My agent sent me a last-minute deal with Polar Latitudes – a 22 days voyage to the Falkland Island, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula. The ship would depart on Dec 31, 2022, and return on January 19^th, 2023. Those dates work perfectly as I have vacation all of January. Last year’s cancellation because of Covid still lingers in my mind, but I was certain this time would be different. While last year’s trip had a chartered flight to Ushuaia, this year, I had to find my own way there. Two nights at the 5-star resort ARAKUR is included.

 

ARAKUR HOTEL

This hotel is nestled on a hill where the view of the harbour and port city of Ushuaia is unobstructed. My room looks out to the peak snow-covered mountain, a view of the city, port and plane landing at USH airport. I have it all! Furthermore, the hotel has trails for a nice hike in the woods. Depending on what trail you take, it eventually leads to the top of a hill where you can overlook the hotel and picturesque harbour and mountains.

The hotel also has a free shuttle that takes guests into town every hour. Breakfast ran from 7-11 am and was amazing, fresh squeezed OJ, a sweets bar with all kinds of goodies, the usual breakfast items, bacon, eggs, veggies, smoked salmon and a bread bar. The best part of this hotel is its spa. They have a heated infinity pool outside that overlooks the entire city. It is also fitted with two jacuzzi. You share your room with the same person on the ship. My roommate…is from the UK and had her luggage misplaced by the carrier so she had to go buy everything in town. She is a nice lady but lacks etiquette, very noisy when she wakes up, snores and talks too much. Boy was I surprised when I was told that I had been upgraded when I checked in for my PCR test on day 2. I later found out that there will only be 79 pax on this expedition, hence the upgrade. I will be getting my own room so no roommate, YAY!

USHUAIA

Ushuaia is a port town, a gateway to Antarctica. Here you will see many ships at port, some really big cruise ships that hold 3000 people to small expedition ships that will have as low as 50 people or so. Downtown Ushuaia is very touristy with many overpriced restaurants and souvenir shops. There are also many apparel shops or either rentals or for purchase in case you have forgotten something or your airline lost your bag and you need to rent or buy gear for your trip. I walked around for a few hours, had lunch, and went back to the hotel, it just was not interesting for me. There is also a decent supermarket in town if you want to buy snacks for the trip. Keep in mind that shops close between 13:30-16:30 for siesta, but restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets will stay open.

 

PCR TEST

If you did not get a PCR test 3 days prior to embarkation, Polar Latitude does it for free on Day 2. The ship doctor runs the test with this single-operated battery machine that gives out results in 30-45 minutes or so. You do your own swab, and the doc will do the rest. Mine came out faulty and had to do it again, and after the 2^nd test, I was good to go. At the optional briefing, they seemed very relaxed about Covid if someone was to test positive. That person would be allowed to go but just have to do a soft isolation meaning 2 days of distancing from everyone, depending on the severity. They would also be allowed to do landings on their own zodiacs.

 

Embarkation Day

ROOM

I got the promenade room which I really liked. It is a small suite, perfect for a couple or a single person. It has a sitting area with a couch and a table. I even have a walk-in closet that has slippers and a bathrobe and pool towels, however, the hot tub/pool area is closed. The room has a sliding door that goes out to the deck which is pretty neat for when there is wildlife out and I can just jump out instead of going through inside the ship and out and around. The room is also equipped with a TV with a couple news channels and a couple channels with documentaries or movies. Channel one is the itinerary of the day and changes after supper.

Also, channel 9 is live lecture from the club room. So, if you don’t feel well or just don’t feel like leaving your room, you can watch the lectures from the comfort of your bed which I did on our first day at sea. The bathroom has everything you need such as shower caps, vanity kit, nail files, shampoo, body wash and soaps etc…and the soap products are Molton John from England. There is also a complimentary mini bar in your room (beer and wine) which I did not touch as I don’t drink alcohol. You also get a complimentary stainless steel reusable water bottle. There is a mini fridge in the room that is stocked with pops and carbonated water. I have been storing oat milk that I bought at the supermarket in Stanley in the fridge for my coffee, which worked out quite well as the coffee station is 10 feet away from my room.

