Wednesday, February 18, 2009

FAQs

If it weren't for Sharrie's travel blog, I may have never gone to Antarctica at such an early point in my life. So it is only right that I repay her favour by passing on tips to future adventurers to the far end of the world. The following deals with most of the FAQs I've gotten from people, but if you have more questions, email me at leighwillbe (at) gmail (dot) com

1. How did you go about planning your trip?
2. Which cruise operator did you travel with?
3. How long was your trip?
4. How was the food? Are there provisions for vegetarians?
5. What factors should I consider when picking a ship?
6. Is it true that we can get last minute discounts for cruises?
7. Was it expensive?

1. How did you go about planning your trip?
Like most things in life-- one step at a time. There is only a narrow window for commerical travel to Antarctica. The season goes from November to early March. With the limited number of ships heading south, book your ship early. Same thing applies to booking flights down to Ushuaia. Also, remember that the more connecting flights you have, the higher the risk of missing connections and, worse yet, losing your checked-in luggage. This did indeed happen to a passenger on my trip, so pack light and be prepared for the very worst. I chose to stop over in Buenos Aires for a few days before heading to Ushuaia, just to give myself wriggle room should there be flight delays in getting to Argentina.

Once you've confirmed your cruise and flights, starting drawing up a list of things to pack. Refer to my other blog entry for a recommended packing list.

You may also want to buy an Antarctica travel guide to read beforehand. For a variety of reasons, you will probably not be in a mood to read all that much while on the ship. Lonely Planet has a great guide that coveres virtually all aspects of the trip. At least read the legendary expeditions of Scott and Shackleton before you go; your trip would be so much richer for it.

2. Which cruise operator did you travel with?
Quark Expeditions! They were simply fantastic and if I were to visit Antarctica again (no mere dream, that) I would go with them in a heartbeat. You can learn more about the multitude of Arctic and Antarctic expeditions they offer at http://quarkexpeditions.com/

Quark has a very experienced and professional expedition team. Each ship would have an expedition leader, asst. expedition leader, glaciologist, marine biologist, ornithologist, and historian. Their lectures are engaging, and they are simply fun people to hang out with.

3. How long was your trip?
All told, the Classic Antarctica itinerary was 11 days (of which 10 were spent at sea/in Antarctica). I thought it was a reasonable length for a first timer down to Antarctica because we managed so many landings during those 4 days when we were actually in Antarctica that at the end I was actually feeling quite tired.

4. How was the food? Are there provisions for vegetarians?
Quark's hotel and catering team does a tremendous job with the dining experience. Loads of vegetarian options (some so delicious that I occasionally switched over from the Argentinian steaks to try the vegetarian dishes). Lunch and dinner were 4-course affairs with salad buffets, a la carte soups, entrees, and dessert. As another traveller said, one practically had to be rolled off the ship at the end of the trip.

A fun fact: the chefs never repeat a single meal throughout each travel season, never mind on a single cruise.

5. What factors should I consider when picking a ship?
For many people, price would be an immediate decision point. However, also take into consideration the size (capacity) of the ship. The Orlova could hold 110 people, and I felt that was just about the right size. Due to IAATO regulations, there can only be a maximum of 60 people at a landing site at any one point in time. The larger your ship, the longer you have to wait as everyone takes their turns. Certainly, there will be other things to keep you occupied (eg. zodiac cruises) but going beyond 120-people ships would be, in my opinion, cheating yourself of precious time on the Continent.

6. Is it true that we can get last minute discounts for cruises?
Here's the tricky thing about getting last minute cruises: you can get it but you may also not get the experience you had been hoping for. The reason is very simple: Antarctic cruises are highly popular and sell out well in advance. The only vacancies that are still available as a last minute discount are usually the "weak" travel months of November and March (the beginning and end of the cruise season).

The problem is that in November it is still too cold, and there have been reports that ships get stuck in fast ice, thereby missing many planned landings. Of course, the penguins don't hatch until December either, so a November cruise
is typically more ice-centric than wildlife-centric.

In March, many of the penguins have already left for sea or, at best, are moulting (not a pretty sight). So your chances of seeing them in action are signficantly diminished. It all depends on what you are looking to get. Personally, I was very thankful for an early January departure because the penguin chicks seemed to be at the prime of their cuteness. :0)


7. Was it expensive?
Well, I was heading to see the end of the world.

P.S. I saved up to pay for this with my entire summer internship's pay and the two part-time jobs as Teaching Assistant in university. You can't take it with you so might as well spend it on what you deem to be truly worthy, no?


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