Update to an earlier Antarctic Expedition related blog
- Require a good health certification … At around the 60-day mark Viking sends an email asking guests to be certified as being in good health by one’s own physician. This came as a surprise to us, as I did not remember this being mentioned anywhere. Maybe it was. This created little angst but no big deal.
- Pack light – the ship has self-serve laundry (washers, dryers and soap) on-board; I overpacked; only took out 3 pairs of clothes; did laundry every 2nd day.
On-board welcome …
We had a nice surprise on our first day when we entered our cabin … there was a Haley Hansen (HH) Parka, which was expected, and then there was also a HH light insulated liner jacket, which was not expected. Both jackets were for us to keep. Shown below in a heated closet.
Crossing the Drake Passage was much ado about nothing – it was a mere “shake” than a real “shake”. It afforded ample opportunity to explore and enjoy the benefits of the ship, to get to know the ship’s crew, and some of the guests.
Crossing Drake Passage - little shake & rollThe weather in Antarctica was as one would expect, freezing cold, however there were only a few days when it was biting cold.
It was breathtaking to see the vastness of Antarctica, the wintery landscapes in its pristine state, as we sailed silently in calm waters, for the most part.
Dressed to celebrate the New Year
With Inna, the Beverage Manager and Sommelier …
When not feasting, or sightseeing, we spent a good deal of time in the Living Room talking to the Bar staff, other guests or playing a board game – comfortably seated in a leather armchair or a big sofa and enjoying either a Negroni without gin and/or the special drink (hot water with lemon, ginger, cinnamon, honey) prepared by the bar staff.
As on other Viking River cruises, the guests were mainly in their 60’s or older, with a few father-son combinations. There are no kids running amok on Viking cruises.
The ship oozes Scandinavian comfort offering majestic views from anywhere on the ship – of snowy, icy peaks and glaciers, with penguins and whales swimming nonchalantly past us, and aqua blue water reflecting the beautiful vistas in the morning glow whilst the sun dances and weaves amongst the low hanging clouds.
As if this was not enough, there was wonderful dining, superb service, with knowledge at every turn provided by a team of expert expedition staff.
One could easily spend time comfortably ensconced in one of their leather armchairs watching the beauty of Antarctica glide by, and yes, with a little snoozing for good measure.
Than there were these 3 idiots …
And our better halfs …
The Living Room
The Gym
The ship is designed for exploration and discovery, offering an array of lectures, briefings from resident expedition experts, and scientists from various organizations such as Oceanites, Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, and NOAA, to name a few. There are nightly briefings on the itinerary for the next day, and lectures and documentary screenings in the Aula. They readily offer a wealth of knowledge.
Food & Beverage
With Viking there is no nickel and diming – there are no extra charges for food. There are four restaurants, and every single menu item is included. At around the 60-day mark, before the start of the cruise, Viking allows guests to make an advance reservation in each of the two restaurants. And when onboard, they allow walk-ins, depending on availability. We had no issues getting seated in either of the restaurants over the course of the cruise.
- See my earlier blog on the 4 restaurants on the ship, and there is round-the-clock room service in your cabin.
- One minor disappointment was the Spirits Package – Viking offers less than they do on their river cruises. Whilst they do not nickel and dime when it comes to food, however regrettably they do when it comes to spirits.
Ice cream Coldstone styleThe Restaurant & Beverage team, and us …
Even though the ship was fully booked, all 189 cabins, we had no difficulty in finding seating for our group of six in the World Cafe, whether at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and the restaurant manager, Himanshu Dogra, and his staff went out of their way to ensure we had multiple vegetarian options.
All of the staff that one meets on the ship, from the folks who take care of the cabins, the restaurant and beverage staff, the expeditions staff, to the senior staff are courteous, friendly, with engaging personalities, and avail themselves to assist. One gets to befriend them in a very short span of time.
The main activities are landings, of which we typically had one per day. They also offer one Special Operations Boat cruise per cabin. We had a blast. And fortunately for us, a submarine dive was included in our price – this occurred, unbeknownst to us, because we made early payment for the cruise.
AULA Lecture Hall
The Bridge
The Hangar
The Special Operations Boat (SOB)
The Zodiacs
The Submarine
Boots storage
Dressed to set foot on Antarctica
An “alien” is tethered!!
3 Idiots ready for Chile
One Life Many Travels means One Life Many Trips; One Life Many Journeys means One Life Many Memories; One Life Many Journeys means One Life Many Experiences; One Life Many Journeys means One Life Many Moments
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