Many thanks for your detailed review and we are very sorry this particular cruise did not meet with your expectations. We have followed up directly with you with more detailed comments, however, in brief response we have obtained reports from the ship’s Captain and its expedition leader, both with over 30 years in Antarctica. It seems that the climate this year was extra difficult and it was regrettable that the ship was unable to offer more actual outings and especially landings. However decisions always have to be based on risk assessment and unfortunately in unsafe situations the ones experienced during this voyage did simply not allow any more landings. We can of course understand your frustration, and all of us share it because you can be rest assured that the entire team onboard loves sharing landings with passengers and always try to accommodate these if conditions allow but safety is paramount.
All itineraries not only depend on ice and weather conditions, but also on availability of landing sites co-ordinated via the IAATO scheduler and later in the field between all vessels. No voyage is ever the same, neither at the planning stage nor during the actual cruise stage. Itineraries are only an indication of places we to be visited, but is not exclusive. We might visit these mentioned or not, and we also might visit other places not listed.
There was actually had an IAATO inspector on board during this voyage, and they reported that expedition leader inspected every landing site for evaluating safety and environmental conditions prior to landing – and for this particular voyage several landings were aborted following initial inspection, do to either high winds; brash ice or snow preventing safe landings; limited visibility; or too many penguins present at landing sites (we are not permitted to disrupt or disturb them).
The Captain has also provided us with detailed glaciological assessment from the Argentine Hydrographic Service, made specifically for the ship on 15NOV. The ice situation was heavy, with 9 to 10 tenths ice in all the coves and landings areas in the Gerlache Strait. Every effort was made to allow passengers to access places that were heavily iced on land, plus feet of ice and accumulations of snow on the shore, and you visited Paradise Bay, one of the highlights in Antarctica. Of course, constant detailed meteorological scenarios are developed and updated, especially important for the crossings of the Drake Passage and an earlier departure certainly can spare bad moments and probably accidents, although there was more time at the Beagle Channel at the end of the voyage.
It was very unfortunate that on this occasion the prevailing weather, ice, sea and wind conditions did not allow the ship to provide its usual wonderful experiences to guests.
With polar regards!
Stewart, Expeditions Online
