Antartica Cruise Drake Lake or Drake Shake?

[NMTraveller]

I am thinking about an Antartic cruise.  I am having second thoughts about going through the Drake passage.   For those of you that have been did you have the Drake Lake or Drake Shake or in between?

 

Twelve to fourteen footers rock me to sleep at night, no problem.  I am not sure that I would enjoy 30 footers though.  How often do they get the 30 footers down there in their summer / our winter?  Should I be concerned?

[seachef318]

I did 3 seasons in Antarctica on an expedition vessel.  (Roughly 30/36 drake crossings).  Of those I’d say 6/8 were as calm as the Mediterranean.  3/4 were enough to warrant us serving mostly room service to I’ll passengers. 1 was bad enough that I got seasick myself.  And the rest - you could feel motion and may have to hold railings to walk but wasn’t terrible and minimal guests had seasickness.  A lot of it depends too on how the waves are hitting - if you are pitching (forward to aft movement), rolling (side to side) or corkscrewing (both at the same time)

There really was no way of knowing too far ahead of time either.  Hope that helps! (Our ship was 100 meters, 121 passengers  so way smaller than HAL ships) 

[NMTraveller]

Thanks!

[RuthC]

I've done the round trip three times, and had one of each, each time. I think the first time across was probably the worst, but wasn't all that awful---at least after the fact. I have sailed in worse seas. 
On my last trip there I was with a friend who is very sensitive to motion. She used the patch, and was quite all right with the bumps. 

Take the trip. However the seas are for you, you will not be sorry you went. 

[Sir PMP]

It can be one day of heaven or one day of hell..

[USN59-79]

We were there on the Amsterdam just after 9/11.  It was a beautiful cruise; blue skies, calm seas and wonderful scenery.  Probably the best cruise we were ever on.  However, I am afraid if I recommend it to someone else, they will end up with lousy weather.  We were there over Christmas and New Years, middle of Summer in Antarctica.

[TiogaCruiser]

You get what you get. But really, there is nothing like Antarctica. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

There was a mention on Medscape some months back that sniffing rubbing alcohol (3 whiffs every 3 minutes) is effective for nausea without the drugged feeling. DH tested it out on the North Sea this summer and said it was effective.

[CruiseMGM]

4 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I am thinking about an Antartic cruise.  I am having second thoughts about going through the Drake passage.   For those of you that have been did you have the Drake Lake or Drake Shake or in between?

 

<snip>

Drake Lake going over and minimal shake coming back. We had one night of quite heavy seas on the outside of the islands while on our way to Palmer Stations, but it was an amazing cruise and well worth any amount of discomfort (of which there was only a bit that one night). I think it varies, though, so you're flipping a coin. But what a magnificent cruise, I truly hope you can go. Best wishes!

[Sue from Canada]

Is it better to cruise E to W or the other way around?  

[arzz]

Did it twice. First time in 2007 and it really was a serious Drake shake. But Antarctica was so special we did it again last January and had the Drake lake.  Both cruises were spectacular - more than worth the time and tariff. 

[ghstudio]

There's no good answer.....most, if not all, antarctic cruise ships vary their itinerary so that they have the best chance at a smooth crossing.  We were on the Celebrity infinity and the day we were scheduled to do that crossing, there were two expedition ships that turned back because the seas were so rough.  We changed itineraries and spent that day sailing the entire length of the Beagle Channel (which was beautiful and not on our itinerary).  We did the crossing on a lake the following day.

 

I think your chances of getting a reasonably smooth passage both ways are reasonably good....but I wouldn't plan on your ship sticking to the published itinerary....but, you should be aware that there have been a few cruises that just couldn't make the crossing at all due to the weather.....they had to skip the visit to Antarctica.  It does happen.

[momilani]

We had an extraordinary cruise aboard the Zaandam over the Christmas holidays 2015/16.  I was terrified in the run up because I’m a bit queasy in high seas, and knew a couple of friends who had the Antarctic portion of their trips aborted due to weather out of Ushuaia.  It couldn’t have been more beautiful for us.  Just the luck of the draw - no one controls the weather, and there are no guarantees.  But the payoff of taking that chance was spectacular for us.  Good luck and smooth sailing!

