Marguerite Bay – Emperor Penguins in February

[Jade13]

Marguerite Bay – Emperor Penguins in February

Hurtigruten/Norwegian Coastal Voyage now has an Antarctic voyage on the Ms Fram called “North and South Antarctica”. The only difference with their Argentina and Antarctica is a planned stop at Marguerite Bay to see a colony of Emperor Penguins.

I am kicking myself because I already booked the Ms Explorer II for Classic Antarctica. I can’t cancel as it would cost $1,150 in cancellation fees. I wanted to see Emperors but the Quark Expeditions cruise to Snowhill was starting at about $25,00.00 per person etc with helicopter fly ins and was out of our price range, plus we can’t travel in November/December.

The Ms Fram description of Marguerite Bay –“rarely visited even by Antarctic standards, dotted with ice-covered islands and surrounded by pristine, mountainous scenery. It is home to the only known breeding colony of emperor penguins on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. This rookery itself is specially protected for environmental reasons and cannot be entered but you will have the opportunity to spot for the emperors nearby. There are several bases in Marguerite Bay, both new and old. Rothera Station on Adelaide Island is the British Antarctic Survey’s largest base and logistics centre for the Antarctic. It has a modern laboratories and facilities for a wide rage of research. Stonnington Island is home to the 1950’s-era British “Base E” and the historic “East Base” of the United States expedition of 1939-41. Rear Admiral Richard Byrd picked the site of the base himself, naming the island for the hometown of another famous explorer from the United States, Nathaniel Palmer."

I just found out that Hurtigruten is offering this expedition starting at $6,799.00, and it goes in January and February 2009. If Emperors can be seen in January and February without the use of a helicopter than why aren’t other expeditions going to Marguerite Bay, or are they? I had e-mailed Quark and others and told you could not see Emperors in February. The Ms Fram has 318 births. Does that mean they take over 600 people to Antarctica, or do they limit the number? Does anyone have more information? I am so disappointed I will be on another ship at the same time but won’t be going to this location to see the Emperor Penguins L

[Jade13]

Marguerite Bay – Emperor Penguins in February

 

Hurtigruten/Norwegian Coastal Voyage now has an Antarctic voyage on the Ms Fram called “North and South Antarctica”. The only difference with their Argentina and Antarctica is a planned stop at Marguerite Bay to see a colony of Emperor Penguins.

 

I am kicking myself because I already booked the Ms Explorer II for Classic Antarctica. I can’t cancel as it would cost $1,150 in cancellation fees. I wanted to see Emperors but the Quark Expeditions cruise to Snowhill was starting at about $25,00.00 per person etc with helicopter fly ins and was out of our price range, plus we can’t travel in November/December.

 

The Ms Fram description of Marguerite Bay –“rarely visited even by Antarctic standards, dotted with ice-covered islands and surrounded by pristine, mountainous scenery. It is home to the only known breeding colony of emperor penguins on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. This rookery itself is specially protected for environmental reasons and cannot be entered but you will have the opportunity to spot for the emperors nearby. There are several bases in Marguerite Bay, both new and old. Rothera Station on Adelaide Island is the British Antarctic Survey’s largest base and logistics centre for the Antarctic. It has a modern laboratories and facilities for a wide rage of research. Stonnington Island is home to the 1950’s-era British “Base E” and the historic “East Base” of the United States expedition of 1939-41. Rear Admiral Richard Byrd picked the site of the base himself, naming the island for the hometown of another famous explorer from the United States, Nathaniel Palmer."

 

I just found out that Hurtigruten is offering this expedition starting at $6,799.00, and it goes in January and February 2009. If Emperors can be seen in January and February without the use of a helicopter than why aren’t other expeditions going to Marguerite Bay, or are they? I had e-mailed Quark and others and told you could not see Emperors in February. The Ms Fram has 318 berths. Does anyone have more information? I am so disappointed I will be on another ship at the same time but won’t be going to this location to see the Emperor Penguins L

 

Was supposed to say the Ms fram has 318 berths.

[Tia Serena]

Hold on to your knickers, Jade...

I've been to Rothera station, but I've never seen Emperors there.

Didn't you see the movie?

The Emperors nest over the sea ice, not on land. When the sea ice breaks, the whole colony goes fishing! And they don't come back until the sea is frozen again.

This link has the life cycle of Emperor Penguins.

http://www.zeco.com/library/pengui_l.asp

This is marketing plot!!!!

The text says that you can't approach the colony, but that they will look for penguins nearby. I will bet that they will then say they had bad luck and couldn't see the birds.

Heck, they can't even guarantee that the ship will make it as far as the island, that they won't be blocked out by ice...