ZODIAC LANDING

Zodiac landings are very weather dependent. If it’s too windy and the swell is too high, the expedition team will try their best for an alternate landing, if not it will be canceled altogether. To mitigate people trying to come out at the same time, there were 4 groups of 20 people that we had to sign up for. Once they call your group, you will come out all geared up with lifevest on, scan your card and bioclean your boots before embarking on the zodiac. Both your hands have to be free to be allowed to embark on the zodiac. You will be wet from the constant splashing if the conditions are windy. You definitely need waterproof pants and to dress in layers. You cannot stand on the zodiac, so as soon as you get on, you sit and scoot over to the edge of the zodiac which takes a maximum of 10 people. Coming back to the ship is the same idea, one at a time, you line up to get your boots washed and then bio-clean it, and then scanned your card to confirm your attendance. You are then greeted with a hot towel and hot tea. Talk about service!

 

ZODIAC CRUISE

Either you hate it or love it. Zodiac cruises are anywhere between 2-3 hours long and because you are sitting there and barely moving it will be cold. In my opinion, 1 hour is sufficient. You are sitting duck with 10 other people trying to take pictures which can be challenging because there are limited space and you are brushing up against each other. Depending on where you are sitting, especially near the engine, you will constantly be inhaling gasoline smoke. Unless you have a long-lens camera, you will get good shots, otherwise, if you only have an iPhone like me, you cannot zoom in as much without the pictures getting pixelated.

CLOTHING

You do not need a lot of clothes. There is nobody to impress here. I traveled with only my carry on and I think I overpacked. Everyone dressed casually, usually in polar clothing such as merino wool shirts, socks, and hiking type of pants. Long-sleeved shirts and or T-shirt with a zipper fleece. You don’t need a dress, I did not see anyone wear one. Nobody cares what you wear, you can wear the same clothing every day if you want and nobody will notice. There is a cord over the shower in the bathroom where you can hang your clothes, so you can do your laundry in the bathroom if you need to. Basically, you only need to bring, a couple T-shirts, one long john (or merino base layer), a couple of long sleeve shirts, a warm fleece, a thin layer of socks and a couple of thick merino wool socks, two or three pairs of hiking pants, one ski pant or waterproof pant, a light down jacket, a swimsuit for the polar plunge (I recommend a one piece), sunglasses (polarized), warm hat, waterproof gloves, and your usual undergarments. I also brought regular shoes to walk around the ship. During landings, I would layer up. I would wear a long sleeve base layer shirt, a zipped-up fleece, a light down jacket, and on top I would wear the provided windproof red jacket (yours to keep at the end of the trip). The bottom: I would wear my merino base layer pants, hiking pants, and waterproof pants on top of all that. I would then wear the muck boots that is provided (not to keep, its a rental) and you should wear those as they are very sturdy, warm, and made for the polar environment. Make sure to tuck all pants inside the boots with the exception of your waterproof pants which should be over your boots. All landings are wet and muddy except for when we were at Stanley.

 

BRIDGE VISIT

I guess because of covid, they don’t want people in and out of the bridge which could potentially infect the crew. We did have a lady that tested positive onboard the second day at sea. We had to sign up to visit the bridge and took 15 of us at a time and we had to wear a mask. The visit was very interesting. The captain is Swedish and very experienced and knowledgeable. He talked about the navigation system and backup systems if anything was to go wrong with the primary system. They work a rotational 8-hour shift between the captain and officers. I enjoyed the visit; some people are ship enthusiasts and asked more in-depth questions which I lost interest in and left.

CITIZEN SCIENCE

During sea days, you can participate in citizen science. The best way to describe citizen science: is you gathering “data” such as taking pictures of birds, and when you go home, download an app where you upload and sent it. An example is a bird survey (where you observe and count birds) and cloud observation (exactly as the description says). I did not participate in any of that, it sounds boring to be honest, and seems more like something they made up to entertain people during sea days.

