# Antarctica!



## EllinK

New ABDs have been posted -- including Antarctica! Looks amazing. The date that would work for me unfortunately conflicts with my NZ adventure. There's always next year...


----------



## sayhello

I'm assuming these are actually re-worked National Geographic trips, since Disney owns NatGeo now.  Interesting!

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

Antarctica and Patagonia Expedition Cruise - Trip Price Starting From *$12,459*USD  And that's _without_ the single supplement, which is generally 100% when you're talking cruising!  Um, I don't see that happening for me!  (Not that I'm planning on any cruising in the near future, anyways).

Sayhello


----------



## AquaDame

sayhello said:


> I'm assuming these are actually re-worked National Geographic trips, since Disney owns NatGeo now.  Interesting!
> 
> Sayhello



That would make sense... it doesn’t sound like they’re using the same ship in the Galapagos as National Geographic. I’d bet you’re right though and they’re the ‘naturalists’ mentioned; they also call NatGeo out on some Seine sailings. We’re seriously considering Galapagos for our next big trip but the ship they chose has room for 100 passengers... we’d rather be with fewer people so that’s out.

What are people’s thoughts on the Antarctica one..? Good size ship/itinerary or nah?


----------



## Mathmagicland

As @sayhello notes, very pricey!  Wondering if the ship is exclusive to AbD or if others will also be on board, as it seems like a lot of cabins for AbD alone to sell out the ship as these prices.  

Don’t think these are associated with NatGeo as PONANT is mentioned as the cruising partner & thePONANT website doesn’t look anything like the NatGeo one - https://us.ponant.com/

The PONANT website says the ships have a max capacity of 264 passengers. I don’t find anything about how the ships are set up for Antarctic travel, ie stabilizers and ice breakers & etc.  TripAdvisor reviews show the ships for these Antarctic cruises also go to Polynesia and the Mediterranean - wonder if that is why there is no mention of ice travel features. I do find lots of Luxurious references, and formal wear is expected for the captain’s dinner.  No reference to NatGeo in their expedition and naturalists bios.  

I’d probably go with NatGeo, who right now is at the top of my list for this trip.  They have two ships at 200+ guests and two ships that have no more than 125 people, & seem built specifically for Antarctic travel with some of the features. While not as luxurious, pricing is cheaper and there are a few single cabins available to avoid the supplement.  I don’t need luxury on this type of travel, I need layers of warmth!!!


----------



## Jess_S

According to an ABD insiders facebook group that I am a member of, ABD has rented the entire ship for these expedition cruises. The price is in line with other fancy expedition cruises to Antarctica; I keep pricing those trips and concluding that I need to hit the lotto first. So while I personally can't afford the trip, I guess they think there's enough of a market that they will be able to fill the ship. It still seems like a weird time to expand super expensive trip offerings to me, but what do I know. Maybe everyone who saved money by not travelling for the past year will go all out for their next trip.


----------



## sayhello

Mathmagicland said:


> As @sayhello notes, very pricey!  Wondering if the ship is exclusive to AbD or if others will also be on board, as it seems like a lot of cabins for AbD alone to sell out the ship as these prices.
> 
> Don’t think these are associated with NatGeo as PONANT is mentioned as the cruising partner & thePONANT website doesn’t look anything like the NatGeo one - https://us.ponant.com/
> 
> The PONANT website says the ships have a max capacity of 264 passengers. I don’t find anything about how the ships are set up for Antarctic travel, ie stabilizers and ice breakers & etc.  TripAdvisor reviews show the ships for these Antarctic cruises also go to Polynesia and the Mediterranean - wonder if that is why there is no mention of ice travel features. I do find lots of Luxurious references, and formal wear is expected for the captain’s dinner.  No reference to NatGeo in their expedition and naturalists bios.
> 
> I’d probably go with NatGeo, who right now is at the top of my list for this trip.  They have two ships at 200+ guests and two ships that have no more than 125 people, & seem built specifically for Antarctic travel with some of the features. While not as luxurious, pricing is cheaper and there are a few single cabins available to avoid the supplement.  I don’t need luxury on this type of travel, I need layers of warmth!!!


That's interesting that they own NatGeo, but felt they needed to go with a different company for ABD.  Maybe they think NatGeo isn't fancy-shmancy enough for their ABD clientele?  I wonder what the dresscode is like besides the formal wear for the captain's dinner?

Way out of my price range.


Jess_S said:


> According to an ABD insiders facebook group that I am a member of, ABD has rented the entire ship for these expedition cruises. The price is in line with other fancy expedition cruises to Antarctica; I keep pricing those trips and concluding that I need to hit the lotto first. So while I personally can't afford the trip, I guess they think there's enough of a market that they will be able to fill the ship. It still seems like a weird time to expand super expensive trip offerings to me, but what do I know. Maybe everyone who saved money by not travelling for the past year will go all out for their next trip.


I've saved a bunch by not travelling in 2020 (and probably 2021) but I'm still not spending it on one of these Expedition Cruises!  I can think of dozens of other trips I'd rather splurge on than these!  Like Australia b2b with New Zealand.  Or something like that!

Sayhello


----------



## tink1970

I'm pretty sure that Ponant is the company that Tauck uses for some of their small ship cruise tours so it's interesting that ABD is using them as well. Not sure what that means for the future of the Tauck relationship with Ponant, but since the Tauck customer/consumer is very similar to the ABD, it should be a good fit.


----------



## Jess_S

sayhello said:


> Way out of my price range.
> I've saved a bunch by not travelling in 2020 (and probably 2021) but I'm still not spending it on one of these Expedition Cruises!  I can think of dozens of other trips I'd rather splurge on than these!  Like Australia b2b with New Zealand.  Or something like that!



We are with you on this. We are planning on trying to do an extra trip in 2022 with our stuck at home savings, rather than one super expensive trip. It's hard for me to justify spending so much on one trip when there is so much of the world I haven't seen. (Although I know that the Disney name would be a good selling point for my husband, who is fairly anti-ship, if we came into a large sum of money and could afford Antarctica).


----------



## NashSmartGuy

I'm a little disappointed that they are using the Drake Passage crossing versus the fly/cruise option that some companies offer for around the same price.  I want to go to Antarctica.  I don't want to spend four days on the Drake Passage.


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

We were on a Ponant ship with A&K and they are really, really nice ships. The Ponant staff is....interesting. Some were very nice and others were not (my friend had some issues with her cabin and the Hotel Captain was extremely rude to her). 

Food on the ship was okay. Nothing great, nothing awful. If anyone in the party is a vegetarian beware -- they will be eating pasta every lunch and dinner for the entire cruise. My dd refused to eat pasta for almost a year after that trip because she was sick of it. One afternoon our waiter offered to have the chef make her a vegetarian burger, which was a mashed potato patty filled with pieces of carrots and broccoli stuffed in a hamburger bun -- hard pass on that. I will say that the freshly baked breads, french cheeses and daily soup at lunch were amazing. Towards the end of our cruise our ship ran out of fresh fruit, lettuce, yogurt and many other fresh items. I don't eat red meat and found myself ordering the daily fish, which was frozen before being prepared. I understand there's not much that they can do with food on this voyage, but something to be aware of. I'm not a drinker, but my friend said the wine selection was very good (not sure if this is included with ABD, but it was with A&K).

I will give my $0.02 on the itinerary. Not sure if I'm reading it correctly, but there are only 3 days in Antarctica? Or are there 4? That's a lot of money to spend for just 6 or 8 landings (none of which are guaranteed to take place due to weather). I was thinking we might consider this trip, but I am not interested in spending 2 days exploring Ushuaia -- that seems like a time-filler to me (I'd rather set sail and get an extra day or 2 in Antarctica); Ushuaia is a very small town and is primarily a jumping-off point for those visiting Patagonia or Antarctica. 

Any word on if internet is included? That can cost several hundred dollars if it's not. A&K didn't include it the year that we went with them, but they did the following year.

If A&K is still running an Antarctica cruise to the Falkland Islands, S. Georgia and Antarctica over Christmas and NYs I'd go with that option over the ABD itinerary due to the additional days on the ship and excursions. Six or 8 times on the Antarctica peninsula just wouldn't be enough for me. 

I do understand the draw of Disney and see they have some really nice family activities onboard, which is great. However the main draw of the cruise is the destination and IMHO they don't spend nearly enough time there.


----------



## AquaDame

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> I do understand the draw of Disney and see they have some really nice family activities onboard, which is great. However the main draw of the cruise is the destination and IMHO they don't spend nearly enough time there.



Thank you for your review and well put thoughts!


----------



## Cousin Orville

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> We were on a Ponant ship with A&K and they are really, really nice ships. The Ponant staff is....interesting. Some were very nice and others were not (my friend had some issues with her cabin and the Hotel Captain was extremely rude to her).
> 
> Food on the ship was okay. Nothing great, nothing awful. If anyone in the party is a vegetarian beware -- they will be eating pasta every lunch and dinner for the entire cruise. My dd refused to eat pasta for almost a year after that trip because she was sick of it. One afternoon our waiter offered to have the chef make her a vegetarian burger, which was a mashed potato patty filled with pieces of carrots and broccoli stuffed in a hamburger bun -- hard pass on that. I will say that the freshly baked breads, french cheeses and daily soup at lunch were amazing. Towards the end of our cruise our ship ran out of fresh fruit, lettuce, yogurt and many other fresh items. I don't eat red meat and found myself ordering the daily fish, which was frozen before being prepared. I understand there's not much that they can do with food on this voyage, but something to be aware of. I'm not a drinker, but my friend said the wine selection was very good (not sure if this is included with ABD, but it was with A&K).
> 
> I will give my $0.02 on the itinerary. Not sure if I'm reading it correctly, but there are only 3 days in Antarctica? Or are there 4? That's a lot of money to spend for just 6 or 8 landings (none of which are guaranteed to take place due to weather). I was thinking we might consider this trip, but I am not interested in spending 2 days exploring Ushuaia -- that seems like a time-filler to me (I'd rather set sail and get an extra day or 2 in Antarctica); Ushuaia is a very small town and is primarily a jumping-off point for those visiting Patagonia or Antarctica.
> 
> Any word on if internet is included? That can cost several hundred dollars if it's not. A&K didn't include it the year that we went with them, but they did the following year.
> 
> If A&K is still running an Antarctica cruise to the Falkland Islands, S. Georgia and Antarctica over Christmas and NYs I'd go with that option over the ABD itinerary due to the additional days on the ship and excursions. Six or 8 times on the Antarctica peninsula just wouldn't be enough for me.
> 
> I do understand the draw of Disney and see they have some really nice family activities onboard, which is great. However the main draw of the cruise is the destination and IMHO they don't spend nearly enough time there.



Thanks for your thoughts!  Antarctica sounds awesome.  Our youngest doesn’t quite meet the min age of 10yo.  When we’re ready we’ll have to compare Nat Geo, A&K, and ABD.


----------



## OKW Lover

I'm not likely to ever do one of these new ABD's.  They just don't appeal to me.  I'm more of a jacuzzi/hot tub kind of person.  

But addressing the price point, $12K+ per person is only the start.  The cost to fly there (we are 1st class snobs) would be pretty high as well.  I'd guess this all adds ups o $40K/couple.  Very Expensive.


----------



## KashasMom

Deleted. Added below.


----------



## KashasMom

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> We were on a Ponant ship with A&K and they are really, really nice ships. The Ponant staff is....interesting. Some were very nice and others were not (my friend had some issues with her cabin and the Hotel Captain was extremely rude to her).
> 
> Food on the ship was okay. Nothing great, nothing awful. If anyone in the party is a vegetarian beware -- they will be eating pasta every lunch and dinner for the entire cruise. My dd refused to eat pasta for almost a year after that trip because she was sick of it. One afternoon our waiter offered to have the chef make her a vegetarian burger, which was a mashed potato patty filled with pieces of carrots and broccoli stuffed in a hamburger bun -- hard pass on that. I will say that the freshly baked breads, french cheeses and daily soup at lunch were amazing. Towards the end of our cruise our ship ran out of fresh fruit, lettuce, yogurt and many other fresh items. I don't eat red meat and found myself ordering the daily fish, which was frozen before being prepared. I understand there's not much that they can do with food on this voyage, but something to be aware of. I'm not a drinker, but my friend said the wine selection was very good (not sure if this is included with ABD, but it was with A&K).
> 
> I will give my $0.02 on the itinerary. Not sure if I'm reading it correctly, but there are only 3 days in Antarctica? Or are there 4? That's a lot of money to spend for just 6 or 8 landings (none of which are guaranteed to take place due to weather). I was thinking we might consider this trip, but I am not interested in spending 2 days exploring Ushuaia -- that seems like a time-filler to me (I'd rather set sail and get an extra day or 2 in Antarctica); Ushuaia is a very small town and is primarily a jumping-off point for those visiting Patagonia or Antarctica.
> 
> Any word on if internet is included? That can cost several hundred dollars if it's not. A&K didn't include it the year that we went with them, but they did the following year.
> 
> If A&K is still running an Antarctica cruise to the Falkland Islands, S. Georgia and Antarctica over Christmas and NYs I'd go with that option over the ABD itinerary due to the additional days on the ship and excursions. Six or 8 times on the Antarctica peninsula just wouldn't be enough for me.
> 
> I do understand the draw of Disney and see they have some really nice family activities onboard, which is great. However the main draw of the cruise is the destination and IMHO they don't spend nearly enough time there.



A couple of issues for me. I agree about the amount of time - too short. And it looks like it only goes as far as the Arctic Peninsula. I'd want to go further south!

I wonder how this is going to work? You'd have to split your time on shore?

_The International Association for Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), to which all reputable Antarctic operators belong, set out a number of rules, one of the most important is that there can be no more than 100 passengers ashore at anyone one time._


As far as the Galapagos, the Ponant ship even 100 passengers is too many. Not the way I'd want to go.  Another consideration is that you have to get a COVID test 96 hours prior to arrival in Galapagos. Considering that itinerary is Day 1 Quito, Days 2-5 Amazon, Day 6 Quito, and Days 7-9 are Galapagos, I wonder how they'll handle that. 

We're booked for the Galapagos in June and right now, Ecuador is a level 4 and the 96 hours COVID test is proving to be challenging for us. This trip has been rebooked from last year and I'm thinking we might not be able to go. Oh...and I found out that masks need to be worn on any excursions on the islands. I'm all for masks if required, just wasn't expecting to wear them outside.

Edited to add: I'm researching the Galapagos mask situation and "*Masks required...on ship, on zodiacs, on inhabited islands, and even when hiking if we were close by another person. "  *Sounds like something Disney should be telling people so they can make an informed decision.


----------



## sayhello

I'm going to mention (I don't think I've seen it addressed here yet) that the ABD itinerary sails the Drake Passage on the ship (some tours fly).  This is a 2-day crossing both ways (so 4 days out of the trip) and can (and frequently does) have VERY rough weather and seas.   Anyone sensitive to sea sickness needs to be aware of what they are signing up for, and be prepared either medicinally or however you deal with such things.  I've seen reports from people who don't normally have any sea sickness issues spending the entire 2 days in bed.

https://www.antarcticaguide.com/blog/drake-passage-sea-sickness

Sayhello


----------



## andeesings

Did they just release these new ABD's, or did they extend the schedule? I'm looking to book something for summer 2022 but I don't know if this particular adventure doesn't HAVE choices for summer 2022 or they just haven't been posted yet.


----------



## Orion Nebula

EllinK said:


> New ABDs have been posted -- including Antarctica! Looks amazing. The date that would work for me unfortunately conflicts with my NZ adventure. There's always next year...



I got that in the mail yesterday it does look pretty cool (no pun intended).


----------



## Jess_S

andeesings said:


> Did they just release these new ABD's, or did they extend the schedule? I'm looking to book something for summer 2022 but I don't know if this particular adventure doesn't HAVE choices for summer 2022 or they just haven't been posted yet.


They release the cruise itineraries before the land itineraries. So, if you are looking to do a land trip in 2022, your choices will be posted later in the spring.


----------



## sayhello

andeesings said:


> Did they just release these new ABD's, or did they extend the schedule? I'm looking to book something for summer 2022 but I don't know if this particular adventure doesn't HAVE choices for summer 2022 or they just haven't been posted yet.


They just released these new ABD's yesterday.  So the dates you see are all that are available/planned at this point until next season. 

If you're looking at Antarctica, you aren't going to see any trips during our Summer, as that is the dead of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.  I've not seen any Antarctic trips outside of the November to February timeframe.

I'm assuming the Summer departures you see for the Galapagos are all they are planning on for now, but that doesn't mean they might not add more if the demand is high (they've done that recently with some really popular new itineraries like Japan and Egypt).  But I'd assume this is all you are getting for now.

Sayhello


----------



## Cousin Orville

OKW Lover said:


> I'm not likely to ever do one of these new ABD's.  They just don't appeal to me.  I'm more of a jacuzzi/hot tub kind of person.
> 
> But addressing the price point, $12K+ per person is only the start.  The cost to fly there (we are 1st class snobs) would be pretty high as well.  I'd guess this all adds ups o $40K/couple.  Very Expensive.



This is probably the first time ever that Kate was interested a trip (Antarctica) and I said "no" due to price.  We have a family of 5.  Cabins are for 2.  So, we'd probably have to pay a single supplement.  So at best, $12k x 6 = $72k before flights.  And that's assuming we could get the cheapest cabins.  Next category up... $90k.  What do we say to the god of overpriced vacations?  Not Today!


----------



## DCPhotoGal

I have been looking at this new trip... we would have to switch out NZ reservation since it is the same week.  A few things I noticed about these new trips:
1) Finally Adventure Insiders get first chance to book, even before DVC and cruise folks
2) Adventure Guide gratuities are included: "_Adventures by Disney_ has taken care of gratuities for all meals, activities and tips for porters, housekeepers, drivers, activity providers, local experts and all crew. Gratuities for your Adventure Guides are also included."

I appreciate all of the thoughts here.  Luckily we are a family of 4, with two older teen girls, so we fit nicely into the room packaging.   We had two ABDs cancelled this year, so I feel like we could splurge a little next year.  The large numbers worry me though.  Has anyone verified how many people they plan to allow?  250 people seem like a lot to manage for the excursions.


----------



## sayhello

DCPhotoGal said:


> I have been looking at this new trip... we would have to switch out NZ reservation since it is the same week.  A few things I noticed about these new trips:
> 1) Finally Adventure Insiders get first chance to book, even before DVC and cruise folks
> 2) Adventure Guide gratuities are included: "_Adventures by Disney_ has taken care of gratuities for all meals, activities and tips for porters, housekeepers, drivers, activity providers, local experts and all crew. Gratuities for your Adventure Guides are also included."
> 
> I appreciate all of the thoughts here.  Luckily we are a family of 4, with two older teen girls, so we fit nicely into the room packaging.   We had two ABDs cancelled this year, so I feel like we could splurge a little next year.  The large numbers worry me though.  Has anyone verified how many people they plan to allow?  250 people seem like a lot to manage for the excursions.


The gratuities are included for the River Cruises, also.  They do that because you have several Adventure Guides, and never know which ones will lead you on which excursions, etc, so it's just easier for them to include the gratuities in the price (because you know ABD isn't covering that) and pay all the Guides by whatever internal means they use do that sort of thing.

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

Cousin Orville said:


> This is probably the first time ever that Kate was interested a trip (Antarctica) and I said "no" due to price.  We have a family of 5.  Cabins are for 2.  So, we'd probably have to pay a single supplement.  So at best, $12k x 6 = $72k before flights.  And that's assuming we could get the cheapest cabins.  Next category up... $90k.  What do we say to the god of overpriced vacations?  Not Today!


I can't get any confirmation yet, but from what I got quoted by a TA, it looks like the single supplement may be around 50% rather than 100%.  But, again, I have no confirmation on that.  Still really expensive.  Are any of the kids old enough to be in a cabin by themselves?

Sayhello


----------



## Cousin Orville

sayhello said:


> I can't get any confirmation yet, but from what I got quoted by a TA, it looks like the single supplement may be around 50% rather than 100%.  But, again, I have no confirmation on that.  Still really expensive.  Are any of the kids old enough to be in a cabin by themselves?
> 
> Sayhello



Not sure the age requirement for being in a room/cabin without a parent.


----------



## Hannah nz

KashasMom said:


> A couple of issues for me. I agree about the amount of time - too short. And it looks like it only goes as far as the Arctic Peninsula. I'd want to go further south!
> 
> I wonder how this is going to work? You'd have to split your time on shore?
> 
> _The International Association for Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), to which all reputable Antarctic operators belong, set out a number of rules, one of the most important is that there can be no more than 100 passengers ashore at anyone one time._



To add to this I have seen some trip reports where you get 1 hour on land and it is very structured. So a lot of the time you are waiting to board a zodiac to go to land.  Also you could get a raw deal if the first landings go well but the weather changes and then your group can't land. I would never go on one boat with more than 100 passengers as I would want to be on land as much as possible.

In terms of flying rather the crossing the Drake, from my research this is not as recommended as the flight can be impacted by inclement weather, whereas the ships can alter their itinerary to go where weather is better. What happens if you can't fly in for a few days due to weather? I would check fully how flight delays and cancellations are managed. I would hate to miss out on days in Antarctica when it is so expensive. 

