Our Antarctica Cruise on the Viking Polaris
When we told our friends and family about our plans to do an Antarctica cruise, we got some mixed reactions. Some were excited, some curious, and some polite but seemed to think we were insane. When Mark’s daughter invited us to go, his incentive was to land on his 7th continent (and his 6th, since he hadn’t been to South America either). For me, it was all about the penguins. We have seen penguins in the wild before, in Australia and New Zealand, but Antarctica takes penguins to a whole new level.
The cruise (or more accurately, expedition) was already selected, so we didn’t have to consider other options, but after we watched a couple of videos on the Viking Polaris we were sold. The boat was completed and launched in 2022 and is a Polar Class 6 vessel, purpose-built for this kind of expedition. Beyond the ship, the Polaris and their sister ship, the Octantis, also have a big set of toys to help explore the area – Zodiac boats, Kayaks, Special Operations Boats, and even submarines.
As our trip got closer and closer and I started learning more about where we were going, I started to doubt myself. Antarctica is truly at the bottom of the globe, with some of the harshest living conditions on earth. I read Gabrielle Walker’s excellent book about her experiences there and one thing she said really struck me: it’s easier to get retrieved from the International Space Station than it is from the South Pole in Winter. Now, we didn’t go anywhere near the South Pole, and we visited during the Antarctic summer, but if something does go wrong, it takes a lot of effort to get back to civilization.
Preparing for our trip
Insurance
One of the first issues we had to navigate for our trip was travel insurance. We don’t typically buy insurance, we generally use whatever coverage comes with our credit cards. But because Antarctica is so remote, you are required to have a minimum level of medical evacuation coverage and we needed to get that in place before we finished paying for our trip. Our travel agent really helped us figure this out, even though we didn’t use one of her preferred vendors. If you want to take a trip like this, make sure you understand the requirements and get your insurance in place as soon as you can.
Medical clearance
Viking also required us to get a medical clearance before we sailed. They provided a form that we were supposed to download and get our doctors to fill out, or, we could use their medical service to meet with us and provide an evaluation.
Mark visited his doctor and she completed the form in person. Unfortunately for me, my HMO has a policy against completing these types of forms so I had to book an appointment with a doctor through Viking’s third party service for an additional fee. I filled out a questionnaire and spent less than 10 minutes on a call with the doctor. Honestly the whole process was inefficient and stressful and we think Viking could handle this a lot better.
Buying the right gear
Outerwear
I started following a Facebook group for the Viking Antarctic Expeditions pretty soon after we booked our trip and it was really helpful for deciding what gear we needed to buy. We knew that Viking was going to provide a warm jacket for us to keep, plus boots and waterproof pants we would borrow for the trip. So we had to get the right layers to wear underneath.
We have some warm clothing from skiing, but skiing in sunny California is not the same as visiting Antarctica. We upgraded our long underwear, hats and socks in moisture-wicking Merino wool. We each got two sets, a medium and heavy weight top and bottom layer. Two sets was plenty since we only wore them for a couple of hours every day when we left the boat for excursions or landings. We also upgraded our hats and neck gaiters.
We each brought two sets of gloves, a lighter pair that we could use with our phones and a heavier pair to use on colder days. I wound up using both on almost every excursion – it was cold when we were riding on the boat but once we started walking around I switched to the lighter set.
Someone on the Facebook group recommended goggles and those turned out to be a really great asset, especially on the windy and snowy days. I used sunglasses a couple of times and they just didn’t stand up to the cold and sea spray.
Once we got on the boat our gear was inspected, so if your stuff is older, you may find it worthwhile to upgrade before you go since the ship’s shop has limited selections. We’ll discuss this more in-depth later.
We also brought single use hand warmers but we only used them a couple of times. There were a couple of excursions I wished I had them, but I was never really that cold, and we weren’t ever out more than a couple of hours at a time.
For the boat
One thing we really loved about the Viking Expedition is that there were no formal nights or any other reason to dress up on the cruise, unless you wanted to. We brought mostly casual clothes and shoes and those were fine for meals, lectures and hanging out in one of the many relaxing areas of the ship. I brought a pair of waterproof boots that were great for keeping my feet warm, and I went between those and some comfy slip ons for most of the cruise. Mark brought some waterproof shoes but never wore them. For most people, sneakers or some other kind of shoes with traction are fine for those times you want to walk on deck to get closer to the wildlife and other sights. My favorite purchase was a pair of fleece lined Eddie Bauer pants I got from Costco. So comfy and warm!