BIOSECURITY

Polar Latitudes takes safety and the environment very seriously. Before leaving Stanley, there was a dog that came onboard the ship to sniff out rats. Their job is to make sure that we don’t bring pests to South Georgia as it took huge efforts to eradicate Rats a few years ago. We also had to vacuum and clean out our clothing/boots and gear to make sure there are no seeds or pests that can infiltrate the ecosystem of South Georgia.

We also had to sign a declaration form acknowledging that we cleaned our gear and that we can be inspected by the marine officers of South Georgia (there are ships that patrol around South Georgia and the officers can come to shore on a zodiac and inspect you onshore).

GYM

Unfortunately, this ship does not have a gym, so people have been walking around the deck a few times or running up and down the stairs for their daily workouts. FYI 40 laps around the deck is approximately 2 miles.

FOOD

The food on this ship is high-end and pretty tasty. You get three meals a day; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is tea time around 4 pm where scones, sandwiches, and other sweets are displayed. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style; the options are vast with many different salads, main meals, and dessert options. Even the bread had at least 5-6 choices and are all made in-house. Dinner is the only time when it is a la carte and you get to order from the menu. The menu has choices of appetizers, soup, mains, and desserts and at least 3-4 options from each. The mains always have at least a meat dish, fish, and vegetarian option.

There is also a menu that is always available such as sirloin steak, burger and fries, baked salmon, and chicken. There is also tea, coffee, and cookies available 24/7 in the bar lounge. If weather permits, they will sometimes open the outdoor eating area on deck 5.

It does have heating lamps but it is still quite cold and you will need your jacket and hat. There is also non-dairy milk available such as coconut milk, almond, and soy on request. There is also a gluten-free table at all times which has gluten-free bread, spread, and dessert. 

INTERNET

I was pleasantly surprised to get 1G of free internet shortly after boarding. It is quite slow but does the job of sending emails or text messages. You can also buy more data if you run out which is not cheap but not too outrageous either. I think I saw one of the packages to be 5G for 37 pounds. There are also 2 computers you can use in the library for free internet. It is slow, the sign says to limit 20 minutes per person but I hardly saw anyone really use it. There will be times when the wifi does not work at all because of how remote we are. During the sailing between The Falkland Islands and South Georgia and our time around there, Wi-Fi was not available until we got to the Antarctic Peninsula. I find it nice to be disconnected from the world for a bit.

CAMERAS

I saw people with all kinds of cameras. There were people with big professional lenses and there were people like me who only brought my iPhone 12 and a GoPro 9. My pictures came out decent, depending on what I was shooting. If you are doing a zodiac cruise, it is not worth taking pictures with your iPhone because you are too far away to get any decent shots.

LECTURES

During sea days, there are many lectures planned to keep you entertained. Lectures are conducted in the lounge and presented in PowerPoint style. They are all educational and I went to all of them. Topics include seals, birds, penguins, stories of Shackleton’s journey, whales and dolphins, geology, glacier, and climate. In the beginning, I was attending the lectures in the lounge but I did not find it comfortable so for the rest of the trip, I watched all the lectures from the comfort of my bed.

THE PASSENGERS

Most of the passengers are very well-traveled. Many of them are retired professionals such as doctors, investors, venture capitalists, and ex-military personnel who now have their own businesses. My ship had a lot of Brits. In terms of ethnicity, mostly white, not very diverse. I would say 90% are from the UK. There are maybe around 10 Asians, including myself and maybe 10-15 are from either Australia or the US. We also had Shackleton’s great-grandson onboard which made this trip extra special.

We are a small group of people so it was easy to get to know everyone onboard. Everyone is friendly and keen to chat with you. Everyone has their stories, and are very interesting individuals. At mealtime you can sit with whoever you want, it is encouraged that you sit at different tables so you get a chance to meet everyone. And people are very welcoming and friendly.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you plan to sleep in…good luck with that. The first announcement is at 7:30 am for breakfast. In my opinion, there are way too many announcements. I don’t understand why they have to announce everything, from meal time to lecture time to tea time. It seems like every 1-2 hours there is some sort of announcement, which is very annoying if you are trying to sleep in or nap in the afternoon on sea days. The itinerary for the day is on your TV, I don’t need a reminder every hour of where I need to be.

