Antarctica Trip Report - March 2006
Nov 12, 2007, 1:19 am
#47
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What a great trip report! My goal is to get to Antarctica before I start grad school (3-4 years). Since I'm starting a job with lots of travel, I intend on saving points to help defray some of the cost of airfare and lodging. Thank you once again for such a great resource! I will be sure to come back when I'm shopping for gear.
Nov 13, 2007, 11:54 am
#49
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Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: New York, NY, USA
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Originally Posted by birdstrike
Which forum is a good question. Perhaps we should petition TalkBoard to make this simply the "Polar Forum".
Which forum is a good question. Perhaps we should petition TalkBoard to make this simply the "Polar Forum".
/me already suggested that two years ago or so, to no avail. Maybe you have more luck.
Should I just go ahead and start documenting it here? It's been so much planning already! Scandinavia just seems like the wrong forum. Birdstrike - I booked my trip too - I am going with Quark in/out of Longyearbyen - I considered your national geo trip too. Looks amazing, but $$$!
Nov 13, 2007, 1:09 pm
#50
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Well that's too bad Should I just go ahead and start documenting it here? It's been so much planning already! Scandinavia just seems like the wrong forum. Birdstrike - I booked my trip too - I am going with Quark in/out of Longyearbyen - I considered your national geo trip too. Looks amazing, but $$$!
Should I just go ahead and start documenting it here? It's been so much planning already! Scandinavia just seems like the wrong forum. Birdstrike - I booked my trip too - I am going with Quark in/out of Longyearbyen - I considered your national geo trip too. Looks amazing, but $$$!
Jun 9, 2008, 9:03 pm
#51
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Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: New York, NY, USA
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Getting ready to leave for the Arctic
This is officially funny (and excellent) - I have been coming back to my own trip report for help! I am leaving on my trip to the Arctic Circle in a month, and I am most excited.
As I expected when I last posted, I did book with Quark. I'm pretty excited about it, but sweating the costs a little more this time because of the horrible exchange rate in Norway. Last time, I spend time after touring Argentina, which was cost effective. This time (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)....not so much.
Also, little things - for example, I can't remember how much I tipped on the Antarctic trip (I know I just charged the recommended amount to my credit card - have to see if I can at least find the statement).
So, needless to say, I'll be back with another trip report. I think I would like to do a point/counterpoint to Antarctica, and Quark vs. Peregrine. Anything else I should pay special attention too?
This is officially funny (and excellent) - I have been coming back to my own trip report for help! I am leaving on my trip to the Arctic Circle in a month, and I am most excited.
As I expected when I last posted, I did book with Quark. I'm pretty excited about it, but sweating the costs a little more this time because of the horrible exchange rate in Norway. Last time, I spend time after touring Argentina, which was cost effective. This time (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)....not so much.
Also, little things - for example, I can't remember how much I tipped on the Antarctic trip (I know I just charged the recommended amount to my credit card - have to see if I can at least find the statement).
So, needless to say, I'll be back with another trip report. I think I would like to do a point/counterpoint to Antarctica, and Quark vs. Peregrine. Anything else I should pay special attention too?
Jun 9, 2008, 9:22 pm
#52
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As I expected when I last posted, I did book with Quark. I'm pretty excited about it, but sweating the costs a little more this time because of the horrible exchange rate in Norway. Last time, I spend time after touring Argentina, which was cost effective. This time (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)....not so much.
Expect a Big Mac (for example) to be $20 USD.
Of course there is always Lutefisk. Good, sturdy expedition fare.
Edit to say the pack ice is melting at another record clip. You should have quite a trip! ^
DO bring at least some warm weather clothes.
I'll try to complete my trip report by next weekend.
Last edited by birdstrike; Jun 9, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Jun 15, 2008, 1:36 am
#53
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Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: New York, NY, USA
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birdstrike - I am anxiously awaiting your trip report. Make sure you let me know what forum you post it in!
ETA - I found you, and I'm thrilled to see something about the equator too. I just booked a trip to the Galapagos in March. Can't wait to catch up on your adventures.
ETA - I found you, and I'm thrilled to see something about the equator too. I just booked a trip to the Galapagos in March. Can't wait to catch up on your adventures.
Aug 13, 2008, 1:37 pm
#55
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Well, I am back from the Arctic! I will have lots more to post, but a couple of quick thoughts:
- Quark has done a seamless job of taking over from Peregrine - excellent, excellent service
- We were able to do a circumnaviation of Svalbard - first of the season
- The Vaviliov is a slightly better a ship than the Ioffe due to the observation bar
- I totally broke my camera on the trip and should have brought my old one as a backup. What a bummer that was!
- The wildlife is way more "where's waldo" in the Arctic than the Antarctic.
- Polar bears can keep you from landing for days!
- To answer the question I posed in my last post, Quark recommended tipping $9-10 a day, so I tipped $100 for the 10 day trip
- They used US dollars on the ship, so things were less expensive than I had feared on the boat. Off the boat was a different story.
Jan 24, 2012, 12:13 pm
#56
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Bumping this up as I am going back to Antarctica next week! This time with One Ocean Expeditions, but again on the Ioffe. This time I will get to visit the Falkland Islands and South Georgia as well as Antarctica. I am also doing an add on of Easter Island after. I couldn't be more excited!
