Follow us on our Silversea Silver Endeavour adventure in Antarctica!

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 1/12/23 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 1/12/23

Silver Endeavour Review

Our review of Silversea Silver Endeavour

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 12/1/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 12/1/22

Day 11/12 - Disembarkation King George Island and Return Home

We disembark Silver Endeavor at King George Island, then fly to Punta Arenas for an overnight hotel stay.

Guests Board Antarctica Airways on King George Island

Sadly, today is our last day aboard Silver Endeavour and we are scheduled to disembark at around 1:30pm. The weather is very cloudy and foggy when we wake up this morning, but we have been assured that the weather will clear by early afternoon.

We are asked to vacate our suite by 8am so that housekeeping can get the rooms ready for the next group of guests embarking later today. Our large checked luggage, as well as our roll aboard bags were placed outside our suite last night before 11pm and have been collected for transfer ashore later today.

We enjoy a leisurely breakfast at The Restaurant. When Rickee ordered banana pancakes, she was informed that they were out of bananas! Remember, the ship was expecting fresh provisions yesterday, so supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables are running low.

Unlike most cruise lines that offer no form of entertainment or activities on disembarkation day, Silver Endeavour offered a lecture this morning by resident historian and expedition team member, Mitya, on the history of the whaling industry.

This was a very informative lecture and I was unaware that you can still, to this day, order whale meat in some restaurants in Iceland! Mitya claims that the whale meat is very tasty.

Whale Meat Still Available At Some Restaurants In Iceland

By 1:30, the fog has begun to lift as predicted, and conditions look promising for the planes to be landing today. Guests begin gathering in the Mudroom to put on life vests, boots and other gear for the short Zodiac cruise to King George Island.

The seas are very choppy this afternoon and the Zodiacs are getting bounced around quite a bit as guests board the inflatable boats.

VERY Choppy Waters When Boarding Zodiacs Today

The Zodiac cruise to the “beach” only takes a few minutes and soon we are being loaded onto small vans for a short drive to what is jokingly referred to as the “King George Hilton”, to wait for our plane to arrive. There is no “airport” on King George Island. It is basically a dirt runway with some military hangars and equipment.

These vans are pretty small and cramped, so bringing roll aboard luggage onto the Zodiacs, then into these vans, can create a real hassle for people trying to get seated in the vans. And honestly, the overhead bin space on the BAE jets used by Antarctica Airways is quite limited compared to larger aircraft. Our advice is to go ahead and check your roll aboard luggage.

Not A Good Idea To Bring Roll Aboard Luggage

Soon we arrive at the facility which has been constructed to protect guests from the elements until the planes arrive. The “facility” is actually several shipping containers that have been combined to provide a makeshift shelter. They are far from elegant, but they are heated, dry and keep you out of the harsh winds.

Silversea has set up a table with coffee, water and tea for guests inside the facility, and, there are plenty of chairs for guests to relax in.

After about an hour, we got word that the first plane was about to land, so many guests went outside to watch.

Rickee and I were on the first plane to depart (there are three planes chartered for the flight to Punta Arenas). These BAE jets are uniquely designed for short runway takeoffs and landings and have reinforced air frames.

Silversea and DAP (the company operating the Antarctica Airways flights) have reconfigured the interior space of these aircraft to provide guests with additional legroom. Only four seats are assigned in each row of 5 seats, delivering even more spaciousness. Silversea refers to this as “Business Class” seating and, while not what we would call traditional Business Class, the seats are very spacious and comfortable.

DAP Antarctica Airways BAE Jet Configured For Extra Legroom

Shortly after takeoff, guests are served a very nice lunch with cheese, salad and charcuterie. It was very good. A variety of wines are offered as well as Pisco Sour, a traditional Peruvian cocktail.

Light Charcuterie Snack Served on Flight

Once we landed in Punta Arenas, guests line up at a desk to receive their hotel room keys for the overnight stay. Every step of the way, there are Silversea representatives on hand to answer questions and to give instructions. All of our luggage will be delivered to our hotel room.

By the way, the large waterproof boots provided to guests by Silversea are to be left on the airplane, so make sure you pack a pair of shoes in your backpack or hand luggage. Guests are able to keep the parkas as a souvenir, however, we decided to leave ours. We don’t really need parkas in Texas!

Motor coaches are waiting to take us on the 30-minute drive to our hotel.

We arrived at Hotel Cabo De Hornos in downtown Punta Arenas at around 7:00pm. A Silversea hospitality desk is available in the lobby and the hostess greets us when we arrive. She informs us that dinner is being served at 7:30 in the lobby restaurant and that it is included in our stay. We were not expecting that!

