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I've never been on a cruise, and the idea of them generally abhors me (over-fed people locked up together like fish in the money-making barrel), however I have an itch to scratch, and would love to see Antarctica. There seem to be a multitude of offerings and the choice is bewildering. I would like to reach 66° S (the Antarctic circle) which rules a number of them out. I'm not looking for the lap of luxury or toadying service. Preferably on a smaller boat.
Any recommendations or advice?
Having done a photography course with Mark Carwardine I've always fancied one of the boat trips he organises / sponsors.
https://www.markcarwardine.com/holidays-workshops.html
Never done it though - it's v.expensive.
not Antarctica but my company is linked with North Pole cruises, some of our clients vessels do some amazing looking trips
https://www.wefollowheroes.com/
I just saw their Antarctica section!
https://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/offers/save-up-to-500pp-on-antarctica-cruises-in-202223/?_hrgb=3
If you ready about the potential environmental impact of cruise liners in Antarctic waters, it would be a resounding no from me.
We had the latest P&O ‘flagship’ come up here on it’s maiden voyage last summer - it was so flippin huge it could barely turn in the Sound of Mull which is 4 miles across and couldn’t get into Tobermory bay.
Why pay when you can get paid
There are quite a variety of vacancies at Rothera with British Antarctic Survey at the moment
Chippies, steel erectors, chefs and loads more
Link below to BAS Vacancies
https://www.bas.ac.uk/jobs/vacancies/
+1 for the horrible environmental impact ships have
+1 for the horrible environmental impact ships have
New powerplants using LNG are the way things are going. Zero sulphur & nitrogen emissions are a big benefit obviously.
P&O’s MV Iona is powered by LNG.
Yes, though 20 years ago. Aurora Expeditions - small ship with enough zodiacs for everyone (iirc about 50 passengers)
Those giant ships, where does all the poo end up?
Those giant ships, where does all the poo end up?
Probably in some massive tank, which is emptied at the end of the cruise then taken to a sewage plant to be processed.
There’ll be no extra poo cos all the people on board aren’t at home pooing. Well there might be a bit extra cos of all the extra food consumed. The foods all included in the price so people eat more, therefore poo more I suppose.
oldnpastit
Full Member
Those giant ships, where does all the poo end up?
sewage treatment plant onboard. treated effluent goes overboard.
(as far as practicable from land or ice in the polar areas)
treated effluent goes overboard.
Kayaked through some in a Norwegian fjord after a cruise ship departed. Yummy stuff.
That was after an evening of smog from the belchy horrible thing filling the fjord whilst at anchor. Nasty - if any mode a transport seemed hell bent of ****ing over the very purpose of the visit, this was it.
Why pay when you can get paid
Interesting idea, thanks, but I can't / don't want to commit to something like that.
I just saw their Antarctica section!
The Hurtigruten cruises are on my radar, thanks.
Yes, though 20 years ago. Aurora Expeditions
Thanks - they weren't on my radar, but are now. Would you recommend it as an experience?
Concerns over the environmental impact noted. I'm not totally insensitive to it - some options use hybrid power, as well as there being LNG powered boats.
Trip of a lifetime for us (wildlife/mountaineering/polar history type people).
Picked Aurora due smallest ship size and reputation for the marine biologists they bring along as guides, lectures etc. Ship was ex russian ice breaker/crew but with Aussie staff inc antartic field assistants and doctor. No frills aside from lectures and a bar.
Couple of zodiac trips per day with landings - occasional just park the whole ship in an ice shelf walk off.
A lot of penguins, leopard seals, albatross. Options for sea kayaking, bivvy etc.
Trip out and back can be choppy 😉
The cruise ships that go to the Antarctic Peninsula have to be ice breakers and are usually much, much smaller than a typical cruise ship. They expect people to be there for the wildlife and history so have speakers in the evenings and so on. My mum went with Hurtigruten to the AP and Falklands, really enjoyed it. They were considering another cruise, maybe South Sandwich / South Georgia Islands for the wildlife but covid stopped that. And in reality I think her health means she might not go - the financial cost/risk and ability to get insured. She's in her 70s and most people on her cruise were retired or just about to, a result of the cost I think. Hurtigruten have built a hybrid ship but the total environmental cost is still relatively high, but you are aware of that.
And yes the Drake Passage is notorious. It can be ok or it can be horrendous.
I should have said also, I definitely wouldn't fixate on the Antarctic Circle. You'll get the impression of Antarctica on the peninsula, the vastness, the wildlife and some historic sites to visit. If you want to see perpetual sun (or dark) it's a shedload easier and less costly to go to Lapland. Sea ice becomes more of a problem the further south you go, so you might not make it as far as you want or it limits the season the cruise will run, and increases the cost.
Those giant ships, where does all the poo end up?
Once went up to the top deck of a carnival ship at night, right under the funnel. The smell wasn't the same as during the day, and plenty more smoke was being emitted. So it's not just the water that gets ****ed.
Just checked - things have moved on in terms of size and comfort. 'Small' now seems to be 250. Old fleet used to be chartered from a set a Russian research vessels: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Pioneer. They might still be running - need rather specialised Captains.
Those giant ships, where does all the poo end up?
There are some places tourists probably shouldn't be going, and the Antarctic is at the top of that list.
There are some places tourists probably shouldn’t be going, and the Antarctic is at the top of that list.
True, but I'd love to go on a photography trip. However, I'm not sure I will ever have the money, or the intestinal fortitude - I got seasick in the Panama Canal, so Drakes Passage is probably a step too far!!
Agree on the not going part for the enviromental impact.
I commented on an Insta post from Dan Snow about his trip to find HMS Beagle, asking if it was really necessary.
No response from him but a couple of less than favourable responses from others!
I'm intrigued by all those concerned by environmental impact. I'm assuming none of you fly or drive IC cars or have gas boilers - because climate change is screwing over these places far more than the boats do...?
I know every little helps, but it seems rather holier than thou...
.
I've always wanted to go to Falkland Islands - one of my good friends was born there, and we've always chatted about going there and doing some hiking, biking and kayaking.
Those boats are quite dirty, so I'm not sure that's true, and it's only generated for a luxury purpose. And yes, I limit flying
Marine engineer here, I wouldnt want to go on a polar cruise due to the environmental impact. Unlike most other shipping it serves no purpose other than to allow a select few to see one of the last truely untouched parts of the world.
Be careful about greenwashing in the industry - hybrid propulsion systems in the marine world are mostly for load smoothing - you use the batteries to smooth out the load on the diesel generators so they can constantly run in their most efficient states for single digit savings, or so they can be 'zero emission' for a short amount of time when alongside. Except those batteries will be recharged by the diesel generators so you're moving, rather than reducing emissions in that second case.
LNG is also an improvement, but not a drastic gamechanger over MGO - approx 20% reduction in emissions compared to a Tier-3 complaint diesel engine, which whilst great across a large fleet of ships, still means a cruise ship would be burning fuel at a rate of tons per hour in a very sensitive area.