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All of these activities were included in the trip cost, which isn’t always the case on other ships where special experiences like submarine rides can run about $500 a pop. Viking is known for always including one excursion per destination; in Antarctica, landings are guaranteed once per day. Still, our six days squarely in Antarctica were marvelous, and our 269-square-foot Nordic Penthouse served as a perfect home base back onboard. Viking’s usual Scandinavian style and comforts, especially ample bathrooms and oversize showers, carry over from the line’s larger ocean ships. And Nordic balconies, found only on its expedition ships, encompass more climate-controlled space inside while still opening to the outside by mechanically lowering a window to expose a veranda railing.
Viking Expedition Ships
Whale sighting on deck, is drying in a special closet; I'll use it again later on a planned landing to see our first penguins. I'm on a Viking Expeditions Cruise in Antartica, onboard Viking Polaris, the newest expedition ship from Viking and a sister to Viking Octantis; both ships debuted in 2022. Itinerary and shore excursions are subject to change and may vary by departure. To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below. Advance bookings (number of days before the ship’s departure) for the spa, alternate restaurants, and excursions are dependent on the stateroom category you book. Immerse yourself in Ilulissat’s Arctic heritage; admire the pristine waters of its ice fjord.
Top 5 Reasons to Take a Viking Antarctica Expedition Cruise
A Commercial Cruise Line Helped Discover a New Colony of Penguins in Antarctica - Matador Network
A Commercial Cruise Line Helped Discover a New Colony of Penguins in Antarctica.
Posted: Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The 378-passenger expedition-style cruise ship — from every "Downton Abbey"-loving baby boomer's favorite ocean/river/expedition cruise line Viking — is like the Goldilocks of the South Pole. It's not so big that it can't let guests disembark onto Antarctica's snow-covered shores, nor is it so small that it can't offer creature comforts like spacious cabins, multiple dining venues and that expansive spa. In my experience, traditional landings and Zodiac cruises are still exciting enough for a full Antarctic adventure. I never once grew tired of seeing penguins in the wild, chock full of playful personality.
Margaritaville at Sea Announces Second Cruise Ship
Explore the “Last Continent,” teeming with penguins, seals, whales and other wildlife. In fact, you may consider packing just a carry-on suitcase and a personal item for this journey. Doing so negates the need to check baggage on your flights, eliminating the chance of the airline misplacing your luggage. And since Viking provides all the outer gear you’ll need, and there’s a free laundrette (washers, dryers, laundry soap, and irons), it’s easy to get by with fewer clothes as you can easily do your wash while aboard. Some stateroom classes – Nordic Junior Suite, Explorer Suite, and Owner’s Suite – provide complimentary laundry services. Near the hangar is the almost 400-square-foot science laboratory where scientists conduct research.
Emily and I shrieked and squealed with laughter as water sprayed our faces and drenched our waterproof outerwear as if we were in some sort of water park attraction. As we disembarked, the other passengers thanked us for taking the two seats in the back — the ones most likely to get drenched. The ease and comfort of Viking Polaris' onboard persona also extend to its offshore adventures.
How an Antarctic cruise passenger's illness led to the discovery of a new penguin colony - The Telegraph
How an Antarctic cruise passenger's illness led to the discovery of a new penguin colony.
Posted: Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The icy conditions made it feel like we were really on an expedition cruise, as opposed to a cruise that happened to be in a remote part of the world. That incident hasn't marred our trip at all, although the ship is sailing at a lower capacity with the cabins out of commission. And it hasn't kept the passengers from enjoying the Viking approach to cruising. Sail the icy waters of the Drake Passage, keeping watch for seabirds, whales and icebergs.
We understand that time is the greatest luxury, which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal, a drink, or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world. Nordic balconies, as Viking calls them, ensure everyone can hear the blow of minke whale spouts right from bed—just hit a button and the top half of floor-to-ceiling windows recedes, allowing guests to feel the fresh air from the comfort of their couch. Besides Greenland, the cruise will sail to the Canadian High Arctic before sailing to ports in the Caribbean, Peru, and exploring the Chilean glaciers before continuing to Antarctica.