I have been wanting to plan a trip for ages and was in the process but thanks to the virus cruises are off the table for a while and then family plans and life gets busy. Maybe when I retire in 30 years haha!

The TripAdvisor forum was really helpful they have a lot of poster who have done many trips.


ETA: I would not want to start in Buenos Ares and tour Ushuaia, I would fly straight to Ushuaia on my own to start the cruise and have those extra days on the boat. Tierra del Fuego National Park looks amazing but not sure how much you could see in half day and if you can fly in the night before you could get a feel for Ushuaia before boarding.


----------



## sayhello

Hannah nz said:


> In terms of flying rather the crossing the Drake, from my research this is not as recommended as the flight can be impacted by inclement weather, whereas the ships can alter their itinerary to go where weather is better. What happens if you can't fly in for a few days due to weather? I would check fully how flight delays and cancellations are managed. I would hate to miss out on days in Antarctica when it is so expensive.


That's a very good point, and hadn't occurred to me.  Seems like no really good option!

Sayhello


----------



## ajw28

If you look at rates and dates, it looks like you can book parties of three.  It sounds like a party of 5 would have two rooms: one for two people and one for three people.


----------



## sayhello

ajw28 said:


> If you look at rates and dates, it looks like you can book parties of three.  It sounds like a party of 5 would have two rooms: one for two people and one for three people.


For Antarctica, the only cabins that hold more than 2 are some Suites, which hold 4.  Everything else is 2.  So you could still do 3 and 2, but the price per person for a Suite is almost twice what it is for a non-Suite, so it would cost a lot to book a Suite for 3 and a cabin for 2 people.   Like $89,805 if you got the cheapest Suite and cheapest Stateroom.  So about the same as the 3 next-up-from-cheapest cabins.  It would help with the having to have a child old enough to sail alone issue, though.

Sayhello


----------



## Mathmagicland

Something I picked up in the fine print - bold added by me - Antarctica requires a 15% deposit rather then the usual 10% deposit. From the  AbD website under pricing details below the itinerary date choices - 

AIRFARE TO AND FROM DESTINATION IS NOT INCLUDED IN OUR EXPEDITION CRUISE PACKAGE PRICES. All prices are in U.S. dollars. *Your expedition cruise package pricing, which will be confirmed once we receive your 15% of the vacation package price per person deposit,* is guaranteed at the time of booking for your party. Government fees or taxes are subject to change. Guests added to your party after the booking are priced at the prevailing rate at the time they are added. The child rate applies to Guests under 12 at the time of travel when accompanied by an adult in the same room. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. If you are traveling with children, check this trip's minimum eligibility age and recommended minimum age, which you can find in the Trip At-a-Glance and FAQs. Room configurations are subject to availability. Please see "Notes on Accommodations" for room configurations.


----------



## KashasMom

Hannah nz said:


> To add to this I have seen some trip reports where you get 1 hour on land and it is very structured. So a lot of the time you are waiting to board a zodiac to go to land.  Also you could get a raw deal if the first landings go well but the weather changes and then your group can't land. I would never go on one boat with more than 100 passengers as I would want to be on land as much as possible.
> 
> In terms of flying rather the crossing the Drake, from my research this is not as recommended as the flight can be impacted by inclement weather, whereas the ships can alter their itinerary to go where weather is better. What happens if you can't fly in for a few days due to weather? I would check fully how flight delays and cancellations are managed. I would hate to miss out on days in Antarctica when it is so expensive.
> 
> I have been wanting to plan a trip for ages and was in the process but thanks to the virus cruises are off the table for a while and then family plans and life gets busy. Maybe when I retire in 30 years haha!
> 
> The TripAdvisor forum was really helpful they have a lot of poster who have done many trips.
> 
> 
> ETA: I would not want to start in Buenos Ares and tour Ushuaia, I would fly straight to Ushuaia on my own to start the cruise and have those extra days on the boat. Tierra del Fuego National Park looks amazing but not sure how much you could see in half day and if you can fly in the night before you could get a feel for Ushuaia before boarding.



I wouldn't choose a ship with over 100 passengers either. We were booked for March 2021 but had to cancel last year due to a change of school schedule.  I'm sure we wouldn't have gone anyway (Covid).  Since we've already been to Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, we'd also want to make our own way down to Ushuaia.  I loved Ushuaia though.


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

I wanted to comment on a few points that have been raised:

WRT landings: we were divided into groups (A & B), in the morning A would go out first, then the order would switch in the afternoon (reverse order next day); each group had about 2 hours _on land _and I felt that it was enough; our time was not structured -- there were guided hikes (in varying lengths and difficulty) and those who wanted to stay around the shore and enjoy the penguins or seals were more than welcome to do so (an expedition leader would stay behind)
zodiac boarding was very swift -- the line moved extremely quickly and the ship gets quite close the land -- no time was wasted here I promise
I didn't mind being on a ship with close to 200 passengers (I think we had around 190 as A&K does not sell cabins without a balcony for Antarctica expeditions, not sure what they will do with ABD cruises); we met a good variety of people and there were good amenities; like I said above I was very happy with our time on land -- it's cold and 2 hours was perfect for us
A&K contracted out some of their expedition leaders; I would think that ABD will have to use some contract workers as I don't believe they have any staff with knowledge of Antarctica and this is required on a cruise there
I would guess that they will have ABD staff on the ship to facilitate the family activities
the Drake Passage is worthy of the chatter on it; it's a beast and to say that you have crossed it is a rite of passage; we were okay (some were affected, some were not) on the way there, but on the way back we had Drake Earthquake (25-30' swells); anyone considering this trip needs to get the meds that a physician prescribes (also available from the onboard doc) -- it saved dd and I. At least 1/3 of the staff were out and I'd say 75% of the guests were out for 2 days. It was very cool seeing those little white bags tucked under the handrails every 3'. We were on the lowest deck and we were okay, but my friend was on the 5th deck and they had things flying off the dresser, the and bathroom shelves and counters; the restaurant on the 6th deck was closed because plates and glasses were flying off the tables rendering it unsafe
if you elect to fly over the Drake Passage, be aware that as mentioned by a pp the incoming ship can be delayed by weather and you will not have the missed days added to your expedition, nor will you be refunded for the missed days
I can't stress this enough -- 6 or 8 landings is not nearly enough -- I would definitely look at options with more time in Antarctica and skip the 2 days in Ushuaia
I laughed a bit at the ABD description about seeing leopard seals -- we only saw a few and they were much further south than they are going and were quite far away!
try to book an expedition that goes through the Kodiak Channel -- it's positively breathtaking
we booked the lowest category cabin and it was perfect for us, especially when crossing the Drake on the way back; the cost increases with higher decks and I don't feel that we missed out on anything by being on the lowest deck, since we spend sea days either in lectures or in the lounge; I wouldn't hesitate to book the lowest deck again (as long as the cabin has a balcony); I had read that being in the middle of the ship helps crossing the Drake, so we secured such a cabin
I would love to go back to Antarctica and if / when I do it will most likely be an expedition that goes to the S. Pole. I am not getting on a cruise ship anytime soon, perhaps 2023 or 2024. I have been eyeing the Nat Geo Endurance but I need to be 100% certain that things are safe before I step foot on a ship.

Another thought, if someone gets very sick on the ship (I speak from experience here as we had to turn around and miss our last day in Antarctica), you are  most likely going to will turn around. With the current environment is this a risk worth taking on a journey to Antarctica (we didn't get any type of refund for the missed landing as they contract clearly states this can happen)? Something to think about before booking this very expensive and likely once-in-a-lifetime trip.

@Cousin Orville your youngest is definitely mature enough to go on this trip. The age recommendation is a guideline. There were a few families of 5 on our trip and they were in the smallest suite and a regular cabin.

Kodiak Channel (apologize for quality -- pics from my camera are too large to post)


----------



## sayhello

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> I wanted to comment on a few points that have been raised:
> 
> I didn't mind being on a ship with close to 200 passengers (I think we had around 190 as A&K does not sell cabins without a balcony for Antarctica expeditions, not sure what they will do with ABD cruises); we met a good variety of people and there were good amenities; like I said above I was very happy with our time on land -- it's cold and 2 hours was perfect for us


My guess would be the cabins without balconies would go to the Adventure Guides, as they do on the River Cruises.


*WDW*Groupie* said:


> I would guess that they will have ABD staff on the ship to facilitate the family activities


Yes, the descriptions say there will be Adventure Guides on board.  I'd assume they'll be helping lead the excursions, too, as they do on the River Cruises.


*WDW*Groupie* said:


> we booked the lowest category cabin and it was perfect for us, especially when crossing the Drake on the way back; the cost increases with higher decks and I don't feel that we missed out on anything by being on the lowest deck, since we spend sea days either in lectures or in the lounge; I wouldn't hesitate to book the lowest deck again (as long as the cabin has a balcony); I had read that being in the middle of the ship helps crossing the Drake, so we secured such a cabin


Midship and lowest deck is almost always the most stable place on a cruiseship no matter where they are sailing.


*WDW*Groupie* said:


> @Cousin Orville your youngest is definitely mature enough to go on this trip. The age recommendation is a guideline. There were a few families of 5 on our trip and they were in the smallest suite and a regular cabin.


From what I have heard, ABD is quite strict about their age limits, and the ABD trip lists 10 as the lowest age.  The *recommended* age is 12.  (Although I'm pretty sure @Cousin Orville's youngest would be more than fine at ten!)

Sayhello


----------



## DCPhotoGal

sayhello said:


> My guess would be the cabins without balconies would go to the Adventure Guides, as they do on the River Cruises.
> Yes, the descriptions say there will be Adventure Guides on board.  I'd assume they'll be helping lead the excursions, too, as they do on the River Cruises.



The cabins available to book all have balconies, so they aren't selling interior cabins.  I had my travel agent inquire about the trip size and they told us it will be capped at around 170 and the ship will be all ABD.  They are planning to stagger the excursions throughout the day so that everyone can get out twice a day.  Also, she confirmed that internet (from the room and throughout the ship) will be included.


----------



## DCPhotoGal

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> I can't stress this enough -- 6 or 8 landings is not nearly enough -- I would definitely look at options with more time in Antarctica and skip the 2 days in Ushuaia



Thanks for all of the input on this!  A few people have mentioned 2 days on the mainland, and from what I see from reading the itinerary, it's really only day one the ground.  The rest of the time is travel there and boarding the ship.  I don't think there's a lot of wasted time there.  

Having done the ABD Galapagos, I felt like we had enough landings in the islands and there was a lot of diversity there.  I am wondering what you think we might miss out on with 6-8 landings?  I don't mean that in a skeptical way, I am just genuinely curious what you see and what you might miss.  For sure if we're paying this price we'll want to do the trip right!


----------



## sayhello

DCPhotoGal said:


> The cabins available to book all have balconies, so they aren't selling interior cabins.


There are no interior cabins.  There are just 8 cabins, at the very front of the lowest deck with cabins, that have a window instead of a balcony.

Sayhello


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

DCPhotoGal said:


> Having done the ABD Galapagos, I felt like we had enough landings in the islands and there was a lot of diversity there.  I am wondering what you think we might miss out on with 6-8 landings?  I don't mean that in a skeptical way, I am just genuinely curious what you see and what you might miss.  For sure if we're paying this price we'll want to do the trip right!


It's the distance that you are missing. Each day on land is a day that you could go further south, or perhaps even have a stop in South Georgia. The topography is different in every.single.landing. So you are missing out on quite a bit. There is a lot of info available online about the length of Antarctica cruises, but I felt that for the money I was spending, I wanted to see as much as possible. It depends on what is important to you: going with ABD or going with another company for a bit longer and seeing more. I'd pick the latter without hesitation. I have been on many ABDs, so I enjoy their product as much as everyone, but this is one destination where I don't know if I'd be happy with their lack of expertise (and I sure as heck won't be going on a cruise in December, 2021, so there is time for me to change my mind!). For example, how many ABD guides can talk about the Albatross or other sea birds native to the Antarctica ocean? Or the different types of penguins and where they are found and why? There was only 1 A&K rep on the ship who couldn't speak about the region and she was their sales rep (to book future cruises).

If ABD is going to use their guides to help out on the excursions I would be hesitant. Each and every one of our expedition leaders were _extremely_ knowledgeable about the various wildlife, ecosystems and topography. Honestly this is a job best left to the experts.

With A&K we left the hotel at 6:00am, flew to Ushuaia, had lunch at a lovely hotel, did a nice hike, then boarded buses to take us to the ship. We left port around 6:00pm. IMHO this is the best way to manage the trip. We arrived back to port around 4:00pm, which allowed us time to explore Ushuaia before leaving for Buenos Aires the following morning.

Here are a few pics of South Georgia, which is very worthwhile seeing:

Baby fur seal


Thousands and thousands of penguins



This the furthest south that we sailed:


----------



## calypso726

Cousin Orville said:


> Thanks for your thoughts!  Antarctica sounds awesome.  Our youngest doesn’t quite meet the min age of 10yo.  When we’re ready we’ll have to compare Nat Geo, A&K, and ABD.



We did Antarctica two years ago with NatGeo/Lindblad on the Orion. We had children on board younger than 10 and they were fine and went on all the landings with no issues. I think the youngest child was 7 and it was his 7th continent. I'm pretty sure the age is a guideline and not requirement so your youngest would be fine. I have to say visiting Antarctica was the best trip I have ever taken. I wish ABD had offered it back then. I would love to go back to Antarctica and am currently in the process of travel hacking my way there again


----------



## lovetotravel

.


----------



## AquaDame

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> Thousands and thousands of penguins
> View attachment 550386



NGL, I almost did a spit take at the sheer number here....


----------



## sayhello

AquaDame said:


> NGL, I almost did a spit take at the sheer number here....


I agree!  That's an astounding picture!

Sayhello


----------



## pinksand

I am SO excited for this; I've wanted an ABD Antarctica trip for forever! The short time isn't a problem for me, since I can't take off a lot of time from work (when I took the S.Africa ABD in 2018, getting that much time off was...A Thing).  I'd like to do this but after I reschedule my (canceled) Disney cruise and my (canceled) Egypt ABD from last year.  I'd also much prefer an Adults Only itinerary.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I've shared this before (other options thread, maybe?), but for those of you interested in once-in-a-lifetime Antarctica cruise this one looks amazing and makes the ABD look cheap  https://www.zegrahm.com/expedition/...tarctica-south-georgia-november-2021/overview It sounds epic. I'd consider it, but Antarctica is 5-10 years away for me. I want to front load my really active trips while the 50+-year-old knees can take it. I did an amazing trip with Zeagrahm in 2019 that went to the Western Isles and the Faroes. I wouldn't hesitate to travel with them again. For expedition cruising, they were really top notch. Not for kids though so a big difference with the ABD product.


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I've shared this before (other options thread, maybe?), but for those of you interested in once-in-a-lifetime Antarctica cruise this one looks amazing and makes the ABD look cheap  https://www.zegrahm.com/expedition/...tarctica-south-georgia-november-2021/overview It sounds epic. I'd consider it, but Antarctica is 5-10 years away for me. I want to front load my really active trips while the 50+-year-old knees can take it. I did an amazing trip with Zeagrahm in 2019 that went to the Western Isles and the Faroes. I wouldn't hesitate to travel with them again. For expedition cruising, they were really top notch. Not for kids though so a big difference with the ABD product.


Is there any chance that Zegrahm uses space on a Quark Expeditions ship? I recognized the ship and it appears to be the same trip as this one. The Quark trip starts at $15,295.00 but it might include less. I have posted my thoughts on Quark on this board before, so I will just say that I would not recommend anyone travel with them.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I've shared this before (other options thread, maybe?), but for those of you interested in once-in-a-lifetime Antarctica cruise this one looks amazing and makes the ABD look cheap  https://www.zegrahm.com/expedition/...tarctica-south-georgia-november-2021/overview It sounds epic. I'd consider it, but Antarctica is 5-10 years away for me. I want to front load my really active trips while the 50+-year-old knees can take it. I did an amazing trip with Zeagrahm in 2019 that went to the Western Isles and the Faroes. I wouldn't hesitate to travel with them again. For expedition cruising, they were really top notch. Not for kids though so a big difference with the ABD product.



19 days wow! But the itinerary only allows for one day of exploring Antarctica and 3 in South Georgia on a ship that carries 172 passengers.

I'm looking at going back to Antarctica but also to include South Georgia and the Falkland Islands next time. I will go with Lindblad again because they have the itinerary I like and I'm planning to travel hack it and not pay a dime to do it  

https://www.expeditions.com/destina...alklands/dates-rates/detail?departureId=36404
I really like the itinerary, it's 23 nights with 6 days exploring Antarctica, 5 in South Georgia and 2 in the Falklands. I think you get more bang for your buck for very similar pricing. Yes, it makes ABD look downright inexpensive. We did Antarctica for my 50th becasue I wanted to be able to do it while I could physically. We both were required to provide notes from our doctors stating we were physically fit enough to go on the trip. If ABD had Antarctica as an option at the time, I would have traveled with ABD.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> Is there any chance that Zegrahm uses space on a Quark Expeditions ship? I recognized the ship and it appears to be the same trip as this one. The Quark trip starts at $15,295.00 but it might include less. I have posted my thoughts on Quark on this board before, so I will just say that I would not recommend anyone travel with them.



It does look like the same ship. I wouldn't be surprised if they are sharing. Zegrahm definitely doesn't have their own ships. I wasn't actually booked with Z when I went on the trip, it was through Stanford Alumni travel. There was also a small birdwatcher group on the ship. The Z leader on this Antarctica trip (Dan) is one of the leaders from our trip, and he was incredible. Loved their staff. 



calypso726 said:


> 19 days wow! But the itinerary only allows for one day of exploring Antarctica and 3 in South Georgia on a ship that carries 172 passengers.
> 
> I'm looking at going back to Antarctica but also to include South Georgia and the Falkland Islands next time. I will go with Lindblad again because they have the itinerary I like and I'm planning to travel hack it and not pay a dime to do it
> 
> https://www.expeditions.com/destina...alklands/dates-rates/detail?departureId=36404
> I really like the itinerary, it's 23 nights with 6 days exploring Antarctica, 5 in South Georgia and 2 in the Falklands. I think you get more bang for your buck for very similar pricing. Yes, it makes ABD look downright inexpensive. We did Antarctica for my 50th becasue I wanted to be able to do it while I could physically. We both were required to provide notes from our doctors stating we were physically fit enough to go on the trip. If ABD had Antarctica as an option at the time, I would have traveled with ABD.


That sounds like an awesome itinerary. My trip to the Isles/Faroes was really long (I think around 23 days?), and I was shocked how fast it went. We were so busy. My mom went to Antarctica right before the shut downs and loved it.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> It does look like the same ship. I wouldn't be surprised if they are sharing. Zegrahm definitely doesn't have their own ships. I wasn't actually booked with Z when I went on the trip, it was through Stanford Alumni travel. There was also a small birdwatcher group on the ship. The Z leader on this Antarctica trip (Dan) is one of the leaders from our trip, and he was incredible. Loved their staff.
> 
> 
> That sounds like an awesome itinerary. My trip to the Isles/Faroes was really long (I think around 23 days?), and I was shocked how fast it went. We were so busy. My mom went to Antarctica right before the shut downs and loved it.


 Faroes is on my list too!!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Faroes is on my list too!!


You will love it. Even more dramatic scenery than Scotland. Some of the most beautiful seascapes I've ever seen.


----------



## Mathmagicland

calypso726 said:


> I'm looking at going back to Antarctica but also to include South Georgia and the Falkland Islands next time. I will go with Lindblad again because they have the itinerary I like and I'm planning to travel hack it and not pay a dime to do it


I am constantly amazed at how you pull off your travel hacks - have fun with this one!


----------



## calypso726

Mathmagicland said:


> I am constantly amazed at how you pull off your travel hacks - have fun with this one!



Thank you   Although this one is one of my least complicated, it will be my most challenging travel hack. I gave myself 5 years as of August 2020 to have enough points in place to pull it off.


----------



## Travel60

There's another thread on this https://www.disboards.com/posts/62605967/
(Hope that worked).  I've done a Ponant cruise to Antarctica and it was beyond amazing.  I posted a long post on it.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

The December trip is now showing wait list.... my family will be spending Christmas on the Antarctic Peninsula and we are excited.  Lots of good information above on the thread, for us it came down to how much time we're really able to get away.  Fingers crossed that it's a trip of a lifetime!


----------



## Mathmagicland

2PrincesseInTow said:


> The December trip is now showing wait list.... my family will be spending Christmas on the Antarctic Peninsula and we are excited.  Lots of good information above on the thread, for us it came down to how much time we're really able to get away.  Fingers crossed that it's a trip of a lifetime!


Congrats to you!  Can’t wait for a trip report and/or some thoughts on your experiences.  

I’ll admit, I’m a bit surprised it fully booked up on the AbD advance days.   May have to rethink AbD vs other options, I’ve been doing my research on various companies, what’s included,pricing, etc.