If you are planning a trip like this, keep in mind that everyone feels the cold in a different way so do some research and get what’s right for you. We were surprised that Antarctica, while certainly unpredictable with wind and weather, really wasn’t that cold during our trip in February. Temperatures ranged from 32 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit during our whole trip. It’s colder in the Sierras near where we live. The wind really makes a difference, but if it’s too windy, you’re not likely to go off the boat anyway. With the right layers, you should be able to adjust to each day’s adventure.
Keeping our phones secure
We each got a phone lanyard to keep our iPhones safe while we were on and off the boat. I had a Koala elastic one, which held my phone fine but wasn’t that practical since I had to clip it on my coat. Mark’s iPhone lanyard was much better, an adjustable cord with a secure holder at the bottom that kept his phone on the leash at all times. We saw plenty of people who had theirs in waterproof bags as well as lots of people who just held on to them while riding in the boats. I never really took mine out until we landed on the shore.
Preparing for motion sickness
I bought two kinds of over the counter motion sickness pills, a big bag of ginger chews, and a relief band on board to help prevent motion sickness. We saw plenty of people on board with prescription patches but neither of us thought it was necessary since we don’t typically get nauseous on cruises, boats or roller coasters.
I personally took the non-drowsy Meclizine HCI (brand name Bonine or Dramamine) before we got to the Drake passage both times as a precaution, and I wore my Relief Band when I was walking around the ship those two days.
The Relief Band is a wearable, FDA-cleared medical device that stimulates the wrist with a pulse that travels between the nervous system, the brain and the stomach to help prevent nausea. I liked it because it is designed to work immediately when you feel seasick so I wore it with the signal at the lowest level just in case I needed it. I can’t say for sure if it worked but between these two strategies I never felt sick – even when we were in the front of the boat during the height of our second time over the Drake Passage, watching a slide presentation, something that would normally send me over the edge.
Mark took some of the same stuff before the first time over the Drake, and nothing on the way back, and had no problems. Again, this is something different for everyone so take precautions accordingly.
Booking Excursions
Viking Cruises market a free excursion in every port and based on the stateroom you book, you are allowed to start booking your excursions in advance. This was our first Viking Cruise so we were not sure what to expect. They open up the booking online before the cruise, depending on what stateroom you book, and for us that happened to land on Christmas Day. We logged in and booked a bunch of things, a zodiac landing every day, a kayak excursion, a special operations boat, and a submarine dive. It feels like now that we were just expressing our interest and making sure we had placeholders for things, because almost all of these bookings changed once we got to Antarctica.
Traveling to the ship
To get to Antarctica, we first flew from California to Buenos Aires. We arrived in the late morning, and spent one night at the Hilton in the Puerto Madero District. Viking transferred us from the airport to the hotel and they had plenty of staff on hand at the airport to guide us. On a long international flight like this, we would normally check our bags but this time we decided to carry them on. We didn’t want to be in Antarctica without all the gear we bought, and even though our trip was 13 days we knew we could do laundry on the ship if needed.
Our hotel was in a nice neighborhood, close to a newly developed waterfront with nice walking paths and restaurants. We wanted to explore the area more, but since we were so tired from our long flight, we were barely able to manage a walk before we ate lunch in the hotel bar and turned in early. Our charter flight for Ushuaia left at 7 a.m., with a 4:20 a.m. departure from the hotel the next morning. Viking picked up our luggage that evening so we didn’t have to worry about bringing it with us on the plane.
We got on the bus the following morning and headed back to the airport, where we caught our 3 hour flight to Ushuaia, often known as the Fin de la Monde or End of the World. Ushuaia is a gateway to exploring Antarctica as well as the Patagonia region. The Andes mountain range extends all the way down here and Chile is on the other side. The airport was clean and modern and busy, since we were in the Southern Hemisphere summer season.
From the airport we took a bus straight to our ship. Our check-in was quick and easy, and Viking immediately gave us a briefing so we knew what to do in case of emergency. After that, we were able to have lunch and explore the ship while we waited for our bags to be delivered to our stateroom.
