Hi all,

I've been lurking this great board for a while but haven't posted. My wife and I just started cruising last year and really caught the bug. We went to Alaska on the Mariner exactly 1 year ago this week and we went to Tahiti on the Paul Gaughin this past February. Both trips were incredible.

Next year we are talking about going to Antartica on the Explorer II. I have read the review and descriptions on this site (written by Ngaire I presume?) and found them to be excellent. I was wondering if anyone else has experiences or a trip review on this cruise to share with me. I would really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Thanks!
Bill

I don't have any experience on the Explorer II but just wanted to welcome you to LCT. :)

Masaki

Welcome to LCT Bill! I am sure with the wealth of information this site and people possess, you will find answers to all of your questions!

Anthony

Went to the Antarctic in '97 on Explorer I and again last December on Lindblad Endeavour - this trip included South Georgia as well as the Falklands and the Antarctic Penninsula. The Antartic is a mind blowing experience, but not for everyone. It is not a "cruise" in the usual sense - it requires a high level of interest in the natural world and comfort with the possibility of very rough seas. Shipboard activities are different - emphasis is on lectures - food, while adequate, is not a focus. But, the landscape is spectacular and the wildlife is fascinating. Some of the early reviews on EII were negative. I suspect that it may have resulted partly from shakedown problems and partly from unrealistic expectations. One should not compare EII with the Navigator or Silver Whisper. They are very different experiences.

Welcome to the board from a fellow (former) Minnesotan. Let us know what you decide about Anartica. Cheers, Anne

Welcome to the board and out of "learn-dom!"

R

Bill, Welcome to the board! I, too, would love to do the cruise to Antarctica someday, but I wasn't too impressed with the initial reports I heard about the Explorer II, but all of us have different expecations. Maybe you could check the cruise critic old boards while they are still up and see if you can find the reviews. They would be been posted in late January, or February.

My wife and I went on the Explorer II last January and liked both the trip and the ship. As previously pointed out, you need to use a different standard to evaluate an expedition versus a luxury cruise voyage and ship.

The major negatives are:

1) The food is comparable to a premium cruise line such as Holland America and not a luxury cruise line such as Radisson.

2) The rooms are small.

The major positives are:

1) An excellent crew and superb group of expert naturalists/lecturers. Everyone goes out of their way to be helpful, to educate you about the region, and to make sure you enjoy your many zodiac excursions.

2) A very sturdy, safe, and comfortable ship that handles well in rough seas (we experienced 40 foot waves and 60 mph winds in the Drake Passage). The lounges have many comfortable chairs, good lighting, and the Explorer II has a wonderful library. In addition, the public spaces are very uncrowded as the Explorer II carries only 200 passengers versus its normal 400 for these trips.

3) An experienced and accessible Captain who thoroughly knows the region after leading over 100 voyages.

3) An good outside deck for viewing this incredible part of the world.

If you prefer luxury, I suggest that you take a luxury cruise line to the region. However, you will not be able to leave the ship for any shore excursions.

If a premium cruise experience is ok, you should find the Explorer II satisfactory and the zodiac excursions (the best part of the trip) wonderful.

Jim
I think your assessment is right on. Expectations are critical. It is too expensive and time consuming to go to the Antarctic expecting the comfort and amenities of a conventional cruise.

Another consideration is that ships are limited to landing 100 at a time in the Antarctic - the EII takes 200. While this is not a problem for most folks, it is a major negative for me. If we take another trip (and we might) I would take a close look at the Orion - 100 pax and very nice. It was doing its maiden season while we were there in December.

Thank you for the welcome and thank you for the responses. I'm not expecting it to be the pampering experience like our previous cruises, so we are ok there. The most important part to us is the quality of the excursions and guides.

One curious thing I found was that the Explorer II does several (at least 5) Antarctic cruises over Dec/Jan/Feb, but only 2 are Radisson cruises. I found another website (Expeditiontrips.com) that had these other non-Radisson cruises with same itinerary and just slightly cheaper prices than the Radisson cruises. I am curious what, if anything, would make the 2 Radisson cruises any different from the non-Radisson cruises on the Explorer II?

Thanks!!
Bill

If the itinerary is identical, there is no material difference between the Radisson and the non-Radisson Explorer II cruises.

A & K charters the Explorer II for this three month period and hires all of the guides and naturalists. The company that ownes the Explorer II supplies all of the remaining crew. While I don't know, I would not be suprised if A & K hires or approves the hiring of the chef who last year was a Canadian.

Radisson sub charters the Explorer II from A & K for its two cruises but is not involved in the operation of the ship other than having a Radisson rep on board who acts as a cruise director and who sells on board booking discounts for future Tadisson cruises. Last year it was a delightful Englishman who recently retired as a cruise director for Silverseas.

Rather than focus on the Radisson involvement and/or small price differences, I recommend that you concentrate more on which of the three summer phases most appeal to you as they can be different in terms of ice and wildlife conditions. The A & K brochure and website may have information helpful to you in this regard.

For perhaps the ultimate in Antartica cruises, check out "Hanseatic" at www.hapaglloydcruises.co.uk. This ship used to be chartered by Radisson and gets rave reviews. Ngaire took it when Radisson charterd it and gave it a great review.

Here's a ship you don't want to consider:

Cruise Ship Repossessed Before Voyage