----------



## NashvilleMama

lovetotravel said:


> Not sure I want to be on a ship until late 2022, experience sea sickness *or the Drake earthquake someone mentioned*, nor pay this price. I'd wait until there was trip reviews as well.


this right here just sealed the deal for me that I cannot handle this and would have to fly over the passage. I can't even read about that experience without having a panic attack.


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

NashvilleMama said:


> this right here just sealed the deal for me that I cannot handle this and would have to fly over the passage. I can't even read about that experience without having a panic attack.


There is medication that you can take that will really help. The trick is to take it 1 day before the ship reaches the passage (each direction). Neither dd nor I nor our friends had any issues with the passage. From talking to many passengers that were sick, they did not take the medication until we hit serious swells, which is too late. I would not let it stop you from going, it is the trip of a lifetime and I would go again in a heartbeat.


----------



## NashvilleMama

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> There is medication that you can take that will really help. The trick is to take it 1 day before the ship reaches the passage (each direction). Neither dd nor I nor our friends had any issues with the passage. From talking to many passengers that were sick, they did not take the medication until we hit serious swells, which is too late. I would not let it stop you from going, it is the trip of a lifetime and I would go again in a heartbeat.


I think I'm going to have to fly versus sailing across that passage - it sounds like that's an option but I'm just at the VERY beginning stages (obviously) of researching this trip for 2023 or 24. I have a serious fear of open water, and while I've gone on cruises (and we own a boat! LOL but on a lake) and am fine, even the smallest rocking or swells would send me into a coma. Literally can't even think about rough waters. So I will be investigating flying options.


----------



## vakamalua

Keep in mind EVERYTHING on a trip like this is weather dependent in this unpredictable part of the world, not just the two Drake's passage crossings; that includes any flight across it as well as conditions when you are along the peninsula in a smallish-is ship and making zodiac landings.  The winds can be extremely fierce.

We were lucky to have Drake's Lake instead of Drake's Shake both ways but we know folks who had many of their landings cancelled due to high winds and/or rough seas.  With the number of people who can land at any one time limited, you will spend a fair amount of time on the ship preparing for and waiting for your turn to land.  Weather conditions--wind, fog, rough seas, snow, sleet--can change in an instant throughout the day.

Just understand and be be prepared to accept that, to a certain extent, nature will dictate where you go, what you do and how you feel on this incredibly expensive trip of a lifetime.  It is a privilege to see this isolated, pristine, immense, indescribable part of the world.


----------



## KLondon

For what it's worth, my wife and I toured the Antarctica Peninsula with Tauck exactly 1 year ago today (before the world changed...). Like ABD, Tauck uses Ponant - we were on Le Boreal. We did the Drake crossing (there and back) with 5 full days exploring the Peninsula on foot and in zodiacs. I am more than happy to answer any questions anyone may have about what you can expect - including itinerary, boots, parkas, ship, logistics, guides, etc. etc.

Just FYI: We also did Galapagos a few years back with Tauck, but we were on a different (smaller) boat vs. what ABD is using there.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

KLondon said:


> For what it's worth, my wife and I toured the Antarctica Peninsula with Tauck exactly 1 year ago today (before the world changed...). Like ABD, Tauck uses Ponant - we were on Le Boreal. We did the Drake crossing (there and back) with 5 full days exploring the Peninsula on foot and in zodiacs. I am more than happy to answer any questions anyone may have about what you can expect - including itinerary, boots, parkas, ship, logistics, guides, etc. etc.



Yes, please!  Whatever information you can share would be appreciated.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

vakamalua said:


> Keep in mind EVERYTHING on a trip like this is weather dependent in this unpredictable part of the world, not just the two Drake's passage crossings; that includes any flight across it as well as conditions when you are along the peninsula in a smallish-is ship and making zodiac landings.  The winds can be extremely fierce.
> 
> We were lucky to have Drake's Lake instead of Drake's Shake both ways but we know folks who had many of their landings cancelled due to high winds and/or rough seas.  With the number of people who can land at any one time limited, you will spend a fair amount of time on the ship preparing for and waiting for your turn to land.  Weather conditions--wind, fog, rough seas, snow, sleet--can change in an instant throughout the day.
> 
> Just understand and be be prepared to accept that, to a certain extent, nature will dictate where you go, what you do and how you feel on this incredibly expensive trip of a lifetime.  It is a privilege to see this isolated, pristine, immense, indescribable part of the world.



Your photos are gorgeous!


----------



## Mathmagicland

KLondon said:


> I am more than happy to answer any questions anyone may have about what you can expect - including itinerary, boots, parkas, ship, logistics, guides, etc. etc


Thanks so much for offering to share your experiences - I’m interested in more info about clothing, supplies, & etc.  Ie the AbD site FAq under what to pack, it mandates waterproof/ wind pants & polar ear muffs and suggests things like waterproof gloves, walking stick, waterproof backpack, etc.   How much of the optional items did you bring along, best places to find these optional & mandatory items, and how did you manage the clothing with the suitcase limit of one bag of 50 lbs?


----------



## KLondon

2PrincesseInTow said:


> Yes, please! Whatever information you can share would be appreciated.



Well, I have lots of info I can share, so let me try an overview of my own experience and we can go from there 

Let me say at the top that once you are onboard, you should expect that Ponant is running the show with support from your ABD Guides. You can also expect some 'extras' for your ABD trip while on board. But when it comes to day-to-day touring (hikes, zodiacs, etc.) it is all Ponant.

*Ship *- Ponant is a French cruise-line and I would say almost half the passengers were French. Almost half were American, and then there were 'the rest of us' from elsewhere - Canada (in my case), Germany, and South Africa. The senior crew was French and the remaining crew were from all over (much like on any cruise ship). The ship itself - Le Boreal - could hold about 260 passengers, I believe, but for the Antarctica cruise they purposely do not book to capacity. So we had just over 200 passengers, and about half were with the Tauck tour. The ship is ice-class and very well-suited for Antarctic travel. We found the crew to be extremely professional, courteous, and provided great customer service. The decor and amenities were all top notch and felt high-end. We found out cabin to be spacious and really well designed. We never felt cramped, and we had ample room to hang our wet clothes to dry them out. We had a balcony and we used it quite a bit for sightseeing! I will also add that, if you have ever done a high-end river cruise, the Ponant ship feels very similar.

Here's a link that outlines the details of La Boreal: https://us.ponant.com/le-boreal

*Food *- simply outstanding! It's a French ship and you should expect some French cuisine and lots of wine. But the menu is varied (not only French) and we found something for everyone. Table service was fantastic (your wine glass is never empty!). There are a couple of restaurants and a few bars/lounges. After a long day of visiting with penguins, there was nothing better than sitting in the lounge with a panoramic view of the ship's bow while sipping cognac. If you have food allergies, etc. - the ship Chef (or designate) will actually meet with you at the beginning of the cruise to ensure they know your needs and they will 1000% accommodate (my wife has peanut issues). There are snacks in the Lounge pretty much always and the bar service excellent (this was included although there were some premium drinks offered for a cost). Snacks are also left in your cabin where there is also a mini-fridge with a good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

*Clothing *- I'm actually going to cover this in a separate post after this one. 

*Guides *- Part of the ship's crew includes Guides. There is an Expedition Leader who works directly with the captain to plan your route and all your stops. The trip will have a planned itinerary, but it can/will change depending on weather and conditions. Example - our first 2-day crossing of the Drake Passage was very calm - aka Drake Lake - so we arrived in the Peninsula almost half a day earlier than planned. Therefore, the captain and Expedition Lead decided we would go further south than planned and see some sights. You can expect a daily briefing in the ship's theatre where the Expedition Lead and Guides will explain what you saw and will be seeing. There are MANY Guides on the ship that are experienced in Antarctic travel. Ours were Canadian, American, French, Columbian, and Australian. Many of them are biologists or have a similar expertise. They were fantastic and they will become like family. They drive the zodiacs, they plan the hikes, they mark the trails, they answer your questions, they do presentations - they are there to make sure you have the adventure of your lifetime.

*Hiking/Touring* - We had at least 2 outings every day on the Peninsula. For hiking, you can expect a wet/dry landing via zodiac on mainland or an island. There will be lots of Guides and crew to help you in/out of the zodiacs. Sometimes hikes are guided, but usually Guides will have marked a trail (using flags) and they will station themselves on the trail here and there. 90 minutes to 2 hours is what you should expect with hikes varying in how strenuous they are. You will walk on broken rock and/or snow depending on where you are, and there will be hills to consider at some sites. The nice part is that you can choose not to hike the marked trail and simply walk along the beach at the landing site. Other times, you will be sitting in a zodiac touring through icebergs or other areas of interest while your Guide navigates/narrates. There are days when you might do more than 2 outings because conditions are right (that's the part about being flexible). The only optional outing (aka was an extra cost) on our trip was sea kayaking. Ponant was testing this out at the time so it was not a regular offering. My wife and I opted to do the kayaking (1 hour guided tour almost the coast with lots of ice, seals, and whales) and it was worth every penny to us - but it was very expensive. Now... all your outings are dictated by a schedule. You can expect to be assigned to a colour-coded group when you arrive onboard, and you will receive a daily ship's newsletter that includes the schedule for each colour-group - i.e. when they need to be at the zodiac loading station, etc. This all works extremely well! We never felt rushed and it never felt crowded on land (quite the opposite). Note that the schedule also ensures there are never more than 100 people on land at any time (which is Antarctic Treaty law).

*Being Bored on Ship* - You will not. Ever. Between outings, changing clothes, a bit of relaxing, and great meals, you will have a full day. There will also be entertainment (Lounge and Theatre), briefings, lectures/presentations, etc. Even on 'at sea' days you will have full days.

*Drake Passag*e - The schedule includes 2 days to cross the Drake from Ushuaia and then 2 days going back across. Our experience both ways was total 'Drake Lake' - very calm, which actually disappointed my wife and I. But it can be rough, of course - i.e. Drake Shake. We only had one instance of rough weather in the Weddell Sea. My wife and I do not get seasick, so this was not a concern. But the couple we traveled with DO get seasick so they came prepared with SeaBands, 'the patch', and medicine. One way you will know if rough weather is expected: the crew will quietly hang sickness bags along every handrail on the ship.  One thing you can expect on your initial crossing is that you will be outfitted with your boots and parka (more on this in another post). You will also attend a few briefings given by Expedition Leader and others. And you will also go through 'velcro inspection' with your Guides. Basically, any outer clothing you intend to wear that has velcro fasteners needs to be inspected and cleaned to ensure no 'foreign' plant material, etc. is brought ashore. Your Guides will help you with all of this.

*On/Off Ship* - Like any cruise, you will have a plastic ID card issued when you come aboard. When you leave ship for outings and come back aboard, your card will be scanned. You parka will have a card holder on the sleeve with a clear window for this process. When you come back aboard, you will step out of the zodiac and proceed to a boot-brushing station to clean the debris off your feet. Then you walk through a disinfectant bath to further clean your boots.

*Weather *- We were there late Jan 2020 into early Feb 2020. Most days were cloudy, but we did see the Sun on a couple of occasions. The temperature hovered around the freezing mark most days, so for a Canadian like me it was quite pleasant and bearable. There were some hikes where some of us wore our parkas open! We also had falling snow on a few days. Most landings saw bare rocky beaches, but once you walked uphill you were into deep snow. But the paths we followed on our hikes were all quite walkable.

*Wildlife and Sights *- Lots of birds. Lots of whales. Lots of seals. And lots (and I mean lots) of penguins. Where whales are concerned, we had a few occasions where whales were spotted and the ship altered course so that we could see them better (with a Guide narrating on the ship's sound system). You will not be disappointed. You will see a lot of icebergs and they are amazing. You will see hills, volcanos, rocky shorelines - much of it looking like a black-and-white photograph or a palette containing every shade of blue and white you can imagine.

My fingers are getting tired here and I suspect there are many typos!  I will be posting separately tomorrow about clothing (including boots and parkas). I've scratched the surface here and tried to avoid 'spoilers'. But let me say this... My wife and I have traveled to many places, but there are 2 that stand out as 'life-changing' in some way. Antarctica was one of them. It is very hard for me to describe, but all I can say is that it is as close to an alien world as I will ever see. It is absolutely an expensive trip - once in a lifetime for most of us -  and I would go back in a heartbeat. For what it's worth, Galapagos was the other life-changing trip (it was almost a humbling experience that made me realize I'm just another animal living on this planet).

I am happy to answer any other questions - I'm sure I've missed lots of topics here.

And many thanks if you made it this far! lol


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

KLondon said:


> Well, I have lots of info I can share, so let me try an overview of my own experience and we can go from there
> 
> Let me say at the top that once you are onboard, you should expect that Ponant is running the show with support from your ABD Guides. You can also expect some 'extras' for your ABD trip while on board. But when it comes to day-to-day touring (hikes, zodiacs, etc.) it is all Ponant.



Thank you! Thank you!  I so appreciate you taking the time to provide this information.... only 326 more days to go and I can't wait!  We traveled with AMA Waterways on an ABD Danube cruise so I'm thinking that the ABD experience may be somewhat similar.  Our trip also will have Dr. Mark Penning, VP Animals, Science and Environment for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.  His bio is amazing.  We were able to sign up for the kayaking already but one of my DD's will only be 15.75 and you need to be 16 to kayak so that is a bummer for her.  Certainly a trip of a lifetime and I would be happy to have the Drake Lake both directions..... I'm not one for ship movement but I'm just going to have to overcome it if we end up with the Drake Quake!  Galapagos is also on my list.... Again, thank you for taking the time to share your insights!  I look forward to your next installment.


----------



## Mathmagicland

KLondon said:


> I am happy to answer any other questions - I'm sure I've missed lots of topics here.


Immigration question - when you returned to Ushuaia at the end of of the cruise, did you have to go through immigration?  Or for that purpose were you considered to be in Argentina the entire time?  Thx


----------



## KLondon

Mathmagicland said:


> Immigration question - when you returned to Ushuaia at the end of of the cruise, did you have to go through immigration?  Or for that purpose were you considered to be in Argentina the entire time?  Thx



For all intents, we never really left Argentina - which I suspect is due to the fact that Argentina (along with other countries such as the UK) has an outstanding and un-exercised claim on Antarctica. So the only time we encountered immigration was landing in Buenos Aires (and leaving the same way). We spent a few wonderful days in Buenos Aires before flying to Ushuaia for the cruise.

The port at Ushuaia was very laid back (and quite small really). We were able to leave/return the ship at will. In my case, we arrived in Ushuaia, boarded the ship, and set sail for the Drake all on the same day. So we only had time for a lovely lunch and a quick visit to Tierra del Fuego that day. And the day's schedule was really determined by the ship's captain in his planning to set sail that day (based on weather, etc.)

Coming back to Ushuaia, we stayed in port one night before leaving for Buenos Aires, so we really only had that evening to spend in the town looking around, etc.


----------



## KLondon

Mathmagicland said:


> Thanks so much for offering to share your experiences - I’m interested in more info about clothing, supplies, & etc.  Ie the AbD site FAq under what to pack, it mandates waterproof/ wind pants & polar ear muffs and suggests things like waterproof gloves, walking stick, waterproof backpack, etc.   How much of the optional items did you bring along, best places to find these optional & mandatory items, and how did you manage the clothing with the suitcase limit of one bag of 50 lbs?



Clothing is an interesting subject because I tend to think way too hard about it. That is, I like to travel as light as possible but I also want to make sure I am covered for any contingency. So, yeah, I stress about it a bit. 

For starters, my wife and I each brought one suitcase like this one: https://www.eaglecreek.com/shop/whe...led-duffel-95l-30in--ec0a3xv2?variationId=281

We also brought one daypack each as carry-ons and in case we needed a day-pack when hiking (for cameras, water, etc.)

You do NOT need to bring a parka or boots. They will be supplied once you're on the ship - and you will get to keep the parka! As I recall, we had to supply a boot size (via Tauck) months prior to departure. I believe this was more about ensuring the ship was stocked appropriately. Once we set sail across the Drake, the ship's crew ran a really smooth process whereby you would get a chance to try on some boots to pick the ones you like. Likewise, there was a similar process to get you fitted for your parka. It was all done in an orderly fashion - e.g. certain times were allotted for certain ranges of cabins.

The boots are high, heavy rubber boots. At first glance they look like rubber boots that you might wear in the garden. But they are much sturdier and very comfortable. They were perfect for wearing in snow as well as climbing over jagged rock. I would recommend you wear thick-ish thermal high socks - and bring maybe 2 pairs so you have a fresh pair for each outing every day. You will have a little mat just outside your cabin were you will be keep your boots. You do not want them in your cabin just in case they pick up the aroma of penguins  At the end of your cruise, the boots will be picked up from that spot.

The parkas are orangey-red and very warm/comfy. The outside is sort of a canvas-like material that repels water while the lining is fleece - with heavy zippers and velcro'd pockets. The colour is meant to keep you visible while off the ship (Guides and crew wear similar parkas but different colours). The parka will be your to keep after the cruise.... but you need to get it home! On that point, our Tauck Guides gave us a demonstration of how to fold a parka 'into' its hood so that it looks like an oversized football. This helped with storing them in our luggage for the trip home. Some people carried them in their carry-on luggage or even wore them home. And some people just left them behind as they had no need for warm clothing where they lived. If you want to leave your parka behind, I believe the ship will take them to be distributed to a local charity.

Okay, so what do you bring?

You will want some warm, waterproof gloves, a warm hat (we call them a 'toque' in Canada, and some warm waterproof pants that you can wear over your clothes. While it's not super-cold on the Peninsula at that time of year, you will be riding in zodiacs a lot, so you will have spray sometimes and wind always. Waterproof is good! To give you an idea, these are similar to the lightweight ski pants I took: https://www.columbiasportswear.ca/e...ts-1864121.html?dwvar_1864121_color=010&pos=0

I also brought 'base-layer' clothing for being off-ship. This is basically the 21st-century version of 'long underwear'. Something like this: https://www.columbiasportswear.ca/en/c/baselayer/?prefv1=Men's&prefn1=genderGroup&cgid=baselayer

For everyday needs, I tended to keep casual - pants, light shirt, with zip-up fleece. Shoes tended to be running shoes or casual loafers. I had pants and shirts that were 'nicer' for dinner. I will note that there were a few fancy dinner nights on ship where many people (mainly French passengers) tended to get quite dressed up. But if you do not want to do that, it's no problem! You will be on an expedition cruise, and casual is just fine!

I recommend you have a waterproof bag for your cameras, etc. for zodiac touring. It's just good insurance. And always brings extra charged batteries for each outing!

We did not use a walking stick, but there were some who did.  I cannot recall if they were available on the ship. My 2 cents is that if you feel you need one, bringing a collapsible stick is probably best. You will definitely be walking on rocky, uneven, and sometimes slippery surfaces - as well as snow.

While we did bring collapsible water bottles for hiking, we never needed them. Ponant gifted each passenger with a very good re-usable water bottle that we could fill for each outing. And it was something else we had to bring home. 

I'm sure I've missed something, but these are what I think the main items will be. But if there is anything else, just ask!

*EDIT *- I meant to address kayaking! If you sign up for kayaking, you will be issued a separate set of gear which amounts to a one piece dry-suit to wear over your clothes, a lifejacket, and a pair of Crocs (the dry-suit has feet in them but they are not suitable for walking around). There is a whole process involved in get you fitted for your gear. The gear will be delivered to your cabin afterwards. And there will be an education session that teaches you how to put on your drysuit (a very clever design).


----------



## sayhello

KLondon said:


> *Ship *- Ponant is a French cruise-line and I would say almost half the passengers were French.


Just FYI, the entire ship will be ABDers (like with the River Cruises), so folks on the ABD trips won't have to worry about any "others".

As far as gearing up is concerned, this trip sounds like Iceland on Super Steroids!!  

Sayhello


----------



## Mathmagicland

KLondon said:


> For all intents, we never really left Argentina - which I suspect is due to the fact that Argentina (along with other countries such as the UK) has an outstanding and un-exercised claim on Antarctica. So the only time we encountered immigration was landing in Buenos Aires (and leaving the same way). We spent a few wonderful days in Buenos Aires before flying to Ushuaia for the cruise.





KLondon said:


> I'm sure I've missed something, but these are what I think the main items will be. But if there is anything else, just ask!


Thank you for all of this great info, very helpful!!


----------



## Mathmagicland

KLondon said:


> I am happy to answer any other questions - I'm sure I've missed lots of topics here.


Hi - a few more questions for you, please  -

-AbD suggests glove liners, did you use those?
-What sort of things did you carry in your day pack while off ship in Antarctica?
-When clothing items got wet. did they dry quickly or overnight?  Wondering if it is warm or dry enough for that.

Thanks!


----------



## KLondon

Mathmagicland said:


> Hi - a few more questions for you, please  -
> 
> -AbD suggests glove liners, did you use those?
> -What sort of things did you carry in your day pack while off ship in Antarctica?
> -When clothing items got wet. did they dry quickly or overnight?  Wondering if it is warm or dry enough for that.
> 
> Thanks!



No problem!

Glove liners - We did not use them. We simply brought warm gloves/mittens that are waterproof or at least water-resistant. I found it was mostly the zodiac rides wear warm/dry hand-wear was a necessity. When hiking on land, I often had my gloves off.

