Originally Posted by
ademanuele
We are interested in Antarctica, the Falklands and South Georgia in December 2022.
South Georgia is the wildlife highlight of that trip. I'm glad to hear that it's on your list if you'll be in the area.
Originally Posted by
ademanuele
We like hiking and wildlife but not interesting in kayaking, snorkelling or diving. We are looking to travel comfortably and in a relatively small ship, and Silversea seem to tick all the boxes, any thoughts, recommendations or alternative suggestions?
Small is good. I recommend a ship with no more than 200 passengers (some lines cap their ships at this, even if they can carry more). With a 100 person onshore limit in most places and 4 landing slots each day, a 200 person ship typically lets everyone get their feet on land twice a day for 60-90 minutes at a time (weather permitting).
A 100 person ship generally has few, if any, time limits on how long you can stay ashore. Well, until the ship wants to leave. If you want to return to the ship earlier, you can do so as well - the zodiacs tend to run continuously from the ship to the shore and back.
If by comfortable, you mean luxury, then I would suggest you also look at Hapag (German) and Ponant (French). The crews will speak English, but confirm that lectures will also be held in English if you go with one of them. The wildlife and historical lectures are a big part of the overall Antarctica experience.
If comfortable means comfortable, then you might also want to take a look at Quark and Hurtigruten (Fram only - their other ships carry more than 200 passengers). Double-check Hurtigruten for their lecture language also.
Originally Posted by
ademanuele
Is a balcony much use on an Antarctica cruise.
At sea, very weather dependent. In rough seas / strong winds you'll be asked not to use them. The temperature will probably be slightly above freezing throughout the trip, and when there's wind and spray, it will feel even colder. I think most people tend to watch from indoors, but go outside when there's a wildlife sighting. Big animal sightings are often announced during the day, smaller ones are not.
When the ship is at a landing spot, you won't have much time to use a balcony. When you're not onshore, you'll probably be taking a zodiac cruise to see wildlife around the shore. Between those activities, dressing up/down for them, and meals, there's not that much spare time.
Originally Posted by
ademanuele
any preference between port or starboard suites on an Antarctica cruise?
If you're going to South Georgia before Antarctica, I would pick starboard because most of the common landing spots are on the eastern side of the island. No guarantees, but I think it's more likely than not the ship will approach from the north in this routing. To me though, whether or not you get the "good" side, it will pale in comparison to what you see on land and from the zodiacs. Even when the ship is conducting landings, it's not that close to land. You can see great landscapes, but penguins will be tiny dots in binoculars, if visible at all.
With that said, I'd pick a cabin in the middle of the ship as opposed to the front or back because it feels more stable in rough seas. Ideally not directly opposite an elevator bank or staircase for noise reasons.