Exploring Antarctica: Epic days of ice cathedrals, penguin antics and endless champagne

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ANTARCTICA – Stewed penguin and champagne: That, among other things, is what British explorer Robert Falcon Scott dined on during his fateful expedition to Antarctica in the 1910s. 

 

Champagne was brought on early French voyages to the continent as well, and it was certainly on the menu for the heroic Irish adventurer Ernest Shackleton – whose Antarctic expeditions were famously ill-provisioned and unsuccessful, but who considered champagne and whisky essential for both “medicinal” and celebratory purposes.

 

So it does not feel quite as absurd as it should, perhaps, when I find myself sipping on a crisp glass of bubbly in Antarctica – and from a small boat in the middle of the iconic Lemaire Channel, no less: a cathedral of snow and ice buttressed by cliffs and blue-white glaciers.

 

I am there for the spectacular naming ceremony of the larger vessel that has brought me here: the Silver Endeavour.

 

A polar-class ship newly acquired by the cruise line Silversea, it has transformed what was once a death-defying journey to the last unexplored frontier on earth into one of the most luxurious bucket-list travel experiences money can buy. 

 

And whereas Antarctic travellers at the turn of the 19th century battled scurvy, my biggest struggle is not going overboard with the free-flowing alcohol and carbohydrates on this lavish November trip.

 

Having grown up just a hair’s breadth from the Equator in Singapore, the lightest dusting of snow remains a thrill for me even after wintry travels through Siberia, Switzerland, Scandinavia and North America.

 

But even those inured to the cold have trouble wrapping their heads around the coldest place of them all – the great southern land which for millennia was but a theory, a hypothetical landmass mapmakers thought must exist just to balance out the weight of the Northern Hemisphere.

 

Today, the seventh continent to be discovered by humans is no longer a fairy tale – yet for many, it might as well be.

 

Several people I speak to do not know it is even possible to visit – especially if you are not a scientist working at one of the research stations on Antarctica, which is not owned by any one nation but governed by a 12-country treaty system instead.

 

And while early explorers had no choice but to get here by sea – via the famously emetic Drake Passage – aviation and modern seafaring have changed the game. 

 

So much so that more than 56,000 tourists visited Antarctica in the 2018 to 2019 season – a number that, pre-pandemic, was expected to soar.

 

Fifty cruise ships have been approved to sail here in the 2022 to 2023 season, and I have the fortune to be on one of them.

 

Silversea offers two ways to get to the White Continent, as it is known – one for the time-strapped and the other for those willing to test their sea legs.

 

For those on a tight schedule, its “Antarctica Bridge” packages fly you directly to the continent via Chile, from the capital Santiago to Puerto Williams – the southernmost city in the world – before catching a flight to King George Island in Antarctica, from where the cruise begins.

 

The other option is to do the Drake crossing from the southern tip of Chile at Cape Horn to the South Shetland islands of Antarctica – once considered among the most treacherous of sea journeys.

 

Now, it is more a test of the stomach than the ship, and most passengers and crew will pop seasickness pills to survive this two-day rite of passage. 

 

Or you can forgo the pills like I do and attempt to soothe your vestibular system by gazing at the horizon, soaking in the violet haze of dusk over the Drake or watching for petrels, albatrosses and other winged beauties following in the ship’s wake.

 

But any nausea is forgotten the second the first snowy Antarctic landmass heaves into view.

 

A childlike excitement ripples through the ship when this happens – even in the most seasoned travellers, many of whom will be checking off their seventh continent on this trip.

 

And Silversea lays on a programme of thrilling yet thoughtful shore excursions to make the most of it.

 

To get to various landing spots on and off the Antarctic peninsula, guests are ferried off the ship in smaller inflatable boats known as Zodiacs, which dart through gorgeously ice-infested waters – an adventure in itself.

 

The number of visitors at each landing site is strictly limited to 100 people at a time, but on this voyage, I still get at least three hours each excursion, and five excursions in all during the ship’s six days in Antarctica proper.

 

In magical Neko Harbour, this means quality time with hundreds of adorable gentoo penguins, plus the occasional chinstrap or Adelie in the mix.

 

Silhouetted against calving glaciers, and with a pristine blanket of snow on the ground, the scene is otherworldly. You feel like you have opened a copy of National Geographic and walked right in. 

 

And you are not rushed through any of it. There is time to take it all in, from the dream-like acoustics of the snow, water and ice to the hilarious penguin courtship antics.

 

Other landing spots – on Robert, Cuverville and Petermann islands – bring close encounters with southern elephant seals and their juicily rotund pups, who snooze just metres from you without a care.

 

Visitors are instructed to maintain a respectful distance from all wildlife, but many creatures, especially the penguins, seem blissfully unafraid.

 

And so an adorable gentoo or two will sometimes approach, getting to within a metre or so of you before losing interest and waddling off, all while you try not to shriek in delight. 

 

Even bolder are some of the birds, especially the unnervingly clever skuas – avian predators who eat penguin chicks and eggs for breakfast, and who will march right up and demand to inspect your camera equipment. 

 

If wildlife is not your thing, there are other once-in-a-lifetime activities on offer, including, if the weather permits, sea kayaking past icebergs, and a polar plunge where the brave and the foolish strip down to swimwear and dive into the waters off the ship.

 

There is also no shortage of ways to pass the time if you choose to never leave the warm embrace of the Silver Endeavour, which is a marvel of both five-star service and engineering. 

 

The latter means that this is, according to some of the crew, the smoothest Drake Passage crossing they have ever experienced. The vessel is also able to manoeuvre more nimbly and get closer to shore than many craft.

 

And it is smaller than your average cruise ship – think “mega-yacht” rather than aircraft carrier.

