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Cruising in Antarctica with Albatros Expeditions: Big Finish

1/3/2023

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The bow platforms on Ocean Victory offer a window to the stunning scenery in Antarctica.
By John Roberts
This is the final entry in a four-part series of posts on my cruise to Antarctica with Albatros Expeditions on the Ocean Victory cruise ship. And we finished this epic expedition voyage with the most magical day in Antarctica. The weather continues to be perfect for seeing all the sights, and we had plenty as we reached the Yalour Islands for our final excursions of the nine-day cruise.

Read Part One: Embarkation Day in Ushuaia
Read Part Two: Crossing the Drake Passage
Read Part Three: Out for Plenty of Adventures


Days 6, 7 and 8: Finishing Up and Heading Back North
Where We Were
Ocean Victory had one more day of navigation at the Antarctic Peninsula before we were scheduled to make our voyage back north to Ushuaia. So, we all wanted to make the most of our final day of adventures with Albatros Expeditions. The team planned for a morning visit to Petermann Island and an afternoon stop in the Yalour Islands.
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What We Did
We began our morning at 6 a.m. with a transit along the stunning Lemaire Channel. This is where we began to see the heaviest amount of ice of the trip. The Lemaire was filled with a soupy mix of brash ice, large bergy bits, automobile-sized growlers and even some sizable glaciers. The scene was amazing because we enjoyed our fourth sunny day in a row, and the white snow of the nearby mountains and glaciers in the narrow channel made it feel as though we were sailing within a painting.
Cruisers went ashore to see Adelie penguins colonies at Petermann Island, and we also enjoyed Zodiac tours there and at the Yalour Islands. Ocean Victory had sailed its farthest south of the Antarctica cruise season, going below 65 degrees south of the Equator at this point.
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A Weddell seal chills out on an iceberg in the straits off the Yalour Islands.
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What We Saw
Cruising the super-narrow Lemaire Channel is a beautiful scenic spectacle, so you are urged to rise early and head to the outer decks or the Observation Lounge to get a view of the steep snow-carpeted and close-in glaciers. The captain and bridge team expertly navigated our passage through the channel, which was particularly challenging because of all the ice that surrounded the ship. It was a beautiful way to start the day.
The excursion in the morning landed on Petermann Island, and we had our first significant encounters with Adelie penguins. There are three types of penguins to see on this itinerary. The gentoos, chinstraps and Adelies, which make up the brush-tailed group of penguins. The Adelies like to nest in regions farther south, and we had finally entered their neighborhood. 
In the afternoon, at the Yalour Islands, we had more close encounters with the icy conditions of the White Continent as our Zodiac cruise brought us around what is called an "iceberg graveyard." Icebergs that numbered in the hundreds were floating around the strait. The varied colors, sizes and shapes of the massive chunks that had separated from the nearby glaciers and tumbled into the water resembled beautiful sculptures. I would be more likely to refer to this place as an iceberg museum, as we were in awe, busily snapping pictures and video of these natural works of art.
The ride also took us to see colonies of Adelie penguins, as well as a few Weddell seals resting on the shore and a range of seabirds, too, like the tiny Wilson’s petrel and Antarctic cormorants and terns.
This was my favorite excursion of the whole trip and an amazing way to wrap up a fantastic week in Antarctica.
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What I Ate
The restaurant continued to deliver a wonderful range of food, with red fish, cod, short ribs, vegetarian-friendly Indian dishes, pizza, ziti bolognese, fried chicken, prime rib and pork loin among the range of offerings. For breakfast, I stuck to my favorite, a ham and cheese omelet, piece of bacon and some fruit, but also was happy to find some extras can fit onto my plate, too, such as chocolate chip pancakes or crispy waffles.