SHIP STAFF & EXPEDITION CREW

The ship staff are hardworking people who always made sure that you got everything you need. By day 3 they all knew my name, what I like to drink, and what I am likely to order. The expedition staff did their jobs well, they were knowledgeable but not personable. There was a marine biologist who knew a lot about whales, an onboard photographer, and a musician who is extremely talented but does not ever smile. In the beginning, they told us that for four days they have to wear their masks and eat within themselves because of covid, but after that, they will sit and eat with us. That never happened, they kept to themselves the whole time. They were not very interactive with the passengers. A couple was friendly but most just kept to themselves.

Day 1: Dec 31, 2022 EMBARKATION

Check-out was at 10 am and the shuttle to the ship is at 15:15 for embarkation at 16:00. Until then you are free to use the hotel facilities or go into town as you wish. There are hiking trails behind the Arakur hotel and it is a nice walk. I did that for a couple hours, it did get windy and rained a little bit, however, if you are in the woods, you will not get wet. The tail was very easy and not strenuous at all. It is more like a walk in the park to stretch out your legs. 

The weather has not been very nice the past couple of days that I was in Ushuaia. On embarkation day, it was raining and windy. Nevertheless, once our shuttle pulled into port and stopped in front of Island Sky, the crew was ready and happy to greet us. We had to give them our passports before entering the ship and they keep them until we disembark. Once inside the ship, the crew greeted us with drinks and finger foods, whenever you are ready you can go to your room where your luggages will be waiting. Shortly after, you can go mingle at the Captain’s cocktail party where he talks about his experiences and the ship and introduces the crew. Sarah, our expedition dinner gave us a briefing about the ride to the Falkland Islands. It did not look good, windy with 4m swells, so it was going to be a bumpy ride. We set sail at around 19:00. As it was New Year's eve, a special menu was created for this occasion. Dining was a la carte. There were many options to choose from and quite fancy.

DAY 2- January 1, 2023

Soup and Crackers

As I have never sailed on a cruise before, I did not know the extent of my seasickness. I was woken up at around 4am by the roll of the ship and felt sick for the entire day. I tried to make it for lectures but every time I sat upright, I would throw up. During all that, I have been running around to exchange my boots as they were too big and that has been a challenge on its own. Lisa, my newly founded friend has been checking up on me and had soup and crackers brought up to me as I was too sick to eat anything. I found the doctor at some point and got a bunch of seasickness pills from him. I later found out that half the passengers were also sick and many did not make It to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I love the fact that I can listen to briefings and lectures on the TV.

Day 3

After over 24 hours of being completely useless, I woke up like a new person. The ship is no longer on open water so it is no longer bobbling up and down or sideways. I also felt like I had lost 10 lbs. I went to breakfast and ate like a starved child. Today, we were supposed to do 2 landings; West Point and Saunders Island.

Unfortunately, it was so windy that we did go to either. We had a window to do an alternate landing on this muddy sandy beach called Grave Cove. I saw penguin colonies and breathed in fresh Falkland Islands air. However, it was so windy and proved to be dangerous, because further down at the beach, a gush of wind…must be 70-100 km/hr came out of nowhere and blew almost everyone away. A man fell and rolled like a pile of hay and hurt his shoulder. I got the hint and walked back to the zodiac; it was time to go.

Day 4

Today we are at Stanley Port. There are shuttles running between Gypsy Cove, downtown Stanley, and the ship. Gypsy Cove is a nice beach area where you can do a 1km easy hike. It is a loop so it brings you back to where you started. On the way, you can see Maggelian penguins and their chicks burrowed under the makeshift grass cave. They gave you about 1hr to wander the area and you can either take the shuttle back or walk back to the ship. It was fairly windy and the weather was at times raining so I took the shuttle back. 

