Tips for others

So what takeaways can I share about this cruise. First, the Ocean Nova trip is an active boat. You’re not going on this trip for the food or relaxation which other trips may offer. Someone is on the intercom system several times a day telling you when food is, when they’re launching zodiacs, what lectures are about to begin, etc. Expect to leave here a bit tired (but happy about it). Next, bring anti-nausea medication. I did the ear patch and the wrist bands and I have yet to get sick, even right now as I’m being thrown out of my bed from the swells, literally. Windows in rooms do not open and there is no control of a fan to draw more air into your cabin - and for me that is ok because I don't need to feel air moving in my room to be comfortable. Each room has a wall radiant heater which will keep your room plenty warm. Want cold air? There are vents in the door that allow cold air from the hallway into your room. You can control how much comes in. If you are really claustrophobic, this is may not the boat for you.


My room with a wide-eye camera lense. Bathroom is immediately on your left.


Full bathroom and shower

Since I did the kayaking I was unable to do some of the other fun activities you can do on land. It’s a choice I know and I wanted to make the most of the opportunities to go out for a paddle, seeing as how not every day was conducive to getting on the water. We were very fortunate in the number of trips we were able to do because of weather. If you want to do kayaking (and pay the $$) just plan on not doing the day hikes because you just don't know if you'll get another chance to kayak again in your trip. We did get some amazing views that no one else was able to get (though they got to see some unique views their self).

Age wise, it is a huge spread on this trip. There is the occasional family with a 4th or 5th grader. There is also the occasional senior citizen that maybe didn’t know how active the trip was. For the most part, there are two groups of people here. The mid 20 to early 30 and then mid 40 to mid 50. Our trip was at capacity (because of the number of families with quite young kids - Christmas break). On average this ship goes out with 50 people and you will get to know everyone. Meals are very casual. Christmas night a handful of people dressed up. Other than that one meal everyone was in sweats.

A big thing to remember when deciding what ship will take you to Antarctica is how much do you want to do ON land. Ships may not have more than 100 people on the continent at any one time. If the ship you’re looking at carries more than 80, prepared to have some sort of lotto system to determine when you will get a chance to go aboard. Likewise, some ships are not designed to handle ice. When we left a Holland America boat was with us. They had to stay 2 miles away because any ice would puncture the boat.

It's an amazing trip. The Drake exists for a reason - expect to see it at it's worse. Stories of how bad it is are not made up. It can be really horrible for 48 straight hours. Then again, the Drake has been known to be gentle when going through it. I'm a huge fan of planning for the worst so you can survive anything. Once there and being on then ice, seeing the animals, it's well worth all the work it takes to get there!

Will I do it again? I don't know. The weather was something I don't think can be reproduced again. Will I recommend everyone who can go to go? Without a doubt!

From Antarctica