Antarctica Flyover

[2cruisecats]

Has anyone done the Antarctica Flyover from Punta Arenas or have comments from shipmates who did this outing? We are on the Amsterdam Jan 5th sailing & hubby thinks this is a "once in a lifetime opportunity". ( I, however, plan to stay closer to the earth's surface!). He is debating booking this as has difficulty finding info/feedback on this excursion. Any comments?

[Cally]

We just got off the Amsterdam and we did not do this trip but others on the ship said it was incredible. Very clear day so they were able to see a lot. It really all depends on the weather.

[bobpatj]

We are also on the Jan. 5th sailing. Cally, tell us all about it!

[Cally]

The people we talked to that went on the flyover were very pleased. They take you on a 737 with a naturalist on board to talk about all that you see. I wish we would have gone as it would be a chance of a lifetime to experience this. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

[travelrevealed]

This is the best excrsion I can recommend. I was skeptical at first because there is little information and high cost. The Antartica flyover was suppose to leave at 7am, but because the weather was not looking good for where they wanted to fly, including the alternate route, we had to go back to the ship, and wait for the next weather forecast. At noon they decided that they would attempt the flyover and I am glad they did, the weather conditions were perfect and it was an unforgetable experience. There were 40 people on the Boeing 737, so just about everyone got a window seat; I know that had it been more full they recommend rotating seats and will not fill the seats more than 2 deep anyway. The plane flies very low, far lower than it is suppose to I think, but it makes for great sightseeing and picture taking! You can even see penguins and seals on iceburgs from the plane. The pilot flies a large circle so that everyone can see the same thing. Additionally the gourmet meal they serve on board is the best plane food I have ever had, good variety, and truly gourmet.

 

Let me know if you have other questions.

[Aussie Gal]

My sister is on the Amsterdam at the moment and she sent us an email only a few days ago.

 

Here is her description of her flight over Antartica.

 

"Yesterday we stopped in Punta Arenas in Chile & we took the flight over Antarctica. The flight took us back down the Beagle Channel, over the glaciers, Ushuaia & Cape Horn & then down to the "Big Continent". Visibility was good & the views were excellent but we experienced awful tubulence caused by gale force off shore winds. It was very scary & the pilot decided it was too dangerous & he turned for home after 40 minutes in the Antarctic. We were very relieved!!. The aircraft was a very new Lan Chile 737 that carries 120 passengers. There were only 50 passengers plus a guide & 2 ships personnel. We all had access to windows & we had business class food & beverages. The whole journey took 4 hours. "

Hope this is of interest to you.

Jennie

[NewCruiseFan]

I was on the same cruise with TravelRevealed and while I did not do the fly over I heard the same message from the folks I spoke with who did do it. They loved it. The pilot was former Air Force and treated the passengers to some acrobatic thrills with steep climbs and dives and very tight turns.

 

They got super close to the ice shelf, participated in a scientific study on the affects of jet fuel on glaciers, circled several of the scientific outposts and had an all around great time. There was a teen on board who stopped by to show me his nearly 300 photos (he didn't have to rotate out of his seat). His work was unreal, I would never have guessed that you could get such great shots from the plane, he assured me it was mostly because they were flying so close to the ground.

 

The folks who went indicated they really felt they'd gotten their money's worth. Given the opportunity I would still make the choice not to go as I'd like to save those pennies to visit Antarctica - this year I'm hoping!

[sunnysfla]

Is there a private company that offers this - we are on the Celebrity and I haven't seen an excursion like this. Any suggestions?