We went to our room to drop off our hand luggage and jackets. Our room is on the top floor of the hotel (hence the slanted ceiling). The room appears to be recently remodeled with new furnishings and carpet.

We were among the first to arrive at the restaurant for dinner and were amazed to find a massive buffet. I don’t recall ever seeing this many salad choices on any buffet! As for hot dishes, we had a choice of chicken, beef, fish and pasta. Wait staff brought us a choice of red or white wine. It was a very nice meal, and it was all provided by Silversea.

We were instructed to leave our luggage outside of our hotel room before midnight, which we did.

The next morning, coaches returned us to Punta Arenas airport to board the flight to Santiago.

We assumed that we would be returning to Santiago on the LATAM A321 that brought us to Punta Arenas initially, so we were surprised to learn that, in fact, we would be flying to Santiago on the DAP Antarctica Airways planes! Had we known this, we would have left our roll aboards outside our room last night. However, we lucked out and found enough overhead bin space to store our rolling bags on the plane.

Soon after takeoff, we were served a delicious, and filling breakfast with sandwiches, pastries and fresh fruit.

Breakfast Served On DAP Antarctica Airways Flight

The three-hour flight to Santiago was quite comfortable on the chartered BAE jet and, when we landed, we were able to claim our luggage as we walked into the terminal. Because these are charter flights, they do not park at the main airport terminal, so things move much more quickly.

We were not informed until we landed in Santiago that Silversea has procured a day room at a local hotel for guests. Guests with early flights back to their home country are offered a bus ride to the main international airport while those of us with late flights have use of the day room.

When we arrive at the Hilton Garden Inn Santiago Airport, we are once again surprised to learn that Silversea is providing individual day rooms for guests. When we heard about a day room, we assumed it would be a large meeting room at a hotel where you could place your luggage while you roam around the lobby or pool of the hotel until you leave for the airport.

Getting Day Room Key At Hilton Garden Inn Santiago

Having an individual day room where we could relax and get some much needed sleep before our 10-hour overnight flight was a huge bonus. Thank you Silversea for going the extra mile.

About To Board Flight From Santiago to DFW

We took a shuttle from the Hilton to the airport and arrived at about 7:00pm. Getting through immigration and security here can take some time, so plan on being at the airport at least 3 hours before your flight. On top of that, prepare for gate checks of all hand luggage as you walk down the jetway. Nevertheless, our 10-hour flight ended up only taking 9 hours and we landed at DFW airport at 4:45am.

What an amazing adventure this cruise has been. Now we will begin working on our review videos for Silver Endeavour. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel so you will be notified of our upcoming videos.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/28/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/28/22

Day 10 - Deception Island

Silver Endeavour pays a visit to Deception Island

Today, Silver Endeavour is planning to sail to Deception Island, an island in the South Shetland Islands close to the Antarctic Peninsula. The harbor is large and usually “safe”, but is occasionally troubled by the underlying active volcano. Deception Island is the caldera of an active volcano.

As we approach Deception Island, I can see a large, unusually shaped rock, no doubt part of the caldera we are entering. I get up from my seat at Arts Cafe and rush outside to shoot a photo.

Like many other days, the weather conditions will not permit a landing of the Zodiacs at Deception Island. Instead, guests are invited to enjoy a Zodiac cruise of the area. This morning, Rickee and I decided to try breakfast at The Grill.

I ordered Eggs Benedict and when they arrived, they had hardly any Hollandaise sauce, so when I told the waiter, he took them back to the galley. However, when he returned with my dish, the sauce was very runny and looked more like melted butter. I don’t think The Grill has perfected Eggs Benedict yet. This is the type of mis-step you do not normally see on Silversea and is probably a symptom of being a maiden voyage where the crew simply have not perfected their service.

After breakfast, we spend much of the morning packing in anticipation of disembarking tomorrow on King George Island.

For lunch today, we chose to try The Restaurant. This was our first time to have lunch at The Restaurant. As you can see from the menu, there are not as many choices on Silver Endeavour as you will find at The Restaurant or Atlantide on larger Silversea ships. However, we found the service in The Restaurant to be the most polished on the ship.

The wine steward remembered that we enjoyed Dr. Loosen Riesling from our previous visits and brought the wine to our table to pour us a glass for lunch. We told him that we tried Dr. Loosen last night at The Grill and found it to be quite dry (we prefer a sweet Riesling). We told him that we even asked the waiter at the Grill to open a new bottle for us to try, thinking perhaps the bottle he poured from had “turned”. We watched him open a new bottle, but it still tasted dry. When we told this story to the wine steward at The Restaurant, he informed us that there are actually three different Dr. Loosen Rieslings onboard! We had no idea. So, without question, they had poured the dry Riesling the night before at The Grill.

