December 28, 2023September 19, 2024

Embarkation Day – Setting Sail on the Greg Mortimer

This post is part of our second once-in-a-lifetime expedition to the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica. Click to expand this section and view the table of contents if you don’t want to read this sequentially, or you are looking for a specific part of the trip.

Antici-pation

You know that feeling of excitement you get as a kid on Christmas morning? That was Andy and I when we woke up at 5 a.m. on embarkation day. I couldn’t remember the last time I woke up to snow falling—giant snowflakes drifting lazily, almost in slow motion. Through the thick snowfall, we could just make out the Greg Mortimer ship arriving in the distance, signalling the start of our next adventure.

Snowfall over Ushuaia, partially obscuring the town, harbor, and docked ships, with trees in the foreground.

Originally, we were supposed to go on a catamaran cruise that morning, but the weather had other plans. Instead, we ended up on a bus tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. Every time we stepped off the bus to enjoy the views, it either started to rain or snow sideways, until we’d put all our layers on and then it would be sunny—classic Patagonia weather.

Smiling couple in winter jackets posing in front of the "Bahía Lapataia" sign at Tierra del Fuego National Park, marking the end of Argentina's Ruta Nacional 3.

Happy couple in winter jackets posing by a serene lake with snow-capped mountains and a cloudy sky in the background.

After lunch, we were dropped off at the pier to finally board the ship. Rumours had been swirling that Greg Mortimer (the man, not the ship) might once again be our expedition guide. Sure enough, he was waiting at the pier to greet us. Last year, he became a bit of a legend for us, even checking in on us when we were quarantined with Covid. When we spotted him, we couldn’t resist joking, “We’re ba-ack!” He recognised us instantly, breaking into a huge grin, and gave us big hugs. “No bloody Covid this year!” he laughed, which pretty much summed up the tone for the entire day.

Greg Mortimer holding a microphone giving a presentation on a ship with "Welcome on board" displayed on a screen behind him. Passengers are seated and listening, with large windows showing an ocean view.

As we boarded, we saw lots of familiar faces—not just Greg, but several members of last year’s hospitality and expedition teams as well.

Last year, we stayed in cabin 410—Category A, port side, mid-front. When we were quarantined with Covid, Aurora Expeditions gave us a full credit for what we originally paid. While that covered a massive part of this trip, prices had increased, so we downgraded slightly to a Category B. Cabin 434, located on the port side towards the rear was nearly identical to our previous one, with the added convenience of being close to the stairs leading to the mudroom, as well as easy access to the back stairs connecting to other decks. The only minor downsides were a faint kitchen smell from above and a heavy door to the back stairs that sometimes slammed shut. Still, we were happy with our spot. (and no, in 23 days I didn’t take ONE photo of the cabin – all I’ve got is some video of our arrival)

Modern cruise ship cabin with a bed, desk, and sliding glass doors leading to a balcony. Blue jackets and paperwork are neatly laid out on the bed.

The afternoon was filled with the usual embarkation activities: welcome drinks, the mandatory safety drill, and a welcome presentation as we sailed down the Beagle Channel. Dinner followed, and by that point, the excitement of the day had fully set in.

Passengers in red life jackets walking on the deck of a cruise ship during a safety drill, with snow-capped mountains in the background.

We learned there were a total of 106 passengers on board (40 Americans, 44 Australians, 1 Canadian, 8 from the UK, 3 Chinese, 1 Estonian, 1 Indian, I Irish, 2 Singaporeans, 2 Germans, 2 Japanese and 1 New Zealander) along with 105 crew from all around the globe. The 20-person Expedition Team had a variety of specialities including polar exploration, mountaineering, skiing, glaciology, geology, history, marine and terrestrial biology, ornithology, photography, medicine, and kayaking.