ethan1171

43 minutes ago, laurelguy said:

Do they have wifi on the ship for texting/email etc?

 

Yes - this is how I have been able to post this review and pictures. It is not the fastest connection - but it works - and it is free for everyone 

Ponant has done an excellent job on this cruise - these ships in Antarctica are a little larger than other operators so I can not really tell if the experience we had would be similar when they would be at full capacity - to give you an idea - we had 3 waiters for our table at the formal restaurant exclusively - and also all the landings we got to have multiple guides with us. And more or less double the time on shore compared to previous seasons

As much as we liked how great Ponant handled the Antarctica logistics and itinerary of this  trip - we have also been very impressed with how they handled Covid. The results of the test came back today and the captain just announced that the whole ship, passengers and crew are all Covid free- it’s a testament to how nicely Ponant has handled the health and safety protocol for everybody onboard - starting even before we took the charter flight in Buenos Aires 

due to our experience this time in Antarctica my spouse and I are already looking at our next Ponant cruise which we plan to book onboard so we can get the discount. 
 

I would not say that ponant would be the best for everyone because of various reasons - size of the ship, itinerary and also due to the French influence in language, food, activities etc - but again for us all these are great advantages.
 

I would say if we are lucky to be be able to do such a trip to Antarctica again - we would choose Ponant again. 

Hard to believe our adventure is almost over. The last couple of days have been spectacular - Dorian Bay, Charcot island - scenic sailing in Gerlache strait. We had to adopt the itinerary many times due to the wind and ice conditions. We did manage two zodiac landings or cruises every day. And we are continuing to get spoiled by Ponant - caviar tastings and Champagne - food is continuing to be excellent and although we are at the end of the cruise still a lot of fresh veggies and fruits. Also lively entertainment after dinner with the singers and the dancers - and passengers joining. definitely the French culture is coming through in a much pleasant way than our previous experiences with US based cruise lines  
 

first Covid testing (antigen) this morning - per the requirements of Argentina to arrive in Ushuaia - hopefully we will all be Covid free. Earlier in the season they conducted multiple tests. Since this is the last cruise for Lyrial in Antarctica there may not be a need for more testing. 

Another Spectacular morning in Antarctica - Orne island in the morning, useful island in the afternoon - two landings today for all passengers - and about 2 hours per landing 

We are so much enjoying the French cuisine onboard especially cheese and champagne after coming back from afternoon landings - there are a few misses but overall plenty to eat and drink. Also some entertainment last night - singing and dancing and karaoke - we definitely appreciate the French culture onboard. Everybody seems to be enjoying and very happy. Due to the low capacity many of the crew comes with us at the landings and also participate in singing and dancing (including the captain) we all know each other by now and that creates an intimate and familiar sense on the ship

Mikkelsen and D'Hainaut Island zodiac landing today morning and Spert island zodiac cruising this afternoon. A world of ice all around us! Plenty of whale sightings - Orcas and humpbacks everywhere penguins and seals. The service and attention to detail by the cruise staff is very impressive

Also everyone is very careful and wearing masks . I would say now that we are mid way through the cruise everyone is relaxing a bit. Due to the wind and the conditions during zodiac cruising the passengers are not wearing masks - most of the guides do wear them though. 
 

weather has been around 31-33F / 0-1C Yesterday was sunny and mostly clear sky today light snow and overcast which makes it feel colder.

A change of plans this morning - due to the wind and swell we could not land at Gourdin island instead we did 1 hr zodiac cruise around Astrolabe - which ended up being more like 1.5 hrs because the expedition guides wanted to show us more. 
 

at breakfast at La Celeste our server not only knows our drink preferences but that I also that like a warm croissant with my coffee  - only 2-3 tables occupied at the whole restaurant and with about 20 staff the experience feels very personalized. 
 

any doubts that I had about this trip are gone. Everything so far exceeds our expectations. We are extremely fortunate to be on this trip and that we did not change our plans

3 hours ago, schnapperin said:

Ethan - even with 170 pax the staff knew after a few days preferences (like for example no wine for lunch, still water) back in 2019 

Good to know that this is the standard with Ponant.

