Just booked the 17 night with three days in Falklands and three days on South Georgia Island. Has anyone taken this itinerary? I saw Paul's virtual cruise on this ship; anyone else experienced it? We looked at booking this itinerary when this ship was known as Society Expeditions World Discoverer in 2002 but never made it; glad to be finally going to Antarctica.
thanks,
Marc
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Marc
"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
F Scott Fitzgerald
Seven Seas Navigator (12nts) - San Francisco - Vancouver - May13
Silversea Silver Explorer (23nts) - Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Nome, Alaska - Aug 14
Am I ever jealous. Will you get an opportunity to actually set foot on Antarctica? If I recall correctly there's an international agreement as to how many tourists my leave a boat at a time.
I hope you are willing to keep and publish a journal so we can vicariously take part.
Yes, we get to step foot on Antarctica. Only 100 can go ashore at a time; thus a max of 200 for Antarctica expeditions. Prince Albert II only holds 132.
I am not a good writer but can point you to a number of Antarctica journals; none from Prince Albert II, though.
Marc
__________________
Marc
"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
F Scott Fitzgerald
Seven Seas Navigator (12nts) - San Francisco - Vancouver - May13
Silversea Silver Explorer (23nts) - Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Nome, Alaska - Aug 14
I think you will have a great cruise and I am looking forward to hearing about it.
Keep in mind Prince Albert is a small ship, so have your Bonine ready for Drake's Passage. But once you are in the polar region it should be smooth and beautiful sailing.
The Silversea staff will really take care of you. The dining staff is excellent and will prepare (almost) any food you want if you give them notice.
Be sure and take all water-proof clothing - all your excursions will be in Zodiacs, and it is possible to get wet if they are traveling fast.
I can't wait to hear more about it.
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I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
Paul, thanks for the information. Reading your virtual cruise from the Prince Albert II is partially the reason that I am taking this cruise; that was a great cruise report.
Eric, I look forward to your report, too, if you ever sail on the Prince Albert II.
Marc
__________________
Marc
"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
F Scott Fitzgerald
Seven Seas Navigator (12nts) - San Francisco - Vancouver - May13
Silversea Silver Explorer (23nts) - Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Nome, Alaska - Aug 14
I did this itinerary with Lindblad/National Geographic. I suspect the PA II will be more on the luxury side for food & wine, but Lindblad's expedition staff were magnificent.
I do not know the ice ratings on the various ships but I would be inclined to pick one with the highest rating, not for safety but because they might be able to go places where ships with lower ice ratings cannot go.
I was on PA II and while not the highest ice rating, it is an ice-breaking ship. We broke ice sheets fronting glaciers in Svalbard (80 degrees north) and were flying through a broken ice field one day with growlers bouncing off our hull at surprising speed.
She is a tough little ship that was built for ice cruising.
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
Just booked the 17 night with three days in Falklands and three days on South Georgia Island. Has anyone taken this itinerary? I saw Paul's virtual cruise on this ship; anyone else experienced it? We looked at booking this itinerary when this ship was known as Society Expeditions World Discoverer in 2002 but never made it; glad to be finally going to Antarctica.
thanks,
Marc
Where does this cruise leave from ? We have friends who were in Antartica in 2009 .
I am pretty sure all Antarctica cruises leave from Ushuia, Chile (sorry if I mucked up the spelling).
They then spend two days creossing through the Starits of Magellan known for high seas.
Those who can afford it fly to Elephant Island and pick up the ship after the potentially rough spot, but they don't have an international airport and I have not heard of any ship basing out of there.
Some go to Antarctica from the east coast. I guess, such as from Buenos Aires and maybe hit the Falklands first.
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
As we go to Falklands and South Georgia Island, we have to cross the Drake Passage only once.
BTW, Ushuaia is in Argentina.
We are very much looking forward to our cruise. As we our cruising from Australia this month, next January we will finally have visited all seven continents.
__________________
Marc
"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
F Scott Fitzgerald
Seven Seas Navigator (12nts) - San Francisco - Vancouver - May13
Silversea Silver Explorer (23nts) - Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Nome, Alaska - Aug 14
I know this will be a great cruise! BTW, I know and have cruised with Marc and his wife several times, and have been on safari to Africa with them and other cruise friends, though we live many miles apart! My cruise to Antarctica was not on this ship, unfortunately. PAII was not under Silversea's umbrella at the time, and I was on the Explorer II (now Minerva) chartered at the time by Regent for several weeks each year. However, I have cruised 24 nights with Silversea on other ships, and know people who have been on her (on the itinerary cruised by Paul) and have every confidence she will not disappoint!
The best thing about these longer itineraries to Antarctica is that including South Georgia allows one to observe and walk among the King Penguins, the very largest penguins other than the Emperors I believe. Seeing those Kings was truly the highlight of my cruise. I also enjoyed the Falklands, as it was a good chance to do some "land excursions" rather than just by Zodiac, and of course, you go all that way, so may as well do as many stops as possible. The low point was getting there, as it was quite rough getting to the Falklands, and coming back to Ushuaia, we did NOT have the ever wished for "Drake Lake". But I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Just booked the 17 night with three days in Falklands and three days on South Georgia Island. Has anyone taken this itinerary? I saw Paul's virtual cruise on this ship; anyone else experienced it? We looked at booking this itinerary when this ship was known as Society Expeditions World Discoverer in 2002 but never made it; glad to be finally going to Antarctica.
The link works abd thise are really great pictures.
I hate to say our trip on Prince Albert to Svalbard was just not exciting.. The ship is great but we had very few wildlife sightings.
Of course we were on more of an repositining itinerary TO Svalbard with only two solid days there. We hit a lot of Scotland & Norway first. All we saw were seabirds.
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
My friends have been on that cruiseline to Antarctica and said it was the best experience of theeir lives, completely unforgetable. Who did you book with? They said they booked through [deleted for commercial reference] and were impressed with their service.
To be clear - we went directly through the cruise line. I do recommend that people take this cruise by flying to Spitbergen. Our cruise was actually the cruise that takes the ship TO the Svaalbard Archipelago. We spent a lot of time crossing the North Sea.
I am sure the experience in Svaalbard itself is very good, however.
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
My friends have been on that cruiseline to Antarctica and said it was the best experience of theeir lives, completely unforgetable. Who did you book with? They said they booked through [deleted for commercial reference] and were impressed with their service.
Jenand, we can't post TA's names; however, I am going with a group of friends along with our TA. I think there should be around 15 of us.
__________________
Marc
"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
F Scott Fitzgerald
Seven Seas Navigator (12nts) - San Francisco - Vancouver - May13
Silversea Silver Explorer (23nts) - Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Nome, Alaska - Aug 14
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Prince Albert II to Antarctica
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