Antarctica Travel Forum

I will be leaving on Nov. 23 on the Fram for the 13 day trip to Antarctia. Anyone on the same trip? Has anyone been on this trip with this company?

There won’t be anyone who has done exactly the same trip because Fram is a new ship and this shorter voyage visiting just Antartica is a new itinerary for Hurtigruten (formerly known as NCV or Norwegian Coastal Voyage). However accounts in this forum and elsewhere of the Antarctica part of voyages of the same company’s ships Nordnorge and Nordkapp will give you an idea of what to expect. I have been to Antarctica aboard Nordnorge. Fram is a slightly smaller ship and has been designed especially for operating in Antarctica and Greenland. Although she is not an icebreaker, she has a higher ice-rating than the other two ships which should help in negotiating the Lemaire Channel for example.

Actually I think you may be on Fram’s first trip in Antarctica. She has been in Greenland this summer and before that, in May, I travelled on part of her maiden voyage between Norway and Iceland. She is a magnificent ship and combines comfort on board with the manoeuvrability and facilities for the polar regions, and the company’s organisation for maximising landing opportunities for the number of passengers is excellent.

I am on the sailing immediately following yours. I'd love to hear how your adventure goes.

Hope you had a great voyage. We are going on that trip on December 23rd. I'd love to hear from you when you return.

This was a great trip. Take some light clothes for the ship as it is warm.

Ruthellen,
Just got back from this trip and it was more amazing than I could possibly have dreamed. If you care to check it out, my sister and I posted a blog about our adventure www.bottomoftheearthandback.blogspot.com

Thinking of a tour on the MS Fram. I have a couple of questions.
How did shore landings go, with 300 passengers or so? Did everyone get to go? More than one landing per day?
Thing of the 3rd level ("N" rooms), do you know if these are good?
Thanks.

Joespoint,
I read that someone on Fram's shorter itinerary made a total of seven landings.

I was in Antarctica with this company's other ship. We generally made two landings a day; this is dependent of course on weather conditions and other ships in the area. The organisation of the passengers is excellent and yes everyone makes all the landings (the only exception I can envisage would be if the weather or ice conditions were to change completely, unexpectedly curtailing the ship's stay at the location).
The polar cirkel boats are better than normal zodiacs making loading and unloading of passengers easier and quicker.

I was on a sector of Fram's maiden voyage in a grade N level 3 cabin. These are cabins rather than room sized but are entirely adequate, and you don't spend much time there anyway. I think that sleeping on a higher deck could feel rougher if the Drake's Passage does it's worse. Try to get a cabin in the middle of the ship for the same reason.

I have recently returned from an Antarctic voyage on the Fram and cannot recommend it highly enough. We did enjoy seven landings during our 5 days on and around the peninsula. The expedition crew was exemplary and the landings were orchestrated beautifully. I have to confess my sister and I splurged on a fancy schmancy suite but I heard no complaints about the cabins from anyone on board. In a word... GO!!