There are actually Three Different Dr. Loosen Riesling Wines!

I ordered the Aromatic Beef Salad as my starter which was sort of an Asian glass noodle salad and was very good.

We both ordered the Creamy Potato soup, which was also good.

For my main course, I ordered the Chicken Korma, which was good, but lacked any real heat. I forgot to tell the waiter that I wanted spicy, so that was on me. The flavors were good, just not spicy.

Rickee ordered the Fish and Chips, which came as a larger portion than what she has been getting at The Grill at lunch. I also asked for some Malt Vinegar since I wanted to try a piece of her fish.

The “malt vinegar” they brought was actually more like a red wine vinegar. We had a similar issue at The Grill when I ordered malt vinegar and received what I think was apple cider vinegar. So, either they don’t have malt vinegar, or they are not sure there is a difference. Once again, I chalk this up to this being a maiden voyage.

“Malt” Vinegar Was Actually Red Wine Vinegar

This afternoon, we attended a lecture by Filip, one of the expedition team members, on the definition of ice class vessels and exactly what the Polar Class 6 rating of Silver Endeavour means.

The explanation of Polar Class and Ice Class was very interesting and informative, as all of the lectures on board have been.

Early this evening, guests gathered in the Explorer Lounge for a Disembarkation Briefing.

At the briefing, Marieke explained the current weather conditions and what the forecast was for tomorrow’s planned disembarkation.

Marieke Gives The Disembarkation Briefing

Weather maps showing the wind and cloud conditions were explained. DAP Antarctica Airways expects the cloud cover and fog to lift by early afternoon and, if all goes well, we should be able to disembark Silver Endeavour by 1:30pm tomorrow afternoon.

Weather forecasts are looking favorable for the planes to be able to land on King George Island in the afternoon. Our cruise was extended by one day because of fog. Guests who booked their air with Silversea had their travel arrangements automatically adjusted.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/27/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/27/22

Day 09 - Neko Harbor and Wilhelmina Bay

We explore Neko Harbor by Zodiac, then make a landing to visit the Gentoo penguins.

This morning, the skies clear a bit for a visit to Neko Harbor, one of the most picturesque landing spots in Antarctica. I remember visiting here 10 years ago on another cruise and recall it to be one of my favorite places.

The morning begins with a Zodiac cruise through the brash ice that lies between Silver Endeavour and the landing spot the expedition team has prepared. The first two Zodiac groups start their morning with a landing and a hike, while the last two (one of which I am a part) start with the Zodiac cruise followed by a landing and a hike.

We spot a couple of Weddell seals resting atop large chunks of floating ice.

The little bit of sunlight that periodically peeks through the clouds gives an entirely different palette of colors to the ice. The older, deep blue ice, really shows up in the sunlight.

When the sun goes behind the clouds, the entire landscape takes on a monochromatic look. Yes, that is a color photo below.

After about 45 minutes of cruising, it is our turn to land on the beach where we can walk along the paths that the expedition team has prepared for us and marked with red flags to avoid crevasses.

The Gentoo penguins come down from their colony to greet us, as they have on many of our landings. It is hard to get bored watching these curious little creatures. They are completely unphased by our presence.

We are not supposed to get closer than 5 meters to the penguins, so when they decide to cross one of our paths, we simply stop and wait for them to pass.

An opportunity presented itself this morning to get a photo of some Gentoo penguins, some brash ice and Silver Endeavour in the background. What a great scene!

I hiked along the paths for about 45 minutes before it was time to board the Zodiac once again for the short cruise back to the ship. Even though I was only out for about 90 minutes total, my face got really sunburned by the reflection from the snow and ice. This is the one day I forgot to put on sunscreen!

I was back on board in time for lunch again at the The Grill.

Today’s “warming dish” was meatballs with pasta. I asked for an order of meatballs without the pasta (for my low-carb reasons) and the waiter happily complied, as they always do on Silversea.

This afternoon, the Captain took Silver Endeavour through a massive and dense ice field as we sailed toward Wilhelmina Bay. Silver Endeavour is a PC6-rated Polar Class vessel capable of easily navigating through young ice plates such as this. It was fascinating to see, even from our balcony.

Along the way to Wilhelmina Bay, we passed some massive ice bergs.

At about 4:00pm, an announcement was made for any guest wishing to participate in the Polar Plunge. Believe it or not, at least 60 people engaged in the act of diving into the zero degree waters of the Antarctic, just to say they had done so. Each guest was fitted with a safety harness so that crew members could pull them back to the Zodiac, just in case. But everyone survived the activity and seemed to have no regrets. And, in case you are wondering, NO, we did not do the Polar Plunge!

