crellston

Fantastic report tripplannner, you are now in uncharted territory for me. It has long been a ambition to travel the entire length of the Panamerican Highway, the last s3ction that remains is that fro Bariloche to Ushuaia. Can’t wait to here about your time in Antarctica and The Falkland Islands etc. When you get back. Have a great time!

tripplanner001

Thursdaysd, thank you. We are very lucky to be able to do all the things we enjoy, especially considering that one of us is in our 60s and the other 70s.

Crellston, thank you. Definitely try to get down to this part of South America when you can. We've been to other parts, and Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego definitely feel like different continents from the rest.

Only a couple of hours to go before we head to port...

tripplanner001

Embarkation Day

Who knew? So far I have full Internet coverage in open waters, and stronger than in some places on land from which we came. Technology these days - I suppose it's a good and a bad thing. I will try to keep up with my report as long as I have access.

Yesterday was embarkation day. After a lazy morning at our hotel, we took a taxi to port, which is located in downtown Ushuaia. We arrived very early - 1:00pm - as we could not contain our excitement of our upcoming voyage and we didn't know what to expect. Shortly before 3:00pm, check-in opened and we were allowed on board.

The check-in process was smooth and quick. We presented ourselves and our documents, were issued identification cards that doubled as room keys and payments made for purchase on board, and directed to the ship's onboard physician. We handed our medical declaration forms to her, she signed off on us, and we were on our way to our room to freshen up. Immediately entering our room, we noticed its size - it was larger than we anticipated. With two lower berths, two upper berths, bathroom with shower, a desk area, television, and plenty of closet and cabinet space - enough for the four of us. The room was ergonomic and comfortable.

We then proceeded to tour our ship, MS Fram, owned and operated by Hurtigruten of Norway. The ship is an expedition vessel, small by cruise ship standards but one of the larger expedition vessels operated in these waters. Unlike other destinations, small is better in Antarctica as only 100 people at a time are allowed on shore and larger ships are not able to make landings. We chose MS Fram based upon the itinerary, the time, and the price. Our voyage is over 18 days and travels from Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula by way of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Titled "White Christmas in Antarctica" the voyage runs over the Christmas and New Years holidays, meaning we will be on board during this time.

As I mentioned earlier, we've only been on a cruise once - to Alaska in 2005 aboard Holland America's MS Zaandam. Immediately we noticed the smart layout of the ship and the modest but elegant design. There are photographs and artwork on the Arctic and Antarctica throughout the ship. There are no the amenities and the resort-type activities found on the larger vessels. Instead there are lectures about the places we will be visiting and possibly some song and dance as we get close to the holidays.

At 6:00 we were given our safety demonstration and out to deck we proceeded. We enjoyed watching the ship sail out of Ushuaia and our the Beagle Channel. Time passes quickly. Before we knew it, it was already close to 8:00 and time for dinner. The first night was served buffet style and had something for everyone. There was a welcome reception that followed, in which we were introduced to the crew on board, expedition leaders, and service staff. By 11:00 it was time to head back to our room and turn in for the night.


At Sea

Day two on board is a sea day. We are heading towards the Falkland Islands as I write, with a scheduled arrival of 8:00am tomorrow. We awoke early this morning, perhaps because we are still adjusting to the reality of the slower pace of cruising. I spent a couple hours organizing photos taken from the past couple of weeks before enjoying a buffet breakfast with enough variety to satisfy all tastes. We then picked up our expedition jackets and are now awaiting the first briefing on our voyage.

Thanks for coming on board with us.

yestravel

Hi Tripplaner! What a delightful surprise to stumble on your great TR. I have so enjoyed reading it and remembering our time in many of the same places. As with all your reports I marvel at how much you see and do. And now even more amazed hearing 2 of your companions are in their 60’s and 70’s.

I am surprised you didn’t trek perito Moreno. It seemed like an activity right up your alley. Did you consider it and decide to skip?

I look forward to following along.

avrooster

Great!

I was away for a couple of days and today got to read more than one of your reports with my morning coffee. Wonderful!

