• Home
  • About us
  • Advertising
  • Digital Archive
  • Contact
    • Letter to the Editor
Friday, June 9, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news-logo-475x166
  • A&E
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Theater
    • Q Syndicate
  • News & Features
    • News
      • Court News
      • News Briefs
    • Politics
      • Elected Official Reports
        • Chris Ward
        • Mara W. Elliot
        • Summer Stephan
        • Susan Davis
        • Toni G. Atkins
    • Features
  • Food & Drink
    • Hot Dish
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
    • The Frivolist
  • Columns
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Big Mike and Friends
    • Life Beyond Therapy
    • Houston We Have a Problem
    • Queer Parenting
    • Notes from Toni
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Lambda Archives
  • Business
    • Best of Gay San Diego
    • Business Profile
    • Wedding Directory
    • Expert Advice
    • Sponsored Links
  • Out & About
  • Calendar
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news-logo
  • A&E
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Theater
    • Q Syndicate
  • News & Features
    • News
      • Court News
      • News Briefs
    • Politics
      • Elected Official Reports
        • Chris Ward
        • Mara W. Elliot
        • Summer Stephan
        • Susan Davis
        • Toni G. Atkins
    • Features
  • Food & Drink
    • Hot Dish
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
    • The Frivolist
  • Columns
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Big Mike and Friends
    • Life Beyond Therapy
    • Houston We Have a Problem
    • Queer Parenting
    • Notes from Toni
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Lambda Archives
  • Business
    • Best of Gay San Diego
    • Business Profile
    • Wedding Directory
    • Expert Advice
    • Sponsored Links
  • Out & About
  • Calendar
No Result
View All Result
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news
No Result
View All Result

An Antarctic Adventure with Atlas Ocean Voyages

By Adam Martindale

05/04/2023
in Feature, Featured, Features, Travel
0
An Antarctic Adventure with Atlas Ocean Voyages
0
SHARES
54
VIEWS

Traveling to Antarctica has been on my bucket list for years! I yearned to explore the 7th continent and recently was able to experience this adventure of a lifetime with Atlas Ocean Voyages.

Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia and mostly covered with a thick sheet of ice. It’s one of the most remote destinations on Earth and the trip of a lifetime for many travelers. It’s also easier to travel to Antarctica than you might think. Let me tell you how.

My journey started in San Diego with a connecting flight through Atlanta to Buenos Aires on Delta Airlines. The flight from Atlanta to Buenos Aires is around 10.5 hours, making business a preferred choice but premium economy is also a nice experience on Delta. I was excited as this was my first-time visiting Argentina!

I arrived in Buenos Aires and stayed at the Sofitel (included in the pre-cruise package) with Atlas Ocean Voyages. I arrived early in the morning so was not able to check in until around 2pm but made use of the time. My local driver took me to exchange money at one of the “Casa De Cambio’s” where the exchange rate was 380 pesos to the dollar. TIP: Do not change money at home when traveling to Argentina as the rate fluctuates highly, sometimes daily. 

I had a nice nap at the hotel once I was able to go to my room and achieved my goal of having an Argentinian Steak with a glass (or two) of Malbec before retiring early as our pickup to the airport was at 4:30am! (Ask me how hard it was to find a restaurant that was open before 7pm in Buenos Aires!)

4:30am arrived too fast! We were met in the lobby by the local representative with coffee, water, and a breakfast bag for our 45-minute journey to the airport to check-in for our 7am charter flight to Ushuaia. 

The flight on Aerolineas Argentinas (Argentina’s national airline) was great. The crew were very friendly and served us another breakfast! We arrived in Ushuaia (the end of the World) and were escorted to the ship by motor coach. The views that greeted us upon arrival were spectacular. 

We boarded the Atlas Ocean Navigator and were greeted by the crew with champagne and canapes. Ah! We were here to explore….and be spoiled! 

The ship holds only 200 guests and there are 110 crew to take care of us, which they did VERY well!

Atlas Ocean Voyages is yacht-style cruising and the perfect sized ship to visit Antarctica. 

All accommodations include plush bedding, a marble spa bath and a spacious living room or sitting area. You can take in a view of the seascape from the comfort of your balcony or from your panoramic window anytime. Awaken fully refreshed and begin your day by pouring yourself a cup of Nespresso Coffee or Kusmi Tea and indulging in lavish L’OCCITANE amenities.

The ship is beautifully designed with lounges to relax in and a theater to listen to the incredible expedition team, which were the true highlight of this cruise. There were 13 of them, all of them as passionate as each other. An incredible team!

We were escorted to the mudroom to receive our expedition parkas (which we could take home with us after the cruise) and be fitted with boots and a life vest. We got faster at donning the gear after a few days! 

