Sorting Through Various Cruises

[digitl]

I hope to spend each night exhausted

 

Your wish will be granted!

 

and ready to go to sleep after looking through my pictures from the day.

 

You may, or may not, be able to check your photographs: too many photographs and not enough time!

 

But the best of luck.

[Shawnino]

I'm also joining this thread to read through your experiences. We are looking at doing Antarctica in 2016. It is overwhelming digging through everything. I know we (DH & I) want to cross below the Antarctic Circle and travel probably Jan or Feb (to see the penguins).

 

I have looked at various lines; National Geographic, Quark Expeditions and Hurtigruten. I don't need a luxury cruise line, just something safe and will allow us a lot of time to go ashore. That is the most important thing. I don't care about eating fancy dinners each night, but I don't want just a hot dog. I don't care about nightly entertainment. I hope to spend each night exhausted and ready to go to sleep after looking through my pictures from the day.

 

You are going to have a lot of fun planning and I think you're in a great frame of mind. As Turtles points out, please don't put too much faith in crossing the circle as even if it's scheduled, it may not come off.

 

As I haven't bumped into you yet on this board please allow me to proselytize. (The regulars know what's coming; they can carry on to the next post.) If your time and budget permits please consider a trip that includes South Georgia. You will certainly see penguins in Antarctica, but if you want to see 80,000 Kings all at once milling about with seabirds and fur seals, South Georgia's the show.

 

Antarctica is very beautiful and I would never try to dissuade anyone from going there. The diversity of life on South Georgia is, in my own opinion, even more magnificent. There's an amazing history component too (how did five guys marooned in Antarctica get to South Georgia in a tiny little boat to arrange to rescue the two dozen men they left behind?) but for me the natural glory alone is just beyond anything.

[ducklite]

RT BA to Ushuaia was 1,140 per person. It was a LAN charter and they had 2 people per 3 seat row. So the middle was open.

 

Was able to get RT business on United for 2,200 from Orlando to BA (one stop in Houston)

 

I am also in Sales and need to keep in contact with customer. Did this over the Xmas holidays so was effectively on vacation from the 2nd to the 10th. The internet was good and was always connected via email and the VPN worked to my office server.

 

Silversea does a good job with expedition staff. It is NOT a drive by. Two full expeditions a day. We had several naturalists on board one whom spent several season in South Georgia.

 

Only difference -- might be the Champagne and cookies served on the Zodiac :)

 

 

Looks lovely! If the LAN charter leaves the middle seat open, the fare is quite reasonable, and it makes a huge difference knowing I can have my aisle and DH can have his window (with me climbing over him now and then to peer out at something interesting. ;)

 

I'm also in sales, so that's good to know that the Internet was pretty reliable. Thanks!

[ducklite]

There really is no need for the rudeness you have shown to three of us who have tried to help you by responding to your postings.

 

Our suggestions were made in good faith and from experience, not from reading two-dimensional websites and/or brochures. Your judgements are very wide of the mark. Silversea might offer some additional comfort, and there is nothing wrong with that, but, as has been pointed out more than once, comfort doesn't rank very high in achieving what is most important on this trip: a quality Antarctic experience.

 

I suggest that you now pick up your toys and put them back in your pram.

 

Perhaps in your opinion. I don't share it, and made that quite clear in my first post. It's unfortunate that some people keep trying to shove cruises that are quite obviously not what we are looking for at me. At this point I think we've settled on SilverSea unless something changes drastically.

[ducklite]

I really do think that that was uncalled for. Read through the thread and you will find that all but one have been 'playing nice'. Her rudeness needed, IMHO, to be placed in context.

 

Actually the people who didn't even bother to read my first post and actually consider what I was looking for were the rude ones.

 

I do thank Turtles and Paul, who have offered HELPFUL advice.

