y 2: At sea, Crossing the Drake Passage

 The Drake Passage is the waterway between Ushuaia (southern tip of Argentina) and the Antarctic Peninsula. It is known for having swells of 20+ feet, but today it is relatively calm, overcast and 42 F. We have lucked out!! We visited the spa, heard a talk about the wildlife we should see on the cruise (birds, whales, penguins, seals), and picked up our outer gear.  We get to keep the Helly Hanson lightweight puffer coat and outer parka, and will borrow waterproof pants and boots.  There is a drying closet in each stateroom where wet gear can be placed so it is dry for the next day.

A few photos of the ship interior. Will post the exterior once we get off on our first excursion.

The spa has a thermal pool, steam room, sauna, hot tub, snow grotto and ice bucket dump room.  Scandinavians recommend you do hot, cold, then hot.  So we got in the steam room, a quick trip to the snow grotto, then finished in the hot tub, which is open to the outside of the ship.  We had the place all to ourselves!



Our stateroom is not overly spacious, but has sufficient storage space for what we brought.  The window goes down halfway, so you can have al fresco viewing.  The bathroom floor is heated.


The living room area has plenty of seating and a bar.  There are several other bars in other locations on the ship.  We have a FREE drink package, so will be making frequent use of these areas!


The Aula is the auditorium where we meet for lectures, movies, and group events.  It is located at the stern of the ship and opens to an outdoor seating area.




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