Antarctica!

[sayhello]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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.

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.

@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]

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]

• 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]

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*]

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]

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]

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