Edited October 21, 2014 by ducklite

[digitl]

If your time and budget permits please consider a trip that includes South Georgia. You will certainly see penguins in Antarctica, but if you want to see 80,000 Kings all at once milling about with seabirds and fur seals, South Georgia's the show.

 

Antarctica is very beautiful and I would never try to dissuade anyone from going there. The diversity of life on South Georgia is, in my own opinion, even more magnificent. There's an amazing history component too (how did five guys marooned in Antarctica get to South Georgia in a tiny little boat to arrange to rescue the two dozen men they left behind?) but for me the natural glory alone is just beyond anything.

 

You're not wrong in any of that! Though I do think the trip south of the Circle is very special and I would rate it, and the peninsula, marginally above South Georgia. But each to their own!

 

With South Georgia in mind, if your reference to Kings is Fortuna Bay, and I'm sure it must be, we were told 80,00 pairs, so 160,00 total. Either way it's a sight to behold.

 

And don't forget the Falklands. Very different again and another 'must visit'. Huge Black-browed Albatross swooping overhead, so fast and so close we could feel the draft, are just one indelible memory.

 

Some images of wildlife on South Georgia and the Falkands, as well as the peninsula, at www.spinningweb.net/antarctica.

[nicoleinwi]

South Georgia and the Falkands may not be able to happen if I cruise now. Are a lot of you that have cruised this retired? The sailing I have seen that include these (plus cross the Antarctic Circle) are 23 days.

 

I am very torn about this upcoming trip. Last night in continuing my research South Georgia and Falkands looks amazing. I have never considered any trip I have went on "a trip of a lifetime". However, I have never spent as much on a trip as what this one would cost. I feel when we do Antarctica it will be a once in a lifetime trip.

 

I was initially thinking we'd do the trip in 2016. However, after researching we decided Jan/Feb timeframe would be the best time to go. We already have almost 5 weeks of traveling planned for 2015 and we could not save up enough to do this trip in Jan/Feb 2016 with the trips we have planned for 2015. So now the earliest we could do it is 2017 so we could plan on taking less expensive trips in 2016.

 

If we wait until 2017 to do this trip, at time of sailing DH will be 41 and I will be 39. We only receive 5 weeks of vacation a year each. The longest trip we ever take at once is 2 weeks off work. We like to stagger our vacations throughout the year. One of the reasons we are eager to take this vacation as soon as possible is because you never know what the future lies. I'd hate for this to be a dream vacation for when we retire (we plan on retiring when I am 55 and DH 57) and we never make it to retirement. When I was looking at trips I was looking at ones that cross the circle and for those we would take off 13 days from work. That would allow this to be our big trip of the year and we could still go on two one-week vacations throughout the year plus one 4-day weekend. If I did the trip now and added South Georgia and Falklands, we would have to take off 4 weeks from work. Having the trip so soon in the year would only allow us one week of traveling to cover at least 10 months of the year. I am not willing to do that.

 

Decisions, decisions.......

 

If it were you, do you do the trip in 2017 and not do the Falklands or South Georgia? Or do you wait and hope you are still here in 16 years to go all out and do the longer trip? On a side note, if we did wait until retirement we would probably spend much longer in Buena Aires then we could now.

[digitl]

South Georgia and the Falkands may not be able to happen if I cruise now. Are a lot of you that have cruised this retired? The sailing I have seen that include these (plus cross the Antarctic Circle) are 23 days.

 

I am very torn about this upcoming trip. Last night in continuing my research South Georgia and Falkands looks amazing. I have never considered any trip I have went on "a trip of a lifetime". However, I have never spent as much on a trip as what this one would cost. I feel when we do Antarctica it will be a once in a lifetime trip.

 

I think only you can answer the questions you asked in the rest of your post but a couple of observations on the above...

 

You can do Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands in 19 days Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires. That would not include the Circle, but you would get to those three locations and spend useful time there. You would need to add on a couple of days before to allow for flight delays and an additional day at the end to return home from Buenos Aires. So 22 days at a pinch?