Guests Jump Into The Icy Cold Antarctic Waters For A Polar Plunge

At this evening’s briefing, Marieke confirms that weather conditions forecast for King George Island will prevent our scheduled disembarkation tomorrow, but assures us that they are hopeful and confident that fog and clouds will lift by the following day to allow the planes to land. So, we will, in fact, have an extra day aboard Silver Endeavour!

As the cruise draws to an end, Marieke gathered the entire expedition team in Explorer Lounge this evening so that we could all show them our appreciation. There are 20 expedition team members on Silver Endeavour and we were extremely impressed with their professionalism and skill throughout this journey.

We also had an opportunity to hear from Captain Niklas Peterstam this evening before the entire crew came on stage to take a bow.

To raise money for the crew welfare fund, Alex conducted a live auction for the inaugural Silversea flag that flew on the bow of the ship during this maiden voyage. The bidding got heated but, in the end, the winner paid $1,500 for the flag and the crew welfare fund is the beneficiary.

Tonight, we went back to the Grill for dinner where I once again ordered the grilled veal chop. This is one of my favorite dishes on a Silversea ship. Sometimes they offer this in La Terrazza (or Il Terrazino on Silver Endeavour), but it is on the menu every night at The Grill.

Tomorrow, Silver Endeavour will sail to Deception Island, and we get to enjoy an additional day onboard.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/26/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/26/22

Day 08 - The Lamaire Channel

We transit the Lamaire Channel on Silversea Silver Endfeavour.

Today, Silver Endeavour is scheduled to transit Lamaire Channel, a strait off Antarctica, between Kyiv Peninsula in the mainland's Graham Land and Booth Island.

Mitya Lectures On 200 Years of Antarctica

This morning, Mitya, a member of the expedition team and resident historian, gave a lecture in the Explorer Lounge on the history of Antarctica.

This afternoon, as we prepare to enter the Lamaire Channel, Zodiacs are lowered into the water for those who want to experience the channel transit by Zodiac.

The Lamaire Channel is one of the top tourist destinations in Antarctica because of its narrow passage and high snow-covered peaks. We transited Lamaire ten years ago and the weather was much more cooperative then, revealing the beautiful peaks on both sides of the ship against clear blue skies. Today, low clouds impede our view while transiting the channel, but it is still an amazing site to behold.

Many guests gather on Deck 6 forward to take in the Lamaire Channel from the bow of the ship.

Of course, Silversea serves Champagne to guests who brave the elements to observe Silver Endeavour transiting the channel.

Like no place on Earth, the Lamaire Channel can cause you to experience the magnificence of nature and the beauty of the planet.

After we transit the Channel, it is time to get back to business and play Team Trivia with Yessie, our Entertainment Hostess. Rickee and I did well at trivia but only won one day.

This evening, Marieke conducts the daily briefing in Explorer Lounge and we learn that we may not be disembarking on schedule. Heavy fog and clouds are predicted for our day of departure on King George Island and the aircraft cannot land if the cloud cover is too low. We won’t know for sure until tomorrow.

We also had a brief presentation by Conrad Combrink, Silversea Senior Vice-President of Expeditions.

Tomorrow, we will be sailing to Neko Harbor, another one of our favorite Antarctica destinations.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/25/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/25/22

Day 07 - Pourquoi pas Island and Jenny Island

We enjoy a relaxing hike on Pourquoi pas Island and set foot on the Antarctic continent inside the Antarctic Circle.

When we wake up this morning after a night of very rough seas, we find our balcony covered in snow. The rough seas created some pretty serious rolling from side to side, which, when combined with Dramamine, actually rocked us to sleep!

Our stateroom attendant, Bonny, cleaned off the snow when he made up our suite this morning.

We were informed that our scheduled landing and Zodiac rides have been delayed this morning while Marieke and the Captain try to find another suitable location. That means we have time to go to The Restaurant for breakfast. Silversea has the largest selection of breakfast items of any cruise line that I can recall. And, they still offer a tray of pastries, a cruise tradition that is disappearing on most cruise lines.

A Selection Of Pastries Offered At Breakfast

As you can see below, the menu is vast. Anything you could ever want for breakfast is on the menu. And, if it is not on the menu, I am sure they will try to get it for you.

Rickee ordered a banana pancake with extra syrup and one egg Benedict. I had an order of Eggs Benedict, and all three eggs were poached perfectly.

We were informed that Marieke and the Captain had pulled a new island landing out of their hat and today we made an unscheduled Zodiac landing on Pourquoi Pas Island, which is French for “Why Not?”