From our very first lunch, we were impressed with the Viking World Cafe, the main dining area. Everything was so fresh and prepared with care. There are two main buffet lines with the specialities of the day, plus a grill, a bakery with fresh breads and pastries, two salad bars with charcuterie and salads, a full spread of desserts, and a gelato station with five to six choices every day. In the evenings they add a fresh sushi and raw bar. Viking also offers house wines, beer and sodas during lunch and dinner, in addition to still and sparkling water, coffee and teas. There is an optional Silver Spirits package that offers more wine and hard liquor choices, but we decided we didn’t need that for this trip. Unlike other cruises we’ve been on, not having to worry about special packages for eating or other activities made for a nice relaxing adventure.
After lunch we checked out our stateroom. We had the least expensive level of room on the boat but it was still pretty luxurious for us. It is 205 square feet, with a little sitting area and a window that rolls down halfway so you can get beautiful pictures and experience the landscape unobstructed. There is a king bed, a desk, a regular closet and a drying closet to store the outdoor gear so it can be ready for the next day’s adventure. The bathroom was a nice size too with a luxurious heated floor.
Exploring the Boat
The Viking Polaris is a Polar Class 6 Vessel, which means it’s designed for operation in icy waters like the Arctic and Antarctic, during the summer and autumn seasons in the region. It is smaller than any other cruise ship we’ve ever sailed, capable of holding only 378 guests and 256 crew. But it still felt very spacious to us, open with lots of windows to take in the amazing views. Our voyage had 359 guests and crew from 46 countries.
Beyond the World Cafe, there are a couple of other restaurants on Deck 1 – Manfredi’s and the Restaurant, that you could reserve at no additional costs. The food is prepared in the same kitchen but it is a nice way to have a more formal sit down dinner instead of buffet style. The first deck also had the guest services team, and if you managed to find it – a really neat hidden bar called the Hide. Since it is at the very front of the ship on the bottom, it is one of the rougher places on the boat and you can see the waves splash up the windows. In the evenings the bar serves fun cocktails and exclusive whiskeys. At the other end of the boat is the Hangar, where all the expedition toys are stored.
Deck 2 is home to the Nordic Spa, Salon and Fitness Center. The Spa features a huge warm pool as well as other rooms to experience the Nordic bathing ritual – a mixture of cold and hot. There’s a snow room and an ice bucket as well as a steam room and sauna. There is also a hot tub that has an open window so you can experience the outside while staying toasty. All these were included in the cruise.There were plenty of additional spa and salon treatments available to book, without any hard sales, something I really appreciated.
Deck 2 also includes the Aula Theatre, a huge auditorium inspired by the University of Oslo’s ceremonial hall where they award the Nobel Peace Prize. The Polaris’ Aula spans two decks and has floor to ceiling windows so you can take in the sights. The Aula hosts most of the major presentations during the cruise thanks to a huge screen that can be lowered when needed. It felt very comfortable there and we almost never had trouble finding a seat.
Our favorite places to hang out on the ship were on Deck 5 – the Promenade Deck. Walk past the World Cafe and there’s an expansive set of rooms with lots of great places to relax. The Library, the Living Room and the Explorers Lounge all have comfy seating and there are a couple of bars in case you need something. The Explorer’s Lounge at the front of the boat has two levels and a really nice bar. All these areas had easy access outside – so when someone spotted whales or penguins or some other wildlife we could run out and see it better. While the boat is small, it never felt crowded, even on sea days. There was so much room to spread out and find your own special place.
Getting our gear sorted
One of our first things we had to figure out on board was our expedition gear. Viking provides jackets to every guest, so our room steward brought us the coats and we needed to try them on to make sure they fit and exchange them if necessary. The waterproof coat came with a hood, zipper compartment for your seapass and a warm liner that you can wear around the ship. We also got loaner life jackets, waterproof pants and boots – it was pretty obvious that we must not have provided our sizes because we had only one pair of boots that was a women’s size 8. But we were able to get the right boots later, and we sized them up so that we could get them on and off easily.
Embarking and Sailing the Beagle Channel
We left sunny Ushuaia in the early evening and celebrated with a champagne toast from the boat’s back deck. From there, we went to the Aula, the Polaris’ on-board theater, to learn what to expect on the rest of our trip. The ship’s captain welcomed us and introduced all the officers.
Antarctica Governance
You may or may not know that Antarctica is not owned or governed by any country. It’s administered by the Antarctic Treaty, which was originally established in 1959 and signed by twelve countries who had an active scientific presence at the time. Today 56 countries have now signed on to the Treaty, and all have agreed that the continent should only be used for peaceful purposes, and that any scientific observations and results need to be made readily available.