 

This may well not be the 'trip of a lifetime'! Antarctica has a very strong draw and once you've been there it's difficult not to find a way back. We're looking at a third trip at the moment and it will be back to the peninsula, South Georgia and the Falklands on Fram.

[nicoleinwi]

I think only you can answer the questions you asked in the rest of your post but a couple of observations on the above...

 

You can do Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands in 19 days Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires. That would not include the Circle, but you would get to those three locations and spend useful time there. You would need to add on a couple of days before to allow for flight delays and an additional day at the end to return home from Buenos Aires. So 22 days at a pinch?

 

This may well not be the 'trip of a lifetime'! Antarctica has a very strong draw and once you've been there it's difficult not to find a way back. We're looking at a third trip at the moment and it will be back to the peninsula, South Georgia and the Falklands on Fram.

 

Thanks for the input. You are very fortunate to be able to be considering a 3rd trip there.

 

It is a requirement that when we do this trip, we have one that will attempt to cross the Antarctic Circle. DH was in the Navy and has this strong tie to wanting to collect certificates for all these invisible lines you get to cross by ship. He's collected some in the Navy and now wants to collect the rest.

Edited October 21, 2014 by nicoleinwi

[Turtles06]

South Georgia and the Falkands may not be able to happen if I cruise now. Are a lot of you that have cruised this retired? The sailing I have seen that include these (plus cross the Antarctic Circle) are 23 days.

 

I am very torn about this upcoming trip. Last night in continuing my research South Georgia and Falkands looks amazing. I have never considered any trip I have went on "a trip of a lifetime". However, I have never spent as much on a trip as what this one would cost. I feel when we do Antarctica it will be a once in a lifetime trip.

 

I was initially thinking we'd do the trip in 2016. However, after researching we decided Jan/Feb timeframe would be the best time to go. We already have almost 5 weeks of traveling planned for 2015 and we could not save up enough to do this trip in Jan/Feb 2016 with the trips we have planned for 2015. So now the earliest we could do it is 2017 so we could plan on taking less expensive trips in 2016.

 

If we wait until 2017 to do this trip, at time of sailing DH will be 41 and I will be 39. We only receive 5 weeks of vacation a year each. The longest trip we ever take at once is 2 weeks off work. We like to stagger our vacations throughout the year. One of the reasons we are eager to take this vacation as soon as possible is because you never know what the future lies. I'd hate for this to be a dream vacation for when we retire (we plan on retiring when I am 55 and DH 57) and we never make it to retirement. When I was looking at trips I was looking at ones that cross the circle and for those we would take off 13 days from work. That would allow this to be our big trip of the year and we could still go on two one-week vacations throughout the year plus one 4-day weekend. If I did the trip now and added South Georgia and Falklands, we would have to take off 4 weeks from work. Having the trip so soon in the year would only allow us one week of traveling to cover at least 10 months of the year. I am not willing to do that.

 

Decisions, decisions.......

 

If it were you, do you do the trip in 2017 and not do the Falklands or South Georgia? Or do you wait and hope you are still here in 16 years to go all out and do the longer trip? On a side note, if we did wait until retirement we would probably spend much longer in Buena Aires then we could now.

 

My spouse and I are still working, so your questions really hit home for me. I get five weeks vacation, but taking three weeks at one time is really pushing it. Apart from the added cost of including South Georgia and the Falklands, the length of that trip (including Antarctica) was too long for us while we were working.

 

Only you will be able to decide these things, but quite frankly, if Antarctica is some place you really want to visit and you have the resources to do it now, I would not put it off. Who knows what life will bring? In our household, when we decided to go, it became a joke to say "let's go while we can still walk." Seriously though, I think given your interest now, it would be hard to wait 16 years. (Personally, I wouldn't let "more time" in Buenos Aires be a driving factor here. We added three days there on the front end, which let us see a great deal.)

