Corinthian II on Cruise Critic Forums
June 30, 2009 by daschneider
On the CruiseCritic.com forums, user Winegirl writes:
Corinthian II vs Endeavor vs Polar Star-any first hand knowledge?
Spouse is 46 and I’m 57. I have long been a student of polar exploration and am planning a trip to see some of Antarctica–only, not Falkland Islands. Spouse can get away for only a couple weeks, so we are looking at 15 day or shorter trips. Various options called to our attention are: Corinthian II, 114 passenger all suite ship. Online information looks pretty appealing–a smaller ship option so hopefully more personal service, a lot of valuable inclusions. Not cheap but seems good value for price. Other option is NG Endeavor. NG name carries a lot of weight, but the prices are sky high and the overall accomdations look less appealing than the Corinthian II. Polar Star looks promising as well. Spouse likes space and luxury, but does not like snobs. We both love great food and wine, and have done some soft adventure travel, plus some backpacking in the Rockies. He is a real science and nature buff and I just want to visit the “last place on earth. I’d feel better about having an MD on board, just in case, although neither of us has medical issues. I’d like to have maximum options to go ashore, even possibly camp overnight ( I know some ships offer that option at times.) Being from Wisconsin, the weather will be relatively similar to our January/February weather–cold, damp, overcast, etc.
I am reluctant to book on any Russian ship (first hand experiences with Russian business practices leave us skeptical,) and ships that don’t allow you to use your credit card for the final payment (leaves you with less protection in the event of a default.)
Any feedback on any of these ships would be most appreciated!
User Harbor32 responded:
I was on a Corinthian II cruises to Antarctica in Feb 2007. We had one of the best crossings of Drakes passage (both directions), great weather and a totally wonderful trip.
We had a suite near the captain’s quarters. The room was large and comfortable with couch, chairs, tv and dvd player, small refrigerator and private balcony with a small table and chairs.
We made two to three landings a day for the 5 days we were physically in Antarctica. In my opinion, this is the perfect length of time for a cruise there. There were daily lectures, and naturalists were always available to answer questions. The captain and crew were very personable and helpful. A couple of times we made slight detours to observe whales. The captain was very knowledgeable about the region and I felt completely safe on his ship.
Smaller ships give you a better chance at getting more on-shore time, since the number of people who can be onshore at one time (most of the stops) is limited. On larger ships the time on shore is divided among a larger number of people, generally meaning less time ashore for each person than on smaller ships. Some ships will have access to stops that others don’t, due to the limited access.
The ship was very well appointed, the food very good and the service friendly and efficient. The library had a nice selection of books and dvds.
The only problems we had on board were a couple of plugged up heads towards the end of the trip which were quickly repaired.
The doctor on the ship lived next to the clinic and was very pleasant and helpful when I was sick.
I hope you enjoy your trip as much as I did. Antarctica is a wonderful place to visit.
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