Antarctica Cruise
Prince Albert II
fact sheet

 

About the
Prince Albert II
cruise ship

Construction

The ship was built in Finland and launched in 1989. Several cruise lines operated it under different names. In 2007, Silversea Cruises took it over, gave it a multi-million dollar refurbishment, and launched it in 2008 as the Prince Albert II (named after the Monaco's reigning ruler).

Statistics

Length: 108 meters (000 feet)
Speed: 26 kph or 16 mph
Motion stabilizers: Yes
Ice-strengthened hull: Yes
Registry: Bahamas
Cabins: 66
Passengers: 132
Passenger-to-crew ratio: Nearly 1 to 1

Destinations

The two main ones are Antarctica and the Arctic. It visits Europe and the Americas during repositioning cruises.

Passenger  nationalities

They come from all quarters of the world, but most are Americans, followed by the British, Canadians, and Germans.

Ages

Most passengers are in the broad 30-something to recent-retiree bracket.

Children

I do not recommended the cruise for young children. There is no dedicated program or facility for kids. But a teenager with a keen interest in wildlife might find this cruise awesome despite its length and the scarcity of fellow teenagers to befriend.

Communications

Phone and fax calls are high - the ship-to-shore phone company charges as much as $15 per minute ($900 per hour) when you are in Antarctica.

Daily satellite newssheet

It's provided free each morning.

Laundry & dry cleaning

The ship's laundry, dry cleaning, and tailoring department does quality, moderately priced work. And there is a small self-service launderette with two washing machines and driers.

Onboard medical center

A medical doctor and nurse oversee it. The facility has basic emergency medical equipment and a stock of standard medicine.

Silversea Cruises

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