What's It Like Crossing the Drake Passage?
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- What's It Like Crossing the Drake Passage?
A top question for many travelers on cruises to Antarctica is: What is the Drake Passage really like?
They want to know whether they can withstand a rough Drake that gives them what is known as the Drake Shake.
Well, we had an incredibly turbulent crossing during our cruise to Antarctica with Ponant. This video shows some raw footage we captured during the two rough days on the Drake.
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#AntarcticaCruise #DrakePassage
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What ship is this in the video
?
@joserefe5950 That is Ponant Le Lyrial
I couldn’t imagine doing this on a wooden ship in the 1800’s man. Those dudes where insane
Absolutely!
Facts thank god for the Panama Canal
It's a British thing mate, you'd have to spend some time here to Understand the culture. You've mad Scotsman who want to prove they can stand up the Englishmen . Englishmen mainly Southern Englishmen are very arrogant. They won't allow any Scotsman to outdo them in anyway. Throw in the Welshmen. They're all good singers, love playing Rugby & they're just a strange breed totally different to Scots & English. Northern Irish men are the result of a mix between the worst of the English & Scots . They hate catholic Irish people, they basically hate everyone. Love a drink are mad but also. have that English Southern English arrogance about themselves. Throw these people altogether on Wooden ships. They end up ruling over the biggest empire the world has ever known. From a few little islands. The biggest of these islands is known today as Great Britain. It's called "Great" because it's the biggest island. Not because the arogant Southern English wanted it to be seen to be Great.
I can't even do this today with all the modern ships
Balls of Steel
Shackleton and his team did this on a boat rowing without navigation in 1915. What a beast!
That always amazes me. How sick would we be? Thanks for watching.
Reading Shacklton's Endurance story is what first made me want to go to Antarctica. Frank managed to navigate that team on that row boat with only taking a few readings the entire time. Their story is the ultimate survivor story.
@@jennifercoulter6886 ... in a rowboat....And, I bet he took a reading whenever it was possible.
@@fredrichenning1367 I watched a great documentary called Shacklton's Captain that was focused on Frank Worsley and his incredible navigation abilities and that journey threw Frank's stories. The reason Shacklton was a great leader was because he surrounded him with the best, and Frank Worsley was the best. Amazing.
Might have been the easiest part of their journey
I could never endure this ride but it’s fascinating to watch.
It can be a rough one. Then, sometimes it's calm. Thanks for watching
I would absolutely LOVE this. Twice before while cruising we encountered near 30 foot swells and while others were sick and uncomfortable I was having the time of my life. I was born for the sea!
That's awesome! We were quite thrilled too. Thanks for watching. Happy travels!
I envy you--I'm usually the first one moaning and groaning. :)
@@reginamerwin935 I admit I do feel lucky!! I’m the son of a son of a sailor so the sea is in my veins as Jimmy Buffett would say 😀
Me too! The only thing that really bothers me is the other passengers.
How about a chicken fat sandwich?
Thanks for posting. Lots of videos discuss the Drake Passage, but seeing the raw footage really illustrates the reality of it.
Thanks for having a look! It was wild. Happy travels!
Happy I saw this video. I have heard of Drake's Passage, but never paid attention. Now I will always remember it.
Thanks so much for watching. It is a wild thing for sure!
That is a well built ship, I’d rather be ejected out to space than into that ocean… any ocean. The dinnerware must be magnetic 😂
Yes! It was a little bit scary for some stretches. We were cabin bound for more than a full day. Thanks for watching.
My wife and I did a cruise around South America in 2019 on the Prinsendam and high on the bucket list was the crossing of Drakes"s Pasage to spend a week in Antarctic waters. We were so looking forward to experiencing the great seas and what did we get? Drake's Lake! It was a bloody millpond, what a let down. Other passengers were relieved that it was uneventful and could not understand our disapointment. But hey! Life's like that. Fabulous trip on a really great little ship.
Thanks for watching. I always tell people who are worried that it definitely can be rough but you also might have it be very calm. It's unpredictable. But you definitely want to have a little bit of action because that is part of the adventure!
Happy travels!
You should take another trip in July. You will not be disappointed!!!!!!!!
She laughed when that big wave hit the window. Three hundred years ago sailors who were tough as nails used to tremble with fear.
Times they have changed. I think newer ships make us feel safer. Thanks for watching. Happy travels!
