Initial Position – Ushuaia Harbour
Latitude: 49°19’44.4′ S
Longitude: 61°27’39.6″ W
Table of Contents
- The check-in process for Antarctic cruises is fairly standardized
- The boarding process
- Some stats about the passengers
- The Great Expedition Briefing
- Security Briefing / Exercise
- Beagle Channel
The check-in process for Antarctic cruises is fairly standardized
The check-in process for Antarctic cruises is fairly standardized among all companies. In most cases, there are several recommended hotels that can be booked through the cruise company, with some even offering one night’s stay before embarkation and one night after disembarkation, if needed.
In our experience, the local staff of the agency contracted by the cruise company facilitated the collection of all necessary documents, including a negative COVID test result. Before boarding the ship, a brief tour of Ushuaia was also scheduled for all passengers, although we had already visited the city the day prior due to our decision to spend an extra night there in case of any travel disruptions.
The boarding process
The boarding process was efficient and smooth, as our luggage had already been transferred from the hotel to the ship that morning. Upon boarding, the ship’s photographer took a photo of all passengers, which was displayed on the ship’s board to help us get to know one another.
Some stats about the passengers
Our group consisted of 103 passengers from various countries, including 64 Americans, 10 Australians, 2 Canadians, 13 from the UK, 3 Germans, 1 Indian, 1 from Singapore, 3 from China, 2 from Israel, 1 from Malaysia, 3 from Spain, and 1 from Portugal. The crew was comprised of 102 individuals from all around the world.
The Great Expedition Briefing
The Expedition Leader briefing (yes, that was the pompous title) looked like a bad Apple Keynote trying to say how great and wonderful everything was but with the same grace and support as those graphics where all their products are 250% better…. but compared to what?
Security Briefing / Exercise
Less fun and entertaining than the circus act was the briefing and safety exercise we had to do.
Annoying but necessary, we were shown where the life jackets were, put them on and went up on deck to the evacuation zones that were assigned according to our deck and area of the ship.
Beagle Channel
The rest of the day and night was spent in the Beagle Channel, a protected area from winds where the ship is like a floating hotel.
As you leave the port of Ushuaia, you’ll have the opportunity to see the towering peaks of the Andes Mountains. As you cruise along the Beagle Channel, you’ll encounter an array of seabirds, including gulls, albatrosses, and other animals.