I went back to the ship for lunch and headed to town shortly after. Mensun, the famous guy who found Endurance (Shackleton’s ship) and other famous shipwrecks around the world, lives in the Falkland Islands and has invited our ship to his house for tea and to sign autographs. His wife and himself are extremely hospitable people and so kind to have hosted us. I chatted with him for a little bit while he was signing my book and learned that he was also involved in finding shipwrecks in Vietnam. Stanley is a very quaint quiet town with few gift shops, cafes, and supermarkets.

I went to the post office to send some postcards to friends and to myself as well as bought a couple of collectible stamps. The town accepts UK pounds, US dollars, and major credit cards. There is also a museum that is included with your expedition. The museum documents life in the Falkland Islands, the South Georgia war, and wildlife. It is worth taking a look at and also helps pass the time. We also had Mensun and the government of the Falkland Islands come to the ship for a meet and greet before setting out to sea again at 18h00.

Day 5-6: Sea Days (lectures, puzzles, chatting, biosecurity cleaning of gears)

Day 7: Arrival at South Georgia- King Haakon Bay

Today we arrive at South Georgia where we will spend the next 5 days visiting different spots of the island. This landing is exciting for the expedition team because they have never landed in this area of the island before. King Haakon Bay is where Shackleton landed the James Caird with 6 men and waited 10 days for the weather to clear before walking to the other side of the mountain. It is very windy today so we waited until 8 pm until we got the all-clear for a 1h stroll on Peggotty Bluff. The bay is beautiful and full of fur seals and their babies. As the sun starts to set, this beautiful red light starts to hover over the glacier mountains.

DAY 8:

King Penguins!

At 9 am we had a 2 hours zodiac cruise at Elsehul. We cruised along the bay and saw many wildlife cohabiting together. We saw asbestos, King penguins, Seals, and Macaroni penguins. It got cold after an hour but it was interesting to see all these animals in their natural habitat. Around 3 pm it started to get windy but we were able to get out for another landing at Right Whales Bay. My group was the last one to be called and we waited awhile for the zodiac to show up and bring us to the bay. It was a very wet ride, we all got soaked, so if you did not dress in waterproof clothing, guaranteed you will be wet inside out. It took a good 9 minutes to get to shore, and once there it was so mesmerizing. 

This beach was full of creatures, everywhere you looked, there were either king penguins, seals, or baby seals. They were sprayed everywhere, beach, rock, hill, and sand. There must be 400,000 of them spread out over the beach. I was so overwhelmed, that I did not know where to look first. These animals are a curious bunch too, as baby seals would try to come near you. As much as you want to pet them, you cannot let them near you because their bites are dirty. It is apparently 5 times dirtier than a dog bite. So if you get bitten by a seal, it is an immediate evacuation as you can lose a limb. Words or pictures cannot describe what I experienced today. It got very windy shortly after I landed on the shore, winds were up to 50 knots so we had to leave early. Weather in South Georgia can change at any time.

 

Day 9

Today was a spectacular day. Calm winds, sunny, and just the right temperature, it actually got hot under all the layers I was wearing. Our first landing today was at 8:30 am at Fortuna Bay. This morning’s landing was very relaxing. We walked about 1 km to a small hill that overlooked the colony of king penguins. It wasn’t as vast as Right Whale Bay, but the backdrop was mountainous with the peaks of the icy glacier. In the afternoon, many people did the Shackleton’s hike.  Shackleton’s hike is a ste

Glacier water

ep 300m (1000 feet) uphill that brings you across the other side; it is supposed to be a 6 km hike that has a spectacular view. I would have loved to do it but decided not to because I don’t like that everyone has to hike together in a single line, there will be a lot of waiting involved, and the hike is very exposed so me with my small bladder will have nowhere to hide. Instead, I did the hike to the waterfall on the other side where the group will be coming down from that is supposed to be 2 km one way, but to me, it seemed a lot further; I’d say 3-4 km one way. The hike started off with fending off a few seals and a very rocky walk all the way to the waterfall. It is flat all the way, but the challenge is the rocky road which can be unsteady and you can lose your footing easily if not careful. At the waterfall, I spent a good 30 minutes just sitting near the falls, taking it all in, and drinking the glacier water which was sweet, fresh, and delicious. The way back seemed a lot faster, and the fog started to roll in. By 6:30 pm I was back at the ship, showered, and ready for dinner.

