The ‘polar’ opposite of conventional cruising
A continent with a tragic history, Antarctica is home to shocking beauty
Let’s talk about Antarctica. As far as I’m concerned, this is cruising’s ultimate bucket-list destination. It’s so far removed from your average Caribbean voyage that it’s almost a modern-day adventure in its own right, with midnight iceberg-spotting sessions and afternoon Zodiac landings on rocky beaches surrounded by nothing except ice, snow and penguins.
I sailed to Antarctica last year, aboard Hurtigruten’s (hurtigruten.com) rugged 374-footlong Fram. Built in 2007, she was named after Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen’s ship, which took him on his ultimately successful quest for the South Pole in 1911. Beautiful inside, she’s built like a tank on the outside, with a blunt bow rising up several decks and a low-slung superstructure designed to take the worst this area has to throw at her.
And throw it can. To reach the Antarctic Peninsula, ships must sail from Ushuaia, Argentina (the southernmost city in the world), across the dreaded Drake Passage. Our Norwegian captain chuckled as he came over the public address system to let us know that our passage would be quite good: “only” 26-foot seas and Gale force 9 winds.
Your reward for a rough 36 hours at sea, however, is well worth it: seeing the first glimpse of Antarctica’s desolate Elephant Island rising up on the horizon is enough to bring most people to tears. This barren, rocky outcrop was the refuge of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew in 1916. From here, Shackleton set out on a desperate bid for rescue, sailing nearly 1,300 kilometres across the open sea from Elephant Island to South Georgia with five other men, while the rest of his crew stayed behind.
For all of its tragedies, Antarctica has moments of shocking beauty. Icebergs the size of houses drift silently past narrow coves and inlets. Penguins wander haphazardly, curious about the strange people in blue jackets. Indeed, life thrives here.
As with any expedition, the itinerary on these voyages is highly changeable, depending on weather and ice conditions. Contrary to popular belief, it was warmer in Antarctica than at home. Our winter is their summer.
Big ships sometimes visit Antarctica, but only small, expedition-style ships can bring passengers ashore. And trust me: you’re going to want to go ashore.
Hurtigruten offers two expedition-style ships in Antarctica this season: Fram, and her slightly larger fleetmate, Midnatsol. Both are tremendously comfortable and play up their Norwegian heritage through beautiful decor and memorabilia. Midnatsol is particularly attractive, with a two-storey, glass-enclosed observation lounge and plenty of sheltered open deck space.
Hurtigruten offers a great 16-day Antarctic Circle sailing aboard Fram on Jan. 26 and Feb. 9, 2017, that explores the Antarctic Peninsula and swings down further south to cross the Antarctic Circle. For a truly special adventure, you might want to spend Christmas in Antarctica on a 20-day cruise aboard Fram that departs on Dec. 15.
Other operators in Antarctica include Quark Expeditions (quarkexpeditions.com), which specializes in 10- to 23-day cruises to the continent on various ships, from converted research vessels to high-performance Russian icebreakers.
If the thought of crossing the Drake puts you off, Quark offers a very cool “Antarctic Express: Fly the Drake” option that includes charter flights between Punta Arenas and Antarctica, plus a seven-day voyage aboard the 117-guest Sea Adventurer. You can also see Antarctica in luxury. Silversea (silversea.com) operates cruises between 10 and 18 days aboard the rugged-but-luxe Silver Explorer. With a capacity for just 130 guests, on-board passengers are treated to free-flowing drinks, Bulgari and Ferragamo toiletries and butler service. Even better, Silversea’s crack expedition team knows this region inside and out.
In late 2017, the line will also send the converted, ice-reinforced Silver Cloud to Antarctica for the first time. That’s one journey you definitely don’t want to miss. Visit portsandbows.com, sponsored by Expedia CruiseShipCenters, 1-800-707-7327, www.cruiseshipcenters.com, for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behind-the-scenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise information. Aaron Saunders may be contacted directly at portsandbowsaaron@gmail.com