Heading to Antarctica

Heading to Antarctica from Zoetermeer in the Netherlands via Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina. Read more

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Trip start
December 17, 2025
Heading to Antarctica
Zoetermeer
December 17, 2025 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
Our travels have begun. We are waiting for a train to Schiphol International Airport.
TravelerBon voyage 😘🐱
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Heading to Antarctica
Schiphol Airport, Netherlands
December 17, 2025 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
Our journey to the airport involved 2 trains,, changing at Den Haag. When we found our next train we discovered that there had been an accident on one of the lines so some trains were being rerouted. We had to go to another platform to get a train that would go via the airport. We didn't have to wait too long for the train's departure which was close to the time to the one we would have taken.

My boarding pass had hiccups so my luggage wasn't accepted by the automatic luggage drop-off so we had to wait to see a human. One of the ground stewardesses sorted it out and my luggage finally went off. Paul did his luggage at the desk as well.

We are now waiting for our flight. Paul has already got a notification that our next flight is already delayed by 2 hours. And it is from a different airport to that which we are landing. It is not a problem because transportation has been organised for us between the two airports. Paul has notified his office so that they can maybe get us another flight directly from our arrivals airport as there might be further delays - knowing Buenos Aires!Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Ezeiza Airport, Buenos Aires
December 18, 2025 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Our flight was uneventful apart from us being seated in an area at the back of the aeroplane where there were lots of families with young children. It was quite noisy as a result.

It was chaotic when we got to Ezeiza Airport and had to go through immigration. It took us over an hour in a queue before we saw an immigration official. We found our luggage and at arrivals there was someone waiting for us.

We now have a drive to Jorge Newbery Airport which is about an hour's drive across town. From there we will fly to Ushuaia.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Jorge Newbery Airport, Buenos Aires
December 18, 2025 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
A driver had been organised by Paul's company and he skilfully drove us through heavy traffic, across town and to the airport.

Our flight has been delayed so check-in was a bit later. We had something for lunch before venturing into yet another queue to check in. For Aerolineas Argentinas, the check-in desks are divided into 3 sections. North, middle and South of the country so travellers had to check which section they had to go to for their flights. Fortunately boards listed domestic destinations so we were able to find our queue to join.

Having gone through security, we can relax for the next 2 hours. I'm rather tired...Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Trelew Airport, Argentina
December 18, 2025 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Our already delayed flight was late in departing from Buenos Aires. Why, we don't know.

Unfortunately the flight to Ushuaia has a stop at Trelew for about 2 hours and we have had to get off the aeroplane to wait inside the terminal. We are very tired and are looking forward to getting to bed.

Paul is going to request a late pickup from the hotel to the ship tomorrow so that we can have a decent rest. I think we will need it at this rate!Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Wyndham Hotel, Ushuaia
December 18, 2025 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C
We finally made it to Ushuaia. We are staying at the Wyndham Hotel, on the slopes of a mountain overlooking Ushuaia and the harbour. It is a nice hotel.

I was hoping for a nice bath but they are American style: small and shallow. We decided to have a shower instead.

I realised that I have left my toothbrush in Zoetermeer so I will have to get one tomorrow in town. Oops.

Time for bed. We are shattered. 😴Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Leaving Ushuaia
December 19, 2025 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
We finally arrived on board the Venture and, after a few formalities, we headed into town to buy a toothbrush and had a wander around.

There are a few familiar faces on board the ship so it has helped to me to settle in.

I had to attend a safety briefing which was followed by introductions to the expedition team. Paul didn't have to attend because there is a separate session for crew, but he came anyway. We were also briefed on what to expect tomorrow.

We had dinner in the crew mess and the HR Manageress joined us. I have volunteered to help her if she needs help with anything.

Time to head for some much needed sleep 😴.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Drake's Passage & Bransfield Strait
December 21, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
Yesterday, soon after dinner, the H.R. Manageress asked me to come and help her put together gift bags for crew. I roped Paul in and we went to help Sevda. We were initially going to make up 100 gift bags but we put them together so quickly that we ended up doing the rest of them - another 130 bags - in our cabin because Sevda's cabin was getting quite full.

Today the Venture has continued to make her way southwards. Paul has been doing courses, online, and I've been reading or resting. Various lectures were organised and in between, all guests had to attend a mandatory IAATO briefing about expected conduct while in Antarctica. Antarctica is a protected area, so everyone must respect nature and the environment.

This ealy evening we have seen our first penguins 🐧 on some ice!

