Soon the ship came to a stop against some thick sea ice while conditions for area excursions were assessed. (By the way, if your cabin is on one of the lower decks, the crew will cap your portholes when driving through the ice to make sure that the windows don’t break.) The Ortelius is ice-strengthened but is not an icebreaker, which meant that instead of forging a path through the thick pack ice, the captain and crew had to try to find the route with the thinnest ice. The ship slowed and moved closer, and the penguin, apparently a show-off, put on a little performance as we passed, flapping its wings and barking at us before sliding on its belly into the water. ![]() ![]() It is around that island where emperor penguins make their home on the sea ice, and it was not long before we spotted our first one, a lone individual lying on an ice floe far north of where we expected to see any. After a 2-day crossing, we finally arrived at the Antarctic Peninsula and headed east into the Weddell Sea toward Snow Hill Island. My roommate turned out to be a friendly German man whose English was only slightly better than my German, but we got along swimmingly.Īlmost any cruise to Antarctica must start with getting across the Drake Passage. Perhaps there is something about Antarctic explorers, but everyone on the ship got along well with their roomies, despite being strangers before boarding. To skip the single supplement, I readily agreed to be assigned a roommate. Mine was a window cabin on one of the upper floors and included a sizable bathroom. My ship, the M/V Ortelius, was one of four cruise ships waiting at the port for passengers that morning and one of only two that were rated for sailing through pack ice.Īll cabins on the ship were doubles of varying widths. ![]() Then, as the ship left the port, the sun suddenly came out of the clouds and it was warm enough for just a shirt again. The rain got worse as the day went on, and I boarded the ship in a downpour. I entered a restaurant for lunch, and by the time I had finished, it was cold and raining. However, by noon, the wind had picked up, bringing some clouds with it. As I walked around the small city in just a thin, long-sleeved shirt, I worked up a sweat. When I rose at 7 a.m., the sky was clear and it was a bit chilly, reminding me of a crisp, early-winter day. That first day in Ushuaia exemplified Antarctic weather. My comfortable single room cost $143 and included breakfast. Actually, it turned out that the bag drop-off point was not at the port but was, instead, about six blocks away (though still close enough to walk to). I chose Hotel Canal Beagle because it was practically across the street from the port, which I thought would mean that I had to walk only about 100 feet to drop off my bag when it was time to board my ship the next morning. ![]() (Keep a copy of your reservation with you.) Maipú 547), which, according to the Immigration official I spoke with in Buenos Aires, does not exist. My one night in Ushuaia was at Hotel Canal Beagle ( Av. It is the starting point for most Antarctic cruises. Besides this, it also offers better communication for their crew.After a seemingly never-ending trip to, through and from Buenos Aires, I found myself in Ushuaia, an alpine city tucked into the southernmost region of Argentina like a prize at the bottom of a cereal box. This means that their guests can share the spectacular images with their friends and family instantly through social media, or stay connected with their business while traveling. Oceanwide Expeditions calls the FleetXpress solution a great step forwards, providing their guests with high-speed satellite internet in remote areas and meeting the existing demand for being online wherever they are. Guaranteed global bandwidth ensures that ship owners and operators can improve business intelligence, enhance efficiency, performance and crew welfare, and in turn run their businesses more effectively. Guests can experience the beauty of the polar regions up close and personal: from spotting polar bears, seals, and penguins to watching Arctic glaciers and Antarctic icebergs.įleet Xpress takes maritime communications to the next level, delivering the high data speeds enabled by Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-band technology combined with the proven reliability of Inmarsat’s flagship FleetBroadband L-band service. Oceanwide Expeditions offers Arctic and Antarctic expedition cruises on their well-equipped ships.
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