 

DAY 10

Over 400,000 pairs of penguins are here

Early morning today. 4 am wake up call with first disembarkation at 4:45 am. Today’s landing takes us to St. Andrews Bay. We had to do this early because of the catalytic winds that usually roll in late mornings and I am glad we did because I was told that it is rare that they could land at St. Andrews. This place has the biggest king penguin colony in the world. It is estimated that there are 1 million penguins here Even before getting onto the shore, you can smell them from the ship. It smells like a chicken coop that hasn’t been cleaned for months.  After landing ashore, we walked up to a small hill about half a kilometer ahead where you can have a view of the penguin colony. Unfortunately, the morning fog rolled in and lingered for quite a while. I stood on that hill for some time, hoping that the fog will lift so that I can take a decent photo of the colony. Luckily, patience paid off and the fog lifted. I had about 45 minutes until I had to leave and I took every minute of it taking videos and pictures. Words cannot describe this place. It is loud with penguins calling on each other, it smells and just the sheer number of penguins out there is just amazing to see. 

When we got back to the ship, we had brunch and an important message from the captain. Basically, a storm is coming and for the safety of the ship, he decided that it would be best that we leave for the Antarctic peninsula tonight. So we will be missing a day in South Georgia, which is not a big deal for me because we already saw the important places. We will have about 3 days at sea now instead of 2 because we are backtracking to the North instead of going South to avoid the storm. A little later in the early afternoon, we set out for Grytviken which was once a whaling station. This is where a bio-security inspection officer came onboard to clear customs and to make sure our gears are clean. Shortly after, we came onshore and went to Shackleton’s cemetery to pay our respect. They were doing a little ceremony but it was taking too long so I left and explored the whaling station on my own. I went to send out a few postcards at the post office and checked out the museum next door.

It is a very small place so don’t expect anything fancy. They were supposed to do hiking at 1 pm but everyone was busy with this Shackleton church ceremony that nobody got around to it until 3 pm at which point I lost interest. I took in the beautiful day and the fresh air for a while and headed back to the ship at 4 pm with a little snooze before going to this beautiful BBQ the chef prepared for us. It was so elegant, beautifully carved animals made from vegetables or fruits, they even have a roasted pig, like the full thing! My seasickness pill set it and I was drowsy and went to bed early.

Day 11: Sea day.

I was woken up at around 2 am by violent waves hitting the ship. Everything on my desk fell to the floor and it was a challenge to get to sleep as the ride was bumpy.

Day 12: Sea day

Another day at sea. Bumpy ride with 3–4-meter waves. Very windy outside so the deck was closed. The day was full of lectures followed by a 2-hour auction where people donated artifacts related to Shackleton and all proceeds will go to the conservation of South Georgia. A map of South Georgia had some original drawings on it by an artist on the ship sold for 3000 pounds.

Day 13: Sea day

The ride today was much calmer and the deck was reopened where I went out for some fresh air after 2 days of being cooped up in my room. Tomorrow, we sail by Elephant island where Shackleton and his men stayed for 10 months. If the weather holds up we may even land on it, but it is very rare as it is often windy.

Day 14

As predicted, the weather today is particularly windy, rainy, and foggy. As we approach elephant island, I knew that there is no way we could make a landing. However, the ship went as close as they could to Point Wild, this is the place where Shackleton and his men stayed on the island for months until Shackleton and 6 men went out to seek help.

