Before continuing with the posts of our daily activities on this trip, I thought that it would be interesting and fun to know more about the ship itself.
This was our 4th cruise on a Viking ship. They have had Ocean and River ships for a number of years and now, in the past 5 years they have introduced 2 Expedition ships, the Octantis and the Polaris. “The Viking Octantis is a Polar Class 6 expedition ship for adventure cruising, completed in December 2021. It accommodates 378 passengers in 189 staterooms and is built for safety and comfort in remote destinations like Antarctica and the Arctic. The ship features a modern Scandinavian design, with floor-to-ceiling windows in every room, providing spectacular views. It is part of Viking’s expedition fleet, which includes unique itineraries exploring some of the world’s most remote locations.” (Co-pilot)
Named after the Sigma Octantis, the south star, the ship’s primary routes include Antarctica and the Great Lakes where the ship carries out scientific research during its cruises. The ship was joined by an identical sister ship Viking Polaris in fall of 2022. For the Great Lakes, it was especially designed to go through the locks, one of which allows just 37cm clearance on each side.
Octantis in the lock (Photo by cruiseindustrynews.com)
Besides the 378 guests there is a crew of 260 from Captain Ivo Botica to our room attendants, Luz and Herrie, from the Philippines and Indonesia respectively. Every member of the crew is very well trained for their particular task and they are always highly respectful, smiling and willing to go to any length to assist.
Starting with the accommodation. The 189 staterooms, none of which is an inside room, are laid out over 3 decks out of a total of 7. The smallest staterooms, which we had, are 222sq ft and this was certainly not small. It was a comfortable double room with a small seating area and a fair-sized bathroom, the floor of which was heated at night. The whole ship was centrally heated at all times.
On deck 6, the very top deck are the Owners’ suites and an outdoor eating area. On the next deck down are the World Café Buffet Restaurant where most people ate most of the time, Mammsens Café, named for the owner’s mother, the Living Room and very well-stocked Library with Scrabble, Chess and jigsaws on the tables. Decks 4, 3 and 2 are where the staterooms are situated, with a fully equipped laundrette on each of decks 3 & 4. On deck 1 can be found Guest services and 2 speciality restaurants, Manfredis which serves Italian foods and The Restaurant where one can eat from a variety of a la Carte menus.
The 7th deck, deck A, is the one from which guests, as passengers are called, wait to board the Zodiacs, Special Operations Boats and the Kayaks. Below this are the Hangar and the Science laboratory. The very lowest deck has the accommodation for junior crew members. In the Hangar the expedition transport, Zodiacs, Special Ops Boats, Kayaks and 2 submarines, named John and George, are stored.
To go out on an expedition on the Antarctic Peninsula where the average daily temperature would be -6degC, we would have to wear suitable clothing. Each guest was given a jacket and a nylon under jacket which awaited us in our room cupboards and we were able to bring those home. In addition, we had to rent a cap with ear flaps, a chin gaiter, undergarments of long johns and long-sleeved vests, boots and long waterproof pants worn over the boots. Further to these items, we also had to wear a lifebelt which was quite heavy. In every room a pair of binoculars was supplied for each guest.
Also, on decks 2 & 3 is the Aula, a 2-deck high auditorium with a very large screen for educational presentations and lectures. In the photo below, compare the size of the screen with the speaker, Dr Chris Coxon. He loved his whales and seals. There were twice daily lectures by the scientists, which could also be viewed on the stateroom TV. We learnt so much about Antarctica, its history, flora and fauna. Every evening, we received a copy of the Viking Daily listing all the activities for the following day. We had no reason to be bored.
Then there was Expedition Central located on deck 2 where there was a large interactive map, an example of a weather balloon and information on this, a shelf with skulls of animals and birds, a display of stuffed birds, a business station with 6 computers which guests could use at any time and a coffee station, open 24 hours. There were scientific staff on duty most hours of the day and we could ask questions, discuss the itinerary and learn so much of the research that they are always developing.
And, then there were the Scientists; about 15 of them from various countries and skilled in different branches of the sciences. They worked really hard preparing and accompanying us on expeditions, physically clearing areas for walking in the snow, helping guests on and off the boats, lecturing and lots more. They were a super group of people.
This ship is not a regular cruise ship taking one from port to port, towns and cities, but a truly wonderful experience of seeing, learning and enjoying. The Captain and crew were all involved with the guests, happily speaking and eating with us at all times. Altogether an awesome ship and trip.