Marieke is on the rock beach to assist guests with the wet landing.

Marieke assists Guests Disembarking Zodiac on Pourquoi pas Island

The hike here is fairly moderate compared to some of the other islands. It is fairly flat and easy to traverse.

Rickee Hiking on Pourquoi pas Island With Silver Endeavour In The Background

Adelie penguins come out from their colony to greet the giant red penguins (humans wearing red parkas).

A group of Adelie penguins rushes to the beach to greet the big red penguins

Antarctica is the photographer’s dream location. There are so many great spots for photography and videography and the cloud cover today gives some excellent lighting.

After spending the day walking amongst the penguins in 34 degree (F) weather, we return to the sanctuary of Silver Endeavour. The contrast could not be more stark. During the day, we are in one of the harshest, most unforgiving environments in the world, and then in the evening we are immersed in luxury, comfort and fine dining.

Rickee Peruses The Menu At The Restaurant

Tonight, we have been invited to have dinner with one of Silversea’s Executive Vice Presidents along with some other guests. It truly is a rare opportunity to learn about the company from one of the leaders in expedition cruising.

Tomorrow, we begin our journey back to King George Island and hope to transit the Lamaire Channel.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/24/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/24/22

Day 06 - Crossing The Antarctic Circle

Lots of rockin’ and rolling last night and today we become the first cruise ship to cross the Antarctic Circle this season.

As you can see in the photo above, Antarctica is filled with impressive ice bergs. A camera cannot accurately capture the scale or the colors of these massive floating chunks. The one in the photo above is more than twice the size of our ship, and only 10%-15% of the iceberg is visible, the rest is underwater.

You can see our balcony is snowed in, so no breakfast on the balcony this morning. Our stateroom attendant, Bonny, cleaned off all of the snow when he made up our suite.

Weather and sea conditions did not allow us to make a landing this morning. So, we find ourselves at Explorer Lounge for a very interesting lecture by Nikolas Crane, the former President of the Royal Geographical Society. The lecture focused on Frank Hurley, the photographer who was onboard The Endurance during Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition.

A cruise in Antarctica almost never goes as planned. The expedition team never knows if a landing is possible until they go to the island and scope out the ice, snow and sea conditions. High winds, large chunks of ice, heavy snow or rough seas can all foil a scheduled landing.

Even a planned transit of the Lemaire Channel had to be cancelled due to ice in the channel. Instead, Marieke and the Captain have planned something very special. Silver Endeavour will sail further south and become the first ship this season to cross the Antarctic Circle.

The scenery along the way continues to impress. For lunch today, we decide to visit Arts Cafe on Deck 5. They offer a great selection of sandwiches, desserts, and a “warming dish of the day”. Today, the warming dish was Chicken Curry with Basmati Rice. That was my choice. Rickee had a ham and cheese baguette sandwich.

We love the flavored waters they offer throughout the day at Arts Cafe. The cucumber water is Rickee’s fave. I like the Strawberry water.

Guests were invited to view the bridge from the Captain’s Lounge. A large window in the lounge allows you to observe the bridge operations.

This afternoon, the call came over the ship’s PA system that we were only minutes from crossing the Antarctic Circle. All guests were invited to gear up in their parkas and head to Deck 6 forward to celebrate the event. We were greeted by waiters with Champagne, and Gluhwein.

At the exact moment the ship crossed the circle, the Captain blew the ship’s horn, everyone cheered and toasted the event. We have now crossed the Arctic Circle, Equator and Antarctic Circle by cruise ship!

As we walk to dinner this evening, there are reminders along the way that the rough seas persist. And, while Silver Endeavour is equipped with stabilizers (large wings that extend from the hull underwater to compensate for rolling motion), they cannot be used when there are large pieces of ice in the water. A 700-pound chunk of ice would do serious damage to a stabilizer. Therefore, we are experiencing more rolling motion than on a typical cruise.

When we arrive at The Grill for dinner, as you can see, we are the only ones in the restaurant. This is yet another indication that rough seas have kept guests in their suites.

When we return to our suite this evening, we find certificates on our door comemmorating our crossing of the Antarctic Circle.

Certificates For Crossing The Antarctic Circle

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/23/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/23/22

Day 05 - Petermann Island

We enjoy a Zodiac cruise around Petermann Island and hike through the snow to check out Gentoo penguins.

This afternoon, blue skies and sunshine greet us as Silver Endeavour approaches Petermann Island. Guests have been divided into four groups for disembarkation and each group disembarks approximately 30 minutes after the previous group. The groups are designated by colors (Green, Yellow, Blue and Red). We are assigned to the Blue group and our group is scheduled as the next to last to board the Zodiacs.

