Thought on Zaandam 22 day Anarctic Cruise

[saratoga]

I am looking at the 15 Dec 17 cruise. We are going with an ocean view cabin. Which cabins would you recommend and why.

 

We are not that familiar with the Zaandam. Any thoughts you could provide would be appreciated.

 

Tony

[MVPinBoynton]

I am looking at the 15 Dec 17 cruise. We are going with an ocean view cabin. Which cabins would you recommend and why.

 

We are not that familiar with the Zaandam. Any thoughts you could provide would be appreciated.

 

Tony

 

Friends of ours did this cruise in Feb. You will want to be on the starboard side, since that is the side you will be able to see the land from. We booked the main deck near a stairwell, since it was only a few steps away from the open deck. We also wanted to be midship in case the seas were rough. The lower decks are certainly move less.

[wesport]

We are doing 21 days on the Koningsdam in August. After making the reservation for the 12/15/17 Zaandam Antarctica cruise, I am getting more excited about the Antarctica cruise, but I'm sure Scotland, Iceland, and Norway will also be fantastic.

[MVPinBoynton]

We are doing 21 days on the Koningsdam in August. After making the reservation for the 12/15/17 Zaandam Antarctica cruise, I am getting more excited about the Antarctica cruise, but I'm sure Scotland, Iceland, and Norway will also be fantastic.

 

 

We have several other vacations before Antarctica, but it is the only one I find myself thinking about. Your Koningsdam cruise sounds wonderful. We have been to all those places and thoroughly enjoyed them. I am sure you will too.

[RuthC]

And Wow 3 times RuthC! It must have been wonderful! Are you planning to go again?

I was booked for the January 2017 Antarctica cruise but canceled to enjoy recovering from surgery instead. ;p The itinerary hasn't floated back to the top of the list again yet.

 

Another question I hope it's not rude since this is the HAL board but I also see a Celebrity Infinity Antarctica sailing for only 14 days and the biggest difference is Celebrity sails by Elephant Island but doesn't go to Chilean fjords or glaciers.

Every time I have done this cruise we have passed Elephant Island, with a lingering stop for scenic cruising.

Considering the length of the flights (grueling), get as much time down there as you can!

[Cruising Latitude]

The Celebrity cruise only spends 2 days in Antarctica rather than 4 on HAL. Also, the price for our 22 day HAL cruise was about the same price as the Celebrity one. The HAL itinerary is significantly better. Chile is a beautiful country too. If you are going all the way to SA, you might as well see it too.

 

 

 

I was booked for the January 2017 Antarctica cruise but canceled to enjoy recovering from surgery instead. ;p The itinerary hasn't floated back to the top of the list again yet.

 

 

Thanks for the answer. I googled Chilean Fjords and they look beautiful. I definitely like the Zaandam itinerary better even though for us it's pretty much impossible to add on trips before or after.

 

We may end up doing the BA to VP as well just because with the ship staying in BA overnight we can schedule overnight flights on the day before and still have two days protection.

 

Now time to save and shuffle some vacation days.

 

 

 

 

 

Every time I have done this cruise we have passed Elephant Island, with a lingering stop for scenic cruising.

 

Considering the length of the flights (grueling), get as much time down there as you can!

 

 

Thank you for the info! I totally agree. The flights sound miserable.

 

An interesting thing, I found for some reason one way flights are much more expensive than round way for the dates I am looking for. EEK!

[rafinmd]

Thank you for the info! I totally agree. The flights sound miserable.

 

An interesting thing, I found for some reason one way flights are much more expensive than round way for the dates I am looking for. EEK!

 

Do check with HAL on air. It may or may not be good but I've gotten a very good deal on HAL on a 1-way flight from Rio, so it may generally be good for South America.

 

I think you also would want an "open jaw", going to Santiago and return from Buenos Aires of vice versa; the prices for those are frequently close to round trip prices.

 

By the way, I've also been to Antarctica twice; 1997 on an expedition ship and 2016 on the Crystal Symphony. I have a request in for the 2019 Prinsendam Grand South America/Antarctica; 3 times is NOT too much. I did enjoy the landings on the expedition ship but doing it on a large ship is awesome as well.

 

Roy

 

Roy

[RuthC]

If you end the cruise in Buenos Aires, with an overnight there, I have a suggestion to make the flight home just a little more bearable.

