STOP PRESS – at 5 pm this afternoon we sailed below the 70 degree South line – a new southern record for a Hurtigruten ship. The only seagoing vessels further south than us right now, are a couple of icebreakers. More tomorrow on our southerly progress – in the meantime, go to cruisemapper.com, and look for the little pink ship at the bottom of the Antarctic Peninsula – that’s us!

However to break the record for The Closest to a Pole (north or south) by a DROC jacket, I am reliably informed by Pete and Ilze that we have to hit 72 degrees, beating their record of 71 degrees North at Nordkapp.

We’ve been on board Roald Amundsen, for a week now, so it seems like a good time to tell you about a “typical” day.  It’s a very relaxing, almost hypnotic existence, punctuated by bursts of excitement when we have an off-ship excursion or an announcement such as “pod of humpback whales off the port bow!” or “group of seals on an ice floe!” These send us scurrying for the outdoor gear and cameras as we dash to Deck 7 for the best view. 

At 6.30pm each evening, we receive a briefing outlining the program for the next day.  We watch this on our cabin TV, rather than going up to Deck 6 and attending in person.  We find out where we are headed, what we might see, what the weather might be like, and most importantly, what time our off-ship excursions are scheduled for. We also find out if we have been allocated onto an optional excursion (like snowshoeing or kayaking), and any special arrangements for those.

The timing of breakfast depends on the morning’s activity.  Zodiac boats go out between 8.30am and 1030am, and you need to eat beforehand or there is nothing on offer until lunchtime.  We try to get thre an hour before our scheduled activity.  Breakfast is a full buffet, very much like any breakfast buffet anywhere.  At the front desk, you are allocated a table, which is a big improvement on the “bunfight buffets” that take place on larger cruise ships . So far we have not shared a table with anyone else, and the floor to ceiling windows allow great viewing from almost every table. The service is very quick but you don’t feel rushed (unless you’ve overslept and the buffet is closing).

There is gluten free cereal if you ask.  Most things have allergen labelling so you generally know what to avoid, though it pays to check carefully.  At breakfast, Ian gets a copy of the dinner menu and chooses his evening meal.  There is usually at least one GF option, but with advance notice they can make GF versions of other dishes.

We have about 30 minutes after breakfast to prepare for our morning excursion.  This gives us time to dress in all the layers we need to wear.  We start with a thermal top and pants, then a fleece pullover. By the time you reach this stage you are already hot, but you’re not even started … Next are the waterproof pants.  Then the muck boots, which go over thick socks.  Your puffer jacket goes on next, and we have taken to leaving the cabin at this point, as it is slightly cooler out near the lifts.  Fleece hat or balaclava, gloves, then the windproof jacket.  Make sure you don’t get your various hoods tangled up!  And remember to put your cruise card into the transparent pocket on the jacket forearm, and to put on sunglasses.  We also take spare hats and gloves, just in case. Finally, the life jacket goes on over the whole lot. We’re ready for our call!

Now we clomp carefully down the stairs to Deck 3, where the tender pit is. Ian says it reminds him of the parachute bay of a plane.  We are scanned out via our cruise card, placed in groups of 12, and guided into our Zodiac.  If we are cruising only, we’ll be out on the water for about 45-50 minutes.  If it’s a landing, the zodiac ride is about 5 minutes or so, and we have about 75 minutes on shore.  There is a technique to getting out, and we step into calf deep water, which may or may not have uneven rocks underfoot.

Once on shore, we are directed to take our walking poles, then we follow a series of flags through the snow to see whatever we are seeing (usually a penguin colony, and maybe a disused building).  The areas where we can stand or walk are clearly marked – which doesn’t stop people ignoring the boundaries, but the guides are quick to pull you back.  Penguins may waddle right across your path. 

Back on the ship, we go through a boot wash before clomping carefully back up two flights of stairs, stripping off layers as we go.  In the cabin, it’s time to stow the excursion gear away (or throw it on the heated bathroom floor if its wet).  It’s quite comfortable on the zodiacs, until it snows!  Then we marvel at the fact that a few minutes ago we were standing outside in freezing conditions on ice, snow and rock, and next thing we are luxuriating in warmth and comfort.  It’s a most surreal experience.

In the past four days we have done three landings and two zodiac cruises.  Only one landing has been cancelled, as there were too many seals on the landing beach.  Ian has been snowshoeing and I’ve been on an extra zodiac cruise for wildlife photography.  We’ve also had a plenty of scenic cruising on the ship – this involves rugging up in all our gear so you can stand out on deck and look for whales, icebergs, penguins and seals.

Lunch is another buffet, with a good selection of hot foods, soups, salads and desserts.  Ian discovered that he can order GF chips or GF pasta, and they will do a special order. After lunch we might have another activity straight away, or we might have a couple of hours of downtime.  We might watch talks on the TV, look through our photos and video footage from the morning, shower and handwashing clothes (there is a laundry service but it is expensive), read, check emails, post blog entries etc.  The timing of all the activities, and the day’s menus, are all in the Hurtigruten app, which works really well and keeps us on track.

On some days there is a special activity, like the Polar Circle Crossing Ceremony. As this involved freezing water and cod liver oil, we enjoyed watching from the sidelines.   You can do science things, complete a jigsaw puzzle, chat to the expedition team members and ask questions, or relax on a daybed in the Explorer Lounge.  There is a running track, gym, sauna and jacuzzi (apart from a short test run by Ian, we’ve not used any of these facilities).

Before dinner we tune in for our next-day information session, which shapes our plans and schedules.  Dinner is usually a la carte, and we try to limit ourselves to two courses – otherwise we will be waddling off this ship just like the penguins!  There may be a special briefing to listen to, or gear to be collected for an excursion; otherwise it’s off to bed.