The island is magnificent, we ended up right in front of a huge glacier that from time to time little pieces break and splash into the water. You can hear the loud sound of the ice breaking as it plunges into the water. It is quite a scene to see. Tons of chinstrap penguins can be seen diving up and down beside our ship. Later on, a flock of Cape Petrels flew right along our ship as well. Wildlife here is insane as later on, we saw at least 10 finback whales in the vicinity of our ship. As we are officially in the South, the sun doesn’t quite go down so it will be light out as I sleep into the “night”.

Day 15

After 4 days at sea, we finally get to do a landing this afternoon at Mikkelsen on Trinity Island. This was a small island that is full of nesting Gentoo penguins. They are cute to watch as they walk down the penguin highways. 

There were some whale bones and a wrecked boat next to it. We were free to roam around on our own as long as we respected the 5m rule and to give the penguins the right of way. A lady stepped in a pool of penguin poo water that went up to her waist and her phone dropped out of her pocket and straight into that poo murky water. The expedition team did their best trying to find it but it was a lost cause. After dinner, we went on a zodiac cruise around Cierva bay. I am not a fan of this as it is cold and I am always seated at the worst place (which is the back where the engine is) and I can never see or get a good shot of anything. It started snowing and we saw icebergs, gentoo penguins, and later on a leopard seal. We were excited to get a glimpse of the leopard seal as it swam around our zodiacs.

A few people brought in chunks of ice that has fallen off the glaciers and gave them to the bar so that they can make drinks with it. The ice was crystal clear and a novelty. Tonight the bar was full of excited people with conversations flowing until it was bedtime for me as we have an early start the next day. I am very excited about it because tomorrow is the day where I get to step onto the Antarctic mainland.

Day 16

Today is definitely my favorite day of all the days. At 8 Am this morning we finally had our landing in Neko Harbour which is on the mainland of Antarctica. 

I can’t describe to you how excited I was to finally step onto the 7^th continent.

 

After 2 attempts, it has finally happened. Neko harbour is nestled beside a really big glacier. I went for a hike up a hill that went pretty high up to a rock that has a lookout of the glacier to the right and it also has a view of the ship and the open sea. It was amazing to see the sheer beauty of it. The weather changes very quickly. It went from clear, to a little windy to a full-blown snowstorm in a matter of minutes. I spent a little bit of time up on that lookout until the staff started kicking people out so that the new people can have a chance to have their moments. As I started down, another snowstorm hit. After reaching the bottom, I banked right to where the massive view of the glacier was and I stood there for a while watching and taking in its beauty. I also saw a fight between a penguin and a bird ( insert type) because the bird stole its egg. We went back to the ship shortly for lunch and we all saw humpback whales and Orcas everywhere. They were out and about and it was just so easy to videotape them.

 This afternoon, we headed to Port Lockroy which is the southernmost post office in the world. It is run by the British Antarctic Survey and it has a museum and souvenir shop as well. This is where I went to send off my last postcards to friends and myself and from there I hopped on a zodiac to head to Jougla Point.
This small island has nesting penguins but I did not see any eggs or chicks. It is a small island so I did not spend too much time on it. 

This late afternoon, we did our polar plunge. The plunge wasn’t bad, it was the anticipation going to it that made me anxious. To do the plunge, you had to go on a zodiac that is packed on the edge of the ship where you come in because it has a ladder. They will strap you by the waist so when you jump you have a cord to pull yourself in. It was a lot of fun with many cheering you on. After you come out, they give you a towel and a shot of vodka to warm you up. Later on in the evening, many people hung out in the bar socializing still excited about today’s event. Many people also went out to the deck to look for whales which were plenty. I didn’t even have to go outside as I can see them feeding from the window. Today was definitely the highlight of my trip. It was a full day packed with excitement.

Day 17

Today we head to Whaler’s Bay on Deception island which is an active volcano.

This place erupted about 4000 years ago which completely blew off the top of the volcano and now we are left with the crater. Deception Island used to be a whaler’s station until an eruption in the 1960s forced them to abandon this place. As I arrive in the zodiac, I can see steam and the smell of sulfur coming out from the ground. If you dig your heels in and make a hole and touch the water, it is piping hot. The island is beautiful, you can tell that the eruption gave the island soil that is rich in nutrients.