As for excursion gear, we are each wearing long underwear, a second layer of flannel (in my case) and blue jeans over which we place our waterproof pants*, insulated vest and finally our red Silversea parka* which also has an insulated liner. Rickee and I also wear neck gaiters and knit hat to keep our head and neck warm. Finally, glove liners and waterproof gloves on our hands and waterproof boots*.

*gear provided by Silversea to all guests

So far on this journey, we have been boarding the Zodiacs through a large door on the side of the vessel. Sailors hold ropes to keep the Zodiac pulled next to the hull of the ship while the Zodiac pilot and another sailor help guests step into the Zodiac. Guests are instructed to use the “sailor’s grip” (see photo below), step onto the Zodiac and sit down immediately, then scoot to the position where you want to sit, or where the Zodiac pilot instructs you to sit.

There is an emphasis on safety at all times and each Zodiac cruise begins with a short safety briefing on what to do in the event of an emergency.

Below, Victoria explains what the procedures are should someone go overboard while on the Zodiac. Of course, there are ropes along each side of the Zodiac for guests to hold on to during the cruise. Fortunately, after dozens of Zodiac cruises on various cruise lines, we have never seen anyone go overboard on a Zodiac, even though it has happened.

The skies and sun offer a really amazing view of Silver Endeavour as our Zodiac cruises to Petermann Island.

As we cruise along the coast of the island, we can see some Adelie penguins walking on the rocks.

There are some amazing icebergs and “bergie bits” floating in the waters around the island today. A “bergie bit” is a chunk of ice that has broken off of a larger iceberg and measures from 5 to 15 meters in length. Any chunk of ice under 5 meters is considered a “growler”.

After we cruise around the island, looking at the icebergs and taking photos, it is time for our landing on Petermann Island. There are international guidelines for tourism in Antarctica stating that no more than 100 people at any one time should be on an island. Therefore, the Zodiacs take guests in rotation to the island and the remaining guests enjoy a cruise around the island until it is their turn to visit.

Prior to guests arriving at the island, the team of expedition leaders have visited the island to insure that it is safe to make a landing and to create walking paths for the guests to follow. The paths are marked with red flags and the deep snow has been packed down to make walking easier.

To make walking up the elevations easier, the paths are zig-zagged to minimize any steep climbs on slippery surfaces.

There are several different paths laid out on the island and we decide to take one that leads to a colony of Gentoo penguins.

The Gentoo penguins seem unphased by our presence on their island, periodically hopping across our walking path, or using our path as their own penguin highway.

The path today is only about two feet wide and if you step off the path, you might find your leg sinking into 36” of snow. Walking poles are provided for those who want them.

There are small colonies of penguins all over Petermann Island.

After about an hour on the island, we return to the warmth of Silver Endeavour and, from our balcony, we can see the expedition team returning the Zodiacs to the ship.

Zodiacs Preparing To Be Reloaded onto Silver Endeavour

A crane is used to raise the Zodiacs from the water and store them on the top deck of the ship.

At 6:45 this evening, Expedition Leader, Marieke, tells us what we can expect from tomorrow’s adventure.

It has been another amazing day aboard Silver Endeavour and we are excited for what tomorrow will hold.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/22/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/22/22

Day 04 - Cuverville Island

We enjoy a Zodiac cruise around Cuverville Island and check out some Gentoo penguin colonies.

Silver Endeavour arrived at Cuverville Island this morning and, when the announcement came over the ship’s PA system, we learned that weather and sea conditions would not allow safe access to the island. Large iceberg chunks were blocking entrance to the Zodiac landing site. Therefore, Marieke decided against a Zodiac landing this morning and instead opted to offer guests a Zodiac cruise around the island.

We got all geared up and boarded the Zodiac at around 9:15am and soon we were sailing around Cuverville Island where a colony of Gentoo penguins could easily be seen from the Zodiac. Occasionally we would see penguins swimming around us, popping up from time to time as they came up for air. They are fast swimmers!

A Gentoo Penguin Colony on cuverville Island

After viewing the penguin colony, we sailed around some of the more interesting “bergie bits”, large chunks of ice that have broken off of icebergs and are floating on their own. The wind and the water create some really interesting shapes.

Our Zodiac tour lasted about 90 minutes before it was time to return to Silver Endeavour for lunch.

Once again, we chose to have lunch at The Grill. You just cannot beat the views available from the aft of the ship. You can easily walk outdoors to take photos if you see something worth capturing.

This afternoon, we decided to stay onboard Silver Endeavour and get caught up on some blogging and other work. Nevertheless, there is a lot you can see from the ship itself!