We are not used to it and it is a pleasant surprise. They are spoiling us big time. e.g they know which table we like and they have it all ready, with menus on the table, every time we walk in for breakfast lunch or dinner with our preferences for drinks what to eat etc.  When we get something at the buffet they do not let us carry it ourselves but they bring it to us at the table (i though initially it was because of Drake but they continue doing it) Also at the landing site today we had multiple expedition guides with us explaining the site.

And I would say the food has been really good so far, we have not had anything we have not liked. I would say actually that a lot of their dishes and especially soups are delicious!

We are continuing to be very impressed with Ponant.

This morning we were treated to our first landing at the continent of Antarctica, brown bluff - sunny and clear day! We could not ask for more. The low number of passengers continues to be providing a very personalized experience- the staff knows all our preferences by now. We had as much time as we needed at the landing this morning and there would potentially be another landing later this afternoon

first landing today! Quite a surprise because we were not expecting it - left Ushuaia Sunday and crossed the Drake fast! Good to put it behind us for a while and start enjoying Antarctica 

33 minutes ago, laurelguy said:

Why are they cancelling the rest of the season? Covid? Low bookings?

Of course they are not disclosing the reasons - but yes Covid and low bookings - and their operation now if full of challenges - even if Ponant is managing really well

35 minutes ago, laurelguy said:

.of course concerned about rough waters....but that's part of the adventure right? Happy sailing!

I am amazed that people (overhearing them around the ship) not take the Drake seriously or have not done any study of what they are signing up for.

There are plenty of over the counter and prescription medications to make the passage comfortable. Take advantage of all that and you will be ok. And regardless to say the Drake is the physical and psychological barrier to Antarctica. Big part of the adventure  and  appreciation of of the uniqueness of this voyage is crossing the Drake.

1 hour ago, schnapperin said:

Lovely to hear that you made it Ethan! Enjoy the trip!

Thank you so much - it is a miracle that we made it - until a few weeks ago I was almost certain it will get canceled.Le Lyrial cruise prior to ours was canceled, and same for the one after us. And they told us this is the last one for this season - they will wrap up and they do not plan any more until next year.  I am very glad we did not make a change and we are now on our way to Antarctica. The last two years have been very challenging for travel - but finally it seams things are opening up.

1 hour ago, schnapperin said:

 

What room type do you have with the seating area?  can highly recommend to use room service for breakfast

Prestige suite - deck 5 - we booked early two cabins with no single supplement - so it made sense to have two connecting cabins. Once we boarded we asked our cabin attendant to open the connecting door and convert one of the rooms to a living room / sitting area. Especially now at rough seas it is  great to have room in the cabin since we are taking easy.

1 hour ago, schnapperin said:

for the Drake so can highly recommend to not watch TV or use any kind of device like iPad, eBook reader or Laptop and also not to read - looking outside the horizon as much as possible

 

 

Yes I should put my laptop away - I will continue describing the experience once we are in calmer waters. There are a few lectures we will likely attend later today. And the biosecurity check for our outerwear. Apart from that we are taking a lot of rest in the cabin.

11 hours ago, Lindae456 said:

Do you know what capacity is ?? 
 

About 100 passengers - half of the usual capacity. There is a very relaxed atmosphere everywhere - also very personalized due to the low number of passengers. The food has been excellent so far and the service at the restaurant is amazing. This is our first Ponant cruise, we have sailed mainly Princess, Celebrity, NCL - of course I do not want to do an apples to Oranges comparison - but we are liking Ponant so much that we have started already looking to book our next cruise with them soon.

We will arrive at South Shetlands tomorrow/Tuesday afternoon.

For the time being we are crossing the Drake passage. Overnight we had calm seems - but now wind and waves are picking up and projected to have 10m later today. Drake shake! I have my scopolamine patch on, meclizine extra strength and wrist band on. And most of the passengers are in their cabins so it is very quiet around the ship currently.