Tomorrow we hope to start the Antarctica experience with a zodiac cruise around Spert Island. It is going to be an early start for the first 3 groups: 7:15am, yawn. That includes the group I have been allocated to.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Bransfield Strait, Heading to Spert Isle
December 21, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
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Heading to Antarctica
Zodiac Cruise, Spert Island
December 22, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
Paul had to go to the Bridge last night so it was rude awakenings when the call came. Then I was woken up by a public announcement. It was the Captain calling for the first response team to go to the galley. Another public announcement was made to reassure everyone that everything was fine. There was smoke coming from a toasting machine. Paul told me later that someone had left a breadboard on the toaster...

Paul came back to bed around 3pm and I tossed and turned until the p.a. system went off with an announcement at 6.30am of our arrival off Spert Island.

We dragged ourselves out of bed to get dressed for the early morning zodiac ride near the island.

We had hoped to go through the island's channels but they were blocked by ice. We saw Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins, and also a humpback whale. I was not able to photograph it as I could hardly see it while it rested in the water.

We went to a rocky arch but couldn't get through it because of ice. Eventually Becky drove us back to the ship where Paul and I had Gluhwein (mulled wine) to defrost, followed by a mug of hot chocolate.

The ship is sailing towards Mikkelson Harbour where we will do a landing this afternoon.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Mikkelson Harbour, D'Hainaut Island
December 22, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
Paul came back from a stint on the Bridge and headed to bed. He was still asleep when I went out to go for a short walk on D'Hainaut Island.

As the zodiac left the ship, a hunchback whale surfaced and dived near the ship. It was wonderful but all too fast for me to take a photo. The zodiac went to the island and on our way we saw 2 humpback whales which were swimming in the bay, and some Gentoo penguins swam between us and the whales.

On the island there were nesting Gentoo penguins. A few had chicks (which were hard for me to spot even if the parent was feeding the chick below its belly), and a few penguins were still incubating their eggs.

One poor penguin fell flat on its face as it walked down a slope. Another penguin got in the line of fire when another penguin opened its bowels, squirting foul smelling guano which landed on the penguin's back, "ruining it's pristine dinner suit" 🤭. I saw other penguins stealing stones from each other's nests and sometimes the wronged penguin got irate and gave chase to the stone robber.

With my stomach muscles still being weak, I struggled to get into the zodiac for the return ride to the ship. The driver kindly tugged me up by my life jacket and I finally got in.

Paul was still sleeping 😴 when I got back. He woke up as I was about to head to dinner in the crew mess but we decided to go to the Colonnade restaurant for dinner instead.

Tomorrow is another day.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Orne Island, off Ronge Island
December 23, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C
This morning things didn't quite go to plan. Guests were due to visit St. George Point on Ronge Island but unfortunately ice blocked the route.

Eventually a way in was found but very soon afterwards it got blocked by ice so zodiac tendering to the point was stopped.

Plan B was made and another island close by was found. As far as the expedition team were aware, nobody had visited it yet so it was a first for the expedition cruise ship.

Two hours after the initial early start time of 7:30am, guests could finally head ashore.

Paul was sound asleep so I went on my own. It was a beautiful sunny day for going outside. Admittedly I was overdressed as I had been prepared for a very cold early morning start. By the time I went outside it was a lot warmer.

The landing was onto rock rather than on a pebble beach so it was nice to be able to walk off the bow of the zodiac onto solid rock and ground. It also meant that I wouldn't battle to heave myself back into the zodiac.

I had a nice snowy walk and then headed back to the ship. Paul was a wake by then.

The afternoon's zodiac cruise was cancelled and the polar plunge was organised instead. Well, it is a beautiful sunny day for it and in absolutely gorgeous surroundings. Why not. Unfortunately I didn't take part as I was worried that my scar might hurt. I will have to ease myself gently back into cold water swimming and get the scar desensitised to cold.

Tomorrow is another day.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Bransfield Strait - Killer Whales!
December 23, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☀️ 2 °C
The Expedition Leader made an announcement of a large pod of killer whales about a mile ahead of the ship.

Paul and I could see them from our balcony as we got closer but I had to use binoculars to get a better view.

When we got closer, the ship stopped for a while so that everyone had a chance to see them.

When the killer whales went to the starboard side of the ship, Paul and I went onto the bow. The sun made it difficult to see them but it was lovely to see them frolicking in the water, young and old.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
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Skontorp Cove, Paradise Bay
December 24, 2025 in Antarctica ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C
I had a lazy morning and decided to sleep in rather than going on a zodiac cruise. Paul was sleeping anyway so I didn't feel too guilty about not turning my alarm on to wake me up.
Traveler 😍
2wReply
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Heading to Antarctica
Neko Harbour
December 24, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C
Paul and I went ashore this afternoon at beautiful Neko Harbour. The glacier has retreated since last year, sadly.