At 6:45, it is time for the daily briefing at Explorer Lounge. Waiters offer small bites to enjoy with cocktails, a Silversea trademark.

Marieke takes the stage once again to inform us of what we can expect tomorrow when we arrive at Petermann Island.

Her presentation goes into current and projected weather conditions and how she expects the day to go. Sailing in Antarctica requires a lot of last-minute planning to account for constantly changing weather or ice conditions.

This evening, we head back to The Restaurant for dinner.

Tomorrow morning we will be at Petermann Island.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/21/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/21/22

Day 03 - Danco Island, Antarctica

We take a Zodiac to Cuverville Island and have dinner at Il Terrazzino

This morning the skies are clear and we begin to see the beauty and majesty of Antarctica. There are no morning excursions planned for today. Instead, we are welcomed by our Entertainment Hostess, Yessie, and given a preview of things to come on this cruise.

While entertainment and dining are part of any Silversea cruise, a Silversea expedition cruise is focused on the destinations and the expeditions designed to allow guests to experience amazing destinations like Antarctica. At the head of this effort is Marieke Egan, our Expedition Leader.

Marieke introduced us to the expedition team, a group of 20 experienced Zodiac drivers and expedition guides with many years of combined experience in Antarctica. Antarctica is one of the harshest and least forgiving environments in the world, so it is comforting to know that Silversea provides guests with experienced and knowledgeable guides.

The seas were fairly rough last night on our way to Danco Island. The Captain warned us to place items so they would not fall off tables. We placed wine glasses and camera gear on the sofa with pillows to protect them. Our butler uses rubber bands to hold the shower doors together to prevent them from swinging open inadvertently in rough seas. Fortunately, the seas were not that rough, but there was a nice rolling motion which helped us to get a good night’s sleep.

After the briefing, we have time for lunch before our first afternoon excursion. We chose to dine in The Grill. The Grill is located aft on Deck 5 and offers a greenhouse-like view of Antarctica that is unmatched by any ship we have seen.

The Grill offers fresh sushi every day on the lunch buffet as well as some hot items and a menu of items made-to-order.

Rickee and I both ordered the Fish and Chips from the menu.

Fish and Chips Offered at The Grill for Lunch

After lunch, we put on all of our cold weather gear, waterproof pants and parkas and board a Zodiac for the short ride to Danco Island.

Zodiac Arrives At Danco Island, Antarctica

It is about 35 (F) degrees today and a little windy, so it is pretty cool. But, the parkas provided by Silversea, combined with our warm headgear and gloves, keep us in relative comfort.

Many guests made the long hike up to the penguin colony, but I made the mistake of bringing my large and quite heavy camera with me and I did not want to risk falling and breaking the camera, or worse, getting some broken ribs in the process. We decided to stay on the beach and take some photos of the friendly Gentoo penguins.

A Gentoo penguin stops by to greet us on the beach.

We spend about an hour on the beach before another Zodiac arrives to take us back to Silver Endeavour. It was a pretty mild introduction to Antarctica, but a taste of things to come. This evening, all guests meet again in Explorer Lounge for the daily briefing where we learn about the next day’s planned activities.

For dinner this evening, we have reservations at Il Terrazzino. This is sort of a mini version of La Terrazza on other Silversea ships with an Italian-inspired menu, albeit a smaller menu than you find on other Silversea ships.

In La Terrazza tradition, the meal begins with a complimentary platter of charcuterie, bruschetta and tepenade.

We enjoyed our meal at Il Terrazzino and chose to make it an early night after dinner. Tomorrow, we will be at Cuverville Island and we want to be well rested.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/20/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/20/22

Day 02 - Embark Silver Endeavour at King George Island

We fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas, then on to King George Island where we meet up with Silver Endeavor.

Our long day of travel begins with a motorcoach ride to the Santiago International Airport where we are to board our charter LATAM Airlines flight to Punta Arenas. Boarding passes for the flight are handed out to everyone on the coach before we arrive at the airport. We were a little surprised to see that we would not be sitting together on this flight.

After we arrive at the Santiago airport, our luggage is taken straight to the plane and we will not see it again until we board the ship. I made the mistake of taking my roll aboard luggage with me on the flight, hoping I could check it in Punta Arenas. I did that because I travel with a lot of expensive camera gear in my roll aboard and I am not too keen on having hundreds of pounds of other luggage piled on top of my roll aboard.

When we arrived at the gate for our charter flight (which was different than the gate number shown on our boarding pass) we tried to get our seats changed so we could sit together. However, there was a real language barrier with the gate attendants who barely spoke any English.