None of my business, but I understand there are only TWO of you, one sixty something and the other seventy something. Right?

Keep up the great work, as long as Internet availability permits!

tripplanner001

Yestravel, great to have you along. Yes, we wanted to hike Perito Moreno, but there is an upper age limit of 60 so 2 of us couldn't participate. We're not bummed though as we expect to do some glacier and ice walking on Antarctica.

AVRooster, please ask away. There are 4 of us: 60s, 70s, and 2 in our 30s.


At Sea, Part Two

The most important agenda item of our day is to attend briefings - to prepare us for the expedition that is about to unfold. We received information about our itinerary, the destinations we anticipate visiting, and potential deviations due to weather. We also received detailed information on the Falkland Islands, our first port of call. Instructions on how to get in and out of the tender boats - very important as it will be the only means of getting from ship to shore except on one occasion - were provided. The briefings were well organized and the staff made it engaging for us.

The evening consisted of a five-course American-themed dinner followed by a documentary showing about the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina.


The Falkland Islands

Land ahoy early in the morning of day three. The next two days were devoted to the Falkland Islands. Situated off the east coast of South America, the Falkland Islands is a British overseas territory made up of two main islands - West Falkland and East Falkland - and about 700 smaller islands and outcrops.

We called at West Point Island and Carcass Island, two small islands northwest of West Falkland, on day three. We docked off the coast of West Point at about 8:00am. The expedition guides were the first off the ship - to check on weather conditions, etc. By 8:45am, the first tender boats with guests were cleared to depart. Guests are organized by groups and are called in succession, rotating group order with each landing. The process is very smooth and well executed.

Anyway, enough about the process. Upon arrival on West Point Island, we had the option of hiking to the albatross and penguin colony or riding there via jeep. We, of course, would never pass on a good hike. We were not prepared for what we were about to experience at the colony. Before us were thousands of black-crested albatrosses and rockhopper penguins living happily side by side. The albatrosses are large and very majestic birds. Their wingspans are incredible. To see them on the ground is something we would never forget but to see them in the air...there are no words. Some of the beautiful birds were nesting while others were doing what albatrosses do - mate, play around, spread their wings, take off, land. Among the albatrosses are the rockhopper penguins, distinguished by its yellow feathers behind its eyes. What was most amazing was how close we were to them; we could have reached out and touch them, although any interaction of the sort is strictly prohibited and for good reason. We were even closer to the animals than when we went on our one and only African safari a couple of years ago. We spent close to an hour at the colony. A perfect warm and sunny morning gave way to wind, rain, and sleet and back to sunny and warm, but none of it detracted from our visit. We all knew what type of conditions we were signing up for.

Following the visit to the colony it was back to the ship for lunch before arriving at our next destination - Carcass Island, east of West Point. Carcass is a larger island and home to a couple of species of geese, cara cara birds, and its star: Magellanic penguins. To get to the penguins was a 6 kilometer hike to Leopard Beach. The hike was very easy but long for some. We reached the beach in under an hour and were greeted with about 200 Magellanic penguins playing on the beach. The setting reminded me very much of Boulders Beach outside of Cape Town, although there were none of the man made boardwalks and such. We love, love, love penguins and could have easily spent all day just watching them do their thing. We spent about an hour at the colony, although we never felt rushed to leave. Upon returning towards the tender jetty, we were treated to a delicious spread of cookies and cakes to go with tea and coffee. What a perfect day! I had not anticipated any of these experiences at the Falklands, but it definitely left a lasting impression on us. The bar has been raised for Antarctica.

We called at Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands, on day four. We booked on a morning excursion, at additional cost, to Bluff Cove, where we viewed gentoo and king penguins. Getting to Bluff Cove consisted of a minibus ride from the dock and a transfer to a 4x4 jeep. There were hundreds of gentoo penguins at the colony near the shore along with 17 king penguins. I don't know what it is about penguins, but we cannot tire of them. And to make it even more special, about one-third of the gentoos had baby chicks with them. Following our visit to the colony was a stop at the nearby cafe for tea and cakes and a visit to the gift shop. The excursion took about three hours, which left us about 4 hours to explore the town of Stanley.

