Antarctic Dream Cruise Review
Cruise Line: Antarctic Shipping Company
Cruise Ship: Antarctic Dream
Cruise Destination: South Patagonia
Cruise Dates: October 24 - October 31, 2006
Guest Contributor: Lynn Grisard Fullman
We have been on a fair number of cruises but few have created memories as lingering as those made when we sailed in late-October aboard The Antarctic Dream.
It is, as one California passenger observed, a cruise for those who are "self-sufficient." You arrive in Puenta Arenas -- a quaint town where early morning arrivals allow time to snoop around among shops, restaurants and the town square.
The few hours there are the final glimpse, for a while, of any real civilization.
Our eight-day, South Patagonia expedition took us to the Darwin Mountain Range, the Chilean fjords and Garibaldi glacier with a call at Ushaia, a good place to shop for T-shirts and other mementos of the journey. (Don't miss the prisoner museum there; fascinating!) We traversed Cape Horn and the Beagle Channel (a bit choppy there) and visited a beach in the Darwin Mountain Range where our onboard crew managed a memorable beachside lunch complete with hot dogs, chicken and steaks -- and, of course, wine which flows freely in Chile. (Wine is served gratis with all meals.)
The beach extravaganza followed a chilly hike to look straight up at a glacier, which accommodated us by creaking a bit as we looked on. It was as though thousands of years were nodding at us. Our cameras clicked furiously. The fanfare was among a number of spectacular performances by a crew that was energetic and ever ready to please and accommodate.
(Their attentiveness, no doubt, is a benefit of the crew-to-staff radio, with crew outnumbering guests on the 39-cabin ship that has been reconditioned with attention to a passengers' comfort.)
The first thing you need to realize, though, is this is a polar expedition ship, not a luxury liner. There are no dance contests or talent shows and no swimming pool (burr, perish the thought). There is, for those too connected to the world, the sudden reality that Internet access is not typically available. The lapse, in the beginning, shocked a few passengers, I among them. But, we soon were smiling broadly and admitting, "I'm just over it; what could be all that important anyway?" Realzing that the world will rock on just fine without you, you quickly settle in to days of reading (whether you take your own material or use the tiny library), attending onboard lectures, traipsing onto shore and, for the motivated, working out in the exercise room (which has three pieces of equipment; plenty enough). And, of course, eating well, making new friends and looking out onto a world you likely had never seen before.
For city slickers, the shore excursions are a reality check. It's cold; dang cold. On the typical outing, you ride a Zodiac to shore for a "wet landing," meaning you're going to step off into water to your ankles or knees. But, not to worry; the ship furnishes passengers with rubber boots and heavy coats that give meaning to the observation, "There is no bad weather; just bad clothes." Bundle up and you'll be just fine. (Take your own waterproof pants for extra measure.)
The expedition crew is enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and ever-patient, whether answering questions about weather, shipwrecks or birds. Likewise, the wait staff is incredible. The young men have limited English (their smiles and graciousness, however, are universal) but they do a grand job, whether serving horse soup, eel, pasta, seabass, ostrich, salads or soups. (A separate dessert table, which follows lunch and dinner, both of which are sit-down events, can be counted on to be laden with incredible choices.) What's amazing is that after eight days sailing, the food was fresh and well planned. Hats off to whoever handles the food service onboard.
Although this is an expedition, not a luxury cruise, cabins are well appointed and spacious. (We were on the Shackleton Deck.) We found time for naps, something we never do at home. But, the cruise is that relaxing. There is a closet-like area with two drawers underneath; three tables and plenty of room for the modest amount of clothing that is needed. If you overpack, you are doing yourself an injustice.
Take basic clothes; plan to dress in layers and do not expect to dress special for meals. For the women aboard, "dressing up," came to mean applying make-up and maybe adding ear rings. The casual atmosphere was welcome for those of us who have never preferred "dressing" for meals on cruise ships. You can get by with two to three pants, turtle-necks, shirts and a fleece or two. It's quite simple to rinse out a few clothing items nightly and hang them in the bathroom to drip or above the in-room heater. As one cruiser observed, "This is the trip of a lifetime." -- so thank heavens that the vessel and the crew made it all it could be, as Mother Nature strutted some of her best and unspoiled beauty for those of us along for the ride.
The Antarctic Dream sails through South Patagonia on 4, 5, or 8-day cruises in March, April, September and October. In the winter months of November, December, January, and February, the Antarctic Dream sails to Antarctica on 11-day cruises.
If you want to know more about the Antarctic Dream, you can call 1-877-972-3531 or go to www.antarctic.cl.