We had a nice climb up the hill to admire the view and then took a bit more time to see the pengin rookeries on our way back to the ship.

When we got back to the ship we went and sat in a hot tub for half an hour or so. It was wonderful to soak in the warm water while a fresh freezing breeze blew around us. Getting out was a bit of a problem 🥶.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Two Hummock Island, Palaver Point
December 25, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
I was hoping for a nice lie in this morning as my group colour wasn't due to be called until 10.15am. Sod's Law, I woke up at 7am and couldn't get back to sleep. It didn't help that Paul was snoring merrily away!

Around 9am I could hear an announcement faintly (we switch the p.a. button off in our cabin when Paul is sleeping) so I dashed to the cabin door to listen to the announcement in the passage, my ear almost glued to the door. Fortunately I did because, apart from a colour group being asked to get ready, it was mentioned that going ashore was running ahead of schedule and the last 2 colours would leave half an hour earlier. If I hadn't heard that announcement I would have been too late to go ashore!

Last year we couldn't make it to Two Hummock Island because of too much ice blocking the landing site, so I was glad to go ashore for a bit. I made it to the higher viewpoint a bit out of puff but it was good to get the exercise. I tend to go to the highest viewpoints first, for the views, and then go to the lower ones last.

There were colonies of Chinstrap penguins, some of whom had chicks. Unfortunately I didn't see them. There were humpback whales in the bay and you could see the puffs as they came up for air. I didn't have binoculars so I couldn't see the whales, just the puffs as they exhaled.

The return zodiac ride was a treat. A humpback whale came very close to the zodiac and the ship! Our zodiac driver stopped so we could see it, until it dived.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Davis Island
December 25, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C
Paul was asleep 😴 when it was my colour group to go for a zodiac cruise near Davis Island.

Last year when we were here it was foggy and another time the weather wasn't good either (so we didn't go) and zodiacs were called back to the ship when icebergs started to get uncomfortably close to the ship.

This time the afternoon was mainly cloudy but it was a clear day with a few bits of blue sky between the clouds.

We spotted a humpback whale and her calf so we watched them for a while. Another humpback whale was spotted on the surface - "logging"/sleeping on the surface.

We eventually headed into an area to see a cave and a sea stack before going between icebergs. Some where spectacular.

At some stage we met up with another zodiac that had crew and the Captain himself. They handed out champagne!

Just as we got back to the ship another humpback whale was spotted. It eventually breached. Unfortunately I missed the action because my view was blocked by everyone else in the boat. It doesn't matter. Happiness is gained from seeing beautiful scenery and sights throughout the day and being in fresh air.Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Deception Island
December 26, 2025, Bransfield Strait ⋅ 🌨 -1 °C
Today was the final day of the Antarctica part of the expedition cruise and it was all based outside and inside Deception Island, an active volcano.

This morning was scenic cruising with a stop at Baily's Head outside the volcano to view a penguin rookery. There was a strong wind blowing so we didn't venture out onto the deck apart from a toe onto our balcony.

After passing through The Bellows, the narrow entrance into the caldera, we were going to go to Stancomb Cove, Telefon Bay, to do a landing and walk around the rim of nested volcano but the weather was bad: it was very windy and unpleasant. Whalers Bay became an option because no other expedition ships had booked tbe site for the afternoon so we went there instead, where it is more sheltered for a landing.

Paul and I decided not to get off - there was snow and fog, and the waves were choppy so we did a lot of reading in one of the lounges, Seabourn Square. At times we could hardly see the landing site because of poor visibility so we are glad we didn't go!Read more
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Heading to Antarctica
Arrival in Ushuaia
December 28, 2025 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
After nearly 2 days at sea, we finally arrived in Ushuaia.

Yesterday Paul and I relaxed. The motion of the ocean made me very tired so I had a nice long nap in the afternoon.

This morning we entered calmer waters with the protection of land aiding a smoother passage.

The ship arrived around 16:00 and hung around in the bay until just before 18:00 when a berth became available.

Passengers and crew have been able to go ashore to enjoy their evening, or simply stay on board.

Tomorrow is turnaround day but for us, our only turnaround is within the ship - from one cabin to another cabin diagonally across the passage. From cabin 504 to 507.Read more
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Trip end
December 28, 2025