Day pack - My wife and I would share a day-pack when hiking, and we used it mainly to carry waterbottles and camera gear. And there were a number of outings where we did not bother with a pack and simply used the pockets in our parkas to carry gear.

Wet Clothing - We never had an issue with getting clothes dry in our rooms. There are large hooks at the cabin door where we could hang our parkas quite nicely. For our ski-pants, we would put them on hangers and then hook the hangers on the ventilation grill that runs along the wall near the ceiling of our cabin (many people did the same thing). Hint: bring along a handful of clothespins for this purpose. And for and smaller items, we'd just hang them on the chairs in our cabin. Everything dried quite quickly and having dry clothes was never an issue.

One thing I forgot to mention about bringing waterproof pants (e.g. ski-pants). You will definitely want something that you can pull over your boots - ideally with an elastic to seal around the boot. You do not want to be ticking your these pants into your boots. The reason: you might encounter some wet landings where the water is deeper than your boots, so keeping the pants on the outside will ensure no water gets inside. I think we only had maybe 2 such landings, but it is possible (and I we did get water in our boots lol).


----------



## Mathmagicland

KLondon said:


> No problem!
> 
> Glove liners - We did not use them. We simply brought warm gloves/mittens that are waterproof or at least water-resistant. I found it was mostly the zodiac rides wear warm/dry hand-wear was a necessity. When hiking on land, I often had my gloves off.
> 
> Day pack - My wife and I would share a day-pack when hiking, and we used it mainly to carry waterbottles and camera gear. And there were a number of outings where we did not bother with a pack and simply used the pockets in our parkas to carry gear.
> 
> Wet Clothing - We never had an issue with getting clothes dry in our rooms. There are large hooks at the cabin door where we could hang our parkas quite nicely. For our ski-pants, we would put them on hangers and then hook the hangers on the ventilation grill that runs along the wall near the ceiling of our cabin (many people did the same thing). Hint: bring along a handful of clothespins for this purpose. And for and smaller items, we'd just hang them on the chairs in our cabin. Everything dried quite quickly and having dry clothes was never an issue.
> 
> One thing I forgot to mention about bringing waterproof pants (e.g. ski-pants). You will definitely want something that you can pull over your boots - ideally with an elastic to seal around the boot. You do not want to be ticking your these pants into your boots. The reason: you might encounter some wet landings where the water is deeper than your boots, so keeping the pants on the outside will ensure no water gets inside. I think we only had maybe 2 such landings, but it is possible (and I we did get water in our boots lol).


Thanks so much for helping and sharing your experiences!  It is so helpful.


----------



## Mathmagicland

FYI from the Disney Cruise Line a Blog - third Antarctica sailing is being added, for February 20.  AbD is contacting wait list folks now, will be open to the public on Thursday March 4.


----------



## Scott H

Thanks to KLondon for the info, good stuff. We are booked on January trip using DVC points, as South Africa canceled (SA would have been a return trip). This trip will be our return to "The Ice" , first was a few years back with Nat Geo.  I was somewhat reluctant to return with ABD as our Nat Geo experience was beyond great excellent etc etc.   That said the more I research this trip the better I feel about going with ABD for a return. 

With Nat Geo our Parka was a shell with a zip in liner.  I wonder if this will be similar. KLondon what say you  Thanks  We have our own boots (we live in WY and travel to Ice and Cold, Svalbard, Greenland, and a whole lot to Iceland) but will prob opt to use theirs to save space. Will see about the boots, They do use Boggs a good boot.

As a photographer I like the fingerless gloves with a mitten over flap. These are worn inside a waterproof mitt.

For expedition ship travel we use a duffel. The best duffel out the is made by BAD (Best American Duffel) Bags. They used to make a roller duffel and we do like those. We are also big fans of Ebags the Motherload series ( nice for Europe rail travel)

KLondon another question, how is the luggage storage in the room? 

I hope they  provide CV's for the Naturalists and Crew, that would be nice. In my  many days gone by I was a Nation Park Service Ranger and Tour Guide.

We use a drybag back pack and I also use a waterproof (dry zipper etc) dry camera bag. 

I also wonder if they will have Shackleton Whiskey on board?

Should be a good trip, and if one prepares even better.


----------



## KLondon

Apologies for not replyng sooner!


Scott H said:


> Thanks to KLondon for the info, good stuff.


My pleasure!


Scott H said:


> With Nat Geo our Parka was a shell with a zip in liner.  I wonder if this will be similar. KLondon what say you  Thanks  We have our own boots (we live in WY and travel to Ice and Cold, Svalbard, Greenland, and a whole lot to Iceland) but will prob opt to use theirs to save space. Will see about the boots, They do use Boggs a good boot.


The Ponant parka is a bit more substantial, I think. The liner does not zip out. The shell is a very heavy nylon material (almost canvas-like) that is water-repellent. The inside is heavy fleece. There is a heavy metal zipper up the front with a flap over the zipper held down by velcro. There are outer and inner pockets as well as a pouch on one arm to hold your ship card. We found the parka very warm (almost too warm on a few occasions).

As for boots... I was a little bit worried what to expect from the Ponant boots. Living in a northern climate, I'm probably a bit particular about winter boots. As well, I believe Ponant prefers that you you use their boots since they have been selected specifically for polar use.  But we were very pleasantly surprised by the boots we were provided - very rugged and very comfortable.


Scott H said:


> KLondon another question, how is the luggage storage in the room?


There was ample storage in the room for all of our gear. Our luggage fit quite nicely under the bed, and there was lots of space in cupboards shelves, and corners for daypacks, camera gear, etc. etc.


Scott H said:


> I also wonder if they will have Shackleton Whiskey on board?


I am embarrassed to say that I cannot answer this question. But I can say, based on my own research, the lounges are very well-stocked 


Scott H said:


> Should be a good trip, and if one prepares even better.


Amen, brother.


----------



## Scott H

Thanks So Much for the reply, 



KLondon said:


> The Ponant parka is a bit more substantial, I think. The liner does not zip out. The shell is a very heavy nylon material (almost canvas-like) that is water-repellent. The inside is heavy fleece. There is a heavy metal zipper up the front with a flap over the zipper held down by velcro. There are outer and inner pockets as well as a pouch on one arm to hold your ship card. We found the parka very warm (almost too warm on a few occasions).





  I found the Lindblad / Nat Geo to be  a very high quality parka. Surprised at the Metal Zipper, rare these days, especially for cold weather gear.  Ponant Parka, just guessing will be a tad warm for me, The Lindblad parka was way to warm for me. So great to know.

Good to hear about their boots, ( I hear ya on being picky on boots) our choice for cold and wet environments is the  Muck Boots Arctic Sport. Prob save some weight and use theirs. Maybe, LOL

Great to know about luggage storage, I did read a review where they complained there was no under the bed storage.  Thanks Much.  Other reviews on Ponant stateroom indicate a lack of electrical outlets (only 2 - a US 110 and a 220).  

What? I see no mention of a Polar Plunge, we are veterans of Both Antarctic and Arctic swims. The Arctic seemed warmer. 

Thanks so much for the first hand info.


----------



## Mathmagicland

Scott H said:


> I also wonder if they will have Shackleton Whiskey on board?


If you’d like a bottle...- 

https://www.explorersauction.org/lite-ui/?controller=lots&action=showLot&id=22


----------



## Scott H

Mathmagicland said:


> If you’d like a bottle...-
> 
> https://www.explorersauction.org/lite-ui/?controller=lots&action=showLot&id=22


 Thanks, I am good for now. 1/2 bottle in the camper just in case of a Snow Snake bite


----------



## drewmisha

Any word from ABD about the Antarctica trip in late December this year going as scheduled? 

Pay in full is due on 8/22...


----------



## llachance

Any update from those that have paid in full dates in August.  I just got my email about mine being due at the end of September but since you can't got to Argentina without being in quarantine for 14 days it makes it a bit difficult to get there.


----------



## vitacura

I am booked on the late January sailing with final payment coming up in early October. I have spoken a couple of times with ABD and I am told it's sailing as planned. This is my first ABD trip and if I read the confirmation email correctly, If I cancel, I forfeit the $5k deposit. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I also see the third sailing they had added, to sail in February, has disappeared from the website as well.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

vitacura said:


> I am booked on the late January sailing with final payment coming up in early October. I have spoken a couple of times with ABD and I am told it's sailing as planned. This is my first ABD trip and if I read the confirmation email correctly, If I cancel, I forfeit the $5k deposit. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
> 
> I also see the third sailing they had added, to sail in February, has disappeared from the website as well.


Wow, such a bummer.  You can try ask ABD to wave the deposit rules under the circumstances, but for the most part they haven't been doing that. I'm surprised they haven't pushed the PIF date back. You could also try asking about that. But you might have to play a very expensive game of chicken with them (i.e. paying in full and waiting for them to eventually cancel--IF they cancel). But you'd need to be prepared to go. If you don't want to go, and they won't wave the deposit rules, I'm not sure there is much else you can do. Maybe someone else has an idea? You could try pleading your case to the current head of ABD (?) in an email and hoping they make an exception.


----------



## Mathmagicland

vitacura said:


> I am booked on the late January sailing with final payment coming up in early October. I have spoken a couple of times with ABD and I am told it's sailing as planned. This is my first ABD trip and if I read the confirmation email correctly, If I cancel, I forfeit the $5k deposit. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
> 
> I also see the third sailing they had added, to sail in February, has disappeared from the website as well.


AbD was not selling the usual insurance for the Expedition cruises.  Did you get the insurance through their third party?  If so, did you get the Cancel for Any Reason policy?  That might be an option for you to explore to get your deposit back if you don’t want to travel in January and don’t want to play the AbD waiting game.


----------



## vitacura

Thank you for the ideas. I do wish to go, this is a bucket list vacation for sure. But things aren't looking good and the trip is less than four months away. I will reach back out to ABD later this month and see if I have any other options.
I have purchased travel insurance and did look at the cancel for any reason add on but it doubled the policy amount as it was a 100% premium add on, so I chose not to get it. If the trip gets canceled or I transfer the funds to another trip, the insurance policy will transfer as well, so that's good.

Time will tell..


----------



## llachance

We are on the late January trip as well - a bucket list trip.  I know the insurance for this vacation was pretty expensive but will have to look at my policy.  I am pretty sure I bought cancel for any reason.  I also have the Buenos Aires pre-cruise add on so I am about to have a significant amount of money tied up!  That said I am keeping my fingers crossed that this trip will go.  Maybe I will go troll the Pontant sites since it is their ship we will be boarding.  Paid in full should have already happened for the first expedition that was planned.


----------



## llachance

Just looked at the Pontant Web site and they don't show any of their expeditions for this winter cancelled, at this point.  Just need to know how to get there when you have to quarantine - at the moment.  Any update yet from those that are supposed to sail in December.


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

llachance said:


> Just looked at the Pontant Web site and they don't show any of their expeditions for this winter cancelled, at this point.  Just need to know how to get there when you have to quarantine - at the moment.  Any update yet from those that are supposed to sail in December.


Hopefully they don't do what Quark Expeditions did -- which is to not 'cancel' their Arctic and Antarctica cruises, but rather 'reschedule' them for 2023. Obviously they did this so that they wouldn't have to refund any money. I doubt any other company is as slimy and unethical as Quark though. LePonant seems to be a big massive step above them.

While I hope that the ABD cruises take place, having been to Antarctica and witnessed not 1, but 2, medical evacuations, I can say with absolute certainty that one of the last places on the earth that you want to get sick is in Antarctica. It took us almost 3 full days to get from the Antarctica peninsula to a Chilean airbase so the patients could be taken to land (via Zodiacs in 4 foot waves) in a blinding snowstorm and flown to Chile for medical treatment. Also note there are only 2 beds and 1 doctor (at least when we went -- maybe they have added another doctor now) in the LePonant infirmary. I would hope that people take the current situation very seriously and also that those that do go have _at least_ $1M in medical evacuation coverage.


----------



## llachance

So made my final payment today for the 4 days pre-cruise in Buenos Aires and final payment is due on Saturday for the expedition.  Anyone else on board with my husband and I?


----------



## Mathmagicland

While the Dept of State still currently has Argentina at Level 4: Do Not Travel, Argentina has said they will open to fully vaccinated international travelers on November 1.  Maybe there’s a sliver of hope for these cruises to happen…

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/pandemic-travel-news-japan-australia-argentina/index.html


----------



## llachance

Hope it goes because ABD has my money


----------



## vitacura

We have PIF for the January sailing as well. I just noticed that 3 categories are now available. The news of Argentina opening up for travelers gave me hope that we may actually sail!


----------



## Mathmagicland

vitacura said:


> We have PIF for the January sailing as well. I just noticed that 3 categories are now available. The news of Argentina opening up for travelers gave me hope that we may actually sail!


Interesting, as it’s been showing sold out for a couple of months.  Guess some did not want to make that final payment, or else maybe AbD is a little more confident & opened up remaining cabins?


----------



## llachance

I am thinking that folks didn't want to let ABD have the PIF amount with no guarantees.  It was tough to pull the plug but since my husband and I really want to make the trip we will keep our fingers crossed.  Looking forward to meeting new friends on this trip.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

My flight for Buenos Aires is scheduled to leave 60 days from today… I sure hope that it does!

I thought I remembered reading that we needed a medical clearance prior to the expedition. Does anyone else recall that and if so, have you received anything from ABD about it?


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

My friend's kids are scheduled to go to Antarctica with her ex over Christmas and so far their trip is going as scheduled. They are booked on Nat Geo. She needs the trip to go because she booked a trip to Jamaica with her bf while they are away!


----------



## Mathmagicland

2PrincesseInTow said:


> My flight for Buenos Aires is scheduled to leave 60 days from today… I sure hope that it does!
> 
> I thought I remembered reading that we needed a medical clearance prior to the expedition. Does anyone else recall that and if so, have you received anything from ABD about it?



Oh the AbD website, for these expeditions, under FAQs, right side of the list. Tenth one down is about the required medical certificate; it says info will be emailed approx 90 days ahead of departure. 

https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/...rctica-patagonia-expedition-cruise/tips-faqs/


----------



## Mathmagicland

Disney will have its own requirements and comfort levels on AbD trips…but in looking at the Ponant site and their list of confirmed and cancelled sailings through the end of December 2021, several Antarctica departures have been confirmed as going to sail..

Scroll right on this doc on their website. Their first few Antarctica sailings are included starting on the third page.

https://fr.calameo.com/read/000132423cf461dcaf716?authid=BIZNrwBnxZY5
The Boreal, AbD December sailing- confirmed for November 14 and December 7 Antarctica sailings based in port info, however the December 31 sailing which is the one after the AbD sailing shows as cancelled.  Their website shows the Boreal still taking bookings for an early January departure.

The Lyrial, AbD January sailing -confirmed November 12 sailing which will arrive in Ushuaia, no other sailings showing up yet either way. The first Lyrial sailing I find from Ushuaia is the January 20, 2022 departure which still shows on their website as available for booking but status not yet confirmed or cancelled. That is the sailing before the AbD January departure.

Other ships  in their fleet sailing Antarctica- six other confirmed Ushuaia departures in November and December on two different ships.

No other cancellations showing yet for any Ushuaia departures except the one December 31 sailing. No January sailings yet updated on this list. And Ponant site says they will give at least 30 days notice so my guess is some sailings are still TBD. However, it is encouraging from a ship provider perspective that several Ponant Antarctica sailings have been confirmed as going in 2021.


----------



## llachance

Looks like we can fly in beginning November 1st.   

U.S. citizens will be allowed to enter Argentina as from November 1, 2021 and will be excepted from quarantine so long as they have been fully vaccinated and the second dose has been given 14 days before arrival in Argentina. Argentine Authorities will require evidence of vaccination. See the Government Order here.

A negative COVID-19 PCR test administered no more than 72 hours prior to departure is required for all arriving international travelers. Upon arrival all passengers will be required to undergo a COVID-19 PCR test administered by local health officials.  The site also talks about a test at 5-7 days but I don't know what that means for those going on the cruise.  I am sure there will be further instructions forth coming.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Mathmagicland said:


> Oh the AbD website, for these expeditions, under FAQs, right side of the list. Tenth one down is about the required medical certificate; it says info will be emailed approx 90 days ahead of departure.
> 
> https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/...rctica-patagonia-expedition-cruise/tips-faqs/



We are 57 days out and haven’t received anything. I’m going to call in the morning.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

I called ABD this morning regarding the health form.  The Vacationista, after checking with her team, told me that Ponant is creating an online system for health forms and uploading.  "If" this causes forms not to be available in time for the 45 day submission requirement, the deadline will be extended.  Well, I'm pretty sure that we need to extend that deadline...   Vacationista told me we have a little time yet, um yes, but I need to get 4 people to the doctor so I need the form more than a day or two prior to the deadline.    Just trying to roll with it in these crazy times.


----------



## llachance

So after working really hard to fly directly to Buenos Aires it is not to be, unless it changes again.  AA rerouted me  through Miami.  DFW-MIA-EZE.  However in their infinite wisdom only gave me an hour between flights - not in Miami even on a good day is that possible.  So called and changed to earlier DFW-MIA flight and then an earlier MIA-EZE flight but with a couple of hours between flights so if there is an issue we hopefully will be ok.  The US Customs site talks about vaccine protocols and testing to fly into the country.  Haven't received anything from the ABD in terms of health forms but will be happy if they can be uploaded. We aren't quite 90 days out yet


----------



## Mathmagicland

Argentina has reopened to tourists-  

https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/argentina-opening


----------



## llachance

I had been told November 1st.  Now want my direct flight back - not sure that will happen though unfortunately.  Less then 90 days away at this point  Wish I had more information about what's coming up.  I know it will be a great time.


----------



## teruterubouzu

It's neat to see that former Imagineer Joe Rohde will be hosting one of these cruises in 2023.


__
		http://instagr.am/p/CV0qofmPUhd/


----------



## sayhello

teruterubouzu said:


> It's neat to see that former Imagineer Joe Rohde will be hosting one of these cruises in 2023.
> 
> 
> __
> http://instagr.am/p/CV0qofmPUhd/


He's doing the July 2023 Arctic Expedition cruise.

*Storytelling with Joe Rohde (July 2023 Sailing Only):* Join special Guest Joe Rohde for an engaging session filled with amazing tales from a storied 40-year career at Walt Disney Imagineering and how his passion for nature and conservation has influenced the concepts and designs of his projects around the world. You'll also get insightful tips on how to embody your emotions as you capture your experiences in sketches. Learn more about Joe Rohde**

**J_oe Rohde recently retired from a 40-year career with Walt Disney Imagineering. During that time he was a pivotal figure in the development of Disney's Animal Kingdom and Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawai‘i, as well as many other projects around the world. He was part of the original design team for the Norway Pavilion at EPCOT, art directing the concept design of the ride, Maelstrom. His last large project was Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which opened the same year as another of his projects, Villages Nature, an eco-resort adjacent to Disneyland Paris.

 Joe's work has always been characterized by high levels of authenticity based on extensive field research. He was instrumental in the creation of the Disney Conservation Fund, which has raised over $100 million for missions worldwide. Joe regularly lectures on design, art history, and conservation and has spoken at TED, NASA, SIGGRAPH, and many other venues. He is an award-winning member of the Explorers Club and carries a large collection of indigenous earrings in his left ear as souvenirs of his many adventures. For fun, he paints and creates art history singalongs for his Instagram account which boasts over 95,000 followers._

*Please note:* Itinerary, activities and special onboard Guests may vary and are subject to change or cancellation and will be confirmed in the daily shipboard program.
https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/...cruise/daily-itinerary/#!shipboard-activities

The good news is, they don't appear to be charging any more for the July departure than they are for the June departure.

Sayhello


----------



## Grifdog22

Take a look at the postings on ABC Good Morning America today.  They are on a National Geo Expedition with Lindinblad in Drake Passage.  They have drones also filming the ship.  Great reporting and pretty impressive seeing footage of 30 foot waves and their explanation of the Drake Passage is impressive.


----------



## sayhello

Grifdog22 said:


> Take a look at the postings on ABC Good Morning America today.  They are on a National Geo Expedition with Lindinblad in Drake Passage.  They have drones also filming the ship.  Great reporting and pretty impressive seeing footage of 30 foot waves and their explanation of the Drake Passage is impressive.


Are they online somewhere?

Sayhello


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Grifdog22 said:


> Take a look at the postings on ABC Good Morning America today.  They are on a National Geo Expedition with Lindinblad in Drake Passage.  They have drones also filming the ship.  Great reporting and pretty impressive seeing footage of 30 foot waves and their explanation of the Drake Passage is impressive.


Thank you so much for posting this!  Watched all of the clips and it's getting me very excited for our trip!


----------



## vitacura

Latest update I received on our 1/30 trip from AbD this evening. Some key points:

Sailing as planned with one change, the excursions in Ushuaia have been cancelled and the ship is now sailing on the evening of day 2 instead of day 3. This will add a fifth day in the Antarctic Peninsula with morning and afternoon excursion, sweet!

Negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure for our entrance into Argentina, Antigen test on Day 2 prior to boarding the ship (no cost to us) and Negative PCR test (no cost to us) for our return trip home.

Guests must be vaccinated and face coverings will be required in public areas of the ship except when eating, drinking, swimming or outdoors where social distancing is possible.

We will have to complete a health assessment online and submit within 24 hours of departure.


----------



## NYgent845

sayhello said:


> I'm assuming these are actually re-worked National Geographic trips, since Disney owns NatGeo now.  Interesting!
> 
> Sayhello


very interesting


----------



## Mathmagicland

Are you on 


vitacura said:


> Latest update I received on our 1/30 trip from AbD this evening. Some key points:
> 
> Sailing as planned with one change, the excursions in Ushuaia have been cancelled and the ship is now sailing on the evening of day 2 instead of day 3. This will add a fifth day in the Antarctic Peninsula with morning and afternoon excursion, sweet!
> 
> Negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure for our entrance into Argentina, Antigen test on Day 2 prior to boarding the ship (no cost to us) and Negative PCR test (no cost to us) for our return trip home.
> 
> Guests must be vaccinated and face coverings will be required in public areas of the ship except when eating, drinking, swimming or outdoors where social distancing is possible.
> 
> We will have to complete a health assessment online and submit within 24 hours of departure.


Are you on the December or January sailing?


----------



## llachance

Thanks for the  Antarctica update.  My  TA called me yesterday with the details and forwarded me the letter he received this morning.  My husband and I are fully vaccinated and have had our boosters so that was easy.  I appreciate the extra time in the Antarctic so that is good.  Looking forward to the pre vacation in Buenos Aires as well.  We sail at the end of January - have to be in Buenos Aires on the 28th for the 4 day pre trip.  I am looking forward to it.  Hopefully American won't change my flights again


----------



## vitacura

Mathmagicland said:


> Are you on the December or January sailing?



January


----------



## OhhBother

So excited for those of you who will soon be embarking on this journey. My DH and I sailed to Antarctica with Hurtigruten in February/March 2020 - we were one of the last sailings before the pandemic.

Antarctica is spellbinding, exhilarating, life-changing. We’re already planning a second visit.

If you have any questions about visiting Antarctica,   I’ll be happy to share my experiences - everything from what we wore and didn’t wear to surviving the Drake Shake to preparing for the smell of penguin colonies. It truly is a place unlike any other. I can’t wait to go back.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Just discussing with my DH the whole what do we need to pack!  So, what did you and didn’t you wear?  Whatever information you can share I’d love to learn!  Thank you so much!


----------



## Mathmagicland

OhhBother said:


> So excited for those of you who will soon be embarking on this journey. My DH and I sailed to Antarctica with Hurtigruten in February/March 2020 - we were one of the last sailings before the pandemic.
> 
> Antarctica is spellbinding, exhilarating, life-changing. We’re already planning a second visit.
> 
> If you have any questions about visiting Antarctica,   I’ll be happy to share my experiences - everything from what we wore and didn’t wear to surviving the Drake Shake to preparing for the smell of penguin colonies. It truly is a place unlike any other. I can’t wait to go back.


Thanks- pls share about Drake passage and the penguin colonies smell, along with what you found you didn’t wear or need and what you wish you’d brought along but hadn’t. .Thanks!


----------



## OhhBother

I’ll do my best to share useful info. When we were planning our trip, I scoured the Internet to find trip reports wherever I could dig them up. But there’s just not a tremendous amount of detailed information out there. So here goes…

Packing tips

First, our cruise went from Ushuaia to Antarctica and back - no Falklands. So that informs some of my packing advice. For instance, we both packed heavy boots and never wore them. On the ship, we most often wore sneakers we could quickly pull on and run around in. And, of course, on land we wore the supplied muck boots. There was zero need for my own boots.

As for clothes, we both packed too much. Our daily go-to outfit ended up consisting of: base layer of Merino wool (very important) followed by sweatpants and a sweatshirt topped with waterproof pants and a jacket. For zodiac cruising, I’d wear my “puffy coat” topped with the supplied jacket from Hurtigruten. But for hiking on land, I left the puffy jacket on the ship. It just wasn’t needed. I can’t tell you how many photos we have where we’ve removed our coats entirely and are walking around just in sweatshirts. When it’s mid-30s and sunny with no wind, you’re plenty warm in Merino wool and a sweatshirt.

I packed two sets of the Merino base layer for each of us, and we definitely needed that. I also packed two pairs of waterproof pants for both of us. We could have done with one pair each, but it was nice to have two. And here’s why…

After your third day or so surrounded by thousands of penguins, you notice the smell clings to your outwear. The supplied jacket, waterproof pants and muck boots got the worst of it. It was nice to have two pairs of pants so that we could rinse them well and let them dry to help with the smell. Pro tip - we left our muck boots in the hall right outside our room when we weren’t using them. The smell definitely sticks to them.

We also both relied on balaclavas at times on the Zodiac. Sometimes, we didn’t need them. But when you’re zipping through the wind and snow is blowing into your face, it feels good to have that cover over you.

Things I didn’t need: special polarized sunglasses - bought them and never wore them; tons of special camera equipment - mostly used our iPhones and Canon and got spectacular photos; expensive outer gloves - wore them once and then  relied on normal weight gloves and silk glove liners  (these were great on the Zodiac for picture taking while keeping something on your hand).

Packing really does come down to layering. If you get the base layer right, that will go a long way toward keeping you warm. And if your trip is like ours, you’ll find it’s very rarely frigid. It can be really cold on the zodiacs and on open deck when the ship is moving, but when you’re hiking around, we found it mostly pleasant.

Off to bed for now. I’ll do another post tomorrow with info on surviving the Drake. And I’ll share some of my favorite memories. You are going to love this trip so much!


----------



## llachance

OhhBother said:


> I’ll do my best to share useful info. When we were planning our trip, I scoured the Internet to find trip reports wherever I could dig them up. But there’s just not a tremendous amount of detailed information out there. So here goes…
> 
> Packing tips
> 
> First, our cruise went from Ushuaia to Antarctica and back - no Falklands. So that informs some of my packing advice. For instance, we both packed heavy boots and never wore them. On the ship, we most often wore sneakers we could quickly pull on and run around in. And, of course, on land we wore the supplied muck boots. There was zero need for my own boots.
> 
> As for clothes, we both packed too much. Our daily go-to outfit ended up consisting of: base layer of Merino wool (very important) followed by sweatpants and a sweatshirt topped with waterproof pants and a jacket. For zodiac cruising, I’d wear my “puffy coat” topped with the supplied jacket from Hurtigruten. But for hiking on land, I left the puffy jacket on the ship. It just wasn’t needed. I can’t tell you how many photos we have where we’ve removed our coats entirely and are walking around just in sweatshirts. When it’s mid-30s and sunny with no wind, you’re plenty warm in Merino wool and a sweatshirt.
> 
> I packed two sets of the Merino base layer for each of us, and we definitely needed that. I also packed two pairs of waterproof pants for both of us. We could have done with one pair each, but it was nice to have two. And here’s why…
> 
> After your third day or so surrounded by thousands of penguins, you notice the smell clings to your outwear. The supplied jacket, waterproof pants and muck boots got the worst of it. It was nice to have two pairs of pants so that we could rinse them well and let them dry to help with the smell. Pro tip - we left our muck boots in the hall right outside our room when we weren’t using them. The smell definitely sticks to them.
> 
> We also both relied on balaclavas at times on the Zodiac. Sometimes, we didn’t need them. But when you’re zipping through the wind and snow is blowing into your face, it feels good to have that cover over you.
> 
> Things I didn’t need: special polarized sunglasses - bought them and never wore them; tons of special camera equipment - mostly used our iPhones and Canon and got spectacular photos; expensive outer gloves - wore them once and then  relied on normal weight gloves and silk glove liners  (these were great on the Zodiac for picture taking while keeping something on your hand).
> 
> Packing really does come down to layering. If you get the base layer right, that will go a long way toward keeping you warm. And if your trip is like ours, you’ll find it’s very rarely frigid. It can be really cold on the zodiacs and on open deck when the ship is moving, but when you’re hiking around, we found it mostly pleasant.
> 
> Off to bed for now. I’ll do another post tomorrow with info on surviving the Drake. And I’ll share some of my favorite memories. You are going to love this trip so much!




Thank you so much for sharing.  I have been having a lot of back and forth thoughts too!  Glad to have someone who has been there to read the information.


----------



## Grifdog22

llachance said:


> Thank you so much for sharing.  I have been having a lot of back and forth thoughts too!  Glad to have someone who has been there to read the information.


You might take a look at Duluth for some of your outerwear gear.  We used this on our winter expeditions in Manitoba Canada up near Bissett where it was a lot of different changing conditions.  They have a line called Alaska hard gear.  I found their gear to be well designed, durable and it does what they say it will do.  Good luck and enjoy - wish I were going with you, but we already have two (continued multiple times) ABD trips in the hopper.


----------



## Vetinari

Hello, world!  Our family is scheduled for the December 20 cruise, and I just noticed that ABD’s health protocol page differs from the email guidance we received last week.  In addition to the PCR test required prior to entering Argentina, the site states that a PCR test must be taken within 72 hours of *boarding.  *Also, the Antarctica cruise includes a second antigen test on Day 2.

Do we think this is older guidance that has been superseded by the email?


----------



## sayhello

Vetinari said:


> Hello, world!  Our family is scheduled for the December 20 cruise, and I just noticed that ABD’s health protocol page differs from the email guidance we received last week.  In addition to the PCR test required prior to entering Argentina, the site states that a PCR test must be taken within 72 hours of *boarding.  *Also, the Antarctica cruise includes a second antigen test on Day 2.
> 
> Do we think this is older guidance that has been superseded by the email?


I'd call ABD to make sure, but my assumption would be that the email is more current than the website.

Sayhello


----------



## OhhBother

More thoughts from someone who’s been there…

The Drake Passage
On the way to Antarctica, we got the full effects of the Drake Shake. I’m not normally prone to sea sickness, but I didn’t get out of bed for a day and a half. As long as I laid still, I was generally OK. But with 30-foot seas and howling wind, it was just too hard for me to be up and about. I skipped meals and everything - my husband (who handled it somewhat better than I did) brought me crackers to the room. That’s all the food I wanted.  I found the thing that best kept motion sickness at bay was a Reliefband, which uses electrical impulses on your wrist to prevent nausea. It was a little expensive but worth it. On the return trip, we had a much calmer crossing - not quite the Drake Lake but tolerable.

The penguin smell
We went end of season (late February), so your experience may be different than ours. Those penguins are a stinky bunch! We soon learned a dab of Vicks under the nose helped a lot. And once you are out among the penguins for a few minutes, your nose adjusts. Plus, you just stop caring because you’re surrounded by penguins all around. They literally come right up to you. They’re so curious and unafraid. I had more than one peck my leg and my boot.  We saw adele, chinstrap and gentoo. The chinstraps were my favorite - so adorable!

Wildlife
No matter how much you look at photos, nothing can prepare you for being there. The animals are just so close. A couple of my favorite memories…
- The ship was stopped for the day. We were back on deck after completing our two outings (land and zodiac). As my husband and I stood on the back of the ship and looked out over an endless parade of icebergs, we were suddenly surrounded by more than 20 humpback whales. There were maybe 10 people out on deck total, and we all just stood silently. All you could hear was ice cracking and the sound of whales breathing. I hope I never forget that sound - it was otherworldly.
- On a snowy afternoon, we were ashore for a hiking excursion. Snow was pouring down, and I’m not the steadiest person on my feet. So I stayed on flat land while my husband and others hiked to the top of a hill. There were three other people who stayed at the bottom with me. As we stood there right at the edge of a cove filled with icebergs, suddenly an orca surfaced in shallow water no more than 10 feet from us. The water was so shallow the whale was on its side - almost surfing through the water clearly in search of a meal. I’ve never been so close to such a powerful animal in the wild. It left us all speechless. It was a perfect example of how Antarctica surprises you - those of us who didn’t make the long climb were rewarded with the most spectacular experience of the day.

The brutality of nature is on full display in Antarctica. We had an up-close view of a leopard seal devouring a gentoo, and you quickly get used to finding penguin skeletons on the ground as you hike. But we also got to see the sweetest part of nature - adult penguins feeding their chicks. I loved watching those fuzzy chicks endlessly chasing their parents around begging for a regurgitated meal. 

Everything about Antarctica is just so wild, so undisturbed. I found it incredibly humbling to realize how small we are in this vast world. We’ve traveled extensively, and Antarctica is, without question, the best trip we’ve ever taken. It changes you, and it’s absolutely addictive. We’re already planning a return trip.

Just let me know any questions you have, and I’ll do my best to answer.


----------



## Mathmagicland

Vetinari said:


> Hello, world!  Our family is scheduled for the December 20 cruise, and I just noticed that ABD’s health protocol page differs from the email guidance we received last week.  In addition to the PCR test required prior to entering Argentina, the site states that a PCR test must be taken within 72 hours of *boarding.  *Also, the Antarctica cruise includes a second antigen test on Day 2.
> 
> Do we think this is older guidance that has been superseded by the email?


For our Alaska AbD in June, I found the Disney health protocols were changing every 4-5 weeks.   So things could change again between now and your departure date.   Disney would update the website and not send additional emails, so I was checking the website weekly.


----------



## Mathmagicland

OhhBother said:


> More thoughts from someone who’s been there…
> 
> The Drake Passage
> On the way to Antarctica, we got the full effects of the Drake Shake. I’m not normally prone to sea sickness, but I didn’t get out of bed for a day and a half. As long as I laid still, I was generally OK. But with 30-foot seas and howling wind, it was just too hard for me to be up and about. I skipped meals and everything - my husband (who handled it somewhat better than I did) brought me crackers to the room. That’s all the food I wanted.  I found the thing that best kept motion sickness at bay was a Reliefband, which uses electrical impulses on your wrist to prevent nausea. It was a little expensive but worth it. On the return trip, we had a much calmer crossing - not quite the Drake Lake but tolerable.
> 
> The penguin smell
> We went end of season (late February), so your experience may be different than ours. Those penguins are a stinky bunch! We soon learned a dab of Vicks under the nose helped a lot. And once you are out among the penguins for a few minutes, your nose adjusts. Plus, you just stop caring because you’re surrounded by penguins all around. They literally come right up to you. They’re so curious and unafraid. I had more than one peck my leg and my boot.  We saw adele, chinstrap and gentoo. The chinstraps were my favorite - so adorable!
> 
> Wildlife
> No matter how much you look at photos, nothing can prepare you for being there. The animals are just so close. A couple of my favorite memories…
> - The ship was stopped for the day. We were back on deck after completing our two outings (land and zodiac). As my husband and I stood on the back of the ship and looked out over an endless parade of icebergs, we were suddenly surrounded by more than 20 humpback whales. There were maybe 10 people out on deck total, and we all just stood silently. All you could hear was ice cracking and the sound of whales breathing. I hope I never forget that sound - it was otherworldly.
> - On a snowy afternoon, we were ashore for a hiking excursion. Snow was pouring down, and I’m not the steadiest person on my feet. So I stayed on flat land while my husband and others hiked to the top of a hill. There were three other people who stayed at the bottom with me. As we stood there right at the edge of a cove filled with icebergs, suddenly an orca surfaced in shallow water no more than 10 feet from us. The water was so shallow the whale was on its side - almost surfing through the water clearly in search of a meal. I’ve never been so close to such a powerful animal in the wild. It left us all speechless. It was a perfect example of how Antarctica surprises you - those of us who didn’t make the long climb were rewarded with the most spectacular experience of the day.
> 
> The brutality of nature is on full display in Antarctica. We had an up-close view of a leopard seal devouring a gentoo, and you quickly get used to finding penguin skeletons on the ground as you hike. But we also got to see the sweetest part of nature - adult penguins feeding their chicks. I loved watching those fuzzy chicks endlessly chasing their parents around begging for a regurgitated meal.
> 
> Everything about Antarctica is just so wild, so undisturbed. I found it incredibly humbling to realize how small we are in this vast world. We’ve traveled extensively, and Antarctica is, without question, the best trip we’ve ever taken. It changes you, and it’s absolutely addictive. We’re already planning a return trip.
> 
> Just let me know any questions you have, and I’ll do my best to answer.


Thank you for this and your other post - so much valuable info here!!


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

MEDICAL FORMS $&@!

This form is not a basic form, I encourage those on the January expedition make an appointment with your PCP. We thought we could do CVS Minute Clinic but they refused saying it’s not in their scope. We don’t have a PCP and are spending $2,000 for the four of us at a travel medical clinic. Blood work, ekg (even though no water sports). They won’t take my DD’s blood work done 2 weeks ago… beyond annoyed that they just gave us the form and it’s  due immediately and trying to coordinate a DD at college.


----------



## aggiedog

Holy cow, what exactly are they wanting?


----------



## Vetinari

2PrincesseInTow said:


> MEDICAL FORMS $&@!
> 
> This form is not a basic form, I encourage those on the January expedition make an appointment with your PCP. We thought we could do CVS Minute Clinic but they refused saying it’s not in their scope. We don’t have a PCP and are spending $2,000 for the four of us at a travel medical clinic. Blood work, ekg (even though no water sports). They won’t take my DD’s blood work done 2 weeks ago… beyond annoyed that they just gave us the form and it’s  due immediately and trying to coordinate a DD at college.



We are on the December cruise, and this is the first I've heard about the forms.  How did they arrive from ABD?


----------



## Vetinari

Vetinari said:


> We are on the December cruise, and this is the first I've heard about the forms.  How did they arrive from ABD?



Oops--found them in my Spam folder (sent last Wednesday), and the clock is ticking . . .


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Vetinari said:


> We are on the December cruise, and this is the first I've heard about the forms.  How did they arrive from ABD?



ETA: missed your next posting.... idk how to delete this one.

The email came from Ponant with the address qm@medical.ponant.com on November 17th.  Maybe went to your spam?


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

aggiedog said:


> Holy cow, what exactly are they wanting?



I've attached a set below.  I think if we had a PCP this wouldn't be so bad except for trying to get a quick appointment.  We've been talking about finding a new PCP for a while and now DH is on a mission....  We know that the Travel Medical Clinic is expensive but with our circumstances and timeframe it's the only option we were able to make work.  

It's just frustrating because we've been asking for the forms and if we would have received them even in October we probably could have found a less costly solution.  Hopefully this will help those on the next trip.


----------



## Mathmagicland

2PrincesseInTow said:


> I've attached a set below.  I think if we had a PCP this wouldn't be so bad except for trying to get a quick appointment.  We've been talking about finding a new PCP for a while and now DH is on a mission....  We know that the Travel Medical Clinic is expensive but with our circumstances and timeframe it's the only option we were able to make work.
> 
> It's just frustrating because we've been asking for the forms and if we would have received them even in October we probably could have found a less costly solution.  Hopefully this will help those on the next trip.


Thank you so much for sharing this info and posting them!


----------



## aggiedog

Wow, that's a lot for a trip, but I can see how they would want to be prepared, given how isolated you'll be.  I wonder if they ever disqualify someone after they've signed up.  

So, at a bare minimum you need an EKG if you want to get in the water somehow. I don't see any bloodwork required except Cr for those with kidney disease, and maybe to be fully answer "any liver disease?"  Interesting they want to know LVEF.  That's very specific.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

aggiedog said:


> Wow, that's a lot for a trip, but I can see how they would want to be prepared, given how isolated you'll be.  I wonder if they ever disqualify someone after they've signed up.
> 
> So, at a bare minimum you need an EKG if you want to get in the water somehow. I don't see any bloodwork required except Cr for those with kidney disease, and maybe to be fully answer "any liver disease?"  Interesting they want to know LVEF.  That's very specific.


The blood work is because we are dealing with a travel medical group and not a PCP that has history with us. The health care provider is attesting to a lot when they sign the form so they need to be sure we are healthy. It’s the travel med group that won’t take the 2 week old blood work… thinking that may be a profit strategy on their part and we are backed in a corner and have no choice.


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

2PrincesseInTow said:


> I've attached a set below.  I think if we had a PCP this wouldn't be so bad except for trying to get a quick appointment.  We've been talking about finding a new PCP for a while and now DH is on a mission....  We know that the Travel Medical Clinic is expensive but with our circumstances and timeframe it's the only option we were able to make work.
> 
> It's just frustrating because we've been asking for the forms and if we would have received them even in October we probably could have found a less costly solution.  Hopefully this will help those on the next trip.


Wow. That is _a lot _of medical information they are asking for. 

What would happen if Le Ponant deems you not fit to travel? Would ABD fully refund your money? Dd has chronic asthma (managed) -- would she be barred by Le Ponant from boarding the cruise?


----------



## aggiedog

2PrincesseInTow said:


> The blood work is because we are dealing with a travel medical group and not a PCP that has history with us. The health care provider is attesting to a lot when they sign the form so they need to be sure we are healthy. It’s the travel med group that won’t take the 2 week old blood work… thinking that may be a profit strategy on their part and we are backed in a corner and have no choice.



Ah, yup, that would do it.  Bummer.  I hope it all works out.  That's certainly an added expense and time I wouldn't have anticipated.  