Make arrangements to disembark the ship, and fly home, on the last night instead of waiting for disembarkation the next morning. Pack (starting in advance), enjoy the ship and the last supper, then leave straight for the airport and board your flight.

 

If you disembark in the morning you have to get up very early. You then spend a full day waiting for a late evening flight overnight, and possibly a change of plane when your body is just not functioning at peak. There's a time zone difference when heading back to the US and Canada, too.

My first trip back (from Santiago) was 33 hours from rising to go to bed; the second trip (also from Santiago) was 39 hours, due to a delayed connection.

Third trip was a bit less, as I was able to get a non-stop from BA to NYC, then a car home, but it was still a long, long 'day'.

 

An alternative to leaving on that last night would be to stay over one night in BA, then sleep in the next morning and have a relaxing day at the hotel.

[BarbarianPaul]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for the 15 Dec 2017 cruise out of Santiago, isn't the port side the best place to book a cabin to see land?

 

 

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[MVPinBoynton]

We booked our flights through HAL. It was a bit cheaper than booking on our own. We also can change the flights if needed. Not to mention, not having to pay until final payment date.

 

We are fortunate to be able to do the flights non-stop from MIA. The cost was $940 pp going to BA and returning from Santiago. I was disappointed in the price of the flights, until I looked back and saw that the same flights cost us over $1,200 pp back then.

[MVPinBoynton]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for the 15 Dec 2017 cruise out of Santiago, isn't the port side the best place to book a cabin to see land?

 

 

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It certainly is. Thank you for correcting me Paul. I should know better, especially since we are on starboard on our Jan cruise.

[BarbarianPaul]

No problemo! We're on the port side for the Jan. 28 cruise!

 

 

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[scubacruiserx2]

 

 

Do you all think the Chilean fjords are a must do?

 

Here's some photos VP to BA Glacier Alley and the Beagle Canal , what do you think ?

 

 

 

 

A video clip of the glacier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One last video clip of this amazing scenery !!!

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

After several days of deliberation, we have decided to bite the bullet and book a vista suite on the 12/15 Zaandam Antarctica cruise. 22 days , would like the extra room. Having direct flights from and to Miami helped with the decision. Only a short ride from Fort Lauderdale

 

Congratulations , we too have booked this cruise , our 3 rd cruise from VP . :cool:

[MVPinBoynton]

Here's some photos VP to BA Glacier Alley and the Beagle Canal , what do you think ?

 

 

 

 

A video clip of the glacier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One last video clip of this amazing scenery !!!

 

 

 

 

 

Just gorgeous. I hope we have the great weather you had, so we can take our own pics like that.

[scubacruiserx2]

Just gorgeous. I hope we have the great weather you had, so we can take our own pics like that.

 

We were fortunate on that day , the day before was sleet and the Port of Ushuaia was closed , but it was beautiful when we were there . We had booked Antarctica on the Eclipse in 2018 but with more days in Antarctica we switched to the Zaandam in the hope of getting better weather .

[MVPinBoynton]

We were fortunate on that day , the day before was sleet and the Port of Ushuaia was closed , but it was beautiful when we were there . We had booked Antarctica on the Eclipse in 2018 but with more days in Antarctica we switched to the Zaandam in the hope of getting better weather .

 

Well, the odds are twice as good for good weather when you are there twice as many days. :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Well, the odds are twice as good for good weather when you are there twice as many days. :D

 

Our thoughts exactly , hopefully better than the past 4 days here in Palm Beach County ! ;)

[MVPinBoynton]

Our thoughts exactly , hopefully better than the past 4 days here in Palm Beach County ! ;)

 

No kidding! We have had over 11 inches of rain the last 2 days. Your scuba gear might come in handy.

[visagrunt]

I do not disagree with your premise. But, unfortunately, one ages. One becomes less mobile. One cannot always sail such an itinerary as an Antarctica cruise in one's more youthful years. For me, at this stage of my life--and probably others as well--zodiac landings on the Continent would be highly desirable. But, attempting to do so would be highly unwise.

 

This is a cruise that I ought to have done 10 years or so ago. But, for a variety of reasons, I did not want to do so nor did it then appeal as much as other cruises I chose to book.

 

I am thankful that I have finally decided to book this Zaandam cruise and am hopeful that, God willing, I will be able to enjoy the experiences that I hope to have.