We were dropped off at the Historic Dockyard Museum for a self-guided tour of the exhibits featuring the origins and development of the Falkland Islands as well as the recent military conflict. After about an hour at the museum, we walked around town. We walked past Government House, visited Christ Church Cathedral with its famous whalebone arch next door, and did some souvenir shopping. At Christ Church Cathedral is a display of Christmas trees decorated by individuals and organizations on the island; very touching. After a pint at a nearby pub, it was time to get back on the ship.

We will spend the next two days at sea as we sail to South Georgia with eager anticipation. The voyage has been mind-blowing so far.

xcountry

“... we wanted to hike Perito Moreno, but there is an upper age limit of 60 so 2 of us couldn't participate.”

That’s awful. Can we not sue someone?

I’ve read elsewhere that the age limit is 65. I hope so. That would give me a fighting chance by the time I finally get there.

Great report.

yestravel

When we were there a couple tours had different restrictions.

yestravel

different AGE restrictions

tripplanner001

Xcountry, my apologies for the typo, and Yestravel, you are correct. There are two options of hiking on Perito Moreno Glacier on offer: a minitrek of the glacier, with an upper age limit of 65, and a longer "big ice" trek that comes with an upper age limit of 50.

xcountry

Thanks Tripplanner - no apology required.

50? Geez I don’t think I can fool them. It seems they’ve put older people on ice.

yestravel

tripplanner001

Two words. South Georgia.

Leaving the Falkland Islands we spent two days at sea travelling across the South Atlantic and Southern Oceans. We immediately noticed a difference entering the Southern Ocean as warm waters turned to cold and sunny blue skies turned to wind and fog. We awoke to day seven of our Antarctica-bound voyage aboard the Fram sailing along the northern coastline of South Georgia.

South Georgia is a territory under British sovereignty far away from any major landmass. South America lies nearly 2,000 kilometers to the west and Africa is even farther to the east. Most Antarctica itineraries leave South America straight for the White Continent via the Drake Passage; few include a visit to South Georgia. Photographs of large colonies of king penguins are what motivated me about South Georgia and advice from other travelers encouraged me further. Before traveling to South Georgia, I knew almost nothing about the island save for the Shackleton stories. After all, it’s a faraway place with almost no population to speak about.

On this trip, we were lucky to have enjoyed nearly 3 full days on the island. South Georgia is far more than king penguins and Shackleton. It’s gentoo penguins and macaroni and chinstrap. It’s fur seals and elephant seals. It’s albatrosses, petrels, and other seabirds. It’s majestic mountains oozing with glaciers. It’s gorgeous lakes and valleys. During our 3 days here, we were simply blown away by all that this small island in the middle of nowhere offers.

We called at a total of 6 locations on South Georgia – two on each day. Our first port of call was Fortuna Bay, located on the north coast of the island. Fortuna Bay is home to tens of thousands of king penguins and healthy populations of fur and elephant seals. Arriving onshore by tender boat, we were immediately greeted by both species of seals. The giant elephant seals were mostly minding their own business and our presence didn’t affect their behavior. Fur seals on the other hand are aggressive – and they bite. We were warned to stay a certain distance apart from them – at least 5 meters, sometimes as many as 15. In addition to adults, fur seal pups littered the path along the beach set up for us by the expedition crew onboard our ship. Boy, are they cute. As we walked further, we were greeted by more and more king penguins. We soon came upon the colony, where it was king penguins as far as the eye could see. Words could not express the incredible shock and awe we felt when upon them for the first time. It was truly amazing.