*WDW*Groupie* said:


> What would happen if Le Ponant deems you not fit to travel? Would ABD fully refund your money? Dd has chronic asthma (managed) -- would she be barred by Le Ponant from boarding the cruise?



If they're asking for ejection fraction of congestive heart failure patients, I'm thinking controlled asthma would be fine.  If they ruled out everyone with any medical conditions, they'd never get any passengers.  As a 53yo, who's body is determined to NOT age gracefully, I think the Venn diagram of people with enough money to travel to Antarctica and those with no health issues at all is very small!


----------



## Mathmagicland

OhhBother said:


> ust let me know any questions you have, and I’ll do my best to answer.


Another question for you - how did you find temperatures on board the ship in the indoor public areas?  Was it cooler than expected or more like typical indoor cruise ship temps?  Not sure how much the outside temps might impact it.  Thanks!


----------



## Vetinari

OK, medical forms are in.  Now I just need to work out the timeline for (1) the PCR test for entry into Argentina, (2) registering for travel to Argentina (which requires upload of the PCR test) and receiving the travel certificate, and (3) getting the family set up in VeriFly for the return trip to the US.

Since we arrive before the official “ABD Arrival Day””, we will need to work out the ABD health assessment and vaccination card uploads in Buenos Aires.  

BTW, I spoke with ABD last week regarding the testing for the cruise.  At that time, they said 4 tests total (all administered by ABD)—one at the hotel on arrival day, one at the port prior to embarkation, one on Day 2 of the cruise, and one at the end of the trip before flying home.


----------



## OhhBother

Mathmagicland said:


> Another question for you - how did you find temperatures on board the ship in the indoor public areas?  Was it cooler than expected or more like typical indoor cruise ship temps?  Not sure how much the outside temps might impact it.  Thanks!



On our  Hurtigruten ship, it was always HOT indoors. It’s a common complaint for many of the expedition ships - I saw it frequently when I was planning our trip. Another reason why layering is important. Onboard, I often wore a t-shirt and jeans and carried a coat with me in case we needed to run out on deck.

Speaking of being on deck, the temperature on deck could range from very comfortable with no coat needed (when sunny and stationary) to absolutely frigid (when overcast and the ship was moving). The only time I was super cold throughout the trip was when outdoors on a moving vessel - either on deck or on a zodiac. And it wasn’t always cold - even on the zodiacs. But when it was cold, it was bone chilling.


----------



## Mathmagicland

Vetinari said:


> Since we arrive before the official “ABD Arrival Day””, we will need to work out the ABD health assessment and vaccination card uploads in Buenos Aires.


On the Alaska AbD, the vac card upload email came from Anvil five days before AbD start date, so you should be able to get that part done before you leave.  

The health assessment questionnaire email came day before AbD start date, approx 6am ET if I remember correctly.


----------



## Mathmagicland

Vetinari said:


> BTW, I spoke with ABD last week regarding the testing for the cruise. At that time, they said 4 tests total (all administered by ABD)—one at the hotel on arrival day, one at the port prior to embarkation, one on Day 2 of the cruise, and one at the end of the trip before flying home.


This differs from their Health & Safety Protocols on the AbD website, last update 17 November, which Ponant will also do weekly testing.  See below, *BOLD* added by me - 


Duration of Trip: Guests will be required to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms daily. Should a Guest display COVID-19 symptoms, a telehealth medical consultation will be conducted to determine whether they can continue on the trip. Adventure Guides will include health and safety reminders specific to each day’s itinerary in daily briefings. *For PONANT expedition cruises, all Guests, Adventure Guides and crew will undergo weekly antigen testing administered by PONANT medical staff.*


----------



## llachance

Vetinari said:


> OK, medical forms are in.  Now I just need to work out the timeline for (1) the PCR test for entry into Argentina, (2) registering for travel to Argentina (which requires upload of the PCR test) and receiving the travel certificate, and (3) getting the family set up in VeriFly for the return trip to the US.
> 
> Since we arrive before the official “ABD Arrival Day””, we will need to work out the ABD health assessment and vaccination card uploads in Buenos Aires.
> 
> BTW, I spoke with ABD last week regarding the testing for the cruise.  At that time, they said 4 tests total (all administered by ABD)—one at the hotel on arrival day, one at the port prior to embarkation, one on Day 2 of the cruise, and one at the end of the trip before flying home.


Which is different then what they told me when I spoke to them last week.  My question concerned the fact that the 4 days previous to the expedition cruise starting how would all the tests be handled because the two were different trips according to the ABD (although you have to be continuing to Antarctica if you are going to Buenos Aires first).  What I was ultimately told was that I was responsible for any test before our arrival in Argentina and after that ABD would be in charge since we are under their bubble at that point   I haven't fully read Argentina's requests at this point beyond needing a PCR 72 hours prior to arrival and then the site said you get tested again when you get to the airport - It will probably evolve again before the end of January which is when we are going.


----------



## Mathmagicland

llachance said:


> I haven't fully read Argentina's requests at this point beyond needing a PCR 72 hours prior to arrival and then the site said you get tested again when you get to the airport - It will probably evolve again before the end of January which is when we are going.


Hi - would you please share a link to the site where you found this information?   I’m not seeing this on the webpage from the US Embassy in Argentina re Covid information and entry/ exit requirements.  Thanks!  

https://ar.usembassy.gov/covid-19/


----------



## llachance

https://ar.usembassy.gov/covid-19/


----------



## llachance

https://ddjj.migraciones.gob.ar/app/home.php


----------



## WeLoveABD

llachance said:


> Which is different then what they told me when I spoke to them last week.  My question concerned the fact that the 4 days previous to the expedition cruise starting how would all the tests be handled because the two were different trips according to the ABD (although you have to be continuing to Antarctica if you are going to Buenos Aires first).  What I was ultimately told was that I was responsible for any test before our arrival in Argentina and after that ABD would be in charge since we are under their bubble at that point   I haven't fully read Argentina's requests at this point beyond needing a PCR 72 hours prior to arrival and then the site said you get tested again when you get to the airport - It will probably evolve again before the end of January which is when we are going.


It all begs the question: what happens if you test positive? Travel won't get fully underway until tour companies accept only those who are vaccinated and stop testing. The fear of being removed from a trip or placed in quarantine is  big deterrent for me, as it is likely being fully vaccinated--with booster-- will contain covid to minor symptoms (or block it completely). Anyone lying about having the vaccine assumes the risk.


----------



## TarotFox

We can't assume business as usual until hospitals are within decent capacity again. As tempting as it is to just say "the risk is on you" the risk is on everyone while capacity is down. I have a family friend that needs several important surgeries that can't get them because too many Covid patients are taxing the system. If I get in a car wreck tomorrow, I might end up in another whole state.


----------



## aggiedog

Yes, not to belabor the point, but a local man died a few months ago from his gallstones.  It is a simple surgery, but there were no recovery beds available for him for after the surgery, which became more critical the longer it took to find a bed and he got sicker.  By the time they found a hospital with space, 9 hours later, he was septic and died shortly after.  From gallstones.  This was during the summer surge.


----------



## Jamesrfry

Can someone share the a link to this please. Would be an interesting read up.


----------



## aggiedog

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-us-hospital-icu-bed-shortage-veteran-dies-treatable-illness/
Not sure if you meant my anecdote or another poster's.  I'll delete if you didn't mean me.  No need to get too far off course.


----------



## llachance

Got the email today make sure Covid related diseases were part of our insurance.  Not knowing for sure, even after reading the entire document whether it was or not.  Called the insurance agency and they added an additional page to the COB that indicated that Covid related diseases were included as part of the insurance.  You might want to check what you bought to insure you are covered as well.  For my insurance there was no additional charge.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Today’s email from ABD… we need another COVID test no more than 72 hours before _*boarding the ship*_. My fabulous Dreams TA Tracey contacted ABD for us to clarify. Since we are on the Buenos Aires Escape ABD will facilitate us getting the test in BA.

I just want to get there and put all the hoops we’re jumping through away. I know it will all be worth it but right now it’s a little stressful.

In other news, our Antarctica box arrived today!  It’s the biggest ABD box I’ve ever received and has some very useful items.


----------



## llachance

So - I still haven't received the medical forms - and we are now (at least tomorrow) 45 days out.  However, I did download that ones that were attached in an earlier and got the forms completed and signed (at least I signed mine my husband didn't so I will send his off tomorrow).  I am not surprised the ABD will help with the additional test (I did call and ask how that was going to work) and they were hesitant to give a straight answer.  Can't wait to see my box but I suspect it won't be until the first of the year.


----------



## AquaDame

2PrincesseInTow said:


> Today’s email from ABD… we need another COVID test no more than 72 hours before _*boarding the ship*_. My fabulous Dreams TA Tracey contacted ABD for us to clarify. Since we are on the Buenos Aires Escape ABD will facilitate us getting the test in BA.
> 
> I just want to get there and put all the hoops we’re jumping through away. I know it will all be worth it but right now it’s a little stressful.
> 
> In other news, our Antarctica box arrived today!  It’s the biggest ABD box I’ve ever received and has some very useful items.



I feel you... we're going through the same thing for a non-ABD trip next month. We need a PCR for the first flight to get into Ecuador, then our flight from there to the Galapagos is more than 72 hours from when we could do it for the first flight and get our results by a mere two hours, so we'll have to test again. If we weren't boarding the yacht right away we'd need another one for that! Plus we need to do the same on the way home unless the US drops that requirement (unlikely). We went from not having to test at all to having to test at least 3 times in less than two weeks. Being vaccinated ultimately hasn't saved us any hassle on this trip (I'd still much rather have it than not mind you).


----------



## Vetinari

2PrincesseInTow said:


> Today’s email from ABD… we need another COVID test no more than 72 hours before _*boarding the ship*_. My fabulous Dreams TA Tracey contacted ABD for us to clarify. Since we are on the Buenos Aires Escape ABD will facilitate us getting the test in BA.
> 
> I just want to get there and put all the hoops we’re jumping through away. I know it will all be worth it but right now it’s a little stressful.
> 
> In other news, our Antarctica box arrived today!  It’s the biggest ABD box I’ve ever received and has some very useful items.



We are arriving on Saturday in Buenos Aires (but not for the Escape ABD), and Tracey confirmed that our PCR test will be administered when we arrive at the ABD hotel on Monday.  Hopefully the Q-tip has a Mickey on the end to take the sting off .    (Also, agree on the Antarctica box--the combination backpack/dry bag is super-nice!)


----------



## UVAWahoo

Vetinari said:


> We are arriving on Saturday in Buenos Aires (but not for the Escape ABD), and Tracey confirmed that our PCR test will be administered when we arrive at the ABD hotel on Monday.  Hopefully the Q-tip has a Mickey on the end to take the sting off .    (Also, agree on the Antarctica box--the combination backpack/dry bag is super-nice!)


How big is the combination backpack/drybag?  Thanks!


----------



## Vetinari

UVAWahoo said:


> How big is the combination backpack/drybag?  Thanks!



It's a pretty sizable backpack--about on par with my Goruck GR1 (21L), but taller to allow for folding and securing the top in a dry bag fashion.


----------



## Mathmagicland

The December adventure start date is today!  I’ve not seen that it was cancelled…


----------



## sayhello

Mathmagicland said:


> The December adventure start date is today!  I’ve not seen that it was cancelled…


ABD just posted this on fb:

"Bon Voyage from the southernmost city in the world! Our Inaugural Antarctica & Patagonia Expedition Cruise has set sail! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




 "

So it looks like they are off and running!

Sayhello


----------



## TravelJunkieHubby

sayhello said:


> ABD just posted this on fb:
> 
> "Bon Voyage from the southernmost city in the world! Our Inaugural Antarctica & Patagonia Expedition Cruise has set sail!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> "
> 
> So it looks like they are off and running!
> 
> Sayhello



One of the guides has some pics up on Instagram as well


----------



## figment52

I have a friend on this trip. She is having the time of her life and her photos are AMAZING!!!!!  I am looking forward to hearing all about it when she is back home.


----------



## Mathmagicland

Argentina was moved from Level 2 to Level 3 for travel yesterday, even with an 83% full vax rate in Buenos Aires-


*Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires (December 29, 2021)

Location*: Argentina, countrywide
*Event*:  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Argentina due to COVID-19, indicating a high level of COVID-19 in the country.  The Department of State has also issued a Level 3 Travel Advisoryrecommending that prospective travelers reconsider travel to Argentina at this time.


----------



## sayhello

Mathmagicland said:


> Argentina was moved from Level 2 to Level 3 for travel yesterday, even with an 83% full vax rate in Buenos Aires-
> 
> 
> *Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires (December 29, 2021)
> 
> Location*: Argentina, countrywide
> *Event*:  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Argentina due to COVID-19, indicating a high level of COVID-19 in the country.  The Department of State has also issued a Level 3 Travel Advisoryrecommending that prospective travelers reconsider travel to Argentina at this time.


At least it's not level 4.    Hopefully it doesn't get any worse!

Sayhello


----------



## llachance

Just got my link to download my medical documents.  It is getting more real at this point.  Can't wait to here about the experience from those that are there now.


----------



## MrsJonl

Vetinari said:


> Hello, world!  Our family is scheduled for the December 20 cruise, and I just noticed that ABD’s health protocol page differs from the email guidance we received last week.  In addition to the PCR test required prior to entering Argentina, the site states that a PCR test must be taken within 72 hours of *boarding.  *Also, the Antarctica cruise includes a second antigen test on Day 2.
> 
> Do we think this is older guidance that has been superseded by the email?



We are going on the January expedition. Please share when you return any suggestions


----------



## MrsJonl

OhhBother said:


> I’ll do my best to share useful info. When we were planning our trip, I scoured the Internet to find trip reports wherever I could dig them up. But there’s just not a tremendous amount of detailed information out there. So here goes…
> 
> Packing tips
> 
> First, our cruise went from Ushuaia to Antarctica and back - no Falklands. So that informs some of my packing advice. For instance, we both packed heavy boots and never wore them. On the ship, we most often wore sneakers we could quickly pull on and run around in. And, of course, on land we wore the supplied muck boots. There was zero need for my own boots.
> 
> As for clothes, we both packed too much. Our daily go-to outfit ended up consisting of: base layer of Merino wool (very important) followed by sweatpants and a sweatshirt topped with waterproof pants and a jacket. For zodiac cruising, I’d wear my “puffy coat” topped with the supplied jacket from Hurtigruten. But for hiking on land, I left the puffy jacket on the ship. It just wasn’t needed. I can’t tell you how many photos we have where we’ve removed our coats entirely and are walking around just in sweatshirts. When it’s mid-30s and sunny with no wind, you’re plenty warm in Merino wool and a sweatshirt.
> 
> I packed two sets of the Merino base layer for each of us, and we definitely needed that. I also packed two pairs of waterproof pants for both of us. We could have done with one pair each, but it was nice to have two. And here’s why…
> 
> After your third day or so surrounded by thousands of penguins, you notice the smell clings to your outwear. The supplied jacket, waterproof pants and muck boots got the worst of it. It was nice to have two pairs of pants so that we could rinse them well and let them dry to help with the smell. Pro tip - we left our muck boots in the hall right outside our room when we weren’t using them. The smell definitely sticks to them.
> 
> We also both relied on balaclavas at times on the Zodiac. Sometimes, we didn’t need them. But when you’re zipping through the wind and snow is blowing into your face, it feels good to have that cover over you.
> 
> Things I didn’t need: special polarized sunglasses - bought them and never wore them; tons of special camera equipment - mostly used our iPhones and Canon and got spectacular photos; expensive outer gloves - wore them once and then  relied on normal weight gloves and silk glove liners  (these were great on the Zodiac for picture taking while keeping something on your hand).
> 
> Packing really does come down to layering. If you get the base layer right, that will go a long way toward keeping you warm. And if your trip is like ours, you’ll find it’s very rarely frigid. It can be really cold on the zodiacs and on open deck when the ship is moving, but when you’re hiking around, we found it mostly pleasant.
> 
> Off to bed for now. I’ll do another post tomorrow with info on surviving the Drake. And I’ll share some of my favorite memories. You are going to love this trip so much!




Thank you so much for sharing


----------



## Vetinari

MrsJonl said:


> We are going on the January expedition. Please share when you return any suggestions



We are back from our cruise, and it was awesome!  We had a total of six tests on our trip:

PCR test prior to leaving the US (to be able to enter Argentina);

Disney-performed PCR test on the arrival day at the Sofitel Hotel;

Ponant-performed rapid antigen test on embarkation day in Ushuaia;

2 rapid antigen tests performed onboard the ship;

Last rapid antigen test at EZE to be able to re-enter the US.  

I'm not going to lie--each of these tests caused *a lot* of stress, but we made it--good luck to all on the January cruise!


----------



## MrsJonl

Vetinari said:


> We are back from our cruise, and it was awesome!  We had a total of six tests on our trip:
> 
> PCR test prior to leaving the US (to be able to enter Argentina);
> 
> Disney-performed PCR test on the arrival day at the Sofitel Hotel;
> 
> Ponant-performed rapid antigen test on embarkation day in Ushuaia;
> 
> 2 rapid antigen tests performed onboard the ship;
> 
> Last rapid antigen test at EZE to be able to re-enter the US.
> 
> I'm not going to lie--each of these tests caused *a lot* of stress, but we made it--good luck to all on the January cruise!




Thank you so much.  Welcome home!   If you have any tips - I am so afraid I’m going to forget something and there will be no store to run and pick it up lol


----------



## WeLoveABD

Vetinari said:


> We are back from our cruise, and it was awesome!  We had a total of six tests on our trip:
> 
> PCR test prior to leaving the US (to be able to enter Argentina);
> 
> Disney-performed PCR test on the arrival day at the Sofitel Hotel;
> 
> Ponant-performed rapid antigen test on embarkation day in Ushuaia;
> 
> 2 rapid antigen tests performed onboard the ship;
> 
> Last rapid antigen test at EZE to be able to re-enter the US.
> 
> I'm not going to lie--each of these tests caused *a lot* of stress, but we made it--good luck to all on the January cruise!


Did anyone on the trip test positive for any of the tests given, and if so what happened?


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Wow, what an amazing adventure we had!  I highly recommend the BA Escape as well, my family all agrees that it was a great way to start the adventure.  I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

WeLoveABD said:


> Did anyone on the trip test positive for any of the tests given, and if so what happened?



Yes, pre boarding the ship I know of two families that had a family member test positive.  One family had to quarantine in BA and the other had to quarantine in Ushuaia.... really heart breaking for them.  On the ship, one family was quarantined towards the middle/end of the cruise because a family member tested positive.  All tests performed by ABD/Ponant were "no news is good news" meaning we didn't get test results except for the final test which we received a printed result to provide to airlines.  My family did not take a test at EZE as the last ABD/Ponant test sufficed for the airlines.


----------



## llachance

I think it is interesting that someone tested positive during the cruise and got quarantined.   Do you happen to know if they did contract tracing.  Seems like if they were negative at the beginning and positive somewhere midway to the end then more then that particular family would have been involved.  BTW - my biggest fear is testing positive at some point and not being able to take the trip.  Already starting to quarantine and we are still three weeks from our trip.  I love the picture.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

llachance said:


> I think it is interesting that someone tested positive during the cruise and got quarantined.   Do you happen to know if they did contract tracing.  Seems like if they were negative at the beginning and positive somewhere midway to the end then more then that particular family would have been involved.  BTW - my biggest fear is testing positive at some point and not being able to take the trip.  Already starting to quarantine and we are still three weeks from our trip.  I love the picture.



Thank you!  Santa was our Expedition Manager, Alex.  He was such a wonderful guy, so full of excitement and knowledge of the Antarctic.

All of the details were kept very confidential, most of the info was through the teen grape vine.... after the positive test (captain made an announcement that 1 person tested positive) we all had another test 48 hours later and it was announced that everyone tested negative.


----------



## llachance

Thanks for the update.  I am so excited for this trip to start and my husband and I are doing the pre trip in Buenos Aires as well.  Can't wait to hear/see more from the group that just got back.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

The Parka-
I know the parka sizing was an issue prior to our trip.  Don't worry about it..... I think they use the pre trip information just to get a basic idea of what people think they will need.  During the Drake passage transit you will be called to the theater by deck and parkas will be distributed, you will have the opportunity to try them on and change sizes if you need larger or smaller.  I wore a base layer and two additional layers underneath when on a zodiac tour (it's cold on the water with the wind), on landings it depended on the weather.... it was snowing and cold on some and we were bundled up and then it was 40 degrees on one and we were warm and took our parkas off so it really depended on the day.

The Boots-
Same as parkas, during the Drake passage transit boots are distributed and you are called to the lounge by deck.

Walking Poles-
Ponant does not have them to borrow, you need to bring them or they have a few for sale in the boutique.  We brought one pair of poles and didn't end up using them.  Many people did.... probably one or two landings I wished I had them but I survived.

Gloves/glove liners- I mostly wore my glove liners as they allowed for better dexterity and were easy on and off to take photos.  They do get very wet and then cold.... take two pair so you have a dry pair for each zodiac tour/landing of the day.  If you can find a truly waterproof glove liner buy it!  I didn't wear my gloves at all, I used them to protect my cell phone which ended up being my primary camera.


