Hello:

We are thinking of taking a trip to Antarctica, but shared facilities seem to be much more reasonably priced for us...specifically on a boat like the Multanovsky...

Is this a mistake? I don't think I would mind sharing a bathroom with other people..but...is there anything we should know about that??

Thanks so much!

I travelled on the Akademik Ioffe in 2004 and will be travelling on the Sergei Vavilov (it's twin ship) shortly. Whilst we upgraded to a cabin with private bathroom, lots of the friends we made on that trip were in the basic rooms with shared facilities. They seemed pretty happy with them. There were occasional rushes but it didn't seem to be a constant problem. I don't know how the Multanovsky compares in terms of number of cabins/ passengers sharing facilities and how many toilets/ showers are provided in total but you might be able to find out/ compare.

I've never even thought about a trip to Antarctica before this past month. But, after this honeymoon trip it will be the only continent I will not have traveled. Where are you finding information about these COLD trips?

Here's the best report on Fodors:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...29&start=0

Other than that, you should be able to Google for specialist operators in your country.

Personally, I'd recommend ships that carry no more than 100 passengers (as that's the max number that are permitted to land in one go so means longer shore excursions).

My preference is also for a cruise where onboard activities are educational rather than any entertainment, casinos, shows etc. But that's just my tastes.

We were on the sister ship Molchanov (that's my report Kavey posted the link to). Personally, we did not consider shared facilities for this particular voyage (at the time, I just couldn't see sharing facilities on a voyage with a high risk of getting seasick). That said, I heard no complaints from those who were in those cabins. Within a day or two they seemed to settle into a routine/schedule that worked for everyone. If you haven't seen a deck plan, here's a link to one = http://www.5stars-of-scandinavia.com..._molchanov.htm.

Thanks everyone for the replies!
We actually ended up booking the last cabin left on the Orlova run by Quark Expeditions. It's the only one left in January that goes t S. GA & Faulkland Islands. The good thing is the cabin is private.

We were concerned that we were going to be stuck w/ shared on some other boats - so wanted to ask.

But now it's private! I was worried about sharing it during the "Drakes Passage" bit.

Thanks again!

Have a terrific time -- this voyage is very special. We considered the Orlova when we were making our decision. The deciding factor was the itinerary and at that time the Orlova was on the Peninsula-only itinerary.

If you have any interest in seeing photos from our January 2007 voyage on Molchanov, feel free to visit http://eenusa.smugmug.com/Antarctica.

Come back and share your experience and photos with those of us who are now reliving vicariously through others making the trip