One of the key provisions of the Antarctic Treaty is environmental protection and the organization maintains guidelines for tourism in the region. Most tourists come on passenger ships like ours and travel with organizations that are part of IAATO, the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. As part of our briefing, we watched a video from IAATO that shared some guidelines for our visit. It feels like common sense, but it was a good reminder that we shouldn’t leave anything or take anything and keep our distance from the wildlife. When we sailed, the scientific community was very worried about spreading bird flu to Antarctica to penguins and other birds, so they were taking additional precautions.
Before we went on our excursions, we took our other outerwear to be inspected to see if it was ok to take with us – gloves, hats, scarves, etc. Most everything was fine, but Mark’s heavy gloves and his ski goggles got rejected because they were old enough to discharge particles. The goggles were practically disintegrating, so that wasn’t a surprise, but the gloves definitely were. We could not bring these with us since we’d be leaving those glove and goggle crumbles on the continent or in the water. I’m not sure how tightly enforced this was but we didn’t need to be told twice.
Mark had a little bit of a panic for a couple days because the shop didn’t have gloves in his size. Eventually they brought some up for him and all was well. Ironically, the gloves were similar to his old ones, just not old enough to be shedding yet. Surprisingly the price was no different than at a local ski shop.
Sailing the Drake Passage
After we were briefed, we headed to the World Cafe for our first of many wonderful dinners as we sailed towards the Drake Passage. On the way, we saw our first colony of penguins, Magellanic Penguins that nest on an island along the Beagle Channel. As we sailed by the islands, we knew to look for a lighthouse, then we saw a lot of little dots on one of the islands. Everyone rushed to get out their cameras and when we zoomed in on the photos – sure enough they were penguins! There were definitely more to come.
After an incredible meal, including Mark’s first of several freshly grilled Tomahawk steaks, everyone settled down to get ready for the Drake Passage, a 620 mile crossing that would connect us to Antarctica.
You might remember learning about the Drake Passage in school, along with Cape Horn as a treacherous journey for the early explorers. While it is named for Sir Francis Drake, he evidently never sailed it himself, but one of his ships drifted south during one of his journeys and he and his crew discovered that there was a connection between the Atlantic and Pacific. Because the two oceans converge here, with vastly different temperatures, the Drake Passage is notorious for high waves and choppy conditions. When you’re sailing across, you’re hoping for the Drake Lake and not the Drake Shake.
As it turned out, we had a relatively smooth crossing on the way out. The crew said it was one of the best they had all season. You could definitely feel the rocking of the boat, it woke me up during the night, and as we sailed through the next day the boat moved and we sort of bounced off the walls when we moved around the ship. But I never felt sick so I was very relieved. This is where the design of the Polaris really shined – with the stabilization and navigation technology to get us across with minimal disruption.
When we made it across the Drake and entered the Southern Ocean, we celebrated on deck with the crew and warm beverages and saw our first iceberg. We made it to Antarctica!
Our first excursions
The next day we went on our first excursion – a scenic cruise in the Zodiac. We gave ourselves plenty of time to get suited up – layering up our long underwear, socks, hats, gaiters, waterproof pants and boots and our Viking coats and lifejackets. It took some trial and error to get everything on and we were pretty nervous that first day. Once we were all equipped we were roasting and we couldn’t wait to get out of our cabin and down to the loading dock.
On that first Zodiac trip we learned how everything works. We had to scan our room card (seapass) before we left and we learned we had a pocket on our coat sleeve that made it easy to carry. We learned how to get on the Zodiac boat, using the “Sailor’s Grip” – grabbing at the wrists instead of hands so it’s more secure. We learned how to sit on the edge of the boat and find a rope to hold on to. And we were off on our first excursion!
Our driver explained all the safety precautions they take and how we should behave on the boat (don’t stand up!) and what we should do in case of an emergency. After that was out of the way we could focus on the scenery.
The first day was clear and sunny and the water was flat and calm- a perfect day for cruising around the many beautiful blue icebergs. After so much anticipation, it was amazing to be out on the water and seeing the ice up close. We explored the beautiful Charlotte’s Bay, named after the fiance of one of the early Belgian explorers. We were exhilarated and ready for more.
While we had booked all our excursions before we left, they were really just placeholders for us to express our interest. Once in Antarctica, everything depends on the day’s conditions. The crew and staff work hard to communicate exactly what trips can go out every day and try to get as many passengers on as possible.
