Cruise Talk: Infinity to the Antartic

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Topic: Infinity to the Antartic

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 05-01-2009 02:26 AM

Celebrity Infinity will offer you the chance of pollutting one the last unspolied areas of world next year. She will no doubt try and avoid ice (not an easy thing to do and of course the reason you go there anyway) so as not to sink and kill a couple of thousand people and few whales, thousands of penguins etc. Celebrity now join that select few of lines who irresponsibly threaten our most pristine environment in pursuit of profit with ships that are not designed or equipped for the area they are sending them. Antartic Roulette.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 05-01-2009 03:57 AM

....I've heard that the shopping and night life are not good! Still as long as there is lobster and a broadway show.

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 05-01-2009 08:01 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mike sa:
. Celebrity now join that select few of lines who irresponsibly threaten our most pristine environment in pursuit of profit with ships that are not designed or equipped for the area they are sending them. Antartic Roulette.

Is this a surprise? Celebrity's #1 competitor Holland America has been sailing to Antarctica for a few years now. There is obviously a demand or these ships would not sail there, and of course when one company offers an itinerary it's likely their #1 competitor will follow.

What is perplexing to me, is if the environment is so fragile and unsafe (which I think it is), why are any passenger ships even permitted to sail there? If there are no restrictions, then obviously companies will plan trips there if the demand exists.

Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 05-01-2009 08:07 AM

quote:
Originally posted by eroller:
[....]
What is perplexing to me, is if the environment is so fragile and unsafe (which I think it is), why are any passenger ships even permitted to sail there? If there are no restrictions, then obviously companies will plan trips there if the demand exists.
Ernie

Antarctica is not a country. There is no authority to define and enforce binding rules.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 05-01-2009 08:17 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Ernst:
Antarctica is not a country. There is no authority to define and enforce binding rules.

I am aware that Antarctica is not a county.

There is the Antarctic Treaty which is a governance entity. I think they already restrict the amount of passengers that can be carried on cruises to Antarctica so no doubt they could limit or restrict these cruise ship visits as well.

Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 05-01-2009 08:30 AM

quote:
Originally posted by eroller:
I am aware that Antarctica is not a county.
There is the Antarctic Treaty which is a governance entity. I think they already restrict the amount of passengers that can be carried on cruises to Antarctica so no doubt they could limit or restrict these cruise ship visits as well.
Ernie

I am aware of that. However, there are not too many restrictions concerning passenger ships and the enforcement of such rules is usually the problematic part.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Globaliser
First Class Passenger
Member # 4153

posted 05-01-2009 07:41 PM

If the political will existed, banning such ships would be no problem. The Antarctic powers have between them, lots of legal and extra-legal ways of "persuading" ships not to go there.

But the political will to do so does not (yet) exist. And political will, as we know, often follows body count. More's the pity.

Posts: 1869 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

Rex
First Class Passenger
Member # 1113

posted 05-01-2009 08:36 PM

A tragedy will have to happen before any serious banning is done. You know folks don't listen to anything until you slap them in the face.

Posts: 1413 | From: Philadelphia PA, USA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

soundsailor
First Class Passenger
Member # 4164

posted 05-03-2009 02:48 PM

I most certainly agree that the Antarctica should be protected at all costs. However, I felt totally safe cruising in that area aboard the Prinsendan last February. On board, we had Captain Halle Thon Gundersen who has cruised the Antarctica for many years and supervised the building of the Prinsendam. We also had on the bridge Ice Pilot Rear Admiral Jeffrey Garrett USCG Ret. & Geologist.
As well, we had on board Exploration Speaker John Splettstoesser, who spend several summers in the Antarctica working as a Geologist.
While cruising quite close to ice during the day, the night time was spend in open sea. We were allowed ashore in Grytviken, South Georgia, but only in small groups of 35 Guests surrounded by 6 crew, who were briefed that morning in the theatre, on the do’s & don’ts by the Staff of this remote station. Shoes were sanitized as one stepped into the tender, and all you could leave behind were your footsteps and all you could take were photographs. Smoking was strictly forbidden on the Island.
So, some ships are very cautious and respectful of their surroundings. But the Prinsendam will probably not return to the Antarctica, due to the fact that a rule is now in place prohibiting any ship carrying 500 or more passengers from going ashore.

Posts: 150 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

jsea
First Class Passenger
Member # 3816

posted 05-03-2009 05:04 PM

Should we also ban cruise ship tourists from driving on treacherous third world mountainside roads with little to no guardrails for protection?

http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/440172/12_americans_killed_in_chile_bus_accident/index.html

There are risks to everything in life.

(The environmental aspect of Antarctic cruising is another issue.)

Posts: 644 | From: Texas | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged

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