Pursuing pingu the penguin

[tgh]

The Explorer had only a very so so keyboard player, and Karaoke was very popular.
Some people discover their inner performer and can actually sing so it's a lottery

 

[Pushka]

The Explorer had only a very so so keyboard player, and Karaoke was very popular.
Some people discover their inner performer and can actually sing so it's a lottery

I don’t think that group won anyone’s lottery. They were awful no matter how much champagne had been consumed.

On our last cruise there were some spectacular dancers. They were passengers. They had the outfits for it but not too out there. We loved watching them for a while from an upper level. And we don’t normally do such stuff but they were worth watching.

 

[zig]

The Explorer had only a very so so keyboard player, and Karaoke was very popular.
Some people discover their inner performer and can actually sing so it's a lottery

Yes, I have seen some very talented guests on Explorer.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Each to their own - thy looked like they were enjoying themselves. As long as I don’t have to participate or watch, it doesn’t worry me,

 

[tgh]

Goanna players are the dark horses. I have seem the most unlikely people sit down and quietly turn out the kind of magic that turns a noisy room to silence.

 

[Pushka]

Each to their own - thy looked like they were enjoying themselves. As long as I don’t have to participate or watch, it doesn’t worry me,

I think the only time it would bother me is if I’d enjoyed a particular place and then was suddenly ‘invaded’. But that’s unlikely given there’s a dance floor so obviously an entertainment area.

 

[love_the_life]

Jane & Duncan are travel bloggers, I am guessing their cruise is free or very little cost (outside their budget of travelling the world on an Australian Pension) hence the lower floor cabin.

Back with some free airport wifi, yes we did meet Duncan and Jane but didn’t realise your knew them. They paid ‘media rate’ which I am guessing was lower than public.

 

[love_the_life]

Ok, so now the cruise is over and we are waiting at EZE for a flight to Santiago. I’ll post my views of Ponant a bit later but overall it was an incredible experience.
Flying mermaid, suggest you break out the heavy duty meds as it did get pretty rough. MrLtL had a short spell of mal de mer on the first day and even I felt a little queasy occasionally. There were lots of passengers sporting patches from the medical centre. Trying not to scare you FM though as you are just as likely to have the Drake lake! Ours wasn’t particularly rough - up to 8 m swells.
Anyway, onward and upward.
The first days were taken up with briefings on zodiacs, landings, getting our jackets and decontamination of outer gear (in other words vacuuming any outer layers). Also lectures on South Georgia, Shackleton, birds etc etc. We started off with blue skies and calm seas but these gave way on Day 3 to less ideal conditions.

 

[love_the_life]

The bridge was open one morning and I always find looking at the equipment fascinating. Our captain.

 

[love_the_life]

Ok, our first stop, Grytviken, South Georgia, a British Overseas Territory, old whaling station, permanent British research station and final resting place of Ernest Shackleton. Like all landings this was a wet landing, so we would leap out of the zodiac into the water (up to about knee depth but then again I’m not too tall ). Drizzle gave way to snow during the morning. One really interesting thing is that the island has now been declared rat free after a concerted eradication program that began in 2011. It is great to hear that some of the previously threatened species, like the SG pipit are returning in increasing numbers.
A few pics.The gash near the tail on the elephant seal was probably inflicted by an orca.

 

[love_the_life]

View attachment 143986

Everyone is so rugged up, can't tell if LtL is in this group.

Don’t think so but that is the expedition leader in the yellow. They split us into 4 groups of about 40 each - two French speaking and 2 English.

 

[love_the_life]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2214501368817726

This has scared me for life.... The things that LtL has had to endure on this cruise.

No way Jose! We did not partake in any of these strange on board entertainments. I’ll make some observations about them later.

 

[love_the_life]

And before you hound me, I forgot to drink the regular champagne on offer and only had 2 glasses of the Veuve at the gala nights! But, did have a few other tipples though.

 

[Bindibuys]

Jane is/was a Feng Shui expert. I never actually met her, as I was off sick the day she came to our office, but I have had MANY email correspondence with her over the years. My boss asking for auspicious days to do things, and updates to yearly Feng Shui office layouts.

 

[Pushka]

Ok, our first stop, Grytviken, South Georgia, a British Overseas Territory, old whaling station, permanent British research station and final resting place of Ernest Shackleton. Like all landings this was a wet landing, so we would leap out of the zodiac into the water (up to about knee depth but then again I’m not too tall ). Drizzle gave way to snow during the morning. One really interesting thing is that the island has now been declared rat free after a concerted eradication program that began in 2011. It is great to hear that some of the previously threatened species, like the SG pipit are returning in increasing numbers.

Sounds incredible. I’m thinking ankle depth for most.

I didn’t think you or MrLTL would be onstage Dame. Look forward to the comments.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Oh well all prepared with various meds - must be bad if even you felt it. . No one had the magic glasses?

What was it like actually round Antarctica?

 

[love_the_life]

....

What was it like actually round Antarctica?

Amazing! Will continue with more photos soon.

 

[love_the_life]

Sounds incredible. I’m thinking ankle depth for most.

I didn’t think you or MrLTL would be onstage Dame. Look forward to the comments.

Ankle depth? That’s rude! No, it was mostly mid calf range and wait till I post about crossing g the glacial streams on SG.

 

[love_the_life]

Oh well all prepared with various meds - must be bad if even you felt it. . No one had the magic glasses?

What was it like actually round Antarctica?

Anybody who had patches or took something seemed fine. I wouldn’t panic.

 

[love_the_life]

South Georgia was amazing for the wildlife; the peninsula for the landscape. We had 5 landings on SG, each very different from each other. There were large groups of elephant seals, with males protecting their harems, many females, babies and weaners (so cute). The weaned young are left to fend for themselves and hang around in small groups. On one landing we had to walk in single file led by expedition staff as the seals were so thick on the beach that it was a matter of picking the best path between them. One bull made his displeasure known just as I was starting to walk past and I had to move back very smartly to show I wasn’t a threat. No photos of this as we couldn’t stop at all. Antarctic fur seals were starting to come ashore in some places and the males could be pretty mean, no lying on the ground for photos when there were around!