Antarctica with Apprehension

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Flying mermaid

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Booked our Antarctica trip about this time last year, in a rush with little planning - very unusual for me. We wanted to have a trip with Ms FM and her husband. I gave her a few choices and for some bizarre reason included Antarctica, and even more bizarrely she chose it.

Not that there is anything bizarre about Antarctica- it’s just that none of us have ever been on a cruise before and at least 3 of us suffer from motion sickness - Ms FM and Mr FM quite badly.

We have been getting steadily more worried about it all and although LtL’s trip report was a little reassuring, that edge of worry is still there.

I have imported patches from New Zealand and have ordered 2 pairs of boarding ring glasses. They are almost impossible to get, so not at all sure they will arrive in time - fingers crossed.

The plan is

4 Jan. fly to Sydney and overnight at Rydges
5 Jan fly to Santiago QF in J

Silversea puts us up at the Sheraton

6 Jan very early morning start and a charter flight to Ushuaia where we embark on the Silver Cloud

16 Jan cruise finishes charter flight back to Santiago

2 nights at the Singular in Santiago

18 Jan QF J to Sydney and hopefully back to Canberra. (2 hour connection)
 
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Boarding ring glasses? Just googled. As someone that gets sick looking at waves, boats including movies or TV (I needed help exiting the cinema for Perfect Storm and was very sick on the way home), wish you good luck with the glasses and let us know!
 
This sounds interesting. Hope to see a TR.
Oh yes - definitely will do a trip report, although it might be a bit heavy on how we are coping with motion sickness. :). Mr FM has bought dry bags for his camera gear and is busy researching how to take photos of ice - new territory for him :)
 
Boarding ring glasses? Just googled. As someone that gets sick looking at waves, boats including movies or TV (I needed help exiting the cinema for Perfect Storm and was very sick on the way home), wish you good luck with the glasses and let us know!
I am pinning all my hopes on these, so hope they arrive in time. I had originally ordered them from

Marine Chandlery | Boat Supplies, Marine Electronics, Sailing Clothing and Footwear

But they don’t look like they can supply them. Lovely people though and very service oriented. They have been selling them for 5 years and he reckoned he had had good feedback, so we will see! I have now ordered them directly from the French, but it’s going to be touch and go whether we get them or not. If they do work it will be amazing, but Mr FM thinks it’s snake oil :)
 
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Nausea and seasickness are the least of your worries.

Everyone knows that blood rushes to your head in Antartica since you're upside down on the earth.... duh!

Looking forward to the trip report. Keep the camera on for interesting sightings in that part of the world..
 
You'll be fine. A lot of seasickness is all in the mind (so they say) and if you are out on deck and excited in what's happening, you won't even think of it. The only things that might be a bit iffy are a) putting your head down to read and b) sitting at the front of the ship when it is pitching a bit (Not sure about the Cloud but often the theatre is at the front (bow end) which means it can be a bit bumpy if the seas are rough). Ponant's theatre was at the stern.
You'll be busy on the first two days with briefings and lectures etc and then you'll be at Antarctica! :):):)
Anyway it might be smooth - the Drake Lake for you.
One thing to tell MrFM is not to spend all his time taking photos - yes, they are great but sometimes it is more important to just sit and take in the atmosphere of the place (a bit like visiting the Mona Lisa - everyone is jostling to take a photo and no one is really looking at the painting). It is amazing.
 
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One thing to tell MrFM is not to spend all his time taking photos - yes, they are great but sometimes if is more important to just sit and take in the atmosphere of the place (a bit like visiting the Mona Lisa). It is amazing.
i have been having this debate with him for years - it’s why I don’t want to take photos, I just want to lose myself in it and have it in my head. He has got better and now will sometimes just sit and watch, but he is very hooked into his cameras,
 
Will watch with interest. I like the idea of visiting Antarctica.
 
Looking forward to ice photos
 
Really keen to see what you think, and look forward to all the stunning photos. We thought about booking the same cruise last year, but pulled out because .... it's a cruise.

About the time you depart for your trip - we'll be posting our trip report whilst driving / eating ourselves around Basque country.
 
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