Final Thoughts
Having visited Antarctica three times now, I know that you certainly cannot count on the weather. Don't expect anything, and always plan for the worst and hope for the best -- with both your packing and basic mental preparation.  
However, this had to be the most delightful weather conditions that anyone has even seen on a nine-day cruise to Antarctica. I was quite fortunate, indeed!
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We brought a chunk on glacier ice onboard so that the bartenders could create some special cocktails using the ancient ice.
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My friend James is an amazing waiter on Ocean Victory. I met him during a sailing on the same ship in Alaska during the summer.
About the expedition program: The team is knowledgeable and passionate about Antarctica and nature. We cruised with historians who gave talks about epic expeditions to the region, including characters like Shackleton and Amundson and Scott. We also heard from marine biologists and ornithologists who gave presentations on whales and seals and penguins.  
They take safety and biosecurity measures very seriously, as well.
The onboard program left large chunks of quiet time, making certain times while we were sailing a little boring, especially during the two days crossing the Drake each way.
Aside from the enrichment talks, there were bridge tours and activities like knot-tying offered. 
Our cruise did not have a musician onboard, which I have enjoyed on my prior two expeditions to Antarctica with Abercrombie & Kent and with Atlas Ocean Voyages. I also was surprised to not see any trivia competitions offered, as these are typically a staple on these cruises. 
I think this type of additional programming helps fellow cruisers break the ice and mix and socialize a little better.
I watched more than a dozen movies in my cabin from the on-demand selection available. There are no cable TV channels or on-demand TV series available.
Your cruise fare includes all meals and most excursions. The kayaking, snowshoeing and camping are premium excursions for an added fee. The ship offers a spa, with a range of massage treatments and other services. WiFi packages are not included and are expensive, but most travelers are in Antarctica to get unplugged and instead connect with the serenity of this place. Price tiers are as follows: $150 for 24 hours (login in and log out to optimize your usage); $550 for 7 days; $650 for 10 days; and $875 for 20 days.
There are two hot tubs and the polar plunge, so pack a swimsuit.
The end-of-trip slideshow and photos from the expedition photographer is a fantastic memento of your journey, too. We received an outstanding array of high-quality images from our photographer Werner, who really captured the magic of our sailing.
Drinks other than coffees, teas, hot chocolates, water and juices are extra. The beers, wines and mixed drinks are reasonably priced, though, around $6.
You get a parka provided by Albatros Expeditions that is yours to keep after your cruise, and boots and hiking poles are provided for use during your trip.
Overall, the expedition was an incredible experience, and we saw so many animals and inspiring landscapes.
During our last time out, cruising in a Zodiac around the Yalour Islands, our guide Mariam reminisced about our one-of-a-kind trip.
"We pretty much checked all the boxes available," she said, recounting one by one all of the incredible sightings we had.
Expedition team leader Phil Hunter later reinforced the idea that this was an extra-special voyage.
"I have trouble thinking of a trip where we've accomplished so much," said Hunter, who has been working in Antarctica for a decade. "You picked a good one."

Thanks for reading,
JR
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My Cruise to Antarctica: What I Packed, What We Did

1/1/2023

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I went kayaking in Foyn Harbor at Enterprise Island in Antarctica. It was a perfect day for a paddle.
By John Roberts 
This is the third part in a four-part series of posts on my cruise to Antarctica with Albatros Expeditions on the Ocean Victory cruise ship. 
 
Read Part One: Embarkation Day in Ushuaia 
Read Part Two: Crossing the Drake Passage
Read Part Four: A Big Finish and My Final Thoughts


Also, check out my video showing you cruise packing tips and your gear guide for an expedition cruise to Antarctica.