Ignorant comment 😂
People laugh as a copeing mechanism. She was probably nervous.
@@JoseCastro-xq6gw not exactly , hes not wrong, i woulda been alittle freaked out if i was on a frickin wood sail ship in the one of the most turbulent stretch of water known to man.
@@JoseCastro-xq6gw why, he's just making an observation...
Thanks for posting. Brought back memories of my trip to Antarctica in 2017. The trip going south across Drake‘s. Pretty bad, but not as rough as yours. The second day our state room window shattered, and we had to move up a deck. It was a nightmare because I was sick. Trying to pack my stuff and navigating through the Ship under those circumstances was awful. That’s part of an adventure!
Wow! I've heard of shattered windows. That must be terrifying. Thanks for watching.
How about a chicken fat sandwich?
I encountered a typhoon while serving on an aircraft carrier and I loved it. The Drake passage is on my bucket list.
It is so cool. Definitely worth going once. The voyage is half the fun. Thanks for watching. Happy travels.
Good to know you'll get to check something off your bucket list before you die!
Right before...
Great video! We were in Antarctica last year. It was a great adventure. The Drake Passage was a blast!
Thanks so much for watching. It's a wild ride sometimes for sure. Happy travels!
I passed this passage twice. First time as chief officer in 2012 and later as Master in 2021. Keeping an eye on weather forecasts is important. Additionally this passage is available in particular months of the year and weather can become very severe in a few hours.
Thanks for watching! So great to hear your insight. I've been through it six times. Always a little different experience. Happy travels!
It’s amazing that they used to make this passage on smaller wooden sailing ships.
I know. I can't believe how hard that must have been.
Yeah the thought of of it.. that's incredible
We did South America and Antarctica in 2010 and the Drake Passage was like glass. But in May 2024 crossing from Japan to Alaska we had some heavy seas; occasionally waves splashed the windows of the Lido on deck 9.
I have seen the Drake calm and angry. That's amazing about your voyage from Japan. I'd like to do that waterway. Thanks for watching. Happy travels!
In my opinion every person on that ship is brave as heck!!
It was an adventure to remember. Thank you for watching. Happy travels!
If no one was screaming, they were all brave.
Or just stupid😅😅😅😅😅
You say brave, I say mildly insane. Meh their life to gamble with.
Absolutely stunning.
Thanks for watching our adventure!
Imagine what mysteries and monsters lie beneath those treacherous waves
Thanks for watching!
Happy travels!
Your mom
Aliens are down there
@@MrCTrucklol 😂
I thought an Antarctica cruise would be nice, but this video made me change my mind.
Thanks for watching. This was an unusual circumstance. But yes it can be rough. It also can be smooth. It's always a roll of the dice. Happy travels
My wife and I went across and back early this month. We had a max of five meter waves one way, and 3 meter waves the other. No biggie. It's all a matter of luck----but well worth the trip!!! While out in 18 ft Zodiac inflatables, we had a 40-ft humpback dive directly under us. He was only 10-12 feet down, and we could see his white underbelly as he flashed by. For an instant I worried he would surface under us and send everyone into the icy water, but he surfaced some yards away. The other big thing was watching a big iceberg collapse and then thrash around shedding more and more ice as it sought a new center of gravity. Our raft was a quarter mile away, but another was very close to the thing. They experienced the break-up and the resulting waves up close. It had to be scary and exhilarating at the same time!
Amazing! Sounds like some fantastic experiences. I've found Antarctica to be such a truly magical place. Thanks so much for watching!
This is such a great video, thank you! It’s on my bucket list to go on an expedition cruise through Drake Passage at some point, just checked out your longer video of the cruise and it looks amazing, what a wonderful trip to take!!
Thank you for watching!
That water is such an amazing turquoise color!
It was crazy. Felt like being in a washing machine. Thanks for watching.
Beautiful! I so much want to go! Wow!
Thanks for watching! It's an amazing travel experience
We did this cruise last year. We were so lucky! We got the Drake lake on both crossings. It looks like you got the Drake shake!!
Thanks for watching. It was the shakiest of shakes. We had a wild ride.
I can never stop thinking about the times when these rough seas were navigated by wooden fucking boats. Terrifying.
That's insane.
And just plain 'ol wooden boats too!