As we continued on our journey around the Antarctic Peninsula, we had a Zodiac landing booked every day, and other days we had kayaking, special operations boat trips, and submarine dives. Once the crew figured out that we had so many people in our group they did their best to put us on trips together but that wasn’t always possible. After the first couple of days we realized that while most trips were scheduled, Zodiac landings were pretty constant throughout the day so we just started showing up for the boats together.
Kayaking on the Southern Ocean
Neither Mark nor I are expert kayakers. I’ve done a little bit of river kayaking locally and we’ve both kayaked together in New Zealand. We were a little nervous about signing up for kayaking on this cruise because we knew we’d have to transfer from the zodiac boat to the kayaks, in the Southern Ocean.
They had a mini-training for all of us who wanted to go on one of the first days of our trip, showing us the proper way to get in and out inside the toy garage. After the guide showed us, the first traveler, who had a cane and said, there’s no way I can do that – got in and out just fine and all of us followed her example. The Viking crew was really patient and they wanted to make sure that anyone who wanted to try kayaking could go out.
On our day, the weather was not great, cold and a bit windy, with choppy water. We stuck with it and went down at our scheduled time.
All of us had to don dry suits – one piece fully waterproof suits that we had to get in and seal ourselves into. It took quite a long time before everyone found a suit that worked and we were all dressed and ready. We had to remove our watches since the sleeves were so tight. I felt like I was headed to the moon.
Once we were all geared up with our dry suits, booties, hats, gaiters and gloves, we got on our zodiac boats and headed out to our kayaking spot. Our two guides got all of us loaded without incident and pretty soon we were paddling away, trying to stay just far enough from shore and stay ahead of the choppy seas.
On the kayaks, we got to see our very first penguins up close – a few little guys sitting on the beach, completely ignoring us. It was still exhilarating to see my first Gentoos in the wild.
While we were out, the conditions got worse and after our guides tried a couple of times to find us a good spot, we gave up and headed back to our zodiacs for the journey back to Polaris. While it was a little disappointing, we were really proud of ourselves for getting out there.
Our first landing
After our kayaking trip we had to hustle back to our room to get suited up for our first landing. We headed to Meusnier Point, another spot first discovered by the Belgians, to get a closer look at the Gentoo penguins we had seen on our kayak expedition.
Before we went out to land, we had to take an additional step before boarding our zodiac boats. The Polaris has a boot washer for us to walk through before and after we do a landing. It’s kind of like a super-sized boot scrubber brush – you step into it on one side, then shuffle through slowly so your boots get disinfected. We need to be really careful about introducing bacteria or pests onto Antarctica, as we could potentially harm the wildlife.
For all our landing spots, the Polaris guides went out in the morning to stake out the spot, determine the best place to land and disembark, and mark it out for us to explore. At this first spot, we were able to get out in the water just in front of the beach, and we were supposed to hike up a snowy/icy slope to see a big colony of Gentoo penguins at the top. It was still cold and snowing at this point, and after our kayaking workout we were a bit tired.
There were a couple dozen penguins lounging on the beach including a few active nests, and hanging out so close to them was all I needed for my first landing. One of the Viking experts on penguins was also on the beach and she pointed out that a couple of penguins were doing a little mating dance – circling and bowing in unison. It was fun to get a little glimpse into these penguins’ day in Antarctica.
After we came back from our landing, we went through an additional step of spraying our boots on the front and back before going through the boot washer again.
Submarine Excursions
When we originally signed up for the cruise, submarine excursions were included. Mark was interested but I was wary. I didn’t think I wanted to go out into the icy water in a little 7 person submarine, and I especially wasn’t excited that I was going to transfer from the zodiac boat to the sub in potentially choppy seas. A few months later, we received notice that Viking was planning to charge an additional $500 each for the submarine ride, but that we would still be able to get ours without the fee. It felt a little more exclusive, but I still wasn’t interested.
When we boarded the ship, there was a weigh in and a submarine “test” – basically you had to be able to do a squat – required for anyone who wanted to take the sub. There are weight limits per passenger, but the weigh in was also to help the crew match up all the passengers on each trip so they could balance the submarine. With this information, they could start scheduling the submarine dives during the cruise.
As the cruise went on, several people in our group went and talked about what a great experience they had. A few days later, Mark got to go too. So finally I decided I would stop being a wimp and I signed up. I’m really glad I did.
