Having been planning this trip for so long we also had time to plan (and save for!) a couple of bucket list side trips.  The Galápagos Islands was one and this was the second.

We had been in touch with the Antarctic Travel Group on Facebook since COVID and through them, with an Earlybird discount, we booked to go with Albatross Expeditions.  Many people suggest picking up a last minute trip once in Ushuaia but as we had a specific goal of crossing the Antarctic Circle we didn’t want to leave it to chance.  We also didn’t want to be on a ship with hundreds of passengers making the landings less frequent. So with all that in mind on the afternoon of 28th February we boarded the expedition vessel “Ocean Albatross” on a “Quest for the Circle” voyage.

Firstly a few words about the ship.  An expedition vessel, to us, suggests basic and functional but it’s safe to say the Ocean Albatross is anything but basic!  Our cabin was very comfortable and being on Deck 7 with a French balcony meant we could open the window whenever we wanted (there were restrictions on opening balcony doors on lower decks when we crossed the Drake Passage).  We actually kept the window and curtains open the entire time to make the most of the view.

We were served delicious meals in the main restaurant and the brasserie and sampled a cocktail or two at the bar.  We hadn’t realised that wine was included with our evening meal and Willard, our wine waiter, was always around to refill our glasses! 

There was a spa on board and on the outside deck, a couple of jacuzzis plus a small pool although that was not in use during our trip.  One evening as we sailed through the Lemaire Channel we even had a BBQ out there.

The first and last two days (or so) of an Antarctic cruise involve crossing the notorious Drake Passage and to be honest we weren’t looking forward to this bit but the Gods were looking down on us and much to our relief we had the Drake Lake rather than the Drake Shake in both directions!  It was that smooth that Lu, the expedition leader, said we’d probably cursed the next crossing.

Each day we had a briefing for the following day which included the weather forecast and each day the wind was minimal. The forecast was so good that the captain decided to head straight for the Circle and get as far south as we could and therefore by day three after leaving Ushuaia, it was mission accomplished. Although not in the van for this one, we had now crossed every major line of latitude on the planet on this trip – not a bad feat! 

It was great to see all the crew (engineers, catering and housekeeping) taking part in excursions and seeing places they hadn’t seen before.  The enthusiasm of the expedition crew was infectious and they were all keen to share their subject expertise. 

We have to take our hats off to the captain who, whilst also keeping our safety in mind, was game for anything and everything!  He took the ship the furthest south it had ever been, joined a group of ice swimmers who were on the ship and joined in the karaoke on one of our last nights when obviously wasn’t a singer! 

Day one at sea was full of bio-safety briefings (ship safety was covered soon after boarding) and we were issued with warm parkas, which we got to keep,  and rental muck boots.  This issue was taken very seriously and there were restrictions as to what we could take and what we could do on land. 

Our days were filled with landings and tours on the zodiacs – the indoor lectures went out of the window and were replaced with outdoor activities as the weather was so good.  We enjoyed the best of what the Antarctic had to show us from the scenery to the wildlife.

And no cruise here would be complete without a Polar Plunge and we had the added bonus of doing ours below the Circle.  Water temperature? A slightly chilly 0.8°C – yes 0.8°C 🥶

It’s safe to say that this trip exceeded all our expectations and we had such good conditions we don’t think it could be surpassed.  Yes it was expensive, but it was a once in a lifetime trip and in our opinion, worth every penny.  

We can only put so many photos here but if you want to see more please see our Clewleys On Tour Facebook page where there are a few posts with a larger selection of photos.