A very rewarding morning with the wildlife soon gave way to some active hiking, in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton, who infamously returned to South Georgia after a failed attempt to traverse the Antarctic continent in order to save his crew. Accompanied by several expedition crew members (shore excursions are referred as expeditions aboard the Fram, and expeditions are included in the price of the trip), we started our afternoon hike from Fortuna Bay bound for the old Norwegian whaling station of Stromness. Approximately 77 or one-third of the ship’s guests joined the hike. Most of the trek was relatively easy save for the scramble on loose gravel downhill in the rain. The optional excursion, at additional cost, was worth it though. We appreciated the opportunity to walk in history and see a bit of the island that we could not have seen via the vessel. Highlights of the three-hour walk included several lakes, a waterfall, a river valley, and a panorama of mountains. The Shackleton hike ended at the former whaling station of Stromness. Several buildings from the early- to mid-20th century remain, although in a state of severe disrepair. The site has not been restored and remains contaminated. We rejoined our ship in Stromness for our continued journey along the northern South Georgia coast.

We called at Grytviken, another former Norwegian whaling station, on our second morning in South Georgia. After a brief visit to the cemetery where Shackleton is buried, we joined on another optional excursion – a 3-hour hike to Maiviken. The hike featured snowcapped mountains, lakes, and beautiful vistas of the coast. Following the hike, we enjoyed some time in the old whaling village, visiting the excellent museum on site and walking among some of the old buildings.

In the afternoon of the second day we set sail for St. Andrews Bay, home to more than half a million king penguins along with elephant and fur seals. Unlike Fortuna Bay, Stromness, and Grytviken, the ability to land at St. Andrews Bay is more luck of the draw as it directly fronts the Southern Ocean and therefore more susceptible to changing weather conditions. Luck was on our side today as we sailed into St. Andrews Bay to sun, no wind, and near 60 degrees. Words cannot express what we saw at St. Andrews Bay. The site is overwhelming.

Our third and final day on South Georgia took us to nearby Cooper Bay and Drygalski Fjord. Cooper Bay is home to colonies of macaroni and chinstrap penguins. Unfortunately, due to the heavy swells, we were unable to get closer to shore on tender boats and had to instead settle for a cruise past the colonies from a distance on our ship. On the other hand, the weather at Drygalski Fjord was more than perfect. The additional time gained from Cooper Bay gave us the opportunity to cruise in Larsen Harbor via tender boats. The tender boat cruise was followed by scenic cruising of Drygalski Fjord itself aboard our ship. The cruises put us this/close to mountains that are 10,000-plus feet tall, punctuated by glacier after glacier, waterfalls, and seals, birds, and other wildlife. We’ve been to Alaska. We’ve seen the snows of the French and Swiss Alps. But nothing compares to the wonderland of snow and ice that is Drygalski Fjord and Larsen Harbor.

A key reason why the scenic cruising of the fjord was as spectacular as it is has to do with the size of the Fram. It’s an expedition ship, not a mega cruise ship. While important for Antarctica and even South Georgia given limitations on how many passengers could actually step on land, we would not have been able to get as close as we did to the mountains and glaciers today if we were on a larger ship. One of the key benefits of smaller-ship cruising is the ability to explore more remote places and get closer. Furthermore, our experiences have been significantly enhanced by the skillfulness, dedication, and professionalism of the expedition team responsible for planning, managing, and executing visits ashore. Each and every one of the team members have gone above and beyond to make sure guests receive what they want, with safety being their utmost concern.

What can we say? We aimed to visit Antarctica primarily for penguins and for ice. We are still at least 2 days away from stepping foot on our seventh continent and we are already at the point that we would go home happily if we experienced nothing more. Between the Falklands and South Georgia, we’ve done everything we’ve anticipated and then some. And to think that a whole continent of Antarctica is yet to come, we feel so blessed.

Thank you for hopping on board with me so far. Hoping my report continues to be useful – or at least enjoyable – to you. Until then…

xcountry

Well what do you say to that? It’s all rather amazing.

yestravel

Wow! I have never even heard of south Georgia.

crellston

Thanks you so much for sharing tripplanner, and in such detail. I am very envious

avrooster

Great! I think we have never had a report about that part of the world.

Who operates the Fram?

Please keep up your terrific reporting!

tripplanner001

Xcountry, amazing indeed. We consider ourselves very lucky to have been able to experience it.

Yestravel, I was in the same boat until I began researching itinerary options for Antarctica. Even then, all I knew about South Georgia is that it is THE place for king penguins as it is home to half the world's population.

