Gavin W.
Antarctic Explorer Cruise Xmas 2017
We went on the Christmas and New Year Antarctic Explorer cruise at the end of 2017. I have never wanted to go on a cruise - all that being stuck with other people and being organised all the time - but this was, for me, the perfect cruise. As we disembarked at the end I was ready to get back on and do it all again! The size of the ship is great - with a max. of just 117 people everyone gets to go on each landing or zodiac cruise and it was a cosy number of people, without having to share tables at meals and being forced into mixing with others, if you didn't feel like it. Everything from our cabin, the daily briefing, meals, zodiac cruises, land expeditions, camping, etc. was perfectly arranged and went so smoothly. We could not have been in better hands. The restaurant and catering staff were very proficient and friendly, they really couldn't do enough for us. The food was great, even for a quite fussy eater, like me. Plenty of veg. options for non-meat eaters. Not haute cuisine but good tasty fare with plenty of choice. The choice of beer and wine was good and was reasonably priced - about 7 USD a beer (coming from Dubai, this was cheap for us!). The expedition team were fantastic - each with their own expertise and so happy to share their knowledge. The daily lectures were great to learn more about what we were seeing. It was also good to see that they took such care over safety, from the evacuation drill within the first few hours on board, to the very rigorous talks and reminders given about getting on and off zodiacs and regarding landings. The Expedition Leader kept us fully informed with tannoy announcements, as well as the daily briefing and information on the tv in your cabin/on the noticeboard and there was always plenty going on during the down time when we were sailing from place to place. It was nice that there was no need whatsoever to dress up and it was all very casual - it was much more like being on a holiday with a whole bunch of laid-back friends. The camping was spectacular - no tent, just a hole in the snow that you dig yourself. The 'loo' is literally a bucket - no tent or screen around it, but nobody was bothered - everyone looks the same in an expedition parka anyway! It was well organised and a huge amount of fun with the most spectacular of views. This particular cruise gave a good variety of landings and zodiac cruises with a visit to historical Port Lockroy, a Russian research station with its own beautiful wooden orthodox church, volcanic Deception Island and landings that just gave you fantastic views of glaciers, birds, penguins and seals. I could not have asked for anything more from this cruise and the company. And the great service started pre-cruise, when the office provided useful information and answered any question, however daft! I will definitely be booking a cruise up north with the same company - once I have saved up again!