Boarded earlier today. Wonderful experience so far. Ponant really took care of all the details on BA and during transfers. We got directly from Ushuaia airport to the boat and sailing away for Antarctica early. Our cabin is very nice and we can get used to the service which is top notch much better than what we have experienced with other lines. The attention to details is amazing - and the food ver good so far

...and Ethan1171 is leaving SFO in a few hours heading down to Buenos Aires. 😁 More updates on our adventure tomorrow. Le Lyrial is on for our departure out of Ushuaia on Sunday. Lets see how this is going to turn out. Excitement is building!

A lot of the cruise lines would not lower their price beyond a certain threshold so that they do not dilute their perceived and advertised market value. Even if in theory they could. Especially in the luxury segment. Also when they lower or offer last minute price they are aware that they will create significant dissatisfaction / questions / appeasement requests from the other customers who booked earlier at higher price point - which would defeat the point of trying to fill in last minute space. 

Ponant as noted seems to be offering their best deals early on in the booking cycle. Also - when combined with the new customer discount, Christmas discount, referral discount, no single supplement etc etc it can add up to a very significant % lower.

From my experience and what I know from Ponant so far I do not think there is any (or rarely there is) benefit to be had from last minute.

I have not sailed with Ponant yet - our first trip with them to Antartica (hopefully) will be in a few weeks.

In addition to what was mentioned above already and to give you a little insight into the customer service and experience pre-cruise so far: Due to all the cancellations, I have been in regular contact with them. They have been available and responded to my calls almost instantly when i call (from their US office).

Yesterday I noticed they canceled the Lyrial sailing before ours - so there maybe a likelihood that ours might be canceled too. So I asked to have spaced reserved at L'Austral leaving for the same itinerary, a day after. No problem at all. They actually reserved the exact same two cabins we have on Le Lyrial. They reserved space and we had our confirmation within minutes, as a contingency to our booked cruise.   

I can update this thread once we sail with my observations and continued experience, but so far I have been very impressed with their availability, customer service and flexibility they have demonstrated as we are navigating planning for our travel during the pandemic.

If they are using L'Austral for quarantine - if they will have no more incidents - or they find alternatives in Ushuaia - they can free up L'Austral for the 11th .. 21rd and then March ... but if they continue needing to quarantine crew or passengers so the rest of the ships can operate ... then maybe more L'Austral cancellations.

On a positive note Argentina's weekly case % change is -41% (vs -33% US) - so we are heading in the right direction.

Correct. 

"....In all, some 40 crew members were sent to Le Lyrial's sister ship, L'Austral, which had been designated by Ponant as a quarantine venue for crew off its four ships in Antarctica. ....."

It demonstrates why Ponant has been one of the few able to navigate the Antarctica season this year so much better than others such as Quark, Oceanwide etc.

Yes - I agree. Seems from an article just posted, Ponant is using l'Austral for quarantining crew/passengers in Ushuaia - so maybe Boreal might be ferrying positive crew/passengers from Punta Arenas / Le Commandant Charcot back to Ushuaia for quarantining at L'Austral - so that it would allow Commandant Charcot to continue on her next trip? The next few days will tell.... 

Do we know why Le Boreal is heading to Punta Arenas and away from Antarctica? Per the schedule should be departing from Ushuaia in a few days for Antarctica unless something has drastically changed?

4 minutes ago, Sitti said:

 

Now Lyrial is sailing toward Antarctica again. Seems like it was a very quick stop at the port, probably medical issue

Very likely medical issue - also the weather conditions at the Drake Passage not ideal right now, for at least another day or so - so that might have contributed.

On 1/19/2022 at 9:47 AM, Quark Expeditions said:

We've taken the opportunity of using the time to send the Ultramarine to Antarctica with only expedition staff ... Ultramarine will return to Ushuaia from Antarctica for the start of the 23 day Epic Antarctica voyage departing January 22, 2022.

@Quark Expeditions Can you please explain how an "expedition only staff" got infected leading to the cancellation of the January 22 2022 trip? What are we missing?