The Polaris has two specialty designed submarines on board – George and Ringo – and its sister ship the Octantis has the other two – John and Paul. The submarine captains are incredibly professional and emphasized safety at all times – we were well briefed on all the safety precautions including what to do if the pilot became unconscious during our trip. There is a companion support boat that goes out with the subs and monitors what is going on at all times. I felt incredibly safe.
The passengers are loaded numerically depending where you are seated – three on one side and three on the other. The seat spins outward so you get the best view from the wide glass bubble on either side of the sub, and there is a light that shines on the bottom so you can see the sea floor below.
Like all the excursions, the subs depend on the weather conditions and basically go just above the sea floor in whatever location they choose for the day. My sub went a little deeper than Mark’s and we saw similar but slightly different wildlife. The water is very cold and dark and the aquatic life is different – we didn’t see any coral reefs or brightly colored fish like you would in Hawaii – but there were a lot of interesting things – sea sponges, starfish, sea stars. Mark even saw a wine bottle!
The submarine excursion overall was a really interesting experience – seeing the technology inside the sub, observing the procedure for the dive, following the process of embarking and disembarking, and the fact that we were at the bottom of the Southern Ocean. I was skeptical, but I would highly recommend it.
Special Operations Boats
When we saw the Special Operations Boats on videos before our cruise, we weren’t sure what to make of them. My first thought was that the boats were for people who wanted to feel a little safer than on a Zodiac – the boats have real seats with seat belts and handles to hold onto while you’re inside. But our friends took one before we did and they explained the advantage – Zodiacs, Kayaks and Submarines all move slowly, Special Operations Boats (or SOBs) go faster, and they can cover a lot more area. So if you’re out on the SOB, and you see a whale breaching a distance away – the boat can get over there quickly and even follow the whales as they move along.
We did a couple of trips on the SOBs during our cruise and we definitely saw a lot of whales, seals and other wildlife. In addition to our driver, we also had a knowledgeable guide on board who could tell us what we were seeing and explain the behaviors, which was great.
The only drawback to the SOB boats is that they moved a lot more than the other vehicles. So if you tend to get seasick, SOBs are not your friend. I felt more seasick from the SOB than I did on the Drake Passage. But they were another fun way to get out and see some beautiful landscapes and lots of whales.
Whale Close Encounter
Our closest encounter with humpback whales came after one of our Zodiac landings. On our way back to the ship, there were tons of whales feeding in Charlotte Bay and since we were one of the last boats returning at the end of the day, our driver took his time and we were able to spend a lot of time watching the whales breach, blow and feed on krill. We started to notice that the water looked different on top just before the whales would pop up to scoop up a big mouthful of krill. Our driver was having as much fun as we were – there were probably at least a dozen whales all feeding between our landing spot and the ship. We were all busy taking pictures and videos on our phones and cameras.
Suddenly, one of the whales surprised us and dove in front of and directly under our boat. I thought for sure that we were going to flip – but that whale must have known what he was doing because he popped up just behind us. It was magical to be so close to these huge beasts.
Adapting to our new routine
After a couple of days we got used to our Antarctic routine. Every day we had a landing scheduled for a different spot. The crew usually did a briefing telling us what to expect that we could watch live or on-demand from our cabin. They must have had a rough schedule in mind but they always needed to adjust based on current conditions. Before a landing, the guides would head out to the spot and mark it off so we had a path to walk safely and an established place to get off and on the Zodiac boats. We got much better at getting in and out of our gear and figuring out how to prepare for the conditions and store our phones and cameras on the ride over.
Viking assigned us a time for our daily landings, but we soon figured out that we could come down anytime after they started launching boats and get on together with other members of our group. Each spot was a little different. Almost every place we landed had penguins, even if it wasn’t an established penguin nesting colony there were a few you could see swimming or walking about. There were also plenty of seals lounging on nearby rocks. There was also some interesting history – we saw hundreds of whale bones left at an old whaling station, and walked through an emergency hut complete with canned foods from the 70s. Our landings usually lasted between 30 and 45 minutes and there were always guides around to answer questions and keep us on track to get back to the ship on time. They only allow 100 people at a time at each landing so Zodiacs are always ferrying people back and forth through the day so everyone gets a chance to land.
Continental Landing
The first couple of times we landed were on islands near the Antarctic Peninsula. It wasn’t until we visited Portal Point that we actually made it to the Continent itself. Lots of people (us included!) had their 7th continent flags all ready to take their pictures. To celebrate our continental landing, the crew hosted a barbecue outside on the top deck of the ship. We had a late excursion so we arrived just in time to get served. The crew sat us down and brought us a huge grilled feast.