This time I have learned from my Arctic experience (see above) and am bringing multiple cameras, just in case
This time I have learned from my Arctic experience (see above) and am bringing multiple cameras, just in case
Jan 24, 2012, 8:00 pm
#57
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South Georgia is amazing. Be sure to toss a toast on my behalf when you visit the resting place of "The Boss", one of the most amazing leaders the world has seen. Be prepared for more dampness and rain that on the Continent itself.
Sep 18, 2012, 8:12 am
#59
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Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands 2012
I have received a couple PMs asking me about my trip this year with One Ocean, so I thought I would write a little about it. This was my 2nd trip to Antarctica, but my first trip to South Georgia and the Falklands. I previously traveled to Antarctica with Peregrine in 2006.
On this trip I was on the Akademik Ioffe again, the same ship I was on in 2006. I booked a double and had a roommate, a very nice woman from Canada. I am in my mid 30s, a single female, and was one of the youngest people on the ship.
The biggest difference between my 2006 and 2012 trips were (1) we had a sick passenger on the 2012 boat which required us to RETURN to Ush on the 2nd day. This impacted the itinerary which was very upsetting to many passengers. (2) The weather was poor on this trip, which prevented us from making some landings. I think you have to, have to understand that the itinerary is not written in stone, but a directional guide. The captain and expedition leader made the best of the conditions possible, and I thought we had a great experience. However, there were many passengers on my boat that were very upset we didn't follow the itinerary to the letter, and specifically, many British passengers that were upset we missed Stanley, as that was important to them due to family members who had fought in the war. We did stop elsewhere in the Falklands however.
Most everything I have written in my prior report from 2006 holds true - the Russian crew was the same, the crew had a lot of Aussies/Canadians, the food was the same (decent), the bar had been renovated slightly, the "entertainment" such as lectures and films was about the same - although less controversial - they stayed away from political topics this time. We did not have the opportunity to go camping on this itinerary, but they did still offer kayaking.
There were only a couple of sites that were repeated for me on the 2 trips - specifically, Deception Island and Hannah Point. Deception Island was neat as it was snowing this time and when I had been there previously it was 40 degrees F!
In the Falklands we actually got to visit a couple of people's homes and they made these amazing spreads of cakes and tea for us. It was lovely. I would have liked to have seen Stanley, but it wasn't meant to be on this trip.
South Georgia was obviously the key difference for me from 2006, and it was amazing to see all the wildlife - it is an extraordinary place I feel lucky to have visited.
That being said, I really think my trip in 2006 was the special, magical trip for me. Whether that was because of the friends I made, the fact it was my first time there, or that the weather was so good, I couldn't say. I would recommend that if you only have the time and the money for the shorter trip, to do it! If you can afford South Georgia too, you won't regret it - I really don't think you can go wrong in planning a trip to this part of the world.
Are there any specific questions I can answer?
On this trip I was on the Akademik Ioffe again, the same ship I was on in 2006. I booked a double and had a roommate, a very nice woman from Canada. I am in my mid 30s, a single female, and was one of the youngest people on the ship.
The biggest difference between my 2006 and 2012 trips were (1) we had a sick passenger on the 2012 boat which required us to RETURN to Ush on the 2nd day. This impacted the itinerary which was very upsetting to many passengers. (2) The weather was poor on this trip, which prevented us from making some landings. I think you have to, have to understand that the itinerary is not written in stone, but a directional guide. The captain and expedition leader made the best of the conditions possible, and I thought we had a great experience. However, there were many passengers on my boat that were very upset we didn't follow the itinerary to the letter, and specifically, many British passengers that were upset we missed Stanley, as that was important to them due to family members who had fought in the war. We did stop elsewhere in the Falklands however.
Most everything I have written in my prior report from 2006 holds true - the Russian crew was the same, the crew had a lot of Aussies/Canadians, the food was the same (decent), the bar had been renovated slightly, the "entertainment" such as lectures and films was about the same - although less controversial - they stayed away from political topics this time. We did not have the opportunity to go camping on this itinerary, but they did still offer kayaking.
There were only a couple of sites that were repeated for me on the 2 trips - specifically, Deception Island and Hannah Point. Deception Island was neat as it was snowing this time and when I had been there previously it was 40 degrees F!
In the Falklands we actually got to visit a couple of people's homes and they made these amazing spreads of cakes and tea for us. It was lovely. I would have liked to have seen Stanley, but it wasn't meant to be on this trip.
South Georgia was obviously the key difference for me from 2006, and it was amazing to see all the wildlife - it is an extraordinary place I feel lucky to have visited.
That being said, I really think my trip in 2006 was the special, magical trip for me. Whether that was because of the friends I made, the fact it was my first time there, or that the weather was so good, I couldn't say. I would recommend that if you only have the time and the money for the shorter trip, to do it! If you can afford South Georgia too, you won't regret it - I really don't think you can go wrong in planning a trip to this part of the world.
Are there any specific questions I can answer?
Last edited by Endor; Sep 18, 2012 at 2:07 pm
