Day 3.

We left on day 1, of course, not on day 2 as I mistakenly wrote, so that's about 44 hours for the crossing (including the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia, so 36 hours for the Drake itself seems about right).

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Cathy - I'm so sorry if I'm telling you something you already know - but maybe if you've not gotten sick in the past you've not used it & aren't aware (altho' it sounds like your husband might be a Bonine expert!). I'm pretty sure you need to start taking Bonine before you get sick, as in when you first board - it won't work if you use it after you're already sick. I always take it on cruises just in case and I definitely will on our Antarctic cruise in January. I'm trying not to get too nervous about Drake Passage!

 

Again, I apologize if that's well known!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cat-tav,

I see that you are in Houston too! Small world. It looks like we have a TON of people from the UK on our ship. We so look forward to this trip. I am traveling with a dear friend of mine while my hubby stays home with the kids:) She and I usually take one trip a year together and we are super excited. Little nervous about Drake's passage, but I just read a book about a girl sailing around the world in her 23 foot sailboat so if she can do it then I surely can make it on a large ship! HA

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The Drake Passage was as calm as a puddle when we went through it a couple weeks ago. Maybe you'll be lucky.

 

 

We had Drake lake instead of Drake shake. We had worse wave action between the Falklands and South Georgia. Meclizine (aka Bonine) worked well for me.

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Cat-tav,

I see that you are in Houston too! Small world. It looks like we have a TON of people from the UK on our ship. We so look forward to this trip. I am traveling with a dear friend of mine while my hubby stays home with the kids:) She and I usually take one trip a year together and we are super excited. Little nervous about Drake's passage, but I just read a book about a girl sailing around the world in her 23 foot sailboat so if she can do it then I surely can make it on a large ship! HA

 

Through cruise critic, I found someone on my cruise to Spitsbergen, Norway last summer who was from the Woodlands. Small world indeed! I am really looking forward to this trip as well. A little nervous about Drake's passage, but not enough to skip the trip! It may be a bit rough, but I'm sure the ship is safe and it will be, at worst, a great source of stories to tell after we're back home!

 

I'm doing the leave-the-husband-and-kids-at-home trip next summer when I go to Hawaii on NCL's Pride of America with my sister and two of our cousins. Looking forward to that too!

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Cat-tav,

 

I met a couple on our May TA that owned a house in the same neighborhood where I live! Small world.

 

We had some pretty rough seas during our Ireland/Scotland cruise a few years ago. We were in the North Sea and were waken up to our plates and glasses flying off our table in the room. Made things interesting:) I am a little nervous too, but not enough to miss this trip!

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