Having waited for years since first realising that it is possible and months since booking, finally I was visiting Antarctica! The night before embarking I met two Canadians who had just returned and they spent the evening regaling me with tales of their trip. I was far too excited to sleep. The only instance I can remember ever anticipating so eagerly is awaiting Santa on Christmas Eve when I was younger.
Once on the Maryshev, the crew brought the bags up and I unpacked. Having spent the past three months backpacking it was a joy to have a wardrobe. My cabinmate, Daria from Russia, had been looking out our porthole which faced the bow. I could hear a hullabaloo outside and assumed it was a regular part of loading supplies until Daria informed me that a passenger had `gone for a swim´. Somehow the gangplank had become unfettered as Lee was re-crossing it to take photos from the dock. He plunged down into the cold waters of Ushuaia port but amazingly was unhurt, albeit rather chilled.
The crew acted quickly to rescue and look after him. So quickly in fact that the fire brigade with diver on board arrived about five minutes too late to be of any use. During his impromptu swim he had lost his glasses and camera but the first mate lent him a camera for the duration and another passenger had spare glasses of a similar prescription. Despite this inauspicious beginning we were soon on our way.
After a quick briefing on safety including a lifeboat drill and a talk on the proper conduct when visiting Antarctica we sat down to our first meal. Myself and my tablemates enjoyed rather too much wine so I can attest to the fact that being severely hungover while crossing the dreaded Drake Passage is not a pleasant feeling. Luckily, our crossing was relatively calm but the numbers eating still dwindled due to suffering sea-sickness. There were only two chefs on board and how they managed to provide all the passengers, staff and crew with such a high standard of food for the duration, I don’t know.
The crossing offered us the opportunity to attend lectures and get to know our shipmates. There were only about fifty passengers so it was easy to mix. Each time you went up on deck there were seabirds flying nearby. It was amazing to see how close they fly to the waves. It is almost as if they can sense how large a wave will get. Either that or they have fabulous reflexes. Soon it became commonplace to spot an Albatross but it was never a banal experience. Hours could be passed watching them soar effortlessly.
We passed the Antarctic convergence where the temperate waters mix with the cold polar seas but there was no appreciable difference in the temperature aboard. After two full days of sailing we were given a briefing on the Zodiacs. These are the small, inflated, rubber boats with outboard motors which were used to ferry us ashore. You could feel the level of excitement heighten as we went to bed anticipating waking early for our first landing.
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
23 hours ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
1 day ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
2 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week
Linda Cummings
3 days ago
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!