Viking Polaris Behind the Scenes
Once the crew found out we were such a large group, they organized some special behind the scenes events for us. I don’t know how many of these things were accessible to all cruise guests but we really enjoyed getting to know the crew and seeing how the ship operated.
Our first big tour was a galley tour. Since we love cooking shows I was fascinated to see how the kitchen operated. Most of the dining outlets close but room service is available 24/7, so the kitchen operates most of the day. The ship picks up fresh food everytime it goes back to Ushuaia but most of the meat is stored in the freezer and thawed as needed. Things can happen so the assistant chef who gave us our tour said they have a couple of months of supply available. We were there in the morning when the crew was prepping lunch and desserts for the day, including a beautiful cake for Valentine’s Day.
Everything on the boat is cooked fresh and the head chefs taste and approve every dish before it is served. Later in the week I saw the hotel manager send something back off the line that didn’t meet his approval. The cleanliness and the discipline in the galley was obvious in the quality of the food. Even the vegetables were outstanding. I especially kept going back for the asparagus. Even when it was a souffle a few days later.
The kitchen, service and housekeeping staff have their own cafeteria off the galley and take most of their meals there. But most of the customer-facing crew including the officers, the scientists and the guides ate upstairs with the guests. This was intentional so we could have more time to get to know them and ask them questions during the cruise.
Bridge Tour
Everyone in our group was most psyched for the Bridge Tour and it really was quite fascinating. Our captain showed us all of the navigation equipment and explained how they keep us on track and sailing as smoothly as possible. Considering this is one of the more dangerous places to sail in the world made it even more impressive. I didn’t understand what I was seeing nearly as well as everyone else but I was impressed with the professionalism and the seriousness of the crew. Our captain Olivier Marien had been with the Polaris before it was finished and was able to take it on its very first sailing.
Engineer Talk
Sveinung Myklebust, the chief engineer of the ship did two different presentations about the ship that were open to the public. We made it to the second presentation, which happened to be the day we were returning across the Drake passage. He did his presentation in the Hide, the cool hidden bar at the bottom of the bow, one of the most turbulent parts of the boat. I’m not sure why we thought it was a good idea to watch a powerpoint while the boat was rocking and rolling, but no one seemed to get sick. I did have a hard time keeping my eyes open though.
Myklebust had also been with the ship since they first started building it. He was already working with Viking and really wanted to work on this ship, so he was very enthusiastic about how it operated. His enthusiasm made his pretty dry presentation a lot of fun.
Private Wine Tasting
One afternoon we enjoyed a private wine tasting with the beverage director Paul Vincent. Since we live in California, we have done a lot of wine tasting but this was probably one of the most educational and enjoyable tastings I have done. As you would expect, the ship had a pretty extensive wine list, with fine wines from around the world. I had expected more of a focus on wines from Argentina and Chile but we sampled from a global range. One of the things I learned was that a Spanish Rioja is usually a good bet for a great value.
Paul had some really unusual pairings as well. One of my favorites was a piece of cheddar cheese that we dipped in honey and then coffee grounds. It sounds a bit odd but paired really well with the sparkling wine. The tasting was so interesting I actually took notes, but not enough!
I would definitely sign up for a wine tasting the next time I go on a Viking cruise. It was available to everyone on the ship a couple of times, free if you had the fancy Silver Spirits drink package.
Educational Opportunities on board
This was definitely one of the nerdier vacations I’ve taken and Viking provided lots of different ways to learn during the expedition. There was a vast library – books in our room and covering most of deck four. I saw all kinds of books, from fiction to nonfiction but most of all, different books about Antarctica and its history. At the recommendation of the Expedition Facebook Group, I had already read Geraldine Walker’s excellent book about her experiences in Antarctica, and while we were on board I was finishing a Polar Affair, a history of exploration by Lloyd Spencer Davis that was focused on the first (reluctant) penguin scientist, George Murray Levick.
Levick was a naval surgeon who joined the Scott expedition as a surgeon and zoologist. He was the first and only scientist to observe the local penguins through an entire breeding cycle, and recorded in detail what he saw in his journals, including some strange penguin sex habits. That part of his journals was hidden away for years and only recently discovered.