Video: Antarctica Activities and Packing for Your Cruise

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Days 4, 5 and 6: Out for Plenty of Adventures 
Where We Were 
The fourth day of the voyage brought us to Enterprise Island and Foyn Harbor for our morning stop. In the afternoon, Ocean Victory transited to Charlotte Bay and Portal Point, where we set foot on the continent of Antarctica for the first time during this sailing.  
The weather was stunningly perfect, with the shining sun and mostly blue skies offering an incredible backdrop to the numerous bobbing icebergs, growlers and bergy bits floating in the channels and harbors that we navigated during a busy day.
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I climbed the hill on Cuverville Island to get an incredible view of the bay.
On the following days, we stopped at Cuverville Island, Paradise Bay (for Brown Station, an Argentinian research station), Port Lockroy and through the scenic Neumayer Channel to Damoy Point. 
For the shore landings, this is how it works. The Albatros expedition team takes us ashore in Zodiacs at each of our landing sites. The team goes ashore before we arrive and stakes out areas that are safe to walk and places flags to let us know our boundaries. This allows us to visit safely while also keeping our distance from the animals so we don't stress them out too much.  
The penguins are busy nesting and mating this time of year, and we saw the first eggs being tenderly cared for as mother and father penguins traded off duties of watching the egg and going out to the waters to feed. 
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What We Did 
Albatros offers programs for kayaking, snowshoeing and overnight camping. I chatted with a several fellow cruisers who were excited to do it all. "You only come here once," said my new friend Manuel, who lives in Chicago and was kind enough to be my kayaking partner in Foyn Harbor for the day.  
I stuck with kayaking as my one premium excursion, and we went in ideal conditions, paddling easily through glassy waters. Guides take out 10 people at a time in five two-person kayaks, and a lottery is used to pick the group order for who goes first. This is done because there might be only one or two days with nice enough weather conditions to allow kayaking -- and demand for the kayaking excursions is pretty high.  
Our voyage offered everyone a chance to go out, though, because the weather was fantastic and the waters plenty safe for paddling.
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Our kayaking excursion in Foyn Harbor took us out to a fascinating 100-year-old shipwreck.
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At Cuverville Island, we walked among the largest gentoo penguin colony in Antarctica. This stop also offered a nice steep hike up the side of the hill to achieve a vista that offered amazing views of the ice, the penguin colonies perched along the island and our sleek Ocean Victory cruise ship sitting in the bay. 
There are daily Zodiac cruises that pair with the landings, as the four groups swap off (regulations allow just 100 people ashore on land at a time). We had a spectacular barbecue on the top deck in the sunshine, and we were surrounded by the glorious steep white peaks on each side of the vessel as we sailed away from Paradise Cove (more on this lunch in the bottom section of this post).
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After leaving Paradise Cove, we dropped off a group of about 20 people who signed up for the overnight camping experience. They left after dinner and came back on the ship the next morning around 5 a.m. with a range of emotions about the experience.  
They said they loved the pristine solitude, with the sounds of cracking ice and the snores of fellow campers as the only things breaking the silence. Many didn't sleep much, but most said it was worth doing one time. Some said they saw sea lions lolling about on shore, as well. It's mostly about bragging rights to say that you slept on an island in Antarctica. This experience costs $350.
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I mailed a postcard from the Penguin Post Office at Port Lockroy.
Port Lockroy is a small museum, post office (the famed Penguin Post Office) and gift shop that is nestled on the tiny island of Goudier. We went ashore to see the buildings set right in the middle of a gentoo penguin colony that occupies the island. The museum is the former commercial whaling station in the early 20th century and later a British military base during WWII. The building has been preserved with many items in it that show life in the barracks for the four to 10 men who lived there at that time.  
The post office is popular, as visitors love to send postcards around the world from there. It handles more than 70,000 pieces of mail a year. I dropped in a card that costs one British pound to send anywhere throughout the world. It goes by ship to the Falkland Islands, then to England to enter the British Mail Service before getting sent on to its final destination. I was told the process can take anywhere from two weeks to several months.
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More than 70 people took the polar plunge, braving the 35-degree icy waters at Damoy Point in Antarctica.
After our visit to Damoy Point, with landings and Zodiac tours of the ice-filled bay, Albatros offered its fun ritual -- the Polar Plunge. Dozens of cruisers eagerly lined up to jump into the icy waters. 
What We Saw   
Aside from the humpbacks and a few penguins in the waters during our kayaking session, there were always hundreds to thousands of penguins on land in each place. The Zodiac tours also revealed sightings of leopard seals and Weddell seals. Of course, there were always incredible ice formations, with a range of brash ice, sea ice, bergy bits, growlers and icebergs in the waters, as well as glaciers coming down the valleys on some islands.
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The hot tubs on Ocean Victory were popular spots after activities like kayaking and the polar plunge.
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We loved seeing Weddell seals relaxing on the icebergs.
During my two-plus hour kayaking session at Enterprise Island and Foyn Harbor, we paddled out to a 100-year-old shipwreck and a nest of mating Antarctic terns. We also saw feeding humpbacks whales as we tooled around the picturesque ice formations in the harbor. 
Around Port Lockroy, we got a couple unique sightings. In the bay, a large brown petrel was snacking on a dead penguin. I asked Albatros ornithologist Ab Steenvoorden, who is from the Netherlands, how the penguin might have been killed, curious as to whether the petrel could have done that. Ab told me that it was likely that the penguin died from injuries from an attack from a leopard seal and that the petrel was just finishing off the remains. A fascinating look at life in the wild, indeed.  
During a Zodiac cruise around the island, we also came upon four large Weddell seals (known for their gray fur and sweet round eyes) who were resting on an iceberg.