 

Having now visited Antarctica, I would certainly love to go back. And I'd love to see South Georgia and the Falklands. Whether that will ever happen for us, I don't know.

 

You are certainly asking yourself the right questions. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[digitl]

Thanks for the input. You are very fortunate to be able to be considering a 3rd trip there.

 

We are! One of the perks of having saved hard and invested well while we were working.

 

It is a requirement that when we do this trip, we have one that will attempt to cross the Antarctic Circle. DH was in the Navy and has this strong tie to wanting to collect certificates for all these invisible lines you get to cross by ship. He's collected some in the Navy and now wants to collect the rest.

 

Then you will have to cross the Circle... and he will get the certificate.

 

We crossed the Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle and the Equator, all at sea level(!), over a three month period at the end of last year and the beginning of this. We have the certificates, but we also have wonderful memories.

 

Good luck with the planning and, with luck, your wishes will come true sooner than you can imagine.

[Shawnino]

Somebody else can bear me out on this, but I'm guessing that if you're trying to cross the Circle, the timing sweet spot is February--late enough into Summer that you've got a fighting chance, but not so late that the weather is more likely to be tricky.

 

I would go ASAP for the reasons you state--we never know what the future will hold. At 22 I was given a few months to live, and since I refuse to pay my bill, the doctor keeps giving me more time. This trip fell into our lap because I had to travel around S. America anyway but had to "kill time" while the rest of my party was in Brazil and Peru (I am not allowed it go there). My wife said she wanted to go on a cruise that year, and let me pick the destination, so this was what I chose.

 

I was turning 40 when we did this in 2012. There were a lot of retirees on board, but there were a few younger couples. Added in, since the ship wasn't sold out, the operator let staffers from other ships fill the empty rooms at very low rates--mostly kids just out of college who had worked the previous summer in Alaska. So rom 140 total guests, roughly 30-35 of us were under 50.

 

The time commitment for those of us still working was heavy, but with one or two exceptions those of us in the younger demographic were really glad we did it.

[digitl]

Somebody else can bear me out on this, but I'm guessing that if you're trying to cross the Circle, the timing sweet spot is February--late enough into Summer that you've got a fighting chance, but not so late that the weather is more likely to be tricky.

 

Our trip was 22 January to 3 February so, yes, towards the end of the season. Even so, we spent one afternoon breaking our way through metre-thick sea ice. The captain chose to do that rather than take a detour around it and we were all pretty pleased that he did: a simply amazing experience!

[PerfectlyPerth]

South Georgia and the Falkands may not be able to happen if I cruise now. Are a lot of you that have cruised this retired? The sailing I have seen that include these (plus cross the Antarctic Circle) are 23 days.

 

I am very torn about this upcoming trip. Last night in continuing my research South Georgia and Falkands looks amazing. I have never considered any trip I have went on "a trip of a lifetime". However, I have never spent as much on a trip as what this one would cost. I feel when we do Antarctica it will be a once in a lifetime trip.

 

Nope - decades away from retiring sadly - especially as the government keeps extending the age limit!

Personally I just have always travelled "now" - rather than planned for "later" as later may never arrive.

 

I have done about 14 or 16 circle crossings and really there is no major difference beyond being slightly closer to Emperor territory if your ship is heading there. But I do understand the "certificate collecting" and "ticking the box" so if you can choose an itinerary where it is going to be aimed for - then do so.

 

I am also in the group that will say - take the longest trip you can afford and include Sth Georgia and Falklands - you will not regret it and its generally the reason people become addicted and immediately start preparing for the "2nd trip of a life time".

My first two trips were 30 days each so my 3rd trip of 24 days seemed "short" to me !

 

 

Am posting on the phone so I cant scroll back up and see who was asking about LAN ? I fly LAN business to and from AUS to Sth America and also all my internal flights. Its a great business class. One of my favourites. I actually like the internal one better than the international one. Lovely food, great baggage allowance, nice lounges.