While Levick didn’t wind up joining the ill-fated Scott trek to the South Pole, he and five other members of his Northern Party were trapped and had to spend the winter in an ice cave on Inexpressible Island. You can tell by the name that it was a miserable time and the crew were lucky to survive.
The Polar Affair also detailed the other more famous Antarctic expeditions of the heroic age of exploration, the first major failed attempt to get to the South Pole by Ernest Shackleton (his team made it to within 112 miles but had to turn around to survive), then the later race to the pole by the UK Robert Falcon Scott Expedition and Norway’s Roald Amundsen. Amundsen made it there first and more importantly, made it back home. The Scott team reached the pole but perished on the way back to base. There were photographs all over our ship of these explorers and their expeditions and it really brought these stories to life. It is amazing to imagine that people didn’t land on Antarctica until 1895, and 129 years later we were sailing around and landing ourselves.
In addition to the library, there were many different talks from naturalists, guides and other experts during our cruise. You could watch them live in the Aula auditorium or watch them live or on-demand in your cabin. I of course watched the penguin talks live and we also watched several different sessions from Joe, one of the guides who has spent more than 10 seasons at McMurdo, the South Pole station. He had lots of photos and stories from his adventures and we really enjoyed listening to his talks.
Did you know that the Arctic Circle is in the ocean so it’s at sea level, while the elevation at the South Pole is 9300 feet? Also, you may think polar bears and penguins look cute together but that would never happen, polar bears are only in the north and penguins in the south.
In a normal season, the ship would normally stop at Port Lockroy, the UK station on the peninsula that is covered in penguins and has its own post office. This year the team was worried about spreading bird flu so several of them came to visit the ship instead, bringing lots of branded souvenirs and taking our postcards back to be mailed. My postcards took about two months to reach their destinations back in the US. It seemed like the entire ship was hungry for souvenirs and we pounced on them to get T-shirts and tea towels and other fun penguin gear.
The team gave a talk in the afternoon about what it is like to work at the post office with lots of great photos. Port Lockroy is unique because it’s part of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, not really a scientific station. It was home to the original British base in Antarctica, Base A, which was established in secret in 1944. It was established as a UK historic site and monument in 1995 and restored with a museum and now hosts about 18,000 visitors each season. While we were there they celebrated the site’s 80th birthday.
Journeying home – the final stretch
After seven wonderful days touring Antarctica, unfortunately it was time to sail back across the Drake Passage. Our return trip was a little rougher than the first one, but I am still not sure I’d classify it as a “Drake Shake.” The ship was definitely moving and you bounced back and forth down the hallway when you went back and forth for meals. I took some more Bonine and used my Relief Band just in case – but Mark took nothing and he was fine. Crossing back took just over a full day at sea.
Once we exited the Drake passage and the Southern Ocean the crew made an announcement and we went on deck to see a stunning view of Cape Horn, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet. I remember learning about Cape Horn in elementary school and how many sailors lost their lives trying to navigate around it. We were able to see it clearly enough that we could see the lighthouse and the birds near the shore. After the Panama Canal was built most commercial shipping goes that way, so Cape Horn mostly sees recreational sailors and cruise ships like ours. The lighthouse is a Chilean Navy station and is typically manned by a family, who stay there for about a year at a time.
After Cape Horn we sailed back through the Beagle Channel and landed later in the evening back in Ushuaia. This time we docked in the port overnight and got a chance to get off the ship and check out the town.
Ushuaia was bigger than I expected, with more than 80,000 full-time residents. While it’s definitely a tourist and scientific gateway for Antarctica, we saw several parks and schools and plenty of regular citizens out and about. We had a nice walk around the town, hitting up some local shops and taking pictures at the “end of the world.”
The next day we packed up and had to leave our ship. It was the first time I’ve been on a cruise when I didn’t want it to end! Since our flight was a little later, we were able to book a bonus excursion into Tierra Del Fuego National Park. Our hosts took us on about a two hour bus ride that made a few stops in the park, including at the end of the famous Route 3 that goes all the way up to Alaska. It was a nice little taste of the area and we’d love to come back and explore more.
After our tour it was time to rewind our journey back home, through the Ushuaia Airport, back to Buenos Aires and home. It was an unforgettable adventure and I’m so glad we did it.
Summary
I never imagined I’d travel to Antarctica but it was definitely a journey I will remember for the rest of my life. Viking made it a smooth and accessible experience for everyone on our ship and I understand now why Viking has so many loyal customers. We can’t wait for our next trip!