Is it bitter, bitter cold in the Antarctic?
Not in Antarctic summer (our winter), but it ain’t the Bahamas, either. Temperatures ranged from the low 30s up into the 50s, but winds made for some raw moments. We saw (and felt) sleet and snow, and we also had two sun-blessed days. Read the cruise line’s clothing recommendations, and take them seriously.
Is motion sickness a problem?
The crossing from the southern tip of South America to the sheltered areas of the Antarctic Peninsula, across the Drake Passage, is famously rough but less so during the Antarctic summer. On the Marco Polo, at 22,000 tons the largest tour ship that does this sort of thing, our southbound crossing had just a touch of roll, and only one empty cup was seen flying off a table on the northbound run.
Most passengers either 1) came prepared, 2) got a fix of dramamine from the purser, 3) handled it fine without drugs or patches, or 4) disappeared into their cabins and kept their nausea to themselves. Aside from the crossing — which truly wasn’t that bad — things were Caribbean smooth.
Did this cruise ever cross the Antarctic Circle?
Not quite. We reached about 64 degrees south latitude; the Circle is at 66 degrees, 33 minutes.
Do any?
Some, but not many. Reasons: Ice conditions get iffier farther south, longer cruises discourage consumers, and even penguins lose a little charm after a few days.
When did Antarctica tourism start?
Lars-Eric Lindblad led the first tourist expeditions in 1966, according to Lindblad Special Expeditions, the tour company he founded and that his son operates (and that still does Antarctic tours).
And now?
Exactly 112 tourist sailings were scheduled to reach Antarctica from November 1999 through early March 2000, 102 of those to the peninsula. In all, about 12,000 visitors were expected, continuing a trend of slow growth.
So is the impact of tourism endangering Antarctica?
No, insists Nigel Sitwell, expedition leader on the Marco Polo, former editor of the British magazine Wildlife and an expert in wildlife conservation.
“For one thing,” he says, “it’s so enormous that it would be extremely difficult to wreck it.” In addition, guidelines in place that limit tour operators’ operations on land and sea — guidelines he helped draft — have been effective, he says.
How important are the rubber boots recommended on Antarctic cruises?
Vitally. Don’t leave home without boots, unless the cruise line supplies them. You will be walking through icy water, mud and penguin poop. Some passengers bought cheap mudders at Wal-Mart, did fine, then just left them aboard when the cruise was over.
About the penguin guano . . .
It’s guano. It can get a little ripe out there, but it’s amazing how quickly the senses adjust. You won’t smell it in the pictures.
Are there polar bears?
Wrong pole.
What about the Antarctic sun, ozone depletion and sunscreen?
Captain’s announcement: “When you go ashore today, be sure to use the sun lotion, and use plenty of it, because on a day like this, the sun’s rays are absolutely dangerous down here. So use a block — 40 or 50 or whatever you call it — but use something to protect yourself.”
Also essential: UV-protective sunglasses.
How physically challenging is this kind of cruise?
Can’t speak for all the ships that do this, but anyone who can walk though a mall could’ve handled ours. The crew was right there for those who were a little shaky. On the other hand, some people with disabilities (particularly those requiring wheelchairs) would have had serious problems with ramps to and from the Zodiacs and, on shore, with uneven ground — so check ahead.
How much do these cruises cost?
Depending on the itinerary and level of luxury (that spectrum is broad), expect to pay as little as $5,000 (including air connections) to $20,000 or more. Most common range found in a sampling is $7,000-$10,000 per person, double occupancy. See your travel agent for details.
Are there other ways to do Antarctica besides cruising?
Yes, and we won’t get into things like hiring on with freighters or joining the Chilean navy. Qantas (www.antarcticaflights.com.au) offers Antarctic flyovers (no landings) during the Antarctic summer for as little as $560 from Australian cities, from about $800 if you want a seat with a window part of the time. Flights last 12 hours on a 747-400, four of them over Antarctica. If it’s foggy, it’s your loss. London-based Adventure Network International (www.adventure-network.com) will land you and care for you in Antarctica with prices starting at $14,000 (and up) plus air to its Chilean gateway and way, way up depending on what you have in mind. Or you can be a part of scientific expedition, but for that you need credentials and connections.
Isn’t Antarctica the same as Alaska?
Is Alaska the same as Wisconsin?
THE PENINSULA–AND BEYOND
The standard Antarctica cruise itinerary out of South America hugs the Antarctic Peninsula for five or six days, with about four actual shore landings. Add three or four days at sea, and there’s your cruise — though some itineraries include extensions to the Falklands and other islands in the region. Cruises also leave out of Australia and New Zealand. Their itineraries, naturally, concentrate on the side of Antarctica closest to those countries, mainly from McMurdo Station and the Ross Sea to Cape Adare and west along the shore.
A 26-day cruise on Orient Lines’ Marco Polo out of South America does both the Antarctic Peninsula and the McMurdo-Cape Adare run.
But most of Antarctica, including some of the best of the continent, exists where cruise ships never go. In general, these places can be seen only by members and guests of scientific expeditions, or by arranging private excursions at costs that eliminate most of us.
A sampling of what’s there:
The South Pole. The actual geographic entity is under three miles of ice. The site is utterly uninteresting, but men died trying to reach it, and other men made their reputations by conquering it. Times change: In 1994-95, a woman, Liz Arnesen of Norway, skied to it.
The Dry Valleys. East of McMurdo, the ice and snow rise to the top of mountains on two sides, then stops. That leaves slopes of black granite and valleys of lunar starkness, and some snow that doesn’t stick. (One cruise ship, the Kapitan Khlebnikov out of Hobart, Tasmania, does offer helicopter flights over the valleys — conditions permitting.)
Mt. Erebus. Near McMurdo on Ross Island, this most active of Antarctica’s volcanoes (12,450 feet) is also the world’s southernmost. It is content to emit a steady plume of steam. For now.
Glaciers. The cruise ships cruise near some, but not most. Massive Beardmore Glacier, 125 miles long, is behind the Ross Ice Shelf and out of shoreline sight range.
Ice shelves. Essentially massive sheets of floating ice thousands of feet thick that can beget icebergs larger than cities. Some ships cruise past Ross Ice Shelf’s cliffs when the icepack allows, but there are lots more around the continent.
Continental ice. More than 5 million square miles of it.
Transantarctic Mountains. A 2,000-mile range that splits the continent into East and West. Splendidly.
McMurdo Station. Largest station on the continent, this U.S. base has a church, supermarket and other niceties of civilization to serve the few hundred folks who live and work here and the occasional cruise ship (primarily from Australia and New Zealand) that anchors there.
Vinson Massif. At 16,066 feet, it’s the tallest peak in Antarctica. If you want to climb it, Alpine Ascents International of Seattle (206-378-1927) will set you up for a mere $26,000, plus airfare to Chile. Evacuation insurance extra.