 

I have been doing Antarctic cruises for years, and I have only seen Emperor penguins 4 times. Once near a colony in a year where the fast ice was late breaking, like this year - but it was the first cruise of the season. The other times, we saw the penguins resting over ice floes - but that is VERY RARE!!!

 

Don't fall for this line!

Every year we have the same discussion with the marqueting people.

We (staff on board) say: please don't put Emperors (or Polar Bear or Jaguars) on the brochure, we almost never see them.

And they say: "why not? They are handsome birds, look nice in the cover, there is a slight chance that you might see one, and people buy the cruise!"

 

 

Sorry, I guess I got all fired up again...

I am having the exact same discussion now about jaguars and stops in the Amazon with another ship...

[BurBunny]

Was supposed to say the Ms fram has 318 berths.

 

Berths = beds. 1 berth = 1 person. 1 cabin, on the other hand, could mean multiple berths/people.

[Tia Serena]

Was supposed to say the Ms fram has 318 berths.

 

Yes, most cabins have 2 berths, but a few have 3 - a convertible sofa, for example. These are rarely used, but many ships have them.

The Bremen has a whole deck with convertible sofas, that raises her berth numbers far above the number of passengers she usually carries.

When you include the singles, and reserve a few cabins for staff, the ship will be probably sailing with around 300 passengers.

[Jade13]

Hold on to your knickers, Jade...

I've been to Rothera station, but I've never seen Emperors there.

Didn't you see the movie?

The Emperors nest over the sea ice, not on land. When the sea ice breaks, the whole colony goes fishing! And they don't come back until the sea is frozen again.

This link has the life cycle of Emperor Penguins.

http://www.zeco.com/library/pengui_l.asp

This is marketing plot!!!!

The text says that you can't approach the colony, but that they will look for penguins nearby. I will bet that they will then say they had bad luck and couldn't see the birds.

Heck, they can't even guarantee that the ship will make it as far as the island, that they won't be blocked out by ice...

 

I have been doing Antarctic cruises for years, and I have only seen Emperor penguins 4 times. Once near a colony in a year where the fast ice was late breaking, like this year - but it was the first cruise of the season. The other times, we saw the penguins resting over ice floes - but that is VERY RARE!!!

 

Don't fall for this line!

Every year we have the same discussion with the marqueting people.

We (staff on board) say: please don't put Emperors (or Polar Bear or Jaguars) on the brochure, we almost never see them.

And they say: "why not? They are handsome birds, look nice in the cover, there is a slight chance that you might see one, and people buy the cruise!"

 

Sorry, I guess I got all fired up again...

I am having the exact same discussion now about jaguars and stops in the Amazon with another ship...

 

Tia, thanks. Yes, I saw the movie. It was great. I thought something was off if others (including Quark) were not going there. In fact, the MS Fram is new, so they don't know if it can get that far, right?

 

I think that itinerary is scheduled for 2009. I would be interested to hear from others going on the Fram this winter on what the staff has to say about the trips scheduled to see the Emperors.

 

Also, I wanted to say that I am not knocking Hurtigruten (and the Ms Fram). I was in Norway in 1984, didn't get very far North and really want to go back at some point, so had the brochure sent. They also have itinerarys to The Arctic and Greenland that I would consider in the future.

[diebroke]

We were very fortunate to see two Emperors on December 7th just South of the Antarctic Circle. They were resting on ice & we watched them for almost an hour.

[Jade13]

We were very fortunate to see two Emperors on December 7th just South of the Antarctic Circle. They were resting on ice & we watched them for almost an hour.

 

What ship were you on?

[diebroke]

What ship were you on?

 

The National Geographic Endeavour

[Tia Serena]

Tia, thanks. Yes, I saw the movie. It was great. I thought something was off if others (including Quark) were not going there. In fact, the MS Fram is new, so they don't know if it can get that far, right?

 

It's not the ship per se, but the fact that ice and weather can be unpredictable. This year the ice is taking longer to break. Other year, it could be generally ice free, but an iceberg might be blocking the way. Or you can arrive there and the waves are such that you can't approach or land. This is why expedition ships don't promise ANY specific stop. If you look at the brochures of the expedition companies the text will read more or less like:

"day 3 to 6 - exploring the Antarctic continent and islands. We plan to stop at places like... blah, blah, blah."

 

There are alternatives, and we try to give passengers a great experience, but we can't guarantee we will stop at any specific place. For example, as far as I can tell, no ship, except for the Noornorge who took them, managed to get to Port Lockroy this season - and that's one of the most popular stops.

