We were the last sailing of the Stella Australis for 2020 from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas. We were lucky to have great weather. The ship's capacity is 200 passengers with 65 or so crew but we were fortunate to have less than 100 passengers. Embarkation was smooth, including a temperature check to be sure no one was sick, and we really liked our cabin on the 4th deck (it was worth paying a little ...
During a recent cruise on the Silver explorer of the Chilean fjords, a fellow guest was transferred to the local medical centre in the beautiful village of Tortel. As the local authorities were concerned that the guest was possibly infected with COVID19, all guests who were ashore were directed to return to the ship immediately. The ship was shortly thereafter granted permission to continue the ...
The whole experience from beginning to end was superb. We had been with Hurtigruten up the coast of Norway and so enjoyed it we wanted to do a longer cruise.
Antarctica was our choice.
We booked a suite and this did not disappoint. The advantages of the suite were many - breakfast in the a la carte restaurant, an invitation to eat in the a la carte restaurant in the evening, free mini bar ...
This was on my husband's bucket list, not mine. I was afraid of the Drake Passage and didn't really want to go. It turned out to be the best adventure of our lives! We started in Santiago, Chile with the pre-cruise wine tasting tour. This included a trip around Santiago the first day, three vineyards over the next two days, a lunch we cooked at one vineyard, and two gourmet dinners in ...
Antarctica has been my dream for years. I researched every type of tour operator before deciding on National Geographic Orion. It is a small luxury ship, where they have the ability to get everyone off the ship for multiple daily excursions. There were a dozen naturalists aboard who gave daily lectures on everything from photography to killer whales. Every detail was thought out and implemented to ...
Only few ships go into the Ross Sea. That's why I didn't mind the rather poor design of Ortelius (the lecture room practically guarantees seasickness, uncomfortable bar area, too small dining room etc.). The ship's crew responsible for operating the ship and the hotel staff all were professional, friendly and helpful. However, the actual expedition and expedition staff was quite disappointing. ...
Had been to the Antarctic before but wanted to go again as the experience is like none other. It is closest one can get to being on another planet. Once you head south into the Drake Passage - the world as you know it disappears . Replaced by the most amazing scenery (icebergs , glaciers , whales , penguins, seals ...)
Went with the Greg as the timing suited me as well as I wanted to ...
We just got back from the 2019 “Christmas in the Antarctic with Penguins” on Hurtigruten’s Midnatsol. This is a review meant mostly to give upcoming travelers some tips you may not get elsewhere, but I’ll start by saying it was absolutely fantastic. Great staff all around, very friendly and knowledgeable. Top ratings for food too, which I’d classify as a European menu with lots of variety. Very ...
Antarctica was on our bucket list for a long time. This was a beautiful and truly unspoiled nature. We loved Antarctica. The expedition was great but don’t book or plan to book the optional excursions unless you plan to be disappointed. When we made our initial booking we were told we could book the optional excursions until the sailing date. Called 2 weeks later to book and were told had ...
This seemed like the best value for the money, with a new, fast ship and luxury cabin accommodations. Everything else in the same category was at least 1-2k more expensive. So I was worried this was going to be bad, but truly loved the experience. The staff was top notch, every single member of the crew and guides so friendly and dedicated to making the ship feel like home. The food was a bit of a ...