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I filled up my plate at the barbecue that the Ocean Victory team served up outside on a beautiful day during our cruise with Albatros Expeditions.
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The cruise offered a great array of food, including meals at a Hot Rocks restaurant each evening, where you cook up steaks and other meats on a superheated lava rock.
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Here is a look at all I packed for my Antarctica cruise with Albatros. Video at the top of this post explains all the items.
What I Ate 
The ship features two restaurants. The main Beagle Restaurant serves buffet breakfasts and lunches, as well as plated dinners with full menus. It also has the Panorama restaurant up top on Deck 8 that offers buffet breakfasts and lunches. But for dinner, it becomes the Hot Rocks experience where you cook your own meat on a superheated lava rock. You can choose, sirloin steak, pork tenderloin, lamb chops, salmon and tuna. And you get a full range of sides, soups and appetizers.
I dined at Hot Rocks twice over the course of a few days because it's so good. 
We had marvelous weather conditions, and Paradise Bay provided a great backdrop for our on-deck barbecue. Chefs grilled up ribs, chicken, a full pig, brats, burgers, hot dogs and fish.  
Plates were filled with meats and the numerous sides placed out on tables around the deck, and cruisers joined tables and loungers or grabbed spots just inside at the Panorama Restaurant to fill up on the great food while taking in the awesome scenery.

Thanks for reading,
JR
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Crossing the Drake Passage on My Antarctica Cruise

12/30/2022

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Half Moon Island in Antarctica
We arrived to Half Moon Island on Ocean Victory. A smooth Drake Passage crossing put us ahead of schedule and in good spirits to start our trip with Albatros Expeditions.
By John Roberts
This is the second part of a four-part series of my cruise to Antarctica with Albatros Expeditions on the cruise ship Ocean Victory. During this part of the trip we cross the infamous Drake Passage with fairly calm conditions to arrive a bit early to the Antarctic Peninsula. This gave us a bonus day of exploration on this voyage.


