The cruise:
- Absolutely phenomenal. Way beyond what I was expecting. It's known that Oceanwide caters to more adventurous/excursion-based trips, and isn't known for its luxury, and no one talks about the food, so I was expecting mediocre buffets. I couldn't have been more wrong. The food was amazing. There was an excellent selection. We had plated service for dinner most nights, and a large BBQ party on deck one night as well.
- The staff were also phenomenal. They learned all our names within a couple days and knew all our preferences.
- It seems like many of these trips don't sell out, which means that a 1-2 months prior to departure, Oceanwide heavily discounts their rates (40% off). Nicole and I obviously didn't take that risk and paid full price. We paid for a porthole though, and had gotten upgraded to a window, which was amazing.
- The expedition guides were also out of this world. There were about a dozen, and each one was an expert in one specific area; for example, there was a glaciologist, a whale expert, a few marine biologists, a wildlife photographer, a bird expert, a historian, etc. They gave lectures frequently, which were very insightful.
- We made 1-2 excursions per day (usually 2, but some days had longer transit times). Excursions for most passengers entailed either a landing or a zodiac cruise, just depending on where we ended up. These were amazing. If we visited a historical site, our historian would give us the tour. The rest of the guides marked trails for small hikes and viewpoints, and others were ready to operate the zodiacs to transit people back and forth to the ship. Divers got to do a quick dive (usually 20-30 min, limited mostly by the water temperature or free flowing regulators), and then got to partake in the rest of the excursions as well.
- The zodiac cruises were insane. There was a time when the radio chatter was "we're unable to make it back to the ship. There are too many whales." Zodiacs weren't allowed to turn on their motors within a certain distance from whales. So we were just stuck in the middle of the bay for an hour as humpbacks and orcas played around us.
The diving:
- Honestly, not what I'd say is the most spectacular diving I've ever done, but it was certainly the most unique, remote, and exciting nonetheless. Even if you saw nothing, you get to say you went scuba diving in Antarctica. We even got to do a dive south of the polar circle! We even dive sites no one has ever dove before. Crazy, right?
- My favorite animals I got to dive with were the leopard seals and penguins. I mean, c'mon. It was amazing, and I only saw a few penguins during my dive. However, they do let you snorkel too after your dive, so you might see more then. I saw a video of what they saw this week, and the video had hundreds of penguins swimming under them. Other than those though, we just saw flat kelp, sea stars, limpets, and little shrimp-like critters.
- My favorite dives overall? The iceberg dives. We dove 2 different icebergs. They're tricky to dive because of the fresh/salt water discrepancy. Additionally, they only allow you to dive stable, grounded icebergs. Which also means the dives have no bottom (think hundreds to a thousand feet). So buoyancy control is paramount. We had 3 divers who weren't able to maintain their buoyancy and after a close call, they were banned from continuing the rest of the dives.
- Obviously, safety is paramount, and the dive team takes that very seriously. We're too far from a decompression chamber and medical aid that they minimize risks everywhere they can. All dives were limited to maximum 60 feet (they reserved the right to check our computers afterward). While many dives were 30-40 feet only, we also did wall and iceberg dives with no bottom.
- We had 4 dives guides. However, there were only 9 divers, so we were lucky because usually 1-2 of the guides would get into the water with us. However I was told the expedition after ours would have 24 divers with the same 4 dive guides, so in that case, none of the guides would be able to enter the water (they operate the zodiac at a 1:6 ratio).
- Temperature of the water was usually between 29-33 F (-1 C to 0 C). I had no issues with my drysuit, which kept me nice and toasty. Only my hands got cold, and that's because I opted for thin liners/gloves for dexterity operating underwater housing.
- We were offered 10 dives total. I only did 9, skipping one to go on shore in normal clothes to get pictures, haha. Of course, the dive I skipped, they had 60 penguins swimming around them the whole time.
- Gear: we were responsible for our own gear. That included hauling it in and out of the zodiac between every dive for refilling. And it was heavy... Plus we had to get in and out of our drysuit multiple times per day. It was definitely a lot of work and required commitment.
- Ultimately, I'm glad I did it!! But it's not for the faint of heart...
The travel:
- It's far! I had to take 3 flights to get down to Ushuaia. With 50 lbs of scuba equipment and an additional 50 lbs of camera gear, it wasn't fun to haul it all around. That said, I got away with slightly overweight baggage without additional fees, and there was no loss of luggage! I think that's a huge win, but there was definitely some anxiety and physics involved with the packing...
- The Drake passage: it was bad. Bring meds & take them.
Overall:
- I mean, it was spectacular. No other place in the world can you come across landscapes and wildlife like you do in Antarctica.
- Was it worth the hefty price tag? 1000%
- Would I do it again? Definitely.
- Would I dive again? I'm glad I did it once, but it's so much gear and work that I might opt out the next time I go.
- Do I recommend Oceanwide? Yes!