Cruise Ship: Antarctic Dream
Cruise Destination: South Patagonia
Cruise Dates: October 24 - October 31, 2006
Guest Contributor: Lynn Grisard Fullman
We have been on a fair number of cruises but few have created memories as lingering as those made when we sailed in late-October aboard The Antarctic Dream.
It is, as one California passenger observed, a cruise for those who are "self-sufficient." You arrive in Puenta Arenas -- a quaint town where early morning arrivals allow time to snoop around among shops, restaurants and the town square.
The few hours there are the final glimpse, for a while, of any real civilization.
Our eight-day, South Patagonia expedition took us to the Darwin Mountain Range, the Chilean fjords and Garibaldi glacier with a call at Ushaia, a good place to shop for T-shirts and other mementos of the journey. (Don't miss the prisoner museum there; fascinating!) We traversed Cape Horn and the Beagle Channel (a bit choppy there) and visited a beach in the Darwin Mountain Range where our onboard crew managed a memorable beachside lunch complete with hot dogs, chicken and steaks -- and, of course, wine which flows freely in Chile. (Wine is served gratis with all meals.)
The beach extravaganza followed a chilly hike to look straight up at a glacier, which accommodated us by creaking a bit as we looked on. It was as though thousands of years were nodding at us. Our cameras clicked furiously. The fanfare was among a number of spectacular performances by a crew that was energetic and ever ready to please and accommodate.
(Their attentiveness, no doubt, is a benefit of the crew-to-staff radio, with crew outnumbering guests on the 39-cabin ship that has been reconditioned with attention to a passengers' comfort.)
The first thing you need to realize, though, is this is a polar expedition ship, not a luxury liner. There are no dance contests or talent shows and no swimming pool (burr, perish the thought). There is, for those too connected to the world, the sudden reality that Internet access is not typically available. The lapse, in the beginning, shocked a few passengers, I among them. But, we soon were smiling broadly and admitting, "I'm just over it; what could be all that important anyway?" Realzing that the world will rock on just fine without you, you quickly settle in to days of reading (whether you take your own material or use the tiny library), attending onboard lectures, traipsing onto shore and, for the motivated, working out in the exercise room (which has three pieces of equipment; plenty enough). And, of course, eating well, making new friends and looking out onto a world you likely had never seen before.
For city slickers, the shore excursions are a reality check. It's cold; dang cold. On the typical outing, you ride a Zodiac to shore for a "wet landing," meaning you're going to step off into water to your ankles or knees. But, not to worry; the ship furnishes passengers with rubber boots and heavy coats that give meaning to the observation, "There is no bad weather; just bad clothes." Bundle up and you'll be just fine. (Take your own waterproof pants for extra measure.)
The expedition crew is enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and ever-patient, whether answering questions about weather, shipwrecks or birds. Likewise, the wait staff is incredible. The young men have limited English (their smiles and graciousness, however, are universal) but they do a grand job, whether serving horse soup, eel, pasta, seabass, ostrich, salads or soups. (A separate dessert table, which follows lunch and dinner, both of which are sit-down events, can be counted on to be laden with incredible choices.) What's amazing is that after eight days sailing, the food was fresh and well planned. Hats off to whoever handles the food service onboard.
Although this is an expedition, not a luxury cruise, cabins are well appointed and spacious. (We were on the Shackleton Deck.) We found time for naps, something we never do at home. But, the cruise is that relaxing. There is a closet-like area with two drawers underneath; three tables and plenty of room for the modest amount of clothing that is needed. If you overpack, you are doing yourself an injustice.
Take basic clothes; plan to dress in layers and do not expect to dress special for meals. For the women aboard, "dressing up," came to mean applying make-up and maybe adding ear rings. The casual atmosphere was welcome for those of us who have never preferred "dressing" for meals on cruise ships. You can get by with two to three pants, turtle-necks, shirts and a fleece or two. It's quite simple to rinse out a few clothing items nightly and hang them in the bathroom to drip or above the in-room heater. As one cruiser observed, "This is the trip of a lifetime." -- so thank heavens that the vessel and the crew made it all it could be, as Mother Nature strutted some of her best and unspoiled beauty for those of us along for the ride.
The Antarctic Dream sails through South Patagonia on 4, 5, or 8-day cruises in March, April, September and October. In the winter months of November, December, January, and February, the Antarctic Dream sails to Antarctica on 11-day cruises.
If you want to know more about the Antarctic Dream, you can call 1-877-972-3531 or go to www.antarctic.cl.
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