We boarded the chartered Airbus A321 LATAM Airlines flight on time. Fortunately, the plane was not full so we were able to change seats and actually ended up with great exit row seats. Soon after take off, we were served a light salad lunch (below). I don’t particularly like smoked salmon, so I ate around it and the rest of the salad was quite good. Soft drinks and wine were also offered on the flight and the flight crew was very nice.

Before long we were flying over the snow-capped Andes on our way to Punta Arenas.

After landing in Punta Arenas, I was hoping there would be somewhere that I could check my roll aboard, but that opportunity never presented itself. I was not alone, however, as many others also had their rolling luggage with them.

Our next charter flight was on Antarctic Airways aboard a BAE overwing aircraft. The plane has 2-3 seating configuration and we lucked out and got on the 3 side with an empty seat between us.

Boarding Antarctic Airways Flight in Punta Arenas

When we board the BAE aircraft, we are surprised at how roomy the seats are. This is not traditional “business class”, but the seats are very spacious with lots of legroom. All of our gear is waiting for us in our seats. A Silversea backpack, parka, boots and waterproof pants.

The flight to King George Island is about two hours and because of the extra legroom and comfortable seating, it is actually a pleasant flight.

Soon after takeoff, we are served a light Chilean snack.

Light Chilean Lunch on Antarctic Airlines

After lunch, we are all instructed to try on our gear. This was no easy task to put on large waterproof boots, parkas and pants on an airplane. But, we all managed. There were some last minute gear changes for some who received items that did not fit well.

If you are on this flight to King George Island, be prepared for a really rough landing as the “airport” in King George Island does not have a paved runway. There is no terminal building and once you step off the plane you are greeted with the cold and snow you would expect in the coldest part of the world. Buses are waiting to take us to the “beach” where we will board Zodiacs for the short ride to Silver Endeavour.

I don’t have any photos or video of the Zodiac ride to Silver Endeavour because all of my camera gear was packed in my roll aboard, which had to be left on the beach to be delivered later by the expedition team.

Once we arrived on board Silver Endeavour, we were greeted in the mud room where we removed our boots and gloves. We packed our shoes in our back packs, which did come with us on the Zodiac, so we changed into them in the mud room.

We were then guided to reception to complete the onboard check-in, have security photos taken, and receive our stateroom key cards.

It has been a very long day of travel and all we want to do is unpack and enjoy a relaxing dinner, which we did at The Restaurant on Deck 4. We had a table for two with a beautiful view.

Now we felt like we were back on Silversea. A glass of our favorite wine and a delicious meal at the Restaurant with excellent service.

Tomorrow we will begin our exploration of Antarctica with a visit to Danco Island.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/19/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/19/22

Day 01 - Fly to Santiago, Chile

An overnight flight to Santiago, Chile followed by a mandatory pre-cruise briefing

We flew from DFW to Santiago, Chile, on American Airlines flight 945 which departed at around 7:00pm. We were able to “upgrade” to Main Cabin Extra (no Premium Economy or Business Class were available) and we lucked out by having an empty seat between us.

When we arrived in Santiago it took about 30 minutes to get through Immigration and Customs and, as we exited to the airport lobby, we were greeted by Silversea reps. Our documents stated that we had a transfer to our hotel included, but the Silversea reps knew nothing about that and they helped arrange a taxi for us (at our expense). It was only about $27, so not a big deal. We were informed later that there was a mis-communication with the airport greeters and Silversea apologized for the mix up.

our taxi ride receipt from airport to hotel

Silversea has arranged for us to spend the night at the Renaissance Hotel in Santiago (see top photo). The hotel is very nice and the room was large and comfortable. Most Silversea guests are staying across the street at the Mandarin Oriental. We were informed via email that we needed to attend a mandatory meeting at the Mandarin and also try on our parkas and other cold weather gear.

It is only a five-minute walk to the Mandarin Oriental from our hotel and when we arrived, Silversea has a hospitality desk where guests’ questions can be answered. We were instructed to go to one of the meeting rooms to try on our parkas and boots.

Silversea provides guests with complimentary parkas, waterproof pants, and boots to wear when on excursions in Antarctica. After we confirmed our sizes, we went to the pre-cruise briefing.

At the briefing we discovered that weather conditions were forcing a change of plans. Our original itinerary was to fly to Punta Arenas tomorrow, spend the night, then fly to Antarctica the following day. However, because low visibility is expected on King George Island in two days, the decision was made for us to fly to Punta Arenas tomorrow, then change planes and fly on to King George Island. The result is no hotel tomorrow night and we get to board Silver Endeavor a day early. One more day on Silversea…Bonus!

After the briefing, we return to our hotel where we had dinner, then time for bed.

Tomorrow, we fly to Punta Arenas, then on to King George Island.