From a distance, you can see beautiful green lush moss that has grown in volcanic soil. I walked along the shores watching the chin strap penguins bickering amongst themselves and headed up the hill that overlooked the island and over that hill is the bay. After descending from the hill with the help of Patrick who is the Great grandson of Shackleton, I headed towards the other side where big silos and buildings were left behind by the whaling station. The site is pretty amazing and I enjoyed the walk as the wind started to pick up and was getting cold. As I returned to the zodiac, I heard that this was our last landing because a storm was heading our way.

We were supposed to do one more landing at Half Moon Island in the afternoon, but the captain decided that we should get ahead of the storm and leave early. Other ships in the ahead are also doing the same. That evening, as we cross the drake, it is true what they say, it is bad because you are being bounced around a lot. I was sick again and missed dinner, a birthday cake, and the chocolate extravaganza theme dessert. I couldn’t stay up without feeling like I was being in a washing machine.

Day 18: Sea day

Day 19: 

As I look outside, I can see that we have started our approach to the beagle channel this morning. The sea is calm and it is warm and sunny outside. As it is the last day, there is a lot to do. We have come in a day early and will pull into port around 10:30 Pm.

Re-stock for the next voyage

We will spend one last night on the ship and have breakfast in the morning before 8 Am disembarkation. The day was full of briefings for disembarkation, and then we had a Q&A as well as a goodbye/thank you session with the staff and ship’s crew. A lot of us hung around the bar area throughout the day exchanging contact numbers and pictures and connecting with newly found friends for one last day. I did some packing, and as I only have a carry-on bag, it did not take long. This is also the day when you give your feedback about your trip and tip if you wish. Everything will be put under your door. Later that evening we had a farewell captain’s cocktail party, where people dressed up nicely…well most did. We also voted on the best photograph contest from each category (People, wilderness, landscape, and creativity). Two of my photographs were in the top 3 for voting which was by how much the audience clapped or hollered. It was more of a popular contest meaning, your photograph doesn’t have to look nice, basically, it's who you know. The winner got some small pieces of clothing from the gift shop (hat, scarf). Nevertheless, it was still fun. After the contest, we watched a 20-minute slideshow that was put together by the onboard photographer.

Lobster Tail

Dinner this evening was elegant, the menu had game meat and lobster’s tail. Dessert was a miss. After dinner, the ship’s crew put on a show for it…it was more like a talent show where everyone showed off their dancing and singing

 skills.

Patrick and I

We danced and sang with them and it was a lot of fun. As we pulled into port, we can see how little the Island Sky ship is compared to the mega ships around us. I spent the rest of the evening, on the deck watching the loading and unloading of provisions of the neighboring ship and chatted with people one last time. This is also the same night when I found out Ed Sherran’s parents were on the ship. I felt sad and relieved because I met great people and now it's back to reality, but also happy to be going home. The long bumpy sea days were driving me insane.

Day 20

I got up at 7 Am, showered, got dressed, and squeezed everything in my bag to be left out my door by 7:30 Am so it could be picked up. I went to breakfast and said my goodbyes one last time before heading up to pick up my passport and UBS key which contains pictures and a voyage logbook. At 8 Am, people who were going to the airport or hotels were called to disembark. I identified my bag and it was loaded into a bus. I waved goodbye one more time and the bus took off to the airport first and then dropped off the passengers one by one at their respective hotels.

Conclusion

This trip is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that I will never forget. Many of the passengers on my ship are returnees because they love it so much. In terms of cost, it is expensive. However, if you are flexible and can go on a vacation for a month on a 3 weeks notice, you can get a last-minute deal that shaves off 60% off the original cost. Booking on a smaller ship that has less than 120 pax is ideal because you will have more time on land and do landings at the same time instead of taking turns. Overall, I am glad that I got to experience the 7th continent and met wonderful people on the way, and it is worth every penny!