Viking Cruises

26 | Antarctica Destination Guide Michael McHugh, Editor-in-Chief of MiNDFOOD sets sail to Antarctica with Viking and shares his experience e trip OF A LIFETIME We are currently sailing in conditions that our captain refers to as the Drake Lake. It is a lovely smooth crossing on the notorious Drake Passage. For us it has been shiny grey seas that disappear into the soft grey sky; everything is light and bright. Life onboard feels full of expectation and there is much excitable chatter. In the far distance if I squint my eyes I think I can see a white shape of what in my head must surely be an iceberg. Everyone onboard is so excited about reaching Antarctica, the woman next to me at breakfast in the World Café thought perhaps she had already seen a whale: we had only just left Ushuaia, Viking's leaving port at the very southern tip of Argentina, for the great "White Continent". There is much planning to get this far as we have just crossed the 60 degree latitude mark on our way to one of the most pristine and untouched parts of our globe. Many passengers have said this is the last of the seven continents to tick off their bucket list. For me, after our briefing and our mandatory biosecurity check, which is an inspection of all outer layers of clothing and backpacks that will be taken onto the ice, I am rethinking what to wear onshore. Viking provides each guest a custom expedition jacket which we can keep. It is waterproof, windproof with a breathable outer layer with hood and a cosy insulator. We are also provided boots and waterproof pants. Our ship, the innovative Viking Polaris, features a number of industry firsts. Just over 200m long with a 23m beam (the widest part of a ship), it is able to host 378 guests. For Viking's fiercely loyal base of repeat passengers in search of education and enrichment as opposed to entertainment — remember Viking's policy of no children or casinos — this expedition ship is their everything, delivering immersive destination focused trips experiencing nature. Viking's exacting implementation around conservation protocols is impressive. Everything is well executed and much thought has gone into the continued preservation of Antarctica while visiting. Invasive animal and plant species pose a real indoor threat to Antarctica's vulnerable environment, so by complying with simple measures, you make a tangible contribution to the conservation of the continent. There currently is an avian influenza outbreak in Antarctica — some bird areas have been completely wiped out due to this — so we are reminded and warned to keep our distance from birds during the briefing session on the first day on board. When going onshore, our boots are washed and disinfected before and after each landing, and we are shown how to do the 'sailor's grip' when boarding Zodiacs and the Special Operations Boat from the ship. So when boarding and leaving each vessel, you feel very safe.

• Cover