18-time travelers Ann and Jack Donoghue are among some of our top Vacation Ambassadors.
When asked to describe his recent trip small ship cruisetour to Antarctica, 17-time traveler Jack Donoghue of Beverly, MA, was quick to declare, “I wouldn’t call it a trip—I would call it an adventure.” He spoke passionately about his experience on Antarctic’s White Wilderness, the attentive crew aboard the Corinthian, and the breathtaking landscapes of the White Continent.
Jack would definitely recommend this trip to “someone looking for an adventure,” and he’s very adept at inspiring others to travel: he and his wife Ann have referred over 60 new travelers to Grand Circle and O.A.T. In fact, they used one of the free trip certificates (valued at $6,500) they earned through our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program to help fund this Small Ship Cruise Tour.
Besides actually setting foot on Antarctic ground, Jack considers the time spent aboard the Corinthian as part of the adventure, sailing to and from Antarctica from Ushuaia, Argentina, or the “City at the End of the World.” A thrilling part of the voyage was crossing the Drake Passage, a journey often called the “Drake Shake” because of the sometimes rough seas here. Jack emphasized that “safety was the number one concern” throughout the trip, and he underscores how the crew made sure all of the passengers felt comfortable and well cared for. “The crew members would take you by the hand to your seat at dinner, and they would help steady you when you were getting out of the zodiacs onto land. There was no sense of danger, and we felt very safe the whole time.”
Jack and Ann were pleasantly surprised by the insightful onboard lectures given each day by their expedition team of explorers, researchers, and naturalists. They helped the couple to spot albatross and other sea birds from the deck, as well as groups of 20-30 humpback whales at a time. Seeing wildlife from the ship was one thing, but arriving on land and coming face to face with penguins and Antarctic seals was an unparalleled experience. Jack compares it to “the difference between visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom and taking an African safari.”
He was impressed by the “amazingly blue icebergs,” and loved getting close to them during the short zodiac rides from the ship to the shore. Speaking of getting close, the Donoghues also came to appreciate the nimbleness of the Corinthian. “The small ship was better because it could get into smaller spaces. We saw a few other ships and some of them were too large for their passengers to go ashore as much.”
When they made landfall on their seventh continent, Jack and Ann felt an enormous sense of accomplishment. They visited two separate research stations, including the Port Lockroy Research Station, where they mailed themselves a postcard from the Penguin Post Office—it only took about a month to reach their home. Jack’s best advice for someone interested in traveling to Antarctica is this: “Don’t wait to make it your seventh continent—you want to make sure to enjoy it while you’re there.”
Since their Antarctic adventure, Jack and Ann have kept in contact with the members of their group, sharing photos with one another. Jack’s most successful method for referring new travelers is to post photos and stories from his travels on his blog. He adds his Customer Number and contact information at the end of each post for readers to use when they reserve their first trip. Recently, he has created video logs of his trips because they evoke “feelings you can’t get out of still pictures.”