Lehava

There's a first time for everything! Just because it has always been one way doesnt mean something different cant be done. Maybe this is the beginning of the FT Adventure Do's

Fiumicino

The Drake passage seems to be rough, but not in the period I am suggesting (january). And that's last 1-2 days, so in the worst 4 days. Why are you just trying to be negative Post 3 you confronted me that USH is not even near of antarctica (even if that's the gateway of 95% of visitors to antarctica), post 9 and 12 you repeat yourself that we will be sea sick. Please be constructive and share your positive experience insted.

daysleeper

... not negative, just realistic, because I did this trip 3 years ago and clearly half of the passengers didn't expect the sea to be THAT rough and complained and moaned all day long about it.

One day I was crawling, not walking in my cabin.

SanDiego1K

daysleeper, I seem to remember that you have some amazing photos of your trip. Do you still have them on your website? If so, would you be willing to share the link?

daysleeper

http://www.pbase.com/ge4teilt

DavidHatt

Hello FTers,

Wow! This is a small world. I am signed up to depart the US on 12/27/06 for a 15 day trip of Antarctica! I found that a lot of the tours were already booked and it's only February. I am going with a friend. I'm not sure if it's against protocol to give the website or not, so sake of being safe, I won't.

Right now, I am searching AA.com and lan.com for inexpensive business class seats to Santiago (where we meet up with the passengers).

I guess I will be adding this forum to list of forums to read every day.

David

Fiumicino

Maybe you should have self-medicated then At most a nice patch of scopolamine would have done the trick

daysleeper

I wasn't crawling because I was sick - the sea was so rough and the boat shaking so badly that I couldn't walk. I was sitting on the floor to get dressed.

SanDiego1K

daysleeper, your pictures are awesome. Thank you.

What kind of clothes did you need to take? I'm a SoCal girl, so barely have warm enough clothes to take me thru a London weekend in winter. I've got some serious concerns as to what investment would be required to stay warm on an Antartica trip.

daysleeper

You need sturdy (not just waterproof) trousers and jacket, rubber boots (!) and lighter trekking boots, multiple pairs of gloves, hats and thick socks. Be prepared to get wet, I mean really wet.

Flyingmama

We went in January - and trust me, the crossing was rough. And I mean ROUGH! My daughter and I don't get seasick, but our cabin mates certainly did, poor things.

That's not negativity. That's simply pointing out a fact, and one ought to be prepared for it. Nothing lasts forever, though, and once across the Drake, the trip is well worth any discomfort.

Guava

Please put me down as a maybe. Make sure you cross post this in the Community Buzz forum.

Jaimito Cartero

Flying there isn't a cheap option, if I recall some posts. I'd like to go as well, but don't know if the money/time angle will work out. By the end of this year, this will be the only continent I haven't been to.

greatam

Not trying to put a damper on this trip but want everyone to know what's available. 12 days and $3-4000 will not get you to the continent directly nor anyplace close to the South Pole. That trip takes about 20 days and $14,000. Please do your research.

Depending on trip, may get you to LeMaire channel, Petermann island, South Georgia, etc. The Drake Passage can be VERY rough-I have been across it three times-twice on an Expedition ship and once on a cruise ship. Please investigate ALL possibilities before booking something like this. You are a LONG way from home. Make sure you book the VERY highest dollar evacuation insurance you can (not included in $3-4000 price). It is mostly required before booking and boarding on expedition ships AND it could easily cost you $100,000 to be evacuated from that region. You could easily get hurt loading into or out of the Zodiacs.

SanDiego1K

I'm already out. I don't even have the start of a wardrobe appropriate for such a trip, so will content myself by looking at daysleeper's wonderful pictures again.