Read Part One: Embarkation Day in Ushuaia
Read Part Three: Out For Plenty of Adventures; What to Pack
Read Part Four: A Big Finish and My Final Thoughts
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Days 2 and 3: We Cross the Drake Passage and Arrive to Half Moon Island 
Where We Were 
These were almost two full days at sea onboard Ocean Victory, but we made such good time across a calm Drake Passage that we were able to get to the peninsula early and have a bonus stop at Half Moon Island.  
What We Did 
During our first full day sailing, we had a few things to take care of ahead of our arrival to the peninsula. This included the IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) talk, which outlines the international rules for visiting the peninsula. There were also kayaking and snowshoeing orientations for cruisers who wish to take part in those activities, as well as a briefing on Zodiac procedures and safety. The briefings are mandatory in order to go ashore and do these excursions.
Zodiacs (inflatable boats) are used to take passengers from the ship and to the shore, with people preparing and loading from the Mud Room at the bottom deck of the ship.  
Expedition guide Ab Steenvoorden also gave a fun talk about the penguins of Antarctica.  

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I used the ship's fitness center and attended a talk about penguins by ornithologist Ab Steenvoorden.
On the second day of this crossing, the Albatros expedition staff conducted the all-important biosecurity check. This is an inspection of coats, boots, trekking poles, gloves, hats and other items that might have seeds or other foreign material stuck on them (maybe on a Velcro strap) that must be kept out of the pristine environment in Antarctica. 
During this time, we also had our "Boots Camp" to get fitted for our rubber boots that we use throughout the trip.  
Each cabin on the ship has an associated locker in the Mud Room, and passengers store their equipment for shore landings in the lockers. This would typically be parkas, boots and the Zodiac life vests (PFDs).  
Albatros assigns color groups that are in place throughout the expedition. These groups go ashore together, and the system of four-color groups works to allow people to prepare in the Mud Room and gather on shore for their excursions in an orderly fashion. 
In the morning before the biosecurity and boot-fitting sessions, I took the opportunity to get a Swedish massage treatment from the wonderful Shanteel, who provided all the massage and other spa services onboard Ocean Victory during our trip. 
It was a great way to rejuvenate my body after all the air travel en route to the ship, and it also was the best time to enjoy the massage before things got really cranking with the activities once we reached Antarctica.
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Cruisers make a landing on Half Moon Island in the late afternoon to have a look at the penguin colonies.
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Chinstrap penguins have the run of this island for their nesting activities this time of year.

Video Feature: Cruising the Drake Passage

What We Saw 
Mid-morning on the first full day at sea, I started to see seabirds, such as storm petrels and wandering albatrosses drifting around the ship and following in its wake. The skies were mostly gray, and a little bit of rain spit on the windows and outer decks. It was windy but not too fierce to keep people from wandering outside to get some fresh air, gaze at the birds and waves and embrace their hearty sailor spirits.  
Just before dinner, we were sailing through the sunshine on an incredibly calm Drake Passage when we spotted pods of fin whales and humpback whales feeding. Our captain adjusted course to get us in a nice position to view these giants gently swimming around on each side of the ship. There were about a dozen in total blowing frequent spouts of mist above the shimmering waters of the Southern Ocean. 
By mid-afternoon, we had arrived to Half Moon Island, with snowflakes gently falling and the skies overcast. This is it! We had reached Antarctica! 
Our groups swapped activities, with two groups going ashore to visit a chinstrap penguin colony (we also saw a lot of gentoo penguins) while the other two groups were on Zodiac rides around the bay. 
The Zodiac tours were awesome. We were able to get fairly close to a humpback mother and her calf and watched them move through the bay and feeding while breeching several times during their dives. 
What I Ate 
Dinner was served a la carte at the main Beagle Restaurant, and the menu for the two dinners on these days included prime rib, oven-baked cod and rigatoni with mussels in white wine. 
Of course, I'm always grabbing a couple chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies each day from the coffee station in the Shackleton Lounge.

Thanks for reading.
More soon,
JR
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The days would continue to get sunnier and more marvelous as the adventure continued south in Antarctica.

Our Other Cruises to Antarctica

My Epic Cruise to Antarctica with My Brother. Saved at the Last Minute!

VIDEO RECAP: Atlas Ocean Voyages Cruise in Antarctica

VIDEO FEATURE: Antarctica Cruise on Ponant Le Lyrial with Abercrombie and Kent
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