Atlas offers two landings each day, kayaking and paddleboarding (depending upon the weather conditions) as well as camping overnight! We were VERY fortunate on our voyage, especially as it was the last one of the expedition season. The weather was perfect every day! Blue skies, no wind and calm seas. We were even lucky with the crossing of the Drake Passage. The Drake Passage is known as either the “Drake Lake” or “Drake Shake” and we had the “Drake Lake” for our return trip and only one slightly rough day on the voyage down. I did get prescription patches for sea sickness as I heard stories about how rough this can be. I was very pleasantly surprised. 

We hiked, encountered lots of penguins, sea lions, elephant seals and orcas during our amazing voyage with Atlas as well as many zodiac rides with the expedition team. I even did the Polar plunge! It was incredible! 

About Atlas Ocean Voyages

I was there to experience the product and analyze the service and experience provided. I must say that I was extremely happy with everything. 

Let’s talk about the All-Inclusiveness of Atlas Ocean Voyages:

FREE cultural immersion on every voyage

FREE dining venues with ever-changing menus

FREE unlimited beverages, including fine wines, spirits and craft beers

FREE open bars and lounges, including 24-hour bar service with specialty canapés

FREE in-room minibar with your preferences

FREE specialty coffees, teas and fresh-pressed juices

FREE afternoon and high tea

FREE champagne and gourmet canapés during meet and greet

FREE 24-hour room service, including spirits, wine and beer

FREE L’OCCITANE bath amenities

FREE pre-paid gratuities

FREE use of walking sticks and binoculars

FREE reusable water bottle

FREE butler service and expanded room service menu in suites

FREE private charter jet service

FREE enrichment lectures and destination briefings

FREE shore landings led by expert field guides

FREE escorted sightseeing safaris by Zodiac

FREE polar plunge

FREE Atlas Ocean Voyages parka and vest

FREE use of knee boots

FREE private group transfers between airport and yacht

The staterooms and suites on board are extremely luxuriously appointed with lots of storage. I enjoyed a Horizon Stateroom which featured a push button electric drop-down window to gaze at the extraordinary scenery. An in-room minibar is included, stocked with your preferences as well as the Nespresso machine, which was one of my favorite amenities. The room steward places bottles of filtered water in your room every day. The bathroom is beautiful, marble with a fantastic shower which has a rain head as well as spray heads aimed at the lower back and legs. Fabulous!  

My specialty is food and wine travel, so I am always very interested in the food and beverage selection and service. I was not disappointed. From the “all you can eat” breakfast buffet, offering everything you could think of for breakfast, lunch buffet with delicious soups, different entrees and salads every day as well as a different carving station item and action item every day. Dinner was the only meal which had menu service. The food was beautifully presented and served and even better, tasted delicious. Wines were served with dinner. You could enjoy wine with lunch but were not allowed to go on the zodiacs and had to stay on board. I chose to do that one day! Room service is available for breakfast and all-day dining. There is also a coffee/to-go food area, which offered smoothies, sandwiches, cookies and more throughout the day. There are 2 bars on board with a nice selection of wines, beers and liquors and fantastic bartenders to take care of you. 

There is a L’occitane Spa and gym on board with a sauna facing the amazing ice landscapes! That was a fantastic experience. 

Entertainment is not the main reason you would visit Antarctica, but Atlas did provide a piano bar sing along each evening and the cruise director sang for two nights as well as a crew talent show on the last night of the cruise. 


I loved the experience and said “Wow” at least 10 times a day, in awe of the scenery and vastness of the continent. I would love to talk to you about planning a vacation to Antarctica or another sailing with Atlas Ocean Voyages.

Adam Martindale

Cruise Planners

www.martindaletravelandtours.com

619-879-3601

Next Post
Swing to Eight to the Barre for a jolly good time

Swing to Eight to the Barre for a jolly good time

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Pick Up Our Print Edition Near You!

Or Read Our Digital Version Below!

Volume 4, Issue 17, June 2023

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

lgbtq_san_diego_county_news

© 2019 LGBTQ San Diego County News. All rights reserved.

Navigate our site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • A&E
    • Art
    • Books
    • Film
    • Music
    • Q Syndicate
  • News & Features
    • News
    • Features
    • Politics
      • Elected Official Reports
      • Susan Davis
  • Food & Drink
    • Hot Dish
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • The Frivolist
  • Business
  • Columns
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Big Mike and Friends
    • Black Lives
    • C…Community
    • Frankly Speaking
    • Houston We Have a Problem
    • Life Beyond Therapy
    • My Good Tootie
  • Out & About
  • Contact
  • Archive
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Calendar

© 2019 LGBTQ San Diego County News. All rights reserved.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In