'Variably queasy today' That's the main journal entry I have for our first full day aboard the Marina Svetaeva (recently renamed the Ortelius), a ship specifically designed for polar exploration with an ice-strengthened hull. To combat the nausea was a burgeoning underground drug trade worthy of the most infamous cartels: the patch, Dramamine, bonine, ginger, wrist bands, gum, and those meds the onboard doctor from Australia brought, rumored to be banned in the U.S.
As we experimented with better living through chemicals, we got to know our boat, its passengers, and her staff. The Marina Svetaeva holds a maximum of 100 passengers, a key factor in choosing our vessel, as it maximizes time off the ship at landing sites with 100-person limits. Our ship carried about 85 passengers and we'd get to know many of them over the next 19 days. But today it was the crew: expedition leader, naturalist, geologist, historian, photographer, outdoor guides, kayak instructor, doctor, hospitality specialist, bartender, masseur. These people had really thought of all of my needs! Plus those I didn't even realize I had (who knew I would need to get massages while crossing the Drake Passage? They did.) Plus our Russian-based captain and crew, cleaning and wait staff, with whom we'd pitifully try to communicate by learning one Russian word a day (though as in any language, 'spasibo' goes a long way).
Linda and Brian, and Mary Ann and Lynn each had doubles on the second deck, and Erin, Anne, and I shared a triple downstairs in what we affectionately referred to as 'steerage' (having your room double as a sauna for the first couple of days inspires many a creative jab). However, once the temperature stabilized, we actually found it to be quite roomy (for a boat), and it didn't hurt that the cost savings from booking a triple could be funneled directly into 'Retail Therapy' sessions at the gift shop. We began to take pride in being the (self-named) broads of Room 341.
The day rounded out with informational briefings and educational talks, birdwatching on the deck, and finally happy hour on the bridge. The Cocktail of the Day was the Drake Sunset. Which goes down even easier while watching whales surface off the side of the ship.
The info on the website was laid out very well. I did some comparisons with other tours and found Adventure Life met a lot of what I wanted in an Antarctica trip at the cheapest price. Requested a quote on Claudia contacted me right away. She answered a lot of questions the I had via email even though she offered to discuss via phone call. I’m more of an email person so appreciated how she accommodated that and answered all my questions. And when I was ready to book, she quickly got the ball rolling with getting our spots reserved on the trip my friend and I wanted. Thanks again, Claudia!
Hazel Araza
10 hours ago
(1) great information on the website and throughout all the "materials." (2) Jane Packer is great: knowledgeable, responsive, takes a personal interest and tone, seems to care about the customer as a person not a sale.
Larry Bethune
18 hours ago
great people doing a wonderful job to make our voyages happen.
trudy
1 day ago
For our first trip to Costa Rica, Adventure Life designed a tour that meets the interests, ecological and adventure, of our party; but also takes into account our physical limitations sine we are all septuagenarian. We are looking forward to the trip.
John Zent
2 days ago
Adventure Life is my favorite travel company due to their genuine care for their customers. They make every effort to ensure a wonderful travel experience for you. Their personal touch really gives the customer a lot of confidence with their travel plans and the trip leaders are always outstanding. They are truly consistent and accountable with the great service they provide. I can't thank Adventure Life enough for the incredible trips I have enjoyed thanks to them and their attention to detail.