So close, yet so far away
Hurtigruten tried to tempt us again with special offers by sending us an e-mail. We had sailed with them before, on their Coastal Express. This time they succeeded. We were hooked.
We started booking on line and then moved to the phone, with a direct call to Hurtigruten. The initial arrangements were confirmed on the 3 August 2016. Further phone calls resulted in some changes. A big change was finding out that British Airways were starting a direct flight in the New Year, in time for our trip. The final confirmation was an email on 23 August 2016.
We're off to meet some penguins!
Following our direct flight with BA to Santiago de Chile, the capital city of Chile, we are staying for 4 nights in the Hotel Cumbres Vitacur. Allowing for some wind down time, seeing the sights of this small part of South America. Getting ready for our flight to Punta Arenas to join MS Midnatsol for a David Lindo Adventure from Cape Horn to the Penguins of Antarctic.
The details are;
Outbound and Precursor:-
LONDON HEATHROW (Terminal 5) 12 February 2017 22:00 to SANTIAGO DE CHILE 13 February 2017 09:40 Flight number: BA 0251
Hotel Cumbres Vitacura, Santiago de Chile, 13 February 2017 to 16 February 2017 3 Nights
Cruise:-
Hotel Cumbres Vitacura, Santiago de Chile, 16 February 2017 to 17 February 2017 1 Night
17 February 2017 Flight to Punta Arenas to join MS Midnatsol for a David Lindo Adventure from Cape Horn to the Penguins of Antarctic
On board MS Midnatsol for 17 February 2017 to 02 March 2017 with days 7 to 11 at Antarctic Peninsular
02 March 2017 Flight from Punta Arenas back to Santiago de Chile
Homebound
Sheraton Santiago Hotel & Convention Center, Santiago de Chile, 03 March 2017 to 04 March 2017 1 Night
SANTIAGO DE CHILE 04 March 2017 18:45 to LONDON HEATHROW 05 March 2017 12:05 Flight number: BA 0250
All three of us are going, and taking two cabins. With the special offers we managed to save several thousand pounds. A very pleasant temptation.
The itinerary includes an attempt at a landing at Cape Horn, weather dependant, and two crossings of Drake's Passage, there and back. Fingers crossed for a calm crossings, 2 days, both ways.
Cruising the Antarctic Peninsula, with several landings as the highlight of the trip.
We are not due to get as far south as the Antarctic Circle. That appears to be on trips earlier in the season. We didn't know it when we started thinking about going to Antarctica, but you have to choose what phase you want to see.
- Pristine white snow at the very beginning of the tourist season, and huge icebergs
- Very young penguin chicks
- Crossing the Antarctic Circle and whales
- Older penguin chicks and whales
There is more information on the web, but the above was our understanding at the time. For more info visit this site.
The ship is ice-breaker class and the one thing you will always see is ice. We wanted to see the older penguins and have a better chance of seeing some whales. Accordingly, we decided not to go for a Polar Circle crossing to add to our northern hemisphere collection.
We are all very excited about this adventure
There is a long wait between August and February. Our deposit has been paid and on the 16 December 2016 we have to pay the remainder. Then in January, we have to get a Doctor's letter stating that we are fit to travel and ambulatory for the expedition.
Following Namibia, David and I might not fit that criteria. The final say is with the ship's doctor as you board the ship.
Having thought hard about the probability of all of us being fit, and discussing it with Hurtigruten we finally made the decision to cancel on the 13 December 2016. Our GP thinks we have made the right decision.
Disappointed as we are, we have made the right decision.
We're off to meet some penguins! Oh no you're not!
Our penguin photos will have to come from South Africa instead, and the ice at the top of the article, from Glacier Bay, Alaska.
Never mind, we will have to make another opportunity sometime in the future. We will check out 'how to plan a trip to Antarctica'. Of course the first hint will be don't get injured in the months leading up to your trip.