Crellston, you're welcome.

AVRooster, the Fram is operated by Hurtigruten, a small ship cruising company based in Norway. It operates passenger ships up and down the coast of Norway and specializes in expeditions to polar regions such as Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, and of course Antarctica.

thursdaysd

Great reporting!

I took one of the Hurtigruten boats up the Norwegian coast and would be happy to travel with them again. Sounds like they are doing a very good job.

tripplanner001

Thursdaysd, Hurtigruten indeed does a very good job. With all the staff on board it's always safety first and then passenger experience and comfort. They also pay attention to details, which makes all the difference.


Celebrating Christmas at Sea

Leaving South Georgia, we head south by southwest bound for Antarctica. As soon as we sailed out of Drygalski Fjord and away from the island, we were greeted by a handful of humpback whales in the ocean. We spent about an hour following and watching them before continuing our course. In the meantime, the ship's crew had been busy putting additional decorations on the vessel and preparing it for the upcoming Christmas celebrations. The decorations combined with the overall atmosphere helped put everyone in a festive mood.

Celebrations began with a late afternoon ornament-making workshop followed by a decoration of a tree after dinner. There we were joined by the captain and his crew along with members of the expedition team for some hot mulled wine, cookies, and caroling.

The next day, Christmas Eve, began roughly for numerous guests on the ship including us. The seas turned very violent and we endured 10-15 feet waves. Needless to say, we were not feeling our best and took it slowly. By lunchtime, things began to get better and the calmer waters helped. In the evening we were treated to an over-the-top Christmas buffet followed by more caroling. Each of the guests were also given surprise Christmas presents compliments of Hurtigruten, which awaited us in our room in the evening. It was a very nice touch and added to the very positive experience we've had so far.

Very similar to Thursdayd's experience in Norway and from chatting with fellow passengers who've traveled with Hurtigruten to other parts of the world, we all have had nothing but high praises for how the operation is run. We started by receiving what we paid for. Every guest has a equal opportunity to enjoy what the different destinations has to offer in the form of landings or shore excursions. There is a system in which guests are rotated so that that everyone has a chance to be the first on land as well as the last. Everyone is given equal time on shore and are able to get the most out of each destination, whether or not we sign up for optional activities, which is purposely limited so that we would still receive a well-rounded experience even if we did not want to shell out extra money.

The meals are also very well thought out. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style, with something for everyone. Dinner is rotated between buffet style and seated. Buffet is offered on days on which we go onshore and seated dinner on days in which we do not, with Christmas Eve being the exception.

The lectures on board along with the movies shown and other programming focus on the areas we visit and the wildlife we see. Everything complements the shore visits and are designed to maximize our enjoyment and education.

Above all, the staff, the expedition staff in particular, could not be more kind, open, and thoughtful. From simple greetings each time we see one another to small talk and more engaged interactions, each and every one of them always gives us the time and attention we ask. They have been making an already flawless trip even more enjoyable.


Arrival in Antarctica

We officially arrived in Antarctica early on Christmas morning, when I had hoped to step foot ashore to a winter wonderland. Unfortunately this was not to be. Our destination this morning was supposed to be the South Orkney Islands, where we were calling at an Argentine research station for a look around. At around 5:00am, we heard an announcement that the visit was not going to take place as there was too much pack ice surrounding the islands, which would have make the visit dangerous and potentially take away time that we would have on the Antarctic Peninsula due to time-consuming navigation. Instead, we sailed its waters and enjoyed the sea ice all around us. We were also lucky to see some chinstrap penguins on a couple of the large floating icebergs as well as a few fin whales. The rest of the day will be a sea day as we head for Elephant Island, which we hope to reach by tomorrow.

So far we've had five sea days during our expedition. Before traveling on board, I had concerns that the pace would be too slow for me. I expected periods of boredom. However this is not the case. We've kept busy each day and have become used to enjoy some more of the down time we typically to do get when we are travelling on our own. The schedule is working well for us.

Fingers crossed we reach and land on Elephant Island tomorrow. Stay tuned...