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 […]

20 February 2023, Antarctic Cruise Day 7, Marguerite Bay, Stonington Island – We continued our southerly progress during the night, into Marguerite Bay.  We anchored off Stonington Island in the morning, for our first landing today.  Stonington Island is a former British research station, established in 1946 and closed in 1975. It is also the […]

19 February 2023, Antarctic Cruise Day 6, Graham Coast to Marguerite Bay via Fish Islands and The Gullet – After a lazy afternoon, excitement kicked in at 5pm when we crossed the Antarctic Circle – 66.33 degrees south. Apparently to appease King Neptune, one is supposed to have a bucket of ice tipped over one’s […]

19 February 2023, Antarctic Cruise Day 6, Graham Coast to Marguerite Bay, via Fish Islands – A selection of photos from our morning zodiac cruise. We saw our first Adelie penguins, Antarctic shags, and a crab seal. The ice is a stunning translucent blue. Ian is looking more Shackletonesque by the day.

18 February 2023, Antarctic Cruise Day 5, Paradise Bay and Danco Island – Paradise isn’t always a tropical island or palm-fringed beach. Sometimes it’s a cold, wet, grey harbour in Antarctica, filled with icebergs, penguins and whales. Enjoy our photos of all three. The first batch are from the ship. The rest are from on […]

17 February 2023, Antarctic Cruise Day 4, Drake Passage to Danco Coast via Borgen Bay and Damoy Point – We awoke this morning to a whole new world filled with icebergs and snowy mountains whose tops we couldn’t see.  We’d cruised into Borgen Bay overnight, and were now at anchor, waiting for the morning’s activities […]

16 February 2023, Antarctic Cruise Day 3, Drake Passage – The wind picked up a bit in the night, but nothing that was going to cause seasickness.  We slept till late and had to dash to breakfast.  Here is our “rest day” schedule: Our test run revealed that the Helly Hansen jackets, over a thermal, […]

15 February 2023, Antarctic Cruise Day 2, Drake Passage – Not long after midnight we started to feel some rolling of the ship, but nothing to cause concern.  We slept really well (probably thanks to the tablets), and woke up to a “Drake Lake” rather than a “Drake Shake” – swells of barely a metre, […]