 

The charter flights on the other hand - woeful ! Its a classless plane - all econ. Strict baggage limits so just about everyone gets pinged for excess. And it does feel like a giant cattle call. The only one I have done is the Falklands back to Santiago. I swore I would never do another trip that involves a charter flight.

 

Also cant scroll back up to see but there was a comment about salespeople in Aus not taking 4 weeks leave at once - yes they do. Taking your full block of leave when ever you personally want to (not at the bidding of the employer) is standard across all places of employment in Aus. Some choose to break it up thru the year - those that like 4 short holidays through the year instead of a block. Personally - being in the public service - I get 8 weeks a year plus 7 days long service leave accumulating each year and boy do I ensure I utilise it. We (and many other places of employment) also have (but I have yet to try it) 4 years on 1 year off - where you earn 80% of your wage for 4 years then take a year off - paid at 80%. Many school teachers utilise this method and public servants have started trying it out in recent years.

 

Of course every country is different. I have Asian friends who get a single week per year and some are not permitted to start using it til they have been with the employer for 5 years. For an Aussie hearing that it sounds extremely harsh, But we (the nation as a whole) spent the 70s and 80s fighting for our conditions that we enjoy now.

 

But - if the world was the same all over then it wouldnt be a very interesting place would it. Differences exist whether we like it or not.

 

The one thing we all have in common here is the passion for an amazing continent and the willingness to share our knowledge and advice about it.

[PaulMCO]

I agree with the concept -- take the longest you can afford and do NOT miss the Falkland and South Georgia. In fact I think South Georgia was the highlight of the 18 days.

 

Since the OP is from the USA -- it poses a different case.

 

• Most people get 2 weeks maximum
  
• Rare to find 4 weeks unless people have only stayed on same job for 25 years.
  
• Most are use or lose it. Cannot carryover from year to year as it goes as a liability on the companies books
  
• I have never had a boss that encourages me to take my vacation (until my current position). It is always excuses as to why you cannot take it.
  

Check out my photos if you want to see why you should not miss South Georgia...

 

 

[PerfectlyPerth]

[*]Most are use or lose it. Cannot carryover from year to year as it goes as a liability on the companies books

 

That would be illegal here and against every single workplace agreement in the entire country!

[2552phxcrzr]

[*]Most are use or lose it. Cannot carryover from year to year as it goes as a liability on the companies books

 

I guess we were lucky. Hubby was employed by the US Government most of his career, and worked his way up to where he earned nearly 30 days of vacation, I worked for a defense contractor, and by year 5, was up to almost as much vacation. The best part was that we could carry-over unused portion ... not that we had to worry much about that as we seldom had much left over ;) Combining our vacation with US holidays, we managed to extend our generous vacation time longer.

 

All this to say that vacation benefits can vary hugely not only from country to country, but within the same country as well. And how we opt to use them -- all at once, in small chunks, or not at all (the latter being a foreign concept to me) ... well, it all depends on our individual circumstances.

 

I'm also in the 'longer the better' camp ... no one will not regret including Falklands and South Georgia in their itinerary if they can swing it. I like seeing some new itineraries coming out that focus on those areas without going down to the peninsula. Hope to someday do one of those itineraries. In the meantime, I am counting the days when we embark the expedition ship that will take us from Ushuaia to Invercargill (New Zealand) by way of the Ross Sea.:D

 

I suppose you could say that we have been well and truly bitten by the 'ice virus' and we will be interspersing polar voyages with other travels for as many years as health and budget allows -- I don't mention time anymore as we retired in 2012. :)

 

To the OP ...

 

I've read through the thread, and while I would give up the luxury aspect in a heartbeat, that's just me. I can understand that if having luxury is important to you, then it is and that you need to look in that direction. We did one expedition trip with Silver Expedition (to Svalbard) ... I think that would be a good match for your requirements.

