ADVENTURE CRUISING
Is this the ultimate in cruising?
Steve Newman discovers
Antarctica in the company of Norway’s expedition-style Hurtigruten line
I
f you don’t like the weather in Antarctica, just wait a while and, in about five minutes, it will change. Even in summer, we woke to find snow had fallen on the ship swiftly followed by
blue sky and bright sunlight that lit up the snow- covered mountains in all their magnificence. Penguins frolicked in and out of the calm sea as if impersonating dolphins while seals stretched out lazily on ice floes soaking up the warm rays of the January sun. Even humpback whales snoozed on the water as we sailed by. Above all, I can now place myself among that elite group who have walked upon the White Continent and watched in awe as an albatross wafted serenely above the stern of our ship in the Southern Ocean. I had travelled here with Hurtigruten, the polar specialists, to join their specifically adapted vessel the Fram, named after Amundsen’s vessel that took him to these waters and enabled him to beat Scott to the pole 100 years ago this December. The decor includes original artwork and su- perbly appointed interiors that have been inspired by the Arctic and Greenland regions, with a main reception area, glass-enclosed observation salon and excellent leisure facilities, including gym, sauna and heated Jacuzzis. Items of the original Fram are also displayed throughout the vessel, linking the present vessel with the rich history of its illustrious past. The ship holds a fleet of lightweight polar circle boats that hold eight people at a time to enable you
“ONE DAY, we found ourselves
A Nieuw Tradition
TOBOGGANING down a STEEP HILL at a Chilean RESEARCH STATION”
to land at certain points to experience the wildlife. And what wildlife, too! Thousands of penguins in their rookeries, leopard seals patrolling the shore in search of a meal and killer whales haunting the ice floes, thus completing the food chain. And, if you need an even more expansive wild- life experience, there are other great opportunities in this part of the world. Either pre or post-cruise, Hurtigruten offer organised excursions to the amaz- ing Tierra Del Fuego National Park. Or you can simply take a walk around Ushuaia,
where you board the ship. The southern-most town in Argentina offers the unique Dolphin Gulls, with their bright red beaks and legs. A must for bird-watchers. The relaxed style of life on board Fram led to a few distinct quirks. It quickly became an unwritten law that, if someone had started one of the many jigsaws on board and you happened to see where a piece fitted, you were duty bound to put it in its place.
Autumn 2011 I WORLD OF CRUISING 51
Photo by: Steven Kona Simao/Kona Photos
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100