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New Year's Expedition Cruise
  • Lorna Spaas
  • Paul Spaas
  • Lorna Spaas
  • Paul Spaas

New Year's Expedition Cruise

Ushuaia to Antarctica and back again on the Venture. Weiterlesen
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  • Beginn der Reise
    29. Dezember 2025
    New Year's Expedition Cruise

    Leaving Ushuaia for Antarctica

    29. Dezember 2025 in Argentinien ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Paul and I had to get up and ready for a cabin change to across the passage. We had to wait for some guests to leave their cabin so that we could stow our luggage there. Unfortunately they ran late. It held up the housekeepers a bit so in the meantime we stripped our own beds and got all the towels and bath mats ready for the turnaround process. A small thing but it helped the housekeepers greatly. Once the other guests left their cabin we were able to move our stuff and put it out of the housekeepers' way.

    We headed into town for a few hours, picking up 2 x 1 kg chocolate bars. One of which is for the housekeepers.

    We bumped into a South African friend who we haven't seen since 2018. She is working on a Swan Hellenic expedition ship and had a break from her zodiac tendering duties (they are anchored in the bay). She was going to have a bite to eat so she asked us to join her and her friend (one of the expedition team members from our ship)

    We had a very quick catch-up over lunch before she had to dash back to work. Paul and I took our time walking back to the Venture.

    It was a sunny day and warmer than expected, but the sunshine therapy was welcomed with open arms.    Weiterlesen

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  • New Year's Expedition Cruise

    Drake's Passage

    31. Dezember 2025, Drake Passage ⋅ 🌨 1 °C

    Yesterday was a nice relaxing day. There was the usual formality of collecting boots, and there were interesting talks throughout the day.

    By the time it was my group's turn to collect boots, , there were no size 4 boots left. I'm a UK 2 (EU 34), and 4 is the smallest size available so I make do. I was given a size 5 so that is 3 times my foot size. It will be interesting to see if I step out of them when walking. I will put on extra socks to take up the space. We could have kept our boots from the previous cruise and put them in the cabin temporarily during turnaround but we forgot.

    It is last day of 2025 and we are having a bit of snow it is lovely. It is also foggy and visibility isn't brilliant so Paul has had to go on fog watch.

    There will be New Year celebrations this evening but I will probably be asleep by that time. I hope Paul won't be on ice or fog duty tonight.

    Wishing everyone a good year for 2026!    Weiterlesen

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  • New Year's Expedition Cruise

    Orne Islands

    1. Januar, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    Paul was called to the Bridge last night due to snow and ice. He saw the New Year in but I was tired and went to bed.

    This morning the ship stopped in Andvord Bay and guests went out in zodiacs for a zodiac cruise. I was still sleeping when my group was called - I didn't bother setting the alarm clock just in case it woke Paul up. I slept for a good 12 hours, on and off, and got up to read around 11:00 and Paul woke up around 11:30. It was foggy outside but the weather itself was good. The ship was in a sheltered area.

    This afternoon we went ashore on one of the Orne Islands and had a walk to a viewpoint. The walk was over stones, melting snow (a bit slushy) and crisper, compacted snow. There are a few chicks that have hatched and now and then a parent fed the chick. One had 2 chicks! Nature is wonderful.    Weiterlesen

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  • New Year's Expedition Cruise

    Cierva Cove & Mikkelson Harbour

    2. Januar, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C

    I didn't have a particularly good night's rest and it didn't help that Paul's snoring kept me awake.

    This morning I was too tired to go on the Cierva Cove zodiac cruise so I stayed in bed. It was overcast so I felt better about not going out at 7:30 this morning!

    This afternoon Paul and I went ashore on the tiny island within Mikkelson Harbour - D'Hainaut Island. We could already smell penguin guano from the ship and it got stronger once ashore.

    We walked past whale bones and the remains of a whaling boat on a pebbly beach. We walked partly through melting snow, through mud and guano. Some areas were stoney where the snow had melted. We followed a circular route to see the pengin rookeries. Some penguins had 2 chicks nestled beneath them. It was sweet.

    By the time we got back to the zodiacs on the beach, our ski trousers were covered in guano and mud, to above our knees and near enough our inner thighs! How it got there, we don't know. One guest saw us and decided to stay near the beach rather than traipse through the muck.

    Paul grabbed some scrubbing brushes and we scrubbed each other's trousers with sea water to get as much muck off as we could. I think we did a good job of doing so.

    Back on the ship Paul and I had some Gluhwein and then had a dip in one of the hot tubs. It was pleasant enough but at 42C, we didn't last too long!    Weiterlesen

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  • New Year's Expedition Cruise

    Neko Harbour & Skontorp Cove

    3. Januar in Antarktis ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C

    I was extremely tired this morning so I didn't go ashore in Neko Harbour. Paul had done a night shift so he slept well into the morning.

    In the afternoon the clouds came in but it didn't deter us from going on a zodiac cruise in the afternoon at Skontorp Cove.

    There was a young humpback whale in the bay and we saw crabseals sleeping on icebergs. We saw Antarctic shag (cormorants with beautiful bright bluefeathers around their eyes), snowy petrels, snowy sheathbills, Arctic terns and peguins. We were near Brown's Base but we didn't go ashore there.    Weiterlesen

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  • New Year's Expedition Cruise

    Palaver Point & Davis Island

    4. Januar, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    There was a landing at 2 Hummock Island, Palaver Point, but we didn't get off the ship. Both of us were tired. Paul from night duty and me because of lack of sleep. It was also quite overcast too, so I didn't feel too guilty.

    In the afternoon we went for a zodiac cruise around Davis Island. Usually the zodiacs go part way but this time we went around it. We met up with crew, dressed as penguins,on a zodiac. They gave everyone a glass of champagne to sip as we looked at iceberg sculptures.

    One iceberg had a calving off one of its steep sides. We heard a big cracking sound and were just in time to see a big piece of ice shearing off the other side of the iceberg. Becky, our zodiac pilot, took us around the iceberg so that we could see the aftermath of bergy bits and brash ice in the sea.

    During the recap and briefing, we learnt that orcas were spotted close to the ship last night, and the onboard photographer filmed the orcas playing with a penguin, near the bow of the ship, before it met its demise. The clip was played to us as part of an educational discussion about orcas.    Weiterlesen

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  • New Year's Expedition Cruise

    Deception Island

    5. Januar, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    After a windy night, the Venture entered Deception Island, a caldera. It was calmer at first, and the polar plunge took place for brave souls who wanted to experience plunging into icy waters. I would have liked to have gone but I was still worried if my scar tissue would hurt, so I gave it a miss.

    Just after midday the ship entered Whalers Bay within Deception Island. It started to snow and the wind got up again. By the time it was my group's turn - it wasn't pleasant outside so we decided to stay on board. Sod's law, the weather cleared an hour later!

    A yacht, the Eldorado, came into the bay and anchored not far from us. We wouldn't like to be on board her in poor weather.

    We have now set sail for Ushuaia and should arrive there in 2 days time, on the evening of 7th January, if all goes well.    Weiterlesen

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  • Ende der Reise
    7. Januar 2026
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