Fram cabins - back of ship too rocky for Antarctica

Going on Fram in 2016 doing Ultimate Antarctica. Worried about motion sickness. Have booked an M category midship, but the thought of a balcony and views in an MG is intriguing. Am concerned that the MG suite in the back may move too much in rough seas. Input? Should we go for it?

In general, the movement of the ship is felt more strongly at the front and back, and also the higher you go. So for me, it's a "N" cabin on deck 3, middle ship. I spend so little time in the cabin anyway, the only thing that I would like in a bigger cabin is more space to let your outer layers dry. When I want the view I go outside, where I can have a 360° view by walking around the ship (but these are my personnal preferences of course).

This being said, as far as the human perception goes, I'm not sure that you will feel the moves of the ship a whole lot less in a M cabin middle ship (so deck 6) than in a MG cabin on deck 5. To be honest, if you are motion-sickness prone, and there is rough weather, you will feel it wherever you cabin is. Just remember that : it is possible not to have rough weather (I've been twice to Antarctica with MS Fram and we only had one really bad day, leaving the Falklands); and if you have bad weather, it shouldn't last (it's an issue mostly during the long open sea crossings).

So I would say pick the cabin you think will suit your needs (and ponder the extra advantages vs the extra money, particularly the use of a balcony that offers a view mainly to the back of the ship), and hope for the best!

I'm also booked on this trip (and another CC member, digitl, as well).

Pay to sway? Absolutely not. The advantages of a cabin on a higher deck are minimal and the downsides outweigh them. Add to that the fact that we spend very little time in the cabin and the decision is easy. All, of course, in my opinion!

As SarniaLo has said, low down and midships is the place to be if you want to reduce movement to a minimum. Even so, we have seen times when anyone who was susceptible to motion sickness had problems on deck 3 and we have been in the dining room (deck 4, at the stern) in lively seas in Antarctic Sound where the motion on all three axes, especially the rise and fall (which was sufficient to lift the propellers out of the water), was 'interesting' and led to not a lot of food being consumed...

All that said, we have crossed Drake Passage four times now with two crossings absolutely flat calm and the other two with only the slightest of movement.

Best of luck with your decision, but do bear in mind that you're booked on a stunningly good trip which we have previously done in reverse and can't wait to do again. The Falklands? South Georgia? Antarctica? What's not to like?

Good to hear that on several Drake passages you have had calm waters.

Have cruised MANY times all over the world in all sorts of cabins. I DO spend LOTS of time in the cabin so one with a view and space is important to me. We did go for the M category and friends got the MG's. So we shall see.

Cannot wait to do this with all the special stops. We have been on the trip around the horn twice and to Falklands twice. But really excited to see So. Georgia, Orkneys and to set foot on Antarctica.

Too many months to wait, but know it will go fast.

Thanks for your input.

Cannot wait to do this with all the special stops. We have been on the trip around the horn twice and to Falklands twice. But really excited to see So. Georgia, Orkneys and to set foot on Antarctica.

Just want to point out that a trip to Antarctica is not only about the stops. Everything that happens between the stops is also at least as worthwhile. But you'll probably figure that out on your own! ;) Glad you have booked a cabin to (hopefully) your liking.

Something else : don't put too much hope on a particular stop. I was on this trip last year and we didn't go to the Orkneys (too much ice to sail anywhere near) and apparently this year's trip didn't go either. But this offered us an extra day near the Antarctic Peninsula, so it was really not wasted.

Thanks for that warning. That is the reason we picked this trip. Figured we had the best chance of landings with more places to visit! Also longer on Antarctic peninsula than many.

Look forward to meeting you on the trip. When it gets closer I might ask for advice on clothing etc as I get cold in winter in southern California!

Going on Fram in 2016 doing Ultimate Antarctica. Worried about motion sickness. Have booked an M category midship, but the thought of a balcony and views in an MG is intriguing. Am concerned that the MG suite in the back may move too much in rough seas. Input? Should we go for it?