 

I do agree with others that it is really way too early to know which ships will be in operation and what itineraries will be offered as far off as you're looking. Ever-changing regulations impact what ships can sail in Antarctic waters; there have already been a series of new regs; no reason to think there might not be more in the future.

 

Also, take a look at Quark ... some of the ships they are operating now have suites that are equal to SilverEx (in my opinion), though they don't come with a butler (which wasn't on your list of requirements). We took an upsell on Sea Spirit in Greenland last year and the deluxe cabin came with a balcony, and was less $-wise than what we would have spent on SilverEx ... I know because I cancelled with them to go with Quark's Sea Spirit for a month instead.

 

Anyway ... just my humble opinions. Whoever you go with, whatever itinerary you do, whenever you end up doing it -- Antarctica is an incredibly special place on our planet ... you will love it.

[peterscot]

Hmmm. If you are prioritising Easter Island over the Falklands and South Georgia, I'm not convinced this is the region for you.

 

I'm reminded of the family on the Fram who sulked for most of the trip when they found out there was no casino on board. They had paid a lot of money for suites, and somehow expected a certain level of luxury and facilities to go with the price. They spent most of the cruise doing jigsaws, and moaning about the food.

 

The boat is secondary to the experience, although it obviously plays a huge part. But it what happens outside that is more important.

[PerfectlyPerth]

In the meantime, I am counting the days when we embark the expedition ship that will take us from Ushuaia to Invercargill (New Zealand) by way of the Ross Sea.:D

 

I suppose you could say that we have been well and truly bitten by the 'ice virus' and we will be interspersing polar voyages with other travels for as many years as health and budget allows -- I don't mention time anymore as we retired in 2012. :)

 

Also, take a look at Quark ... some of the ships they are operating now have suites that are equal to SilverEx (in my opinion), though they don't come with a butler (which wasn't on your list of requirements). We took an upsell on Sea Spirit in Greenland last year and the deluxe cabin came with a balcony, and was less $-wise than what we would have spent on SilverEx ... I know because I cancelled with them to go with Quark's Sea Spirit for a month instead.

 

 

You are heading off on the big Ortelius trip ? Looking forward to your reviews. Are you with eenusa ? Just noticed them mentioning Ross Sea too. I have two friends who will be on that trip who I met on the Khlebnikov, and one friend is doing both trips back to back (ahhhh to have the funds!).

 

Quarks newest ship http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/en/our-ships/ocean-endeavour looks too posh for my liking so I assume it would appeal to those wanting that travel style.

 

LOL Peterscot - brilliant ! We did have a lady on our last trip who - on the 3rd landing - said "so is it just this - every day - putting this gear on and going in the boats to shore? every day ? When do we relax?" - I replied - "on a cruise ship". Something tells me her hubby hadnt shown her any brochures pre booking.:p

[Shawnino]

Which Ortelius itinerary is that? I saw one that bounced between NZ and Ushuaia, and the idea of being down there a month sounded great, but then I looked at the day-by-day and there seemed to be a lot of sea days. Like, more than 50%. Not my thing. Now if they've hired some albatrosses to follow the ship, it could be my thing, but I'm not sure if those contracts are in place...

[2552phxcrzr]

You are heading off on the big Ortelius trip ? Looking forward to your reviews. Are you with eenusa ? Just noticed them mentioning Ross Sea too. I have two friends who will be on that trip who I met on the Khlebnikov, and one friend is doing both trips back to back (ahhhh to have the funds!).

 

I am eenusa ... and yes we're on the Ortelius trip. Can't wait! I'm afraid any reviews will be a while coming though, as we will then do 6 weeks in NZ and won't return home until the end of March.

 

Quarks newest ship http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/en/our-ships/ocean-endeavour looks too posh for my liking so I assume it would appeal to those wanting that travel style.

 

One good thing I've found with Quark is that even when the ship is posh (which I don't care about one way or the other), their focus doesn't change from 'expedition first'. I can't say the same about all operators to the polar regions. There is room for both experiences; we all have to find the one that works best for us.