 

We just returned from an expedition voyage to Antarctica and South Georgia on Ponant's Le Soléal[/] in February this year. The oldest passenger on the ship was a 91 year old woman. One of our fellow passengers was Dr. Claude Lorius (age 85). We (in our 40's) were defnitely in the youngest 10% of passengers on the ship. Age alone is not a barrier to an expedition cruise to Antarctica!

[Cruising Latitude]

Here's some photos VP to BA Glacier Alley and the Beagle Canal , what do you think ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A video clip of the glacier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One last video clip of this amazing scenery !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing!!!!

[Cruising Latitude]

Do check with HAL on air. It may or may not be good but I've gotten a very good deal on HAL on a 1-way flight from Rio, so it may generally be good for South America.

 

 

 

I think you also would want an "open jaw", going to Santiago and return from Buenos Aires of vice versa; the prices for those are frequently close to round trip prices.

 

 

 

By the way, I've also been to Antarctica twice; 1997 on an expedition ship and 2016 on the Crystal Symphony. I have a request in for the 2019 Prinsendam Grand South America/Antarctica; 3 times is NOT too much. I did enjoy the landings on the expedition ship but doing it on a large ship is awesome as well.

 

 

 

Roy

 

 

 

Roy

 

 

Thanks! Time to check out Hal choice air! Which expedition ship did you go for? I read good things about National Geographic, Ponant and Hurtigruden.

 

If you end the cruise in Buenos Aires, with an overnight there, I have a suggestion to make the flight home just a little more bearable.

 

Make arrangements to disembark the ship, and fly home, on the last night instead of waiting for disembarkation the next morning. Pack (starting in advance), enjoy the ship and the last supper, then leave straight for the airport and board your flight.

 

 

 

If you disembark in the morning you have to get up very early. You then spend a full day waiting for a late evening flight overnight, and possibly a change of plane when your body is just not functioning at peak. There's a time zone difference when heading back to the US and Canada, too.

 

My first trip back (from Santiago) was 33 hours from rising to go to bed; the second trip (also from Santiago) was 39 hours, due to a delayed connection.

 

Third trip was a bit less, as I was able to get a non-stop from BA to NYC, then a car home, but it was still a long, long 'day'.

 

 

 

An alternative to leaving on that last night would be to stay over one night in BA, then sleep in the next morning and have a relaxing day at the hotel.

 

 

Thank you RuthC for the suggestion. It does make it much easier if we can stay on the ship longer.

 

The last time I was on Zaandam it was an Alaska cruise. The flight home was late and long and a red eye and we ended up waiting in the airport for 9 hours. Yikes!

 

We booked our flights through HAL. It was a bit cheaper than booking on our own. We also can change the flights if needed. Not to mention, not having to pay until final payment date.

 

 

 

We are fortunate to be able to do the flights non-stop from MIA. The cost was $940 pp going to BA and returning from Santiago. I was disappointed in the price of the flights, until I looked back and saw that the same flights cost us over $1,200 pp back then.

 

 

We also live in Miami. That's what I will do then. Thank you all for the suggestion.

 

Now time to find out things to do in Santiago!

 

:)

[rafinmd]

Ms Eden, that was 20 years ago so I;m sure things have changed. My trip was on the Professor Multanovski, a Russian research ship that was placed in the tourism trade after setbacks in the economy of the Soviet Union. At the time the ship was chartered to and I booked with Mountain Travel Sobek.

 

Roy

[rkacruiser]

We just returned from an expedition voyage to Antarctica and South Georgia on Ponant's Le Soléal[/] in February this year. The oldest passenger on the ship was a 91 year old woman. One of our fellow passengers was Dr. Claude Lorius (age 85). We (in our 40's) were defnitely in the youngest 10% of passengers on the ship. Age alone is not a barrier to an expedition cruise to Antarctica!

 

I appreciate your post. Thank you and I agree that "age alone" is not nor should not be a barrier to any aspect of life.

 

However, aging and life's experiences affects people in different ways. I am not envious of others many years my senior being able to do what they do. I am comfortable "in my own skin" and am thankful to be able to do what I am able to do.

 

I know that I will enjoy Antarctica "in my own way".

[Cruising Latitude]

Ms Eden, that was 20 years ago so I;m sure things have changed. My trip was on the Professor Multanovski, a Russian research ship that was placed in the tourism trade after setbacks in the economy of the Soviet Union. At the time the ship was chartered to and I booked with Mountain Travel Sobek.

 

 

 

Roy

 

 

 

Thank you Roy for the info! An expedition ship would be so wonderful.