Antarctica is notoriously one of the most remote, harsh, and unpredictable places on the planet. I knew this, and yet I was still amazed at how truly dynamic it is. Every day spent there was a humbling experience and a reminder that mother nature is a force to be reckoned with. We are not in control.
When you board an Antarctic expedition cruise, the captain and expedition team have an ideal schedule in mind. They have mapped out which landing sites you will visit and where would be most ideal to do some activities like camping or the polar plunge. However, as we quickly learned, plans change in Antarctica. They change quickly and they change often - and it's OK! Anyone who is used to operating on a strict schedule will quickly have to learn to go with the flow on one of these cruises!
On day 1 of our cruise, we had a briefing during which we met the entire expedition team and ship crew. Our expedition leader, Pablo, was a seasoned veteran celebrating his 20th season leading expedition cruises to Antarctica. We were in good hands. And yet, the first thing he told us as we all settled in, buzzing with anticipation, is that we had not even left the port of Ushuaia yet, and our plans had already changed. You see, our cruise was supposed to be traveling below the Antarctic Circle. Every attempt would be made, but as the team monitored conditions and sea ice, it was looking rather iffy.
This routine continued nearly every day on board. During the re-cap each night, the expedition team would tell us what we had planned to do and what we were doing instead. There are countless reasons why plans will change so frequently in Antarctica. Most of them have to do with weather - wind, sea ice, storms, etc. But there are some situations that you can't wrap your head around until you hear your guide telling you "We can't land at this site today because there are too many penguins." Only in Antarctica, right?
The continuously changing plans did not affect our experience one bit. Each day was seemingly better than the last. We were cruising the peninsula for eight days and got out for two excursions almost every single day. Our expedition team was beyond fabulous at making sure all passengers were having a good time and, more importantly, understood that our safety was their first priority and that decisions were being made based on that every minute of every day.
An open mind and flexibility are key to making an Antarctic expedition cruise successful, safe, and incredible for all involved. For the umpteenth time, a big thank you to our amazing expedition team. I am forever grateful to them for keeping us all safe and creating memories with us that will last a lifetime.
A map of the region found at a research base (Molly Hutchison)Our expedition crew (Molly Hutchison)
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