 

LOL Peterscot - brilliant ! We did have a lady on our last trip who - on the 3rd landing - said "so is it just this - every day - putting this gear on and going in the boats to shore? every day ? When do we relax?" - I replied - "on a cruise ship". Something tells me her hubby hadnt shown her any brochures pre booking.:p

 

Reminds me of the couple who came on our Svalbard voyage with Caribbean wear and no wind- or waterproof gear, or warm clothing. They told their agent they just wanted a cruise, and never bothered to check where they were going or read the material provided by the operator. I wouldn't have believed the story if they hadn't related it to me themselves :)

Edited October 24, 2014 by h2so4

[2552phxcrzr]

Which Ortelius itinerary is that? I saw one that bounced between NZ and Ushuaia, and the idea of being down there a month sounded great, but then I looked at the day-by-day and there seemed to be a lot of sea days. Like, more than 50%. Not my thing. Now if they've hired some albatrosses to follow the ship, it could be my thing, but I'm not sure if those contracts are in place...

 

It's the Ross Sea itinerary ... we're doing the one in January from Ushuaia to NZ. Yes; there is definitely lots of sea days, but I really don't mind. Finding a quiet corner on deck and just just losing myself in polar regions is one of my favorite things to do. I did that on the recent North Pole voyage on 50 Let Pobedy and it was magical ... I was inside only for lectures, meals, and to sleep ;) Besides, if I can bring myself to stay indoors, those sea days will come in handy for writing draft posts for the blog ... we'll be away for four months in total :D

[PerfectlyPerth]

I too love the at sea days - and when on a ship with helicopters the at sea days are more adventurous and exciting as you get to do scenic flights.

 

On my first two trips of 30 days each we were doing daily flights, landing on bergs or zooming around the ship as it ploughed through ice. Nothing better ! Plus flying inland to hang out with emporers.

 

I would prefer that to daily shore landings personally - simply because I am a helicopter fan.

 

LOL H2S - I didnt realise you WERE! Een ! Mystery solved!

 

I do agree re Quark keeping it casual despite the poshness of the ship. I know many of their expedition teams and leaders well and all have a very similar outlook on life and what they are achieving for the passenger.

 

Shawnino: The Ortelius is doing 2 30 days back to back - Ush to NZ then NZ to Ush. You get the real dedicated multi polar trippers on the big 30 day ones not to mention the back2backers.

Its their second season of offering this itinerary and takes over from what Quark use to offer with the Khlebnikov pre its retirement.

http://www.oceanwide-expeditions.com/destinations/destination/ross-sea/trips/

 

And yep on all of my trips the albatross have followed us the majority of the way.

[digitl]

I was inside only for lectures, meals, and to sleep ;)

 

So many people just don't get that.

 

It's about the outside, not the inside...

[AussieVisi2r]

I have, with my spouse, Jan/Feb. 2013. Absolutely extraordinary, I can't say enough good things about our expedition. You can find my very detailed journal at the link in my signature below. I started keeping it when we began preparing for the trip (more than a year out), so there's a great deal of info that I hope will be helpful, regardless of who you eventually decide to go with.

 

There are 148 pax on board the Explorer, divided into 6 landing groups. When it's not your turn to go ashore, you are typically out on a zodiac cruise, which was just about as phenomenal as being ashore (sometimes more so). On a few occasions, you could also kayak.

 

At the time we booked, you had to bring your own boots, but you can rent them now. And they "give" you the parka. (Most expensive "free" piece of clothing I've ever received! :)

 

Very comfortable cabin with a huge window, queen sized bed.

 

Happy to answer any specific questions you may have, if I can.

 

Turtles,

Thanks so much. I have just read your journal. I am no longer thinking of Antarctica in 2016.....I am going.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Now to sort out just how much I can afford and therefore who I cruise with!

 

Raina