 

That's also why I have been thinking a lot about the fact that the Discovery "guarantees two antarctic landings". I can't see how a ship that size can guarantee such think. I can't think of any place that is accessible 100% of the time. If you talk with people with long experience in Antarctic, there are always stories. Peter Harris from Zegrahm always tells this story of a cruise, back in the 70s, when they sailed around South Georgia for 5 days and didn't manage to do a single landing!!! And that was only 80 passengers on the old Explorer, at a time when liabilities were lower and passengers that went in cruise ships much more adventurous. I had my cruise, the first cruise of the season in 1994, to the Ross Sea, when the ice was late cracking as it is this year. After a 6 days crossing and a bad storm, when we arrived in Antarctica all the sites were frozen over. We did a lot of Zodiac cruising around ice, and we did manage to see some Emperor penguin chicks on an ice floe and lots of whales, but we only managed to do two landings!!! Passengers didn't see any of the historical huts, which are the big attraction of the Ross Sea, nor did we manage to visit any of the research stations. It's rare, but it can happen to anyone.

 

I think that itinerary is scheduled for 2009. I would be interested to hear from others going on the Fram this winter on what the staff has to say about the trips scheduled to see the Emperors.

Yes I look forward to read a report from somebody that has been on that ship. She looks nice and comfortable, and to have cabins facing aft is unusual - it's a great spot to observe the seabirds that follow the ship. I don't know if she has reinforced hull.

 

Also, I wanted to say that I am not knocking Hurtigruten (and the Ms Fram). I was in Norway in 1984, didn't get very far North and really want to go back at some point, so had the brochure sent. They also have itineraries to The Arctic and Greenland that I would consider in the future.

 

I can't knock their work either. I've never worked with them, but passengers seem to be pleased with their cruises. My warning is: just don't believe what you see in brochures and doubt people who are trying to sell -they will tell you anything you want to hear to sell their trips. Can't blame them either, they are just doing their job, but I have to admit that sometimes THEIR job makes OUR job on board the ship a little more difficult, by promessing things we cannot always deliver.

[Jade13]

It's not the ship per se, but the fact that ice and weather can be unpredictable. This year the ice is taking longer to break. Other year, it could be generally ice free, but an iceberg might be blocking the way. Or you can arrive there and the waves are such that you can't approach or land. This is why expedition ships don't promise ANY specific stop. If you look at the brochures of the expedition companies the text will read more or less like:

"day 3 to 6 - exploring the Antarctic continent and islands. We plan to stop at places like... blah, blah, blah."

 

There are alternatives, and we try to give passengers a great experience, but we can't guarantee we will stop at any specific place. For example, as far as I can tell, no ship, except for the Noornorge who took them, managed to get to Port Lockroy this season - and that's one of the most popular stops.

 

That's also why I have been thinking a lot about the fact that the Discovery "guarantees two antarctic landings". I can't see how a ship that size can guarantee such think. I can't think of any place that is accessible 100% of the time. If you talk with people with long experience in Antarctic, there are always stories. Peter Harris from Zegrahm always tells this story of a cruise, back in the 70s, when they sailed around South Georgia for 5 days and didn't manage to do a single landing!!! And that was only 80 passengers on the old Explorer, at a time when liabilities were lower and passengers that went in cruise ships much more adventurous. I had my cruise, the first cruise of the season in 1994, to the Ross Sea, when the ice was late cracking as it is this year. After a 6 days crossing and a bad storm, when we arrived in Antarctica all the sites were frozen over. We did a lot of Zodiac cruising around ice, and we did manage to see some Emperor penguin chicks on an ice floe and lots of whales, but we only managed to do two landings!!! Passengers didn't see any of the historical huts, which are the big attraction of the Ross Sea, nor did we manage to visit any of the research stations. It's rare, but it can happen to anyone.

 

 

Yes I look forward to read a report from somebody that has been on that ship. She looks nice and comfortable, and to have cabins facing aft is unusual - it's a great spot to observe the seabirds that follow the ship. I don't know if she has reinforced hull.

 

 

 

I can't knock their work either. I've never worked with them, but passengers seem to be pleased with their cruises. My warning is: just don't believe what you see in brochures and doubt people who are trying to sell -they will tell you anything you want to hear to sell their trips. Can't blame them either, they are just doing their job, but I have to admit that sometimes THEIR job makes OUR job on board the ship a little more difficult, by promessing things we cannot always deliver.

 

I rushed and booked the Explorer II because A&K told me directly (and then the TA that I booked through) that there was only one of the least expensive cabins left (The next one up is an additional $1K per person). The fact that the cabins are still showing on their web site (they must of said this to quickly get me to book and it worked) will now make me question anything the A &K reps tell me. Of course I'm already booked through an outside TA, so I would just be calling with general questions. But it is a slight turn off. I guess I should find out if that's the case if I have an other cabin options. Right now I think we are the most forward. We like this spot on the larger HAL ships, but its a diff situation with a balcony where we can see directly forward.