19 Trip Tips for Viking Octantis Antarctic Explorer

[@mary-patconnolly1583]

Thank you, Jeff, for sharing those helpful tips.

[@billcrews6704]

Thanks, Our First Viking voyage was in sept on Upper Mississippi River enjoying the new boat (problems and all) but especially The River! Love the Viking style. I'm into Antarctic. as a former winter camper, I support the winter cothing tips - dryer closet sounds great! Thanks to your tips I Won't miss the Hide or the coffee

[@DeniseMiller-ow7yk]

These videos are tremendously helpful! Thank you so very much for posting! We are leaving at the end of January 2023 on Viking Polaris and feel better prepared due to your information. Again, thanks so much!

[@JeffTSanders]

Great! Thanks for your kind words Denise. Hope you have a fantastic time on your trip!

[@patriciaedens638]

So helpful! Husband & I are going - Polaris in December. Thank you 😊

[@JeffTSanders]

Hope you guys have an great time!!

[@ramkv]

Thank you for sharing. Great tips. Are you allowed to bring a backpack on excursions? I get warm on hikes etc. and would like to drop a layer or switch mitts.

[@JeffTSanders]

Yes! Good idea, you can totally bring a backpack with you on excursions.

[@ramkv]

@@JeffTSanders thank you

[@antjetautkus5506]

Great tips Thx

[@ruthsaluta]

Thanks for sharing! I’m planning to go next year. One question: did the Octantis have the Polar Plunge off the ship with the person tethered?

[@JeffTSanders]

They didn't do any Polar Plunge on our cruise. I'm not sure if that was because it was the first outing for the ship and they weren't ready yet or if that is an ongoing plan. We did get certificates for crossing the Drake Passage at the end of the cruise.

[@joannachen2390]

thank you so much for theextra tips❤🎃🎃🎃

[@annekarasek1251]

Great tips. Thank you. Speaking of tips… we are wondering how tipping works for excursions. We understand that our prepaid tips are for onboard staff, but typically they recommend tipping for “tour guides and drivers”. Since this is not a traditional Viking cruise, how and when would we tip zodiac, SOB, and on shore guides? What was your experience?

[@JeffTSanders]

Thanks! As you said this is not a typical Viking tour experience. We didn't have any shore guides to speak of but there were Viking folks around to assist and direct. We didn't do any separate tipping of SOB or rib boat drivers or anyone onshore, nor did we see anyone else doing this.

[@guydavis8027]

Thanks, Jeff. We are going on the Polaris in late January and are enjoying your videos. I have a question on the return trip -- the flight from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires arrives at 2 p.m but the flight from Buenos Aires to NYC doesn't leave until almost 11 p.m. Is there an opportunity to tour Buenos Aires during the layover?

[@JeffTSanders]

Good question. Unfortunately we had a different return trip, likely due to COVID restrictions. We flew from Ushuaia to Montevideo, Uruguay and switched planes and on to Miami. Hopefully you get some time in Buenos Aires! We were in Buenos Aires over night on the way down but weren't allowed to leave our hotel due to COVID.

[@antjetautkus5506]

Thx ..Great tips 2022

[@NikFullerdotcom]

Awesome tips!

[@eprohoda]

buddy!salut!suer-pro vlog,all the best! =))

[@Jes64JJG]

Jeff, I’ve read on some other sites about keeping your camera’s in a bag for a few hours when returning to the ship so they don’t’ mist up (with the dramatic change in temperature), did you have any problems? This may be mainly for the digital or slr cameras.

[@JeffTSanders]

Hey Jeremy, I had not heard of this and didn't have any problems with misting up although, as you said, maybe this is more for SLR cameras. Might not be a bad idea for those.

[@Graygeezer]

Condensation can be a really big problem with DSLR cameras. My camera and lenses are “weather sealed”. The problem causes sensor spots and shows up as spots in the lighter areas such as the sky in the photos. Most editing software can remove them, but it’s time consuming. The best prevention is as noted above, insulating the camera from large temperature swings by putting it into a camera bag for a few hours while it warms slowly to indoor temperature. I find that difficult.

[@patriciaedens638]

Jeff after watching this video again, I’m inquiring about cellphone usage. Other than using to take pictures, is some sort of service available for texting & calling?

[@JeffTSanders]

Great question Patricia. In Antarctica there is no traditional cell service. However, you can still text and possibly make phone calls over the wifi connection as long as your phone supports "call over wifi". My Google Android phone does this, I don't know about Apple phones, maybe someone else here can comment. Even so, phone calls aren't ideal given the lower bandwidth so I would plan more on text and email for communicating back home.

[@patriciaedens638]

Thank you so much for your prompt reply! Very helpful! Husband will also contact Viking to check.

[@lisablaus1459]

Did kayaking cost extra?

[@JeffTSanders]

No, not at all. You just have to sign up for it. None of the excursion options were extra charge. Although my wife heard that the submarine is extra now...it was out of service on our trip. Enjoy!

[@superhussein]

i am so angry because there is no list anywhere what gear exactly is provided and what should i take with me

[@joyjoy534]

The first tip is not go on Antarctica cruise with any ship that house more than 200 people. Tip #2 is to make sure the ship has a Polar class 5 or higher otherwise it will not be able to navigate the more challenging water.