----------



## MrsJonl

Thank you so much!  How was the attire on the ship?  Should we just pack casually?  Did you by chance do the kayak tour?  Is there anything you wish you had brought or done?  Sorry for all the questions. I am so anxious I am not going to have what I need. Thank you for the heads up on the walking stick.  Praying for no covid and trying to isolate now to prevent anything.  Thanks for taking the time to share!!  Love the pic!


----------



## MrsJonl

2PrincesseInTow said:


> The Parka-
> I know the parka sizing was an issue prior to our trip.  Don't worry about it..... I think they use the pre trip information just to get a basic idea of what people think they will need.  During the Drake passage transit you will be called to the theater by deck and parkas will be distributed, you will have the opportunity to try them on and change sizes if you need larger or smaller.  I wore a base layer and two additional layers underneath when on a zodiac tour (it's cold on the water with the wind), on landings it depended on the weather.... it was snowing and cold on some and we were bundled up and then it was 40 degrees on one and we were warm and took our parkas off so it really depended on the day.
> 
> The Boots-
> Same as parkas, during the Drake passage transit boots are distributed and you are called to the lounge by deck.
> 
> Walking Poles-
> Ponant does not have them to borrow, you need to bring them or they have a few for sale in the boutique.  We brought one pair of poles and didn't end up using them.  Many people did.... probably one or two landings I wished I had them but I survived.
> 
> Gloves/glove liners- I mostly wore my glove liners as they allowed for better dexterity and were easy on and off to take photos.  They do get very wet and then cold.... take two pair so you have a dry pair for each zodiac tour/landing of the day.  If you can find a truly waterproof glove liner buy it!  I didn't wear my gloves at all, I used them to protect my cell phone which ended up being my primary camera.



Sorry - one more question - how was the Drake Passage?


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

MrsJonl said:


> Thank you so much!  How was the attire on the ship?  Should we just pack casually?  Did you by chance do the kayak tour?  Is there anything you wish you had brought or done?  Sorry for all the questions. I am so anxious I am not going to have what I need. Thank you for the heads up on the walking stick.  Praying for no covid and trying to isolate now to prevent anything.  Thanks for taking the time to share!!  Love the pic!


It was very casual on the ship. Most wore jeans, fleece pants, leggings, and even shorts at meals. 

We did go kayaking and loved it. Each kayak trip is unique due to weather and location. There were three days and morning and afternoon sessions…. One session was cancelled due to weather. If there are white caps they will not go out. All that reserved in advance were accommodated. There is a “test” prior to kayaking in the lounge with the kayaking team and nurse to be sure you can get into and out of the kayak. You are provided with a dry suit and crocs to wear during kayaking as well. Hmmm, not sure why it’s sideways!


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Sorry - one more question - how was the Drake Passage?
[/QUOTE]

The Drake Passage was survivable!  I was really worried about it… it was a Shake and not a Quake on the way there. On the way back it seemed better but pretty bad in the middle of the first night. I wore a patch and also took Dramamine… pretty much napped a lot.  The rest of my family just did a patch.  DD 15 just Dramamine. Meal times were entertaining as the waves hit the windows.


----------



## MrsJonl

2PrincesseInTow said:


> It was very casual on the ship. Most wore jeans, fleece pants, leggings, and even shorts at meals.
> 
> We did go kayaking and loved it. Each kayak trip is unique due to weather and location. There were three days and morning and afternoon sessions…. One session was cancelled due to weather. If there are white caps they will not go out. All that reserved in advance were accommodated. There is a “test” prior to kayaking in the lounge with the kayaking team and nurse to be sure you can get into and out of the kayak. You are provided with a dry suit and crocs to wear during kayaking as well. Hmmm, not sure why it’s sideways!
> View attachment 635906


This is AWESOME and it is making it even more real!!    LOVE LOVE this picture!  So beautiful!  Thanks, again!


----------



## Vetinari

I would echo the advice on the casual wear on the ship.  On the way to Antarctica, I found the ships temperature to be very warm (almost too warm), so defaulted to t-shirts and shorts most days.  It became more comfortable later in the trip, but I still wore some combination of light pants, t-shirt, and fleece.  I'm glad I packed extra t-shirts as I came within 1 day of running out (without doing laundry).

For the kayaking, make sure you take a Buff or similar neck protector.  In addition, if you can find a pair of lightweight waterproof gloves to wear under the kayaking pole gloves. you will be much happier.


----------



## Mathmagicland

2PrincesseInTow said:


> I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.


What was the last day like, logistic-wise.   Ie when did you get off the ship, your flight to EZE, when did you get to EZE, what time was your return flight.  And, if you had an extended time between EZE arrival & your return home flight, how did you spend the time?  Thx.


----------



## Vetinari

Mathmagicland said:


> What was the last day like, logistic-wise.   Ie when did you get off the ship, your flight to EZE, when did you get to EZE, what time was your return flight.  And, if you had an extended time between EZE arrival & your return home flight, how did you spend the time?  Thx.



I believe that the "bags out" window was from 10am the prior night to 5am the morning of disembarkation.  We started exiting the ship around 9am in groups to the motor coaches, then proceeded to do a lot of the "Day 2" activities of the original itinerary (e.g., End of the World Train, Tierra del Fuego) before heading to the airport.  Our flight back to EZE was at 1pm and arrived around 4:30pm.

Once at EZE, families headed home that night checked into their international flights.  For those of us not headed back to the US on the official departure day, the last Ponant test was not in the 1-day window, so we needed an additional test to get home.  Fortunately, EZE has a 24 hour testing facility outside Terminal B(?) that provides rapid antigen tests for $40USD.  A group of families headed for the EZE testing after arriving from Ushuaia.  We did not book our post-stay with Disney, so we were on our own.  I had  arranged transportation to our hotel while we were on the ship, but was unable to arrange for a delay in pickup so that my family could be tested--we just left for EZE super-early the next day.  Our results (negative, thankfully) arrived by email in about 20 minutes.

For us, the night before our return flight in BA was New Years Eve, and BA was a ghost town.  Nothing was open--restaurants and grocery stores closed early, so we made do with room service from the hotel and tried to find college football games on the hotel TV (with no luck).  The city started coming back to life around 12p the next day, so we were able to have a nice outdoor lunch before headed to the airport.

The EZE international terminal is very nice, and the Admirals Club had recently reopened.  (I think the American Centurion Lounge is also available).  For a true cultural collision, there is also, no lie, an Outback Steakhouse ready to provide you with a Bloomin' Onion.


----------



## Mathmagicland

Since Argentina requires a negative Covid test to enter the country, thought I’d share this article- one person’s recent experience at having to cancel a trip to Ecuador because she was not able to get the required Covid test due to challenges with finding availability at a testing site. 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/sfo-failed-airport-covid-testing-experience/


----------



## AquaDame

Mathmagicland said:


> Since Argentina requires a negative Covid test to enter the country, thought I’d share this article- one person’s recent experience at having to cancel a trip to Ecuador because she was not able to get the required Covid test due to challenges with finding availability at a testing site.
> 
> https://thepointsguy.com/news/sfo-failed-airport-covid-testing-experience/



As someone getting on a plane to Quito in 14 days and then the Galapagos a couple days later... thank you for giving me new worries. 

We do have appointments but this made me rethink our timing on them and move them to another place that gets them back quicker. If our flight from ATL was delayed by more than a couple hours we'd be outside the 72 hour requirement. I just realized that our first leg probably doesnt count, its the actual flight into Quito 9 hours later that matters. Can't really push them back as the first place only sends them out that night, and then need 36 hours to get results back to us and I didnt want to risk getting them back at like midnight the night before we leave, so we were going to do it the day before to be safe, but they close at 4 and.. this is all so complicated.

Surprised they didn't know you can just walk up for testing at the airport in Quito - we emailed them and they said the wait is usually 10-15 minutes, no appointments taken. 24 hours there. $45 per test to boot wherever you go compared to our $165. Seriously we also need to test in Coca the day we fly home, still $45. Also will get our results back that afternoon or evening. What are we doing here in the US...


----------



## Mathmagicland

For those on the December sailing, what did you do re cash vs credit card & exchanging money in your Buenos Aires time?  I’m finding many different things online but nothing really current. It seems like a different situation there compared to what might be found elsewhere. Thx.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

AquaDame said:


> As someone getting on a plane to Quito in 14 days and then the Galapagos a couple days later... thank you for giving me new worries.
> 
> We do have appointments but this made me rethink our timing on them and move them to another place that gets them back quicker. If our flight from ATL was delayed by more than a couple hours we'd be outside the 72 hour requirement. I just realized that our first leg probably doesnt count, its the actual flight into Quito 9 hours later that matters. Can't really push them back as the first place only sends them out that night, and then need 36 hours to get results back to us and I didnt want to risk getting them back at like midnight the night before we leave, so we were going to do it the day before to be safe, but they close at 4 and.. this is all so complicated.
> 
> Surprised they didn't know you can just walk up for testing at the airport in Quito - we emailed them and they said the wait is usually 10-15 minutes, no appointments taken. 24 hours there. $45 per test to boot wherever you go compared to our $165. Seriously we also need to test in Coca the day we fly home, still $45. Also will get our results back that afternoon or evening. What are we doing here in the US...



If you are on the same airline making a connection, it's the first leg of the flight that the 72 hours prior applies.  I was also told there is an allowance for delayed flights (we flew American).


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Mathmagicland said:


> For those on the December sailing, what did you do re cash vs credit card & exchanging money in your Buenos Aires time?  I’m finding many different things online but nothing really current. It seems like a different situation there compared to what might be found elsewhere. Thx.



We did not exchange money ahead of time.... I small amount $100 or less might be a good idea.  They want our dollars but we did find some taxi's that wouldn't take dollars.  The exchange rate at the bank is about $1.05 per 1,000 pesos and in cash you can usually get $1.00 for 2,000 pesos.  I could not get my ATM card to work at the two banks near our hotel (Alvear Icon which you will not be using).  Take small bills, $1's and $5's and you can probably get through.  We were also on the BA Escape so we didn't have a lot of on our own time to spend cash.

We used our credit cards for dinners, shopping, etc. but know that you can't pay restaurant tips on your credit card check, only in cash (thus the small bills).  We were told by our local guide 10% for good service.  We didn't want to use our credit cards for most of the shopping we did as we could get the higher exchange for the dollar.  We ended up doing most of our shopping a mom and pops who would make deals.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Mathmagicland said:


> What was the last day like, logistic-wise.   Ie when did you get off the ship, your flight to EZE, when did you get to EZE, what time was your return flight.  And, if you had an extended time between EZE arrival & your return home flight, how did you spend the time?  Thx.



Just to add to what has already been written.... one really nice thing that is in Argentina they do not have the ban on liquids carried on your flight.  So while bags needed to be out the night before departure we were able to keep toiletries and carry them on to the flight.  You will check your own bags in at Ushuia (so you could move items then) AND you will claim and check them in EZE so you have time to move those items prior to your flight back to the US.  In fact our American Airlines flight had another bag check at the gate prior to boarding the flight at EZE, I didn't ask but my guess is they were screening for liquids there.

We had to depart the ship at 7am, there was a small group that was not on the charter that didn't depart until 7:30am.  This was a group of about 25 that was half of the BA Escape that had traveled separately because there wasn't enough seats on the charter and so they didn't have the flight delay that we had on the charter on the trip from BA to Ushuaia and had seen the sights we missed.

When we arrived at EZE at about 4:30, the local DMC met us and guided us to the International Terminal.  The line at American was huge but we had about 5 hours and the line moved quickly.  We went to the Priority Lounge (the Amex choice), there was a very large American lounge as well.  We were already pretty exhausted as we had stayed up very late the night prior and gotten up very early for departure so we appreciated being able to relax in a comfortable lounge.  Our flight departed EZE about 10pm.

The final Covid test we took on the ship was sufficient for our flight.  The US requirement says ONE DAY prior to departure not 24 hours so you do not have to worry about what time you take the test on the ship if you are departing the next day.  

All that said, your experience will probably be different pre flight from Ushuaia to EZE.... Our touring that day was only because of our delayed flight on the way down.  There may have been a change to the charter flight time (moving it to the afternoon), I don't know.  Had we left Ushuaia in the morning it would have been a very long day at EZE.


----------



## Mathmagicland

2PrincesseInTow said:


> Just to add to what has already been written.... one really nice thing that is in Argentina they do not have the ban on liquids carried on your flight.  So while bags needed to be out the night before departure we were able to keep toiletries and carry them on to the flight.  You will check your own bags in at Ushuia (so you could move items then) AND you will claim and check them in EZE so you have time to move those items prior to your flight back to the US.  In fact our American Airlines flight had another bag check at the gate prior to boarding the flight at EZE, I didn't ask but my guess is they were screening for liquids there.
> 
> We had to depart the ship at 7am, there was a small group that was not on the charter that didn't depart until 7:30am.  This was a group of about 25 that was half of the BA Escape that had traveled separately because there wasn't enough seats on the charter and so they didn't have the flight delay that we had on the charter on the trip from BA to Ushuaia and had seen the sights we missed.
> 
> When we arrived at EZE at about 4:30, the local DMC met us and guided us to the International Terminal.  The line at American was huge but we had about 5 hours and the line moved quickly.  We went to the Priority Lounge (the Amex choice), there was a very large American lounge as well.  We were already pretty exhausted as we had stayed up very late the night prior and gotten up very early for departure so we appreciated being able to relax in a comfortable lounge.  Our flight departed EZE about 10pm.
> 
> The final Covid test we took on the ship was sufficient for our flight.  The US requirement says ONE DAY prior to departure not 24 hours so you do not have to worry about what time you take the test on the ship if you are departing the next day.
> 
> All that said, your experience will probably be different pre flight from Ushuaia to EZE.... Our touring that day was only because of our delayed flight on the way down.  There may have been a change to the charter flight time (moving it to the afternoon), I don't know.  Had we left Ushuaia in the morning it would have been a very long day at EZE.


Thanks very much for this info!  If I’m understanding correctly-

-some toured Ushuaia before the cruise, others after, and when depended on which flights they had between Ushuaia and BA. 
-you had a charter flight between the two?


----------



## llachance

I am on the 4 day Buenos Aires escape and I already received a notice from ABD that we wouldn't have the Ushuaia tour prior to departure.  Received that information about a month ago.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Mathmagicland said:


> Thanks very much for this info!  If I’m understanding correctly-
> 
> -some toured Ushuaia before the cruise, others after, and when depended on which flights they had between Ushuaia and BA.
> -you had a charter flight between the two?



Most of the group was on a charter flight both ways. The overflow group, which was half of the BA Escape group, flew scheduled commercial which was not delayed. The original plan was that we would all tour Ushuaia pre cruise but the charter ended up being significantly delayed… I think it was at least two hours late or more so that touring was magically moved to departure day.   The group not on the charter did the touring as originally planned pre cruise because they did not have the delay.  Yes, my family was on the charter.

The charter delay was due to an equipped issue and they had to switch planes.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

llachance said:


> I am on the 4 day Buenos Aires escape and I already received a notice from ABD that we wouldn't have the Ushuaia tour prior to departure.  Received that information about a month ago.



The December tour also received that notification. We still did a lunch in Ushuaia (pre-cruise) and then post cruise we did the train and post office visit before heading to the airport.

We were very happy for the extra time in Antarctica rather than spending the night at port in Ushuaia to tour the Ushuaia area before heading into the Drake.


----------



## Mathmagicland

Questions re power & outlets in the cabins, as I can’t find a clear answer on the Ponant site - US or French outlets, or both?  And I’m presuming 220, is that correct?  Thanks!


----------



## llachance

My turn for questions - 

Luggage - just roll aboard or regular suitcase - can't decide what makes the post sense.
We have our COVID test scheduled for the 26th and our flight leaves the 27th, we get to Buenos Aires on the morning of the 28th.  Did I do the timing correctly or do I need to change it.
Cameras - how did you keep them dry.  My husband got me(him) a go-pro for this trip and he is concerned.
We got our ABD box yesterday.  Since, technically we are on two trips (4 day escape and then the expedition) do we get another box.  Not that I need another but just asking.
Some where my husband saw/found that the plugs were European 220 but I won't swear to anything since I didn't see it specifically myself.
Two weeks from tomorrow and my husband and I land in Argentina to start the great adventure.  I look forward to meeting everyone that will be along.


----------



## vitacura

This trip is coming up fast! We scheduled our PCR tests to be taken about 60 hours prior to our flight out, Ponant medical forms submitted online a few days ago, purchased everything we think we will need, and more we probably won't!

Nerves are still high that one positive test can make our amazing trip come to a screeching halt, but what can we do but try to remain positive and be as cautious as we can..

Received a small box from AbD in the mail today, it contained two name badges with lanyards as well as about 20 pins. Pretty neat, but I wonder if we are going to get another box with facemasks and other goodies I read about? Two weeks until our first flight.


----------



## llachance

Our box had facemasks, tote bag, luggage tags.  No lanyards or pins.  By  this time next week will have started our 4 day Buenos Aires adventure.  We actually fly out January 27th, arriving in EZE at 7:30 am on the 28th.  I am masking whenever I see people, except in my house.  I have been getting tested every Friday for the last month.  The official final test is the day before we leave and results are available in 15 minutes (we are doing it at the airport at great expense)  Still trying to figure out packing but I have a week or so to think about it.


----------



## Mathmagicland

vitacura said:


> Received a small box from AbD in the mail today, it contained two name badges with lanyards as well as about 20 pins. Pretty neat, but I wonder if we are going to get another box with facemasks and other goodies I read about?


I would suggest you reach out to AbD re your box. For the Alaska AbD last summer, our pre-trip box had lanyards, the personal health kits with the masks, and the duffle bag.   We got a box with our tour pins a couple of days after we got back home.  The AbD guides said they time the mailing of the pins based on your date to arrive after. So I don’t think you should have received your pins before the trip.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

llachance said:


> My turn for questions -
> 
> Luggage - just roll aboard or regular suitcase - can't decide what makes the post sense.
> We have our COVID test scheduled for the 26th and our flight leaves the 27th, we get to Buenos Aires on the morning of the 28th.  Did I do the timing correctly or do I need to change it.
> Cameras - how did you keep them dry.  My husband got me(him) a go-pro for this trip and he is concerned.
> We got our ABD box yesterday.  Since, technically we are on two trips (4 day escape and then the expedition) do we get another box.  Not that I need another but just asking.
> Some where my husband saw/found that the plugs were European 220 but I won't swear to anything since I didn't see it specifically myself.
> Two weeks from tomorrow and my husband and I land in Argentina to start the great adventure.  I look forward to meeting everyone that will be along.



Luggage- we used rolling duffels for the kids and rolling suit cases for us.  
Covid test timing looks fine as long as they guarantee results prior to your departure
Cameras- I'm pretty sure the Go Pro is waterproof.... we didn't take anything to keep our camera dry but used a shower cap one day when it was snowing.....it worked well!  They do make plastic covers you can put on cameras to keep them dry or try to, I did see some of the more serious camera with those.
Boxes- You will get a second box for the Antarctic portion, it has better swag   Also, if you're on the BA Escape, shopping tip for you.... one of the best shops we had the opportunity to go to was at the Shell Station on the way to the ranch.  Seriously, had I know that ahead of time I would have spent more time there.  Really nice quality items there.  The other shopping opportunity is LaBoca which is a lot of junky souvenir (not trying to disparage, everywhere has them).
Electric on the ship- European sockets, there is one US in the bathroom for a razor really.  We were able to borrow a converter from housekeeping, but they said they only had a few. 

Have a wonderful trip!


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

One of the teens from the December trip is doing a vlog if you want to take a look.  I know you'll aren't on the same ship but it's similar I'm sure.  She shows a lot of the ship in her first two vlogs, and lots of fun teenager things LOL.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4I3vPO-VCItwiD9NBONnkA


----------



## llachance

Thanks for the shopping tips.  I am going to pack this week to insure I have the weight limits under control.  I really think I can do it in a roll aboard but would like to bring a souvenir home (my daughter wants a penguin).  My husband is in charge of electronics and the go-pro so I will pass on that information.  The covid test, for travel, is available in 15 minutes (thus the price) but is suitable for travel.  It is done right at the International Terminal in our airport (DFW).  I have been testing weekly for the last month (PCR) and it has been negative.  That said I am hanging out in my house and masking up when I am outside, avoiding crowded spaces and the rest.  My neighbors workplace just experienced two more cases so it is still close to home. (My daughter was positive last week, fortunately we haven't seen her since before the 1st of the year, unfortunately there will be no opportunity to see her for her birthday because I don't want to take the chance and she understands).  So looking forward to this trip and to be perfectly honest not stressing anymore.


----------



## llachance

Started to watch the Vlog and it is certainly fun to watch.  Interesting that the boxes that ABD sends are different.  No beanies, hand sanitizer, wipes or lanyards in ours   Going to watch the rest later today.


----------



## sayhello

llachance said:


> Started to watch the Vlog and it is certainly fun to watch.  Interesting that the boxes that ABD sends are different.  No beanies, hand sanitizer, wipes or lanyards in ours   Going to watch the rest later today.