I don't know what the wave heights were but we had a category gale on my crossing - 9 is a strong or severe gale and this is when the wind is between 47 and 54 mph (75 to 88 km/h), at this point slight structural damage to buildings will be occurring - slats from roofs falling off or chimney pots being knocked down. . It was great. I loved it. My wife not so much.
Thanks for watching. It was so powerful. I was enjoying. Then got a little worried.
I was on a cruise ship from NY to Bermuda in Dec 2023. While on return journey, sea was so rough, the ship which had 5000 passengers was bobbing. The sea had 40ft high waves. Everyone on the ship was seasick. It looked exactly like this in this video.
Wow! On a ship that big it must have been wild! Thanks for watching.
To think that up to 20,000 sailors lost their lives over the years traversing that passage is insane
Wow! Is that the number? Thanks for watching. It's such a fascinating stretch of the world
What a beautiful nature,power of the sea!!!👍
Thanks for watching. It was awesome
Great footage. Thank you. I'm pretty sure I would buy myself a few boxes of dramanine if I was to go on this cruise!
Thanks for watching. Yes, that would be a good idea to have some handy. Happy travels
Woowww, missing the seas. I really wanna board one of these ships one day soon!! Thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks so much for watching! Happy travels!
The Drake passage no joke....😢
Definitely. Not. A wild ride. Thanks for watching.
Looks rough for sure. But I am curious about the dining room shot. I was on a ferry from Wales to Ireland and that sea was so rough glasses would have never remained on a tabletop like in this video.
On this ship, the dining room is at a low deck. So, much more stable. The waves at this time also were starting to calm down a bit but still pretty exciting. We were finally able to emerge from our room after being in there for almost 36 hours during the worst of the crossing during a big storm.
Thanks so much for watching. Happy travels!
@@InTheLoopTravel, Wow! 36 hours!!! I was in a ferry, really, a hydraulic ferry that seemed to skip across the surface of the water. The vessel was huge. But we the passengers were literally unable to walk due to the roughness of the water. The worse part was the trip occurred after dark. That certainly added to the fear. We could not see anything as everything was falling off of shelves and tables. Most passengers were standing against walls or bracing themselves against any stable structure. I will never forget that experience. The duty free shop loss a LOT of inventory as glass items were thrown from shelves. It was really crazy!
Thanks for your great video!
The Irish Sea is famously rough- {St George's Channel} I too thought ''Why isn't everything flying around'' :)
On our cruise on the Atlas World Navigator, the ship (only 2-3 years old) has extendable planes along the hull that come out to stabilize it in high seas. That may explain why the dining room glasses---and the diners!---didn't thrash around.
@@jelink22, Wow! Cool! Thanks for the info. I just learned something new. Nice!👍
Wow. Great footage
Thank so much for watching!
Thank you for filming this! Absolutely incredible. I wonder what lurks below the waves...
Thanks for watching.
Cold cold water
Looks like a lot of fun!
It's a heck of a ride!
These people are very calm. My friend was on an Aircraft Carrier and thought the ship was going to sink when they hit a typhoon
We had almost two days of teeth clenching. Some people slept with their life jackets on. You see us out and about at the tail end. Thanks for watching!
Scary, god bless those sailors who faced this
Thanks for watching
Sailing this route in February aboard the Eclipse. Booked a balcony cabin midship because of this :) It looks like so much fun though!
Have so much fun. Antarctica is fabulous. Many people look forward to a Drake Shake for the unique experience. Thanks for watching.
This looks like a blast!
It was a wild ride. Thanks for watching.
I Have been in 25ft waves in 45 kns winds in the Tasman Sea , in a 36 ft sailing boat . and that was Wild !
Thanks for watching. I am glad to have experienced it. But once was good enough. Lol.
I'm unfamiliar with the conditions of the open ocean and I'm unsure of the perspective, but I expected bigger waves. I've seen a rougher ocean on Deadliest Catch.
Bring on the waves!
You're right. Those waves are massive on that show.
The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is what im reminded of.
On a big lake.Thanks for watching.
So unbelievably powerful
Incredible that mankind can build a ship that strong
It is incredible. I chose to trust the captain who had decades of experience. But I swear I thought it would break up at times. Thank you for watching.
so beautiful yet deadly
Incredible nature! Thanks for watching.
Bro this is heaven 😍
Crazy fun, right? Thanks for watching.
