Beyond words...Antarctica with HX Hurtigruten
‘Anyone who claims they can describe Antarctica, hasn’t been’. So began the welcome from our captain on MS Fridtjof Nansen as we eased out of the port of Ushuaia, bound for the vast wilderness that is Antarctica. Behind us was Argentina, where we’d explored the vibrant and colourful La Boca area, dined on steak (when in Rome…) and then woken up in the wee small hours to take the three hour flight to Ushuaia, otherwise known as ‘The End of the World’, the southernmost town in the world. Ahead of us still lay a two day voyage across the Drake Passage before we reached the White Continent. At the time of writing I’ve been back several months, but still find it hard to find the words to describe this utterly unique place.
In preparing for the trip I’d anticipated being bored on the 2 day sail across ‘The Drake’ and had downloaded books and videos to pass the time. I touched neither until I was back on land, on my way home, as there was just so much to do on the ship. Apart from the obligatory safety briefings there were talks on everything from penguinology to the Antarctic explorers of old, we were invited to get creative by customising our Hurtigruten refillable water bottles or making a clay penguin in the pop up art workshops and I spent a lot of time on deck practicing my skills in photgraphing sea birds in flight.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room. This is not a cheap destination to travel to, so it’s not a place where everyone will be able to go in their lifetime. In fact, only one percent of people in the world have ever travelled to this destination. That’s part of why it’s so special and why we have a duty to preserve it for our future generations. Having said that, in terms of value for money, for me it rates way up there in terms of travel experiences I’ve had and I can’t think of any other holiday with such an intensity of excitement and adrenaline rushes. If I had just £1 for every single time I said ‘wow’ on this trip then I easily could finance a return visit. I’ve canoed amongst hippos on the Zambezi, sat in a rock pool at the top of the Victoria Falls, and then done Microlite flight over the falls, all in one day, and this still trumped it.
Waking to see icebergs floating past for the first time was an amazing sight but from there on, things got more and more exciting. Layering up in warm and waterproof clothes for the first time to board the zodiacs, the anticipation was huge for what we might see. Cruising around through floating ice, we spotted seals lolling on icebergs, enjoying an afternoon nap and some more energetic creatures swimming between the icebergs. There were penguins too – cute Adelies gazing down at us from the rocks. This prepared us for the next outing – our first landing on the ice to visit a colony of gentoo penguins. These were the most comical creatures, waddling with wings akimbo, some sure-footed, some belly flopping and face planting their way across the snow.
And so it carried on for the next few days with one or two thrilling zodiac outings per day. Highlights were weaving through giant icebergs the size of multi-storey buildings in Pleneau Bay, watching scientists taking biopsies from humpback whales in Wilhemina Bay (nicknamed ‘Whale Mania Bay’ by the crew because of the abundance of these giants of the sea in this area) and spending time at another landing site where penguin ‘teenagers’ chased their parents around, begging for food even after being fed! Other memorable moments were seeing the sun rise to a natural soundtrack of whale calls, hearing – then seeing - a glacier calve and create a mini tsunami, standing open mouthed as humpbacks swan alongside the ship, and taking a polar plunge in water barely above freezing point. I’ve never felt so alive!
Onboard the ship, the ambience is one of casual comfort - muted tones and natural materials like wood and slate in the cabins and an abundance of cosy spots to sit and read a book or watch the scenery drift by in the public areas. There’s even a sauna with picture windows, a couple of large hot tubs and a heated swimming pool that was a delight to spend time in between activities.
There are 3 restaurants, one of which caters for suite passengers but which other customers can pay a supplement for if they want a more fine dining experience than the main restaurant, while another serves ‘fast food’ style options such as burgers, dumplings and bao buns and even does takeaways for those nights when you are so exhausted you want to enjoy a quick meal in your room. The main restaurant meanwhile serves buffet breakfast and lunch while in the evening there’s a mix of themed buffet nights and table d’hôte menus.
Sustainability is high on the agenda with HX Hurtigruten. The ship I travelled on is one of two hybrid ships in the fleet, so one of the most efficient cruise vessels on the sea today. Guests are encouraged to have a ‘green day’ and opt not to have their cabins serviced; in return, a donation is made to the Hurtigruten Foundation which supports projects that benefit the environment and vulnerable communities. Voyages source the majority of their food and beverage in the local area and closely monitor food waste, sharing data with customers on board to raise awareness.
What made this trip, though, was the fantastic expedition team. Multi-national and multi-talented they taught us everything there is to know about the Antarctic, kept us safe when voyaging out, entertained us with their humour, impressed us with their organisational skills and absolutely bent over backwards to ensure that everyone got the most out of their adventure. They enriched what was already a life-changing experience and I’d go again in a heartbeat!