It is fun!  But I have to tell you, I got about 1/2 way through the 3rd one (first day on the Drake Passage) and I started to get super nauseous!!    I had to stop watching!  I'll tell you, if I'm getting nauseous from a video, I don't hold out much hope for me on the real thing!  

Sayhello


----------



## llachance

I have vertigo so I am hoping that the waves counteract it   If not seabands and dramamine and/or ginger.


----------



## llachance

So I have received my third ABD box.  2nd box was lanyards and pins for the Buenos Aires portion of the trip and the third box contained the pins and lanyards for the Expedition portion of the trip.  Makes everything seem really real at this point.  Also exciting that since we are going to Buenos Aires first it makes the expedition our second ABD adventure and I wasn't even sure I would ever get to go on one....continuing to face mask, stay out of crowds and count the minutes to departure.


----------



## vitacura

We received the second AbD box containing the bag, masks, sanitizer, wipes etc.. very exciting! Yet the CDC just raised Argentina to level 4; do not travel and I had another flight change from American. 
What a roller coaster of emotions.. if this trip goes smoothly it will be a miracle!


----------



## llachance

vitacura said:


> We received the second AbD box containing the bag, masks, sanitizer, wipes etc.. very exciting! Yet the CDC just raised Argentina to level 4; do not travel and I had another flight change from American.
> What a roller coaster of emotions.. if this trip goes smoothly it will be a miracle!



You made me look to see if American had changed our flight.  It hasn't as of now.  Are you doing the Buenos Aires escape first.  When I initially made my reservations a year ago American flew directly to Buenos Aires.  Since Covid they have changed things and now we have to fly through Miami (we are leaving from DFW).  They put un on a flight with a one hour connecting time.  Anyone that has flown through Miami knows better then that   Got it changed so that we have a four hour layover and hope for the best.  I am thinking of taking the dogs to the kennel a day early and trying to same day change my flight to get to Miami earlier - just in case.  Our flight home is direct.  Yes this has been, is a crazy roller coaster of emotions.


----------



## Mathmagicland

The State Dept also moved Argentina to Level 4 today - 

https://travel.state.gov/content/tr...aveladvisories/argentina-travel-advisory.html


----------



## llachance

Do we know what that means to our trip?  Which is a silly question because travel isn't banned, it just says don't go.


----------



## Mathmagicland

llachance said:


> Do we know what that means to our trip?  Which is a silly question because travel isn't banned, it just says don't go.


I’m sure Disney is in conversations now,  but others have posted in other AbD trip threads that Disney has not been going to Level 4 countries.


----------



## Magnum_PI

Mathmagicland said:


> I’m sure Disney is in conversations now,  but others have posted in other AbD trip threads that Disney has not been going to Level 4 countries.



When we say they don't go to Level 4 countries, do we know if that means CDC Level 4 or State Department Level 4? Or is it that either one hitting Level 4 is a problem?


----------



## Mathmagicland

Magnum_PI said:


> When we say they don't go to Level 4 countries, do we know if that means CDC Level 4 or State Department Level 4? Or is it that either one hitting Level 4 is a problem?


I’m sorry I don’t really know. I was trying to remember comments from other thread posts.   Hopefully someone else with more info will post something here.


----------



## Mathmagicland

Magnum_PI said:


> When we say they don't go to Level 4 countries, do we know if that means CDC Level 4 or State Department Level 4? Or is it that either one hitting Level 4 is a problem?


Inconsistencies are puzzling, though - CDC moves 22 countries to Level 4 today yet State Dept only moves 14 to level 4 today.  Egypt and Bahamas are two that are now level 4 at CDC but still show as level 3 with State Dept.


----------



## Magnum_PI

Mathmagicland said:


> Inconsistencies are puzzling, though - CDC moves 22 countries to Level 4 today yet State Dept only moves 14 to level 4 today.  Egypt and Bahamas are two that are now level 4 at CDC but still show as level 3 with State Dept.



I think the State Dept is just manually adding them and doing it slowly. They've got more than 14 new Level 4s from today now (I've been refreshing throughout the afternoon haha), but Egypt still isn't on there. Bahamas are, though. Definitely ambiguous!

EDIT: Egypt is now also Level 4 per State Dept


----------



## vitacura

llachance said:


> You made me look to see if American had changed our flight.  It hasn't as of now.  Are you doing the Buenos Aires escape first.  When I initially made my reservations a year ago American flew directly to Buenos Aires.  Since Covid they have changed things and now we have to fly through Miami (we are leaving from DFW).  They put un on a flight with a one hour connecting time.  Anyone that has flown through Miami knows better then that   Got it changed so that we have a four hour layover and hope for the best.  I am thinking of taking the dogs to the kennel a day early and trying to same day change my flight to get to Miami earlier - just in case.  Our flight home is direct.  Yes this has been, is a crazy roller coaster of emotions.



Not on the BA Escape, just added an extra night through AbD prior to the trip start. 

American did the same to us, placing us on a later flight into MIA which then gave us a layover of about 70 minutes prior to our EZE flight, no thanks! Looking at the flight they gave us within the last week to get an idea of on time performance, on three days the flight into MIA has been delayed by at least 30 minutes, no way I would want to stress about it the day of. The next earlier flight causes us to have a 6.5-hour layover, which we chose over the possibility of missing our connection and losing a day in BA. I will take the longer layover and maybe hang out at a lounge to spend the layover than to stress and possibly miss our flight.


----------



## AquaDame

This made me check Ecuador... still sitting at level 3. I'm so glad after our trip this week we have no more international trips for awhile again. I'm stressed and tired.

Fingers crossed for all of you its too close for ABD to cancel...!


----------



## aggiedog

Good luck to everyone.   I have a friend in South America now who's had 2 antarctic cruises canceled in the last month due to covid.  I'd give y'all more specifics but I don't have them.  Just offering that even if ABD says its a go, the cruise company may not.  

I had a trip to Greece get canceled last week for March.  I pushed it back to October.  International travel is too uncertain right now.  Bah.


----------



## CaliKris

Magnum_PI said:


> I think the State Dept is just manually adding them and doing it slowly. They've got more than 14 new Level 4s from today now (I've been refreshing throughout the afternoon haha), but Egypt still isn't on there. Bahamas are, though. Definitely ambiguous!
> 
> EDIT: Egypt is now also Level 4 per State Dept


I am thinking our February Egypt ABD is gonna get cancelled due to the Level 4. Going to check in with our travel agent. I will let you know if I hear anything.


----------



## Magnum_PI

CaliKris said:


> I am thinking our February Egypt ABD is gonna get cancelled due to the Level 4. Going to check in with our travel agent. I will let you know if I hear anything.



Thanks! We’re also expecting a cancellation call, just not sure how long it’ll take them to reach out. Sigh. I think we will take the refund this time and try again some other year.

Hoping the Antartica folks still get to go…!


----------



## CaliKris

Magnum_PI said:


> Thanks! We’re also expecting a cancellation call, just not sure how long it’ll take them to reach out. Sigh. I think we will take the refund this time and try again some other year.
> 
> Hoping the Antartica folks still get to go…!


Yes, exactly!  After having this trip rescheduled four times now, we are ready to take the refund and decide when to go to Egypt at a later time.


----------



## MrsJonl

I am worried about our airfare if ABD cancels. Delta has been so hard to reach.  Wonder how this will go.... praying we still get to go!


----------



## Magnum_PI

MrsJonl said:


> I am worried about our airfare if ABD cancels. Delta has been so hard to reach.  Wonder how this will go.... praying we still get to go!



Weird tip, and I don't know if this will work but it did last month when I had an issue with the holiday flights we had ... try googling for alternate Delta phone numbers (I don't think I'm allowed to post). I found one in December that got me through after 15 minutes when I'd already been on hold with their normal number for hours.


----------



## MrsJonl

Magnum_PI said:


> Weird tip, and I don't know if this will work but it did last month when I had an issue with the holiday flights we had ... try googling for alternate Delta phone numbers (I don't think I'm allowed to post). I found one in December that got me through after 15 minutes when I'd already been on hold with their normal number for hours.


Thank you!  I’ll do that.  Somehow my Skymiles account was locked for security reasons.  I submitted the documents requested to regain access…still waiting - been since November so I can’t even check my flights.


----------



## MrsJonl

MrsJonl said:


> Thank you!  I’ll do that.  Somehow my Skymiles account was locked for security reasons.  I submitted the documents requested to regain access…still waiting - been since November so I can’t even check my flights.


Talked to Delta - they will issue an E-credit to use on future flight. Funny thing - we used an e-credit for this trip from when our ABD China was cancelled in 2020.  Am I destined to go nowhere? lol


----------



## llachance

Waiting with baited breath to hear if there are any changes.  I am supposed to be heading to Miami at this time next week.


----------



## Magnum_PI

llachance said:


> Waiting with baited breath to hear if there are any changes.  I am supposed to be heading to Miami at this time next week.



I am anxious waiting to hear about the status of a trip to Egypt that is just over three weeks away. I cannot imagine what you must be feeling with only a week left! Hang in there!


----------



## MrsJonl

Just heard from our travel agent - ABD confirmed Antartica is still a GO!  

I just got off the phone with AbD and the good news is that they are moving forward with this trip!

The little bit of bad news is that Ushuaia is very limited on what anyone can do right now – even for those who live there. Because of that, there are no excursions being offered there. You will be having a group lunch and fly together to board the ship.

*The attached waiver needs to be signed as soon as possible. They cannot accept it if it comes in later than Wednesday.*

A few days before departure, you will need to upload the test results *AND the letter from the insurance company*. They will send the link to that when it’s time. They also recommend printing the letter to bring with you.

Lastly, if you feel the need to move this to another date, let me know as they are being flexible with changes. They are feeling it’s safe, however, and you know how Disney is usually overly cautious!


----------



## Magnum_PI

MrsJonl said:


> Just heard from our travel agent - ABD confirmed Antartica is still a GO!
> 
> I just got off the phone with AbD and the good news is that they are moving forward with this trip!
> 
> The little bit of bad news is that Ushuaia is very limited on what anyone can do right now – even for those who live there. Because of that, there are no excursions being offered there. You will be having a group lunch and fly together to board the ship.
> 
> *The attached waiver needs to be signed as soon as possible. They cannot accept it if it comes in later than Wednesday.*
> 
> A few days before departure, you will need to upload the test results *AND the letter from the insurance company*. They will send the link to that when it’s time. They also recommend printing the letter to bring with you.
> 
> Lastly, if you feel the need to move this to another date, let me know as they are being flexible with changes. They are feeling it’s safe, however, and you know how Disney is usually overly cautious!



Interesting! I wonder if they made this decision because the bulk of the trip is not actually in Argentina?

Edit to add: I do see the Jan 30th trip is still listed on ABD's website too.


----------



## llachance

I wonder how it differs for those that are on the Buenos Aires Escape.  I haven't heard from my travel agent and I will flying to Buenos Aires on Thursday of next week.  Guess I will give them a call.


----------



## llachance

Apparently there has been updates to the Buenos Aires Escape portion of the trip and of course since I went through a travel agent they won't speak to me (although they have several times in the past about this trip) and said they left him a VM this morning.  I have tried to call him a couple of time with no response this week so I am slightly aggravated but just left yet another VM to see if I could find out what is going on.


----------



## llachance

So the 4 day pre escape is cancelled.  Now looking at my options - meet the crew the day before - push it back a year - on the fence at the moment


----------



## Mathmagicland

llachance said:


> So the 4 day pre escape is cancelled.  Now looking at my options - meet the crew the day before - push it back a year - on the fence at the moment


Did they say why it was cancelled, when the cruise is still happening?


----------



## llachance

They spoke to my travel agent.  They told him the options were to cancel outright for a full refund (the entire trip).  They are going to refund the Buenos Aires portion anyhow.  Since I made my own flight reservations I can meet up in Buenos Aires and go down with the group.  I suspect they told some more but he was on his way into a wedding and needed to hang up   My travel agent is going to see if I can just push it out a year which would be my choice at the moment but I am going to connect with American to see what the cost of changing the flight to come down two days later.  There was a two hour wait on hold....all said I am soooo disappointed.


----------



## vitacura

I spoke to AbD today as well. I was given the same information as llachance; pre escape cancelled, but sailing still scheduled. We were told that they are going to try to keep us in a bubble from the moment we arrive into Buenos Aires, asking us to stay in the hotel until our flight out to Ushuaia. I am scheduled to land on Saturday as I had added an extra night pre-cruise. Testing will be done the day we arrive at the hotel and then again the day we board the ship, one test mid cruise and one at the end for flights back home.
No Tierra del Fuego or other Ushuaia excursions, pre or post cruise. Offered full refund or to move the booking to one of the late '22 or early '23 adventures.


----------



## llachance

Decided to wait until next year to go.   don't know if I will do it with ABD or not.  It would have been 3K to change our flights to match the schedule to meet the ship and I wasn't willing to pay that much more at the moment although I suspect at the end of the day it is going to cost that much or more next year.  At least it is mostly paid for at this point


----------



## sixbitslocum

MrsJonl said:


> Just heard from our travel agent - ABD confirmed Antartica is still a GO!
> 
> I just got off the phone with AbD and the good news is that they are moving forward with this trip!
> 
> The little bit of bad news is that Ushuaia is very limited on what anyone can do right now – even for those who live there. Because of that, there are no excursions being offered there. You will be having a group lunch and fly together to board the ship.
> 
> *The attached waiver needs to be signed as soon as possible. They cannot accept it if it comes in later than Wednesday.*
> 
> A few days before departure, you will need to upload the test results *AND the letter from the insurance company*. They will send the link to that when it’s time. They also recommend printing the letter to bring with you.
> 
> Lastly, if you feel the need to move this to another date, let me know as they are being flexible with changes. They are feeling it’s safe, however, and you know how Disney is usually overly cautious!


Isn't Dotti the best!!!


----------



## MrsJonl

sixbitslocum said:


> Isn't Dotti the best!!!


Yes she is!!!  Are you on this trip, too?


----------



## sixbitslocum

Yes, if all goes according to plan.


----------



## vitacura

We decided to remain on this trip. Got our Neg PCR results today for our flights on Friday. Tomorrow we will complete our DDJJ and the Anvil uploads on the 29th as requested. I guess it's time to start packing. We are not going to be able to enjoy Buenos Aires as we had hoped, but the whole point of the trip is Antarctica.

When I spoke to AbD last week, there were about 190 guests on our sailing, as of this morning it dwindled down to 142 is what I was told.


----------



## MrsJonl

vitacura said:


> We decided to remain on this trip. Got our Neg PCR results today for our flights on Friday. Tomorrow we will complete our DDJJ and the Anvil uploads on the 29th as requested. I guess it's time to start packing. We are not going to be able to enjoy Buenos Aires as we had hoped, but the whole point of the trip is Antarctica.
> 
> When I spoke to AbD last week, there were about 190 guests on our sailing, as of this morning it dwindled down to 142 is what I was told.


We are moving forward, too.  Looking forward to it!


----------



## Schmerold4

Wow! Another trip to add to the bucket list...hopefully COVID will be gone soon and we don't need to worry about cancellations for any of our upcoming vacations.


----------



## vitacura

Made it to Buenos Aires! Easy transfer to hotel, checked in and had our first swab. Fun fun. Great weather, sunny skies and about 80 degrees F.
Latest guest count is 136.


----------



## MrsJonl

We arrive in the morning.  Are we quarantined to the hotel or what is that status?  Dinner tomorrow, etc?


----------



## vitacura

MrsJonl said:


> We arrive in the morning.  Are we quarantined to the hotel or what is that status?  Dinner tomorrow, etc?



While it is highly recommended we stay in the hotel, there are several restaurants with outdoor seating nearby as long as you feel comfortable with that. They are not quarantining you in the hotel. 

Edit: The one bummer is that we are meeting in the lobby at 4 AM on Monday for our transfer to the airport for our our flight to Ushuaia, better get to bed early if you want some rest!


----------



## MrsJonl

The best news ever -Thank you!  I am glad you arrived safe! Looking forward to a great trip!


----------



## MrsJonl

vitacura said:


> While it is highly recommended we stay in the hotel, there are several restaurants with outdoor seating nearby as long as you feel comfortable with that. They are not quarantining you in the hotel.
> 
> Edit: The one bummer is that we are meeting in the lobby at 4 AM on Monday for our transfer to the airport for our our flight to Ushuaia, better get to bed early if you want some rest!


The best news ever -Thank you! I am glad you arrived safe! Looking forward to a great trip!


----------



## drewmisha

Have a good trip!  It will be worth it!

We were on the inaugural last month. You can get dinner at the outdoor place couple blocks away. Turn right when you exit the hotel and the restaurant is under the freeway overpass. The restaurant is called El Mirasol de la Recova. Great steaks.

The hotel concierge assisted us in trading our USD for Argentine pesos. We got ~twice the standard exchange.   If you pay with pesos, you can get 50% off your meal.

The flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia was a bit hectic at security.  Our big group jammed up the line such that the passengers from other flights had to cut in front of us to make it in time.  ABD flight was chartered so we had plenty of time.  Please let the others through…


----------



## vitacura

drewmisha said:


> Have a good trip!  It will be worth it!
> 
> We were on the inaugural last month. You can get dinner at the outdoor place couple blocks away. Turn right when you exit the hotel and the restaurant is under the freeway overpass. The restaurant is called El Mirasol de la Recova. Great steaks.



That’s where we are having dinner.. great outdoor seating, service and food! Lots of  restaurant choices here, but this one was recommended by our first AbD representative that we met at the airport and escorted us to the hotel.


----------



## OhhBother

Can’t wait to hear reports from this trip. It’s been two years since we were in Antarctica, and I can’t wait to go back. Once was not enough!


----------



## vitacura

Having an amazing time!
Good news is we had an antigen test today and everyone was negative! When the captain made the announcement during dinner, there was cheering throughout the dining venue and ship. 

Weather has been great, some snow the first day we did landings. Today we had some early clouds followed by sunshine for our zodiac tours, kayaking and one afternoon landing. Knowledgeable and friendly naturalists giving plenty of lectures and always happy to answer questions. We had the pleasure of seeing two pods of Orcas and one humpback whale today.

I can’t believe we’ve already had two days in Antarctica with three to go, time sure is flying by!

I will write more when I return home, but did want to give a little update!


----------



## China Expat

Bucket list trip...18 months away!


----------



## Mathmagicland

Someone shared this with me, thought I’d pass it along here.  It is 13 min, but gives a very good perspective on a Ponant Antarctica cruise experience.  I think the person in the video cruised in November, based on a comment about a closed research station that doesn’t open until December.  Might be of interest to those on the next round of cruises or who are considering this one in the future.


----------



## Onceuponamarathon

Looking into doing Antarctica with ABD and found this thread.  Does anyone know what you get going the ABD route versus booking directly with Ponant? The prices are about the same.  For reference we love Disney, which is why our first thought was ABD.  However, we don't have children.  The on-ice-champagne and included drinks from the video posted here are appealing but it looks as if it wasn't ABD.  Wondering if ABD would do similar or if they change the programming on board to be more kid-friendly.


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Onceuponamarathon said:


> Looking into doing Antarctica with ABD and found this thread.  Does anyone know what you get going the ABD route versus booking directly with Ponant? The prices are about the same.  For reference we love Disney, which is why our first thought was ABD.  However, we don't have children.  The on-ice-champagne and included drinks from the video posted here are appealing but it looks as if it wasn't ABD.  Wondering if ABD would do similar or if they change the programming on board to be more kid-friendly.



We did the first ABD trip in December... I think the main difference is having the Adventure Guides there to make sure all goes well and trouble shoot for you if anything happens.  They're always there to take photos, chat, encourage mixing and create a good atmosphere.  The ABD trip would also be a mix of people with at least a similar interest in Disney, primarily English speaking, etc.  We did the on-ice sheet- champagne on our trip which was really so much fun.

I don't think the on-ship programming was changed for our trip.  I think the Adventure Guides added activities for the kids.  All of the lectures from the ship's naturalists seemed to be the same as they would have for any cruise..... the lectures didn't seem to be changed to be "kid" friendly (not a criticism).

My family would probably go ABD again if the schedule worked for us but if it didn't we would definitely consider booking with Ponant directly.


----------



## Onceuponamarathon

2PrincesseInTow said:


> We did the first ABD trip in December... I think the main difference is having the Adventure Guides there to make sure all goes well and trouble shoot for you if anything happens.  They're always there to take photos, chat, encourage mixing and create a good atmosphere.  The ABD trip would also be a mix of people with at least a similar interest in Disney, primarily English speaking, etc.  We did the on-ice sheet- champagne on our trip which was really so much fun.
> 
> I don't think the on-ship programming was changed for our trip.  I think the Adventure Guides added activities for the kids.  All of the lectures from the ship's naturalists seemed to be the same as they would have for any cruise..... the lectures didn't seem to be changed to be "kid" friendly (not a criticism).
> 
> My family would probably go ABD again if the schedule worked for us but if it didn't we would definitely consider booking with Ponant directly.
> 
> View attachment 668263


Thank you so much for the quick reply! This was really helpful to know


----------

