Cruise Talk: Antarctica

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Author

Topic: Antarctica

pungpui
First Class Passenger
Member # 1218

posted 10-19-2000 04:43 AM

can anyone at all give me any sites or info about cruises to antarctica...i need it urgently! also, does anyone know the official site for orient cruises

Posts: 419 | From: Sydney, NSW, Australia | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 10-19-2000 06:00 AM

Orient Lines, 'Marco Polo' goes to Antartica. Try thier web site. She looks like a very nice ship, she used to be a Russian Ice Breaker! I'd love to go - but it is not cheap

http://www.orientlines.com

There is a review of the ship on this site too.

[This message has been edited by Malcolm (edited 10-19-2000).]

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-19-2000 08:00 AM

A couple of years ago the Cruise Director of the Marco Polo, David Lawton (formerly of HAL) did a travelogue on Antartica for a group I travel with. It looked very, very interesting and would have loved to take the cruise, except as Malcolm said, it was pricey.
The ship looked very nice - more like the old ships, not these new glitzy ones.

Pungpui - did you ever get to see those races in Sydney that I e-mailed you about. HAL crew won the rowing contest.

[This message has been edited by sympatico (edited 10-19-2000).]

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 10-19-2000 09:23 AM

Hi...we did the long one on the Marco Polo last year from Ushuaia to Christchurch. Unfortunately she is not doing it again at least for a couple of years.
The MP is not an icebreaker, she is one of a class of ice strengthened vessels built in East Germany for the Russians.

BTW Malcolm, no 4star ship is cheap, but the Marco Polo is consistantly voted up there at the top for value, which is a lot more important. Besides. there simply is not another ship of that type that has anywhere near the itineraries she has. Nor might I say the standard of food and service.

pungpui....check your E-mail
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

jmperry1
First Class Passenger
Member # 1462

posted 10-19-2000 01:21 PM

From what I understand, one of the reasons Antarctic cruises are so expensive is because the passenger counts are strictly regulated for ecological reasons. Therefore, the ships must sail WAY BELOW normal capacity. That lost income has to be made up by the people who do sail.

James

[This message has been edited by jmperry1 (edited 10-19-2000).]

Posts: 71 | From: Oakland CA USA | Registered: Jul 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 10-19-2000 02:36 PM

Hi..the Marco Polo sails with about 400 which is 50% capacity. It's not only the eco bit but also the sheer practicality of being able to safely handle the numbers when using zodiacs on to beach landings. Some sites are very restrictive as to the numbers ashore at any one time.
Because it's so popular you are not going to get any big deals on prices either, so yes you are looking at brochure rates.

Still, one trip to the Antarctic is worth a dozen to the Caribbean!!!
....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

jwine
First Class Passenger
Member # 634

posted 10-19-2000 05:28 PM

Lindblad Special Expedetions Caledonian Star and Society Expeditions World Discoverer are doing Anarctica this year. Might want to check into them.

Posts: 223 | From: Cincinnati, OH USA | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 10-20-2000 10:16 AM

Hi...wasn't that the Discoverer that we last heard of up on the beach in the Solomons? Has she been repaired?

btw. the bottom rate pd on the MP is about $300 whereas the Discoverer is over $600...certainly not worth twice the value.
...peter

[This message has been edited by gohaze (edited 10-20-2000).]

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 10-20-2000 04:12 PM

Thanks for the more accurate info gohaze. I don't doubt that the Marco Polo is good value - I just can't afford the trip

Why is she not doing the longer Antartic trip at the moment - that's the one that I want to do (even more expensive )

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

pungpui
First Class Passenger
Member # 1218

posted 10-21-2000 12:54 AM

thanx all...great help...and i will check my email now...

Posts: 419 | From: Sydney, NSW, Australia | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 10-21-2000 06:04 AM

Malcolm...according to Orient it is due to scheduling with their new Crown Odyssey, which would have put both ships in New Zealand etc at the same time.
However, they are looking at what they can do in the future, and the more people who write to the President and ask, the better chance we have of seeing it again. It really is the ULTIMATE cruise.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

PauloMestre
First Class Passenger
Member # 1613

posted 10-22-2000 09:25 AM

A company called Quark Expeditions offers expedition cruises to both Artic and Antarctica. I can't tell you much about this company but you can take a look at the website: http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/

Regards
Paulo Mestre

[This message has been edited by PauloMestre (edited 10-22-2000).]

Posts: 311 | From: Alhos Vedros, Setubal, Portugal | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 10-22-2000 10:26 AM

OK...if you really want to know who is going to the Antarctic this coming season, go to www.iaato.org/estimate01.doc
That is the complete list from the VERY expensive Quark Russian Icebreakers down to the 6 passenger yacht Pelagic.
The Bremen appears to be the only one doing the Ross Sea and the Peninsula, but she strikes me as a bit small for that sort of trip.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

Marlowe
First Class Passenger
Member # 1632

posted 10-26-2000 12:26 AM

Sad to say that WORLD DISCOVERER was declared a constructive total loss by her underwriters. I do not know what happened to the hull, but Society Expeditions did not desire to try to rebuild her.

I have spoken with their president who says that they have identified another ice class vessel they are planning to purchase and use in the 2001-02 season.

I hope they succeed since they were close to the first to do expedition cruises and offer the "last place on earth".

Posts: 414 | From: mt. vernon, wa, usa | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

James
First Class Passenger
Member # 1351

posted 11-10-2000 11:10 PM

We did the long Antarctic trip in '99 on the Marco Polo and thoroughly enjoyed it. There were moderate discounts available through Grand Circle and we negotiated the same with our TA. I think one reason that they no longer do the long trip is that Captain Eric retired, and he was their most experienced skipper for this difficult voyage. Make no mistake, it's very touchy sailing!

The reduced passenger load is governed by international agreements and also the amount of water and food that the ship can carry. There is no reprovisioning available down there, and we made it with some water to spare, but not a lot, and laundry was cancelled some of the time.

Posts: 202 | From: Illinois, Home of Lincoln and great graft | Registered: Jun 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 11-10-2000 11:51 PM

Hi...Captain 'Erik' is still sailing. He's on the Crown at present and took the MP to the Baltic/Norway in the summer.
Roland Andersson took her on the last long one this spring and they had no problem getting into McMurdo...completely different ice conditions from '99
....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

claudio
First Class Passenger
Member # 1214

posted 11-14-2000 07:31 AM

world discoverer from what i can work out has been declared a total loss and abandoned in the solomon islands by her insurers. there is some sort of violent uprising there at the moment and the world discverer was boarded by armed thugs and apparently has been trashed and looted that is why her insurers abandoned her

Posts: 468 | From: melbourne australia | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

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