I would recommend an M category midship, over an MG with a balcony at the back of the ship, during rough seas. We have just returned from a cruise, with smooth seas, on MV Fram, where we had the last inside cabin on the 5th deck, next to the MG cabins with balconies at the back. For us, it was perfect for getting quickly outside onto deck 5 to view the wildlife on both sides of the ship. When we didn't want to dress warmly for outside viewing, we used the panoramic viewing lounge on deck 7. There is so much happening on this cruise (Fram university), it is not the type of cruise where you spend a lot of time in your cabin.

As already mentioned, on our December cruise, we missed the Orkney Islands because of too much snow and ice.

When are you cruising with MV Fram in 2016?

Is anyone booked for 11/29/2015 to 12/18/2015 cruise? We just put in our deposit. We were able to get an N cabin on deck 3 way forward, only 4 back from the bow. I prefer mid ship, but didn't have a choice. It seems that the trip is nearly sold out.

Has anyone had luck changing cabins before the trip?

I would also like to start a roll-call for this trip. How do I do that?

Going on Fram in 2016 doing Ultimate Antarctica. Worried about motion sickness. Have booked an M category midship, but the thought of a balcony and views in an MG is intriguing. Am concerned that the MG suite in the back may move too much in rough seas. Input? Should we go for it?

Trvlingal, when is your Ultimate trip in 2016? We are going 11/29/2015 to 12/18/2015.

Trvlingal, when is your Ultimate trip in 2016? We are going 11/29/2015 to 12/18/2015.

11/27/2016

I bit the bullet last week and put a deposit down on this trip, so we'll see you down South! I was nervous about how Hurtigruten handles the camping excursion (since that's a big part of my desire to go back), and I'm still worried about being on such a big ship, but the price was too good to pass up! I rarely see the South Georgia itineraries for under $8K US, and that's usually for a spot in a triple-share. If the camping doesn't work out this time, I'll consider it a sign to go back again, because the third time's the charm!

And I definitely want to make it to South Georgia at least once, though I really adored the peninsula. My last trip was an early season sailing with a day in the Weddell Sea and 6 or 7 days along the peninsula. It was still pretty icy, but we managed 7 landings and 3 zodiac cruises when we weren't able to make landfall. However, in hindsight, a lot of the scenery from the ship stands out in my mind more than some of the landings!

We were lucky with both of our crossings, but we had one night of rough waters inside the Gerlache Strait. We woke up when everything started falling off the desk (even with the non-slip matting), so we got up and moved everything valuable to the floor.

It looks like there are three of us on this sailing so far, so perhaps we should create a Roll Call thread in case some more come along?

11/27/2016

 

I bit the bullet last week and put a deposit down on this trip, so we'll see you down South!

I think you'll find that your dates are 12 months apart...

I was nervous about how Hurtigruten handles the camping excursion (since that's a big part of my desire to go back),

After checking in, go straight to Reception on Deck 4 and ask to have your name put down.

and I'm still worried about being on such a big ship

I think we have established that the published capacity of 318 doesn't relate to the number of passengers. This seems to be around 200, though we had around 150 on our first trip.

but the price was too good to pass up! I rarely see the South Georgia itineraries for under $8K US, and that's usually for a spot in a triple-share.

It is good value, especially with the 5% discount for having travelled with Hurtigruten before.

I think you'll find that your dates are 12 months apart...

Oops! :o That comment was aimed at Trvlingal, who I believe is doing the 2016 sailing, right? (I prepended the answer to the date question after I'd already started writing my original reply - hence the clarity failure!) Aren't you also doing Ultimate Antarctica in 2016?

I think we have established that the published capacity of 318 doesn't relate to the number of passengers. This seems to be around 200, though we had around 150 on our first trip.

This is still a lot more than the 90 we had on my first trip! The Expedition maxes out at 140, so it's literally much smaller. Also, the Expedition was a lot nicer than I was expecting, so it feels a little odd to consider an even higher end ship!

Hi! Wonderful news! I started a roll call. Look in the thread for the November date.

Three? Who else is going?

Need to run, will write more later.