 

The maximum capacity is for 200 guests plus 200 or so crew, and every room is a well-appointed suite with a private balcony.

 

Mine provides some of the most jaw-dropping views of the trip – glaciated mountains and green-blue streaked icebergs, along with an unexpected sighting of a breaching humpback whale and some porpoising penguins.

 

Each guest cabin also comes with 24-hour service by an attentive personal butler, who will keep you hydrated with even more champagne as well as serving meals in your room, if you desire.

 

But dining out is one of the joys of a Silversea cruise. 

 

On the Silver Endeavour, there are three fine-dining spots, including an Italian and a French restaurant, as well as a lounge and an indoor poolside cafe.

 

And on top of the ad libitum bubbly, there are lashings of oscietra caviar everywhere: in a platter of housemade blinis and sour cream; on top of a succulent grilled lobster tail; and even garnishing a hotdog ordered at 1am, by special request.

 

I am not sure what Shackleton or Scott would have made of this. And the irony is not lost on me as I read about their exploits from the comfort of my cabin, swaddled in 400-threadcount sheets and sipping the peppermint tea my butler brought me.

 

If nothing else, it makes one appreciate the privilege of modern travel – all of it – even more.

 

How to get there and what to expect

 

1. Silversea cruise packages

 

Silversea offers two ways to book its Antarctica cruises, which runs on three ships including the Silver Endeavour, and can last from five to 31 days.

 

The port-to-port option does not include international flights or transfers, which means making your own way to and from the start and end point of the cruise, usually Puerto Williams in Chile. 

 

The door-to-door option includes economy flights (or business class upgrades at reduced rates) and private airport transfers to and from your home. 

 

Once on board, all food and beverages – as well as butler service, shore excursions and some expedition gear – are included. 

 

For a 10-day cruise on the Silver Wind in February 2023, the port-to-port fare currently starts at US$8,950 (S$11,950) a guest and the door-to-door fare starts at US$11,900.

 

There is also the Antarctica Bridge door-to-door option, which bypasses the Drake Passage and flies to King George Island in Antarctica to begin the cruise. For a five-day cruise next month on the Silver Endeavour, this starts at US$19,000 a guest.

 

For more information, go to www.silversea.com.

 

2. It will be cold, but not that cold

 

“How cold will it be” is one of the most frequent, and frequently misunderstood, questions. 

 

Many, including me, mistakenly imagine the sort of temperatures where your breath and eyelashes freeze, forgetting that this is the Southern Hemisphere, and so the November to March Antarctic cruise season is in the austral spring and summer – the only time it is warm enough for tourists to visit.

 

It also takes a while to register that Antarctica is bigger than the United States and Mexico combined. If you google “weather in Antarctica today”, the first hit is often the reading for the South Pole, which is always eyelash-freezing, but that is at a latitude of 90 degrees south.

 

On my trip, the farthest I get is 65 degrees south, and the mercury hovers at around 1 deg C in the day. Towards the end of the season in March, it can hit 10 deg C. 

 

Still, this is the coldest, windiest and iciest continent, and weather conditions are notoriously mercurial. 

 

One minute you are dry and toasty in layers of thermal clothing, which includes the top layer of waterproof pants, parka and boots that Silversea provides. The next, your gloves are soaked by an errant wave on the Zodiac and your fingers start to go numb.  

 

But it is tolerable and, as soon as you are back on the ship, the crew awaits with warming mugs of mulled wine and ginger tea.

 

3. It is suitable for all ages and fitness levels

 

The shore excursions are probably the most active element of the cruise, and they are not strenuous.

 

You can do as much or as little as you like – hike up a snowy, slippery hill or hang out with a penguin or seabird colony close to shore. I see many septuagenarians do this.

 

And if you choose not to do any excursions, the Silver Endeavour has a spa, sauna, pool, hot tubs and a lounge with live entertainment.

 

4. Fire up the imagination with lectures and books

 

An unexpected highlight of my cruise is the lectures given on board – either by special guests or members of the expedition team, who have degrees in marine biology, geology, anthropology and history, and who scrupulously plan and guide the excursions.

 

On my trip, there is an inspiring talk by British explorer Felicity Aston, who in 2012 became the first person to ski alone across the Antarctic land mass using her own muscle power.

 

And author Nicholas Crane, former head of Britain’s Royal Geographical Society, gives wonderful presentations on Shackleton’s voyage, as well as the history of Antarctic expeditions and map-making.

 

In addition to giving talks, members of the Silver Endeavour’s expedition team are a fount of knowledge about Antarctica, as well as practical advice.

 

Denis Elterman, an award-winning wildlife photographer from Latvia, graciously helps me put together a camera harness and gives me brilliant tips on how to take better photos and videos.

 

And Alexandra Hansen, an American who grew up in Singapore and speaks fluent Mandarin, is an expert in polar history.

 

There are also many excellent books on Antarctica. But if you have time for only one, make it Endurance, Alfred Lansing’s thrilling account of Shackleton’s attempted crossing of the continent, which ended with his ship getting crushed and an improbable bid to survive.

 

5. Do not miss out on Chile

 

If you can squeeze in a few extra days before and after Antarctica, the beautiful Patagonian region of Chile is well worth exploring, and you will be within striking distance of Torres del Paine, a national park with some of the best hiking in South America.

 

Also, make time to sample the country’s mouth-watering asado, or barbecued meat, and wash it down with a pisco sour, the national cocktail. 

 

Other local must-eats include the calafate berry, the region’s answer to the blueberry. It is used in everything from jams to cakes to beer; and the Chilean delicacy of centolla, or spider crab.

 

• The writer’s trip was hosted by Silversea.
• Bucket List is a series on epic journeys.

 

 

Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.

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