I’d love it! Though my landsickness would probably be killer. I don’t get seasick at all but put me on land after a few sea days and I’ll be ranking it up there with wishing I’d made different life choices.
Thanks for watching. It was wild! I didn't know you could get landsick. Crazy. Happy cruising!
@@InTheLoopTravel it’s that ‘the land is moving’ feeling but for me it also induces vertigo and the nausea. I had to take my seasickness pills once I got home because I had a headache and the ground would not stop ‘moving’. Add in the fact that I also got hit with no symptom Covid and had to stay in my room at home, the landsickness lasted well over a week. A good long walk would have seen it to rights in short order but sadly couldn’t do that.
It was, however, lovely to be rocked to sleep with imaginary movement of the bed each night. 😜
@@andreagriffiths3512 Mal de debarquement... I get it too... {After only a few hours on a rough ferry- the room heaves and sways like a ship- for days afterwards} I also suffer migraines - women are far more likely to suffer Mal de Debarquement than men.
Never been in this kind of ships cuz im not rich. But im amazed how stable the interior on that rough waves
It performed pretty well I suppose. I was worried at some times though. Thanks for watching.
The view from the “fourth floor” was wild, everyone lower must have been underwater, yikes!
It was the craziest thing I've ever experienced. Thanks for watching.
I’m just reading “The Wager” and imaging how scary it would be on an 18th century sail boat in these waters.
Right?! With no stabilizers. Insane! Thanks for watching.
I'm also reading The Wager and was searching for some footage of what this passage would have looked like. Was not disappointed. Absolutely terrifying.
Absolutely amazing! I have a new item to add to the bucket list!
Antarctica is amazing, and the Drake is a fun part of the voyage. Happy travels!
Oh my goodness! When the waves hit the window! Agh! We are heading for a Southern Atlantic crossing soon and hope it’s not like that. Scary stuff.
Thanks for watching. Yes, this was quite the adventure. Happy cruising!
2:57 Wish I could watch those waves for hours...
I really like motion too. So fascinating. Thanks for watching
On our crossings, we did! On the way back we had three albatrosses and two pintadas follow us, seemingly all the way.
And now for the important part, how's the food on this cruise ship?
Thanks for watching. Ponant has outstanding cuisine on its ships
I've never been on a cruise, but I'd do this even with some sea sickness. The price you pay for the beauty of Antarctica.
Exactly! You forget all about it once you can see the awesomeness of that special place. Thanks for watching.
I always wander how the ship stays so steady.
The technology is so amazing these days
I'm booked for this trip but really nervous about the Drake Passage. I have only been seasick once and it was on a pretty small boat. But this seems like huge risk, considering the length of time it takes to cross. It it was a couple hours that would be one thing. I want to go but just not sure I can handle that ride.
It is a real risk and definitely can be rough. I've been several times with the conditions not bad at all though. Have a wonderful adventure! Thanks for watching.
Will we experience Seasick, with regards to the size of the ship? Thanks.
Thanks for watching. Most people would definitely feel kind of sick in these conditions I would think.
What month was that? What is the name of the cruise?
This was in mid January on Ponant's Le Lyrial.
Seen worse ferry to Newfoundland, sometimes they can't get into port
For real! The seas around Newfoundland get crazy storms! Thanka for watching!
Lots of trust on those wine glasses on the table lmao😂
This was a particularly wild ride. Thanks for watching.
How did Lewis Pugh manage to swim in those turbulent waters...
Wow! I'll have to look that up
0:19 why does your cabin look and sound like a restaurant?
Thanks for watching. Because that was the restaurant. We were able to go out after the waves calmed down from the worst stretch. Happy travels
Lol!!
This looks incredible. Which ship/ cruise line was this?
Thanks for watching. This was in Ponant Le Laperouse. Happy travels!
It looks like fun
It was amazing. Thanks for watching
This is like a nightmare. How do you even be able to eat next to those waves!!!
Thanks for watching. Some find it to be an exciting adventure. Lol.
were the passengers briefed about the Drake passage before you got underway or while underway?
Definitely plenty of warnings and tips for how to best handle.it well before we set off. Thanks for watching! Happy adventures
Was it this rough for your entire two day crossing? Was it calm once you got to Antarctica? I am contemplating taking a cruise to Antarctica but am worried about that Drake crossing.