11/27/2016

 

I bit the bullet last week and put a deposit down on this trip, so we'll see you down South! I was nervous about how Hurtigruten handles the camping excursion (since that's a big part of my desire to go back), and I'm still worried about being on such a big ship, but the price was too good to pass up! I rarely see the South Georgia itineraries for under $8K US, and that's usually for a spot in a triple-share. If the camping doesn't work out this time, I'll consider it a sign to go back again, because the third time's the charm!

 

And I definitely want to make it to South Georgia at least once, though I really adored the peninsula. My last trip was an early season sailing with a day in the Weddell Sea and 6 or 7 days along the peninsula. It was still pretty icy, but we managed 7 landings and 3 zodiac cruises when we weren't able to make landfall. However, in hindsight, a lot of the scenery from the ship stands out in my mind more than some of the landings!

 

We were lucky with both of our crossings, but we had one night of rough waters inside the Gerlache Strait. We woke up when everything started falling off the desk (even with the non-slip matting), so we got up and moved everything valuable to the floor.

 

It looks like there are three of us on this sailing so far, so perhaps we should create a Roll Call thread in case some more come along?

Kaisatsu, Are you booked for Nov. 2015? I'm confused.

Kaisatsu, Are you booked for Nov. 2015? I'm confused.

Sorry, no. We're 2016. I was replying to the original post, but then I added an answer to your question right before I posted, and it made things all confusing! :(

I think we have established that the published capacity of 318 doesn't relate to the number of passengers. This seems to be around 200, though we had around 150 on our first trip.

For this particular trip, it's probably safer to expect that the ship will actually be full (but as you say, full doesn't mean 318 passengers, it's more around 200, maybe a little bit over). We are not alone in thinking this is a great itinerary ;) (I'm on it too Kaisatsu, in nov. 2016). On this particular trip in 2013 there were around 210 passengers.

Yes, we are on the Nov 2016 cruise and going with 8 other friends. Will look for roll call but may not be too active as going with friends.

Yes, we are on the Nov 2016 cruise and going with 8 other friends. Will look for roll call but may not be too active as going with friends.

Hi Trvlingal,

Thanks for the clarification. Too bad you won't be on our 2015 trip. :( Now you have to wait a whole extra year!

There really is no roll-call for the Hurtigruten ships. I've written to cc to ask about creating it in the tools. So I just created my own thread as you've probably seen, asking other travelers to post on it so I can sort of keep track.

Any idea how else to get the word out there to encourage people to add their names if they are on the trip we are on?

Adrienne

You might have had more chances if you had posted your roll call in the Antarctica forum. This being said, the Hurtigruten community and the Antarctica community is not big on CC and I think any member of CC booked for this trip would have found your roll call by now. 200 passengers is not that much, I'm actually very surprised that there are 4 CC members booked on the same trip in 2016! ;)

You might have had more chances if you had posted your roll call in the Antarctica forum. This being said, the Hurtigruten community and the Antarctica community is not big on CC and I think any member of CC booked for this trip would have found your roll call by now. 200 passengers is not that much, I'm actually very surprised that there are 4 CC members booked on the same trip in 2016! ;)

Hmmm, do you think it would be too confusing if I duplicate my post there?

By the way, have you had any experience with or knowledge of any other lines that do this trip? My cousin has friends who were investigating going with National Geographic. I know it is quite a bit more expensive. But I imagine the experiences are probably identical. thoughts?

Hmmm, do you think it would be too confusing if I duplicate my post there?

By the way, have you had any experience with or knowledge of any other lines that do this trip? My cousin has friends who were investigating going with National Geographic. I know it is quite a bit more expensive. But I imagine the experiences are probably identical. thoughts?

I don't think it is a good idea to duplicate similar posts on different boards, but maybe you could try contacting an admin and ask him/her to move your post there? I'm not sure it would reach more passengers, but if you have Antarctica-related questions you can get more answers there.

Concerning your other question, the Antarctica board is also the place! :D

Have you checked it?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=475

(my apologies if you have already posted there, I'm following Hurtigruten, Antarctica and Other Companies Roll Calls with some overlapping conversations with the same people so I'm not sure where on CC I have already talked with other persons ;)).