Preparing for an Antarctic Adventure

Keith and I start the first leg of our journey tomorrow that will lead us to Antarctica on the maiden voyage of the Viking Octantis expedition ship. The Octantis is small by cruise ship standards, built with modern Scandinavian design and innovative technologies to minimize its impact on the pristine and fragile Antarctic region. For example, the straight bow reduces fuel consumption while the onboard dynamic positioning system enables the ship to hover over the seabed without anchoring. More to follow about the Viking Octantis once we embark.

The 13-day expedition will depart from Ushuaia, in the southern tip of South America, crossing the infamous Drake Passage, followed by eight days to explore Antarctica before sailing the Drake passage again, to Cape Horn, disembarking back in Ushuaia. The Drake passage, covering 600 miles between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, is known for extremely rough (but safe) seas, nicknamed the "Drake Shake." We're hoping for smooth seas, called the "Drake Lake."

But first, we finish packing before joining our fellow passengers in Miami tomorrow for the charter flight to Ushuaia. We look forward to sharing our adventure in the coming days.