[rkacruiser]

The ship's Master will be monitoring the weather conditions very carefully before starting the transit of Drake Strait.  On my Zaandam cruise, we spent a day or so in the shelter of islands at the tip of South America doing a race track pattern because of a severe storm crossing Drake Strait.  When we began the transit, all was well until we left the shelter of the islands.  The seas picked up and, as we passed Cape Horn, as I was in the Crow's Nest for sightseeing, the seas were sufficiently active that I chose not to go out on deck to get a  better photo of the Cape.  Standing still was impossible with walking difficult. With an outside stateroom facing West as we sailed that night, looking out my window at the skies  on the horizon, I have never seen more angry looking skies as I did that night.  To have sailed into such a storm would not have been pleasant.  Captain Norman made the right choice for us in what he did!  

[NMTraveller]

We are booked for 2020.

 

I suppose that I will take a patch just in case.  But it sounds like they try to avoid the worst of it.

[Sue from Canada]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

We are booked for 2020.

 

I suppose that I will take a patch just in case.  But it sounds like they try to avoid the worst of it.

Have you thought of using those sea bands?  You can buy them at CVS and Walgreens.  My mother has been using them for years and we've been in some pretty big storms.  

[ghstudio]

9 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

We are booked for 2020.

 

I suppose that I will take a patch just in case.  But it sounds like they try to avoid the worst of it.

 

If you haven't worn a patch before, I suggest you try one before you leave home.  Some folks have pretty strong reactions and it would be better to experience at home than on a ship in the middle of the ocean.

[Jellifer]

I was there last Christmas with Hurtigruten and it was truly the trip of a lifetime. I was worried about the ‘Drake Shake’ so took along patches and bonine just in case. The first night the captain advised a storm was on its way so he sped up to avoid it. A little rocking but nothing too bad and then the rest of the crossing was smooth.  Coming back we had it as smooth as a mill pond the whole way - couldn’t believe how lucky we were. 

 

Anyone thinking about an Antarctica trip - just do it, you won’t regret it. 

 

 

[Hlitner]

Just a reminder that after 2021, cruise lines like HAL will no longer be able to take their vessels to Antarctica.  I recently read that Norway was also going to adopt similar polar rules for the area North of 60 degrees (Arctic Circle) in waters under their control.  This would also have some impact on HAL itineraries.

 

There will still be ships going to Antarctica...in fact most of them will Really go to Antarctica in that their passengers will be able to go ashore.  Seabourn is building 2 new small ships that will meet all the necessary International Polar standards and Hurtigruten will certainly have some ships in arctic and Antarctic waters.  I have not been able to determine if Ponent (which now does some terrific Antarctic itineraries where folks go ashore) will be able to continue their trips.  I think its doubtful that any of their ships comply with the new Polar standards, but am not sure.

 

Hank

[BarbarianPaul]

We did the Santiago- Buenos Aires route, with Antarctica, on the Zandaam In Feb. of 2018. It’s an amazing experience. However, we definitely got the “shake” instead of the “lake.” Also, the first several days heading south from Santiago had some pretty rough seas.

[trixiee]

[trixiee]

We had the Drake Lake - and I was a bit disappointed! LOL!  I had mentally prepared myself for the shake!  

 

Best cruise ever - don't hesitate.  If you can go, do it!

[RuthC]

On 10/9/2019 at 3:23 AM, Sue from Canada said:

Is it better to cruise E to W or the other way around?  

I've done it both ways, and find pros & cons to both. 

The first time was east to west, and entering the first fringes of Antarctic waters brought us to 'Iceberg Alley'. The bergs were smaller at first, then grew larger, and Larger, and LARGER until we got to 'The Event' itself. Spectacular introduction. But everything after Antarctica, including the fjords and glaciers of southern Chile were anticlimactic. Now, I had seen many Alaska glaciers before, so I may not have been impressed with the Chilean glaciers anyway. Things like the Beagle Channel, and the Cape were still excellent to see, since they were different. 

My third time was west to east. This time I enjoyed the glaciers, loved Antarctica, as always, but Iceberg Alley was a real letdown. 

Really, the star of the show is Antarctica, and you can't go wrong picking the timing that is best for you. It's a little longer getting home from Buenos Aires, but since it's a brutally long flight anyway, the added distance is not noticed as much. 

[rkacruiser]

Antarctica is such a great experience, what difference does it really make if one has to endure rough seas to or from this Continent?  If rough seas are part of your experience, it will only enhance your memories of this cruise.

[81Zoomie]

Don’t let the Drake deter you from going to Antarctica.  It is an incredible journey.  Bring Meds and take them as a precaution.  Leave high heels behind.  The Drake is only about 1.5 days long.  If you have the opportunity to take an expedition cruise and set foot on Antarctica, go for it.  It was the most amazing experience!

[cruisequeen4ever]

Great thread! We are aiming to get to Antarctica before the new regulations.