The ocean has always seemed a charismatic character in my mind - gentle some days and volatile the next. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been fascinated with the vast, open horizons and unfathomable depths. I admire the way the Earth curves in the distance and the smell of salt in the air. Whether I’ve been walking in the surf of the churning North Sea or snorkeling the waters off of Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, the ocean is by far my favorite of this world’s many landscapes.
Despite this lifelong love affair, I admit that I was more nervous than excited about the prospect of crossing the Drake Passage. Notoriously known as the world’s roughest waters, I boarded the Ortelius in Ushuaia with a lump in my throat. I was about to experience one of two phenomena – either the Drake Lake or the Drake Shake – and it was anyone’s guess as to which side of Poseidon we were about to meet.
We quickly realized that we were in for a rough go when one of my fellow passengers asked our Expedition Leader what the conditions were like. Her stoic reply was “you don’t want to know.” We did want to know, however, and further prompting revealed that a superstorm was raging across the Drake.
I became one of many patch-wearing passengers as we sailed into the swirling dark clouds in the distance. Throughout the next few days, the ship encountered hurricane force winds – 91 mph – and 40 foot swells. Passengers who felt well enough to move around the ship spent a lot of time in the Bridge, where they were able to witness the power of the waves as they swallowed the bow of the ship and spit it back out time and time again.
When we finally reached Antarctic waters, the waves stilled. The passengers took a collective breath. The Drake was behind us – Antarctica was ours.
Adventure Life has been an extraordinary travel resource for us over the years and today was no exception. Our River Cruise booking was handled by Jess (who has been our personal trip planner for several years) the same day as our inquiry. Suggestions were given for cabin choice and pre-trip options (that were not shown on the cruise line's website) like airport transfers and prepaid gratuities. Trip insurance recommendations followed and we were assigned a travel co-ordinator till the end of the tour. All we have to do is show up! Great service from friendly folks.
APtravelwell
1 day ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
1 day ago
Although there was a lot of paper work, I received help and guidance when I needed it.
Donna Kirby
2 days ago
Our travel was flawless! The rider pickup (airport, hotel, ship) was seamless. Jane's recommendation for Emerald Cruise Sakara was everything I wanted but the experience was soooo much more. Adventure Life took care of each and every detail and this was the easiest of all my travels.
Anne Petty
3 days ago
Follow up was effective any questions were answered in a timely manner