My Trip
I don't know who Emily's parents thought were cruising with us aboard our ship, but it was certainly not overrun with sporty tech bros or outdoors enthusiasts accustomed to roughing it in the wilderness. The crew also demonstrated how to stomp through a boot-washing machine (imagine a car wash, with soap and spinning bristles, for your shoes), the latest in biosafety technology, before escorting me to a Zodiac. Here, two crew members helped me into the boat like I was royalty alighting from my carriage — one handing me down from the ship into the waiting grasp of another crew member standing in the Zodiac. I loved the L-shaped leather seating nook by the window, where I could curl up with a book or a room service meal. (The fried chicken on the in-cabin dining menu is divine!) I used the desk to charge my laptop, but a handy hidden drawer beneath the desktop is the perfect spot to hide your jewelry, should you use the mirror for dolling up for dinner.
Discover the nature of the Fuegian Andes; cruise the Beagle Channel in search of wildlife. The packing list below includes recommendations from my two friends based on their recent Viking Antarctica cruises. Each stateroom comes equipped with good-quality binoculars, a warming closet to dry your clothes post-excursions, heated bathroom floors, plenty of storage space, a mini-bar, a safe, 110V and 220V electrical outlets, USB and USB-C outlets, and other comforts. We cannot be held responsible for any costs you incur as a result of failing to do so.
In addition, there are various common spaces, including a well-curated library, the Living Room, the Hide, and the Explorers’ Lounge. Follow in the wake of ancient explorers, who sailed these waters in search of new lands. Grace at Manfredi's moved mountains (or maybe just tables) to accommodate our requests for group dinners, and Santosh at the World Cafe made us vegetarian chickpea curry on request and fetched me chile oil from below decks to spice up my eggs at breakfast.
Once alongside the White Continent, the captain prefers to sail the ship during daylight hours, so mornings are often spent making your way to the landing site and waiting for the expedition crew to set up. This is only a sliver of the experience on the ship, which just completed the first four sailings of its shakedown season in Antarctica. Announced in early 2020, the 378-passenger ship—which will also sail around the Great Lakes and South America in the year ahead—is the first in the brand’s new line of expedition ships (the second, Viking Polaris, will begin sailing late this summer). Just last week I sat in a Norwegian hot tub known as a badestamp, the steam rising to meet the crisp air of Antarctica that flushed my cheeks. As our ship sailed at a leisurely pace past brilliant blue icebergs, I kept an eye out for the occasional crabeater seal—usually perched on ice floes, they’d lazily lift their heads to glance over at us. I lived like that—in this delicate sweet spot where great adventure and comfort meet—for a full eleven days on board the brand-new Viking Octantis.
Always up for an adventure, I fought my fear of being completely surrounded by water as the driver took us 425 feet below the water's surface to gaze upon exotic starfish and coral. I didn't see the giant phantom jellyfish spotted earlier in the cruise — and about which Viking's expedition team published a paper in the scientific journal "Polar Research" — but I enjoyed the novel approach to sightseeing in Antarctica ... I, on the other hand, had come to the spa not for whales, but to try the Nordic bathing ritual of alternating between heated rooms like the sauna or steam room and cooling experiences like a cold water bucket dump and a snow room. It wasn't so different from the rest of my day, moving from the comfort of my cozy cabin to the extreme outdoors of the Antarctic Peninsula and now to this steamy spa. Consider that when booking, and you'll be in for a better experience over all. While excursions offered on the Octantis will vary by destination, the ship’s hangar full of toys gives passengers a glimpse of what to expect wherever they sail with the ship.
I always describe Viking as PBS at sea, so it was almost shocking to see the ship and crew lean into the NFL playoffs. To the delight of passengers, all of the games were streamed on a large screen TV in the Living Room, along with bar food such as chicken nuggets and soft pretzels. Unpredictability is the hallmark on expedition cruising, particularly in Antarctica where "pancake ice" can start forming before your eyes on a snowy day. The expedition staff sets this expectation off the bat; safety has to be the primary driver in this part of the world.
Viking Polaris has no activities team, as its officers are quick to tell you, because Antarctica provides the entertainment. On the day, I climbed up to Deck 7 (usually off-limits to guests) to find not only a crowd of passengers, but the dining team handing out cups of coffee spiked with Amarula liqueur. On my first kayak outing in Damoy Point, I watched our first penguins of the trip cavorting on the rocky shores and occasionally diving smoothly into the sea. We did more floating than paddling, but I still enjoyed playing penguin paparazzi from the sea.
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