It was on our way back and rough for two days. I've been there and back three times, and you're just as likely to have calm waters during the crossing. This was out of the ordinary rough though.
The fact that in the Vendee Globe race, people have to sail this route in a sailboat solo day and night! no advanced nav, no nothing
That is truly incredible to think about. Thanks for watching.
I was impressed no one was vomiting over the side!
Hahaha. Probably were in the cabin doing so. Thanks for watching.
If you're traveling with a solo (we are going with our son who will be in a solo sharing with a random person) will he be allowed to leave his room to join us?
Hi there. Thanks for watching. Your son will be able to do everything with you. He will only need his room for his quarters while on the cruise. Happy travels.
Why did i watch this vlog🙈😂
We booked our Antarctica cruise jan 2026. Now im really nervous lol
Did the captain restrict everyone to their stateroom for safety precautions?
Thanks
This was a once in twenty years storm. It is 50/50 to be rough seas. But not this bad. Yes, we couldn't have really walked around safely. Plus, no activities going on. So, we stayed in the cabin and watched the waves and movies. Thanks for watching.
It's an amazing trip!!! Happy travels.
Thanks for the vid, i would like to join next trip..
Thanks for watching. Happy travels!
Thanks for posting
Thank you for watching. Happy travels!
That looks less violent than I imagined
Oh. This was incredibly high waves. I've been back and forth three times. This was a wild ride for almost two straight days. Thanks for watching. Happy travels.
Im going to take my 26 ft sailboat through that passage, looks easy peasy.
Good luck! I wanna see that video. Lol. Happy travels.
@InTheLoopTravel You should come with me !!! think of the views!!
I am pretty sure I would be nervous during such high waves. How did you feel?
After getting tossed around for two days and hanging on in our beds, we had a bit of a headache. Fortunately, we don't get seasick. Most of our fellow passengers were in bad shape though. The veteran captain said it was the roughest conditions he'd ever sailed through. Thanks for watching!
Bravest men to ever live used to sail these seas !!!!
So true! Thanks for watching.
Really curious how the Beyond would do with its stabalizer fins.
Yeah!! You'd think they would snap off. Thanks for watching.
Sorry you weren't on Eclipse - we had 25 ft waves but the oversized stabilizers meant we could go drinking, eating, etc. as it felt like five footers. Just saying - how could I resist?
🙂
Wow! Did you get outside when that was going on? It's quite the scenery isn't it? Thanks for watching!
We sailed the north sea on Eclipse, we hardly felt it but the swell was 6m
This scary!😮
A little bit. Lol. Thanks for watching.
These waves are no joke but what would concern me is an 80 ft rouge wave.
For real! Thanks for watching.
hopefully the waves calm down please
Are you going soon? You have a 50/50 chance of the crossing being calm.
Amazing video!
Thanks for watching!
I was today years old when I realized why it's referred to as the "high sea".😳
Lol. Thanks for watching!
👋😆 Thanks for sharing!
First comes the fascination,then comes the nausea.
Exactly. Was great. For a while but c'mon! Thanks for watching
We were lucky we had the Drake lake.
I hear it's 50/50 for either way. Thanks for watching.
What deck of the ship was your cabin on?
We were on Deck 6. Thanks for watching.
Don’t you get sea sick or motion sickness where you would be throwing out all day???
Luckily, I don't. It did give me a bit of a headache though after the second straight day of this. Thanks for watching.
Dangerous
Thanks for watching
Luckily that footage was filmed on a clear day
Thanks for watching.
how strong are the ship to handle these waves
Pretty darn strong I'd say. Thanks for watching. Happy travels.
I wonder how much punishment those windows can take..they must be incredibly strong to withstand that force
Yeah. It was like being in a WW washing machine. Thanks for watching.
Wild ride
It was incredible. Thanks for watching.
Wtf speed of those waves seem insane
Wild, right?!
The water looks nice, but very scared for everyone on the ships.
It definitely can be harrowing at times. Thanks for watching!
Were motion sickness pills readily available?😮
Thanks for watching. Yes, they had a variety of remedies on hand. Happy travels.
What Ship? I am going Jan '24 on HAL Oosterdam
This was Le Lyrial. Have a great voyage!
Amazing the dinner ware didn't even move.
It has calmed down a bit by then. The baby grand piano in the lounge got damaged, though. Thanks for watching.