TRIED


& TESTED amundSen roald


Roald Amundsen is a classy ship, with soothing, Scandi- inspired interiors, all textures of granite, oak, birch and soft wools. A 57-foot-high screen showing HD images of nature dominates the atrium and there’s an infinity pool on the aft deck and two big hot tubs. Other facilities include a small gym, a spa and a running track with outdoor gym equipment. The heart of the ship is the Science Centre, a multipurpose space used for reading, lectures, playing with the microscopes and consulting reference books. On Deck 10, the


Explorer Lounge has 180-degree views and, in the evenings, the vibe of a smart cocktail bar. There’s an outdoor observation area on deck seven, and a sheltered viewing area with windows one deck below. All cabins are outward-


facing, and half have a balcony. If clients are in the market for a suite, point them towards the coveted aft Expedition Corner Suites on decks seven, eight and nine, which have a hot tub on the balcony.


LAND AHOY In fact, the Drake wasn’t too bad in the end, flattening out as the day went on. There was great excitement, nonetheless, when Captain Kai Albrigtsen announced that land was in sight: the peaks of Livingston Island, part of South Shetland, its snowy mountains a jagged white line on the horizon. Our first landing was at Yankee Harbour for a short hike along a snow-covered spit on which elephant and Weddell seals lounged. The expedition crew marked out a trail through the snow, ending beside a colony of gentoo penguins, building their nests one pebble at a time, squabbling, waddling comically and surfing the snow on their bellies. Because Roald Amundsen is one of the bigger ships


operating in Antarctica, carrying 500, we landed each day in five rotating shifts. The downside of this is that you may not get ashore till evening. But as it turned out, this proved a coveted time slot for photographers, as the slow Antarctic sunset suffused the mountains with a soft, salmon-pink tinge, ideal for photos. At Brabant Island, mountains, some of them 8,000 feet high, tower in every direction, their peaks and ridges softened by snow. There was no landing here;


Roald Amundsen’s secret weapon


is Blueye, an underwater drone, which beamed back mesmerising images of penguins zipping like bullets through fronds of kelp


instead, we were taken on an ice safari on the ship’s rib boats, picking their way around giant bergs, getting up close to the occasional snoozing seal and often being escorted by curious penguins. Orne Island, our next stop, is part of the Antarctic peninsula (as opposed to South Shetland), so I could say I’d actually set foot on Antarctica. Here, we puffed our way up a steep snow slope for the most dazzling vistas of rock spires and towering glaciers.


Back on the beach, the expedition crew launched Roald Amundsen’s secret weapon: not a helicopter or submarine like some rival lines, but Blueye, a £7,600 underwater drone, which beams real-time images back to the ship. Mesmerised, we watched footage of penguins zipping like bullets through fronds of kelp.


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16 JANUARY 2020


travelweekly.co.uk


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