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Antarctica Cruise - The Peninsula (Active Adventure)
Ship: Akademik Ioffe & Akademik Sergey Vavilov
Days: 12
Passengers: 110
Dates: 11/19/2010, 11/29/2010, 12/4/2010, 12/9/2010, 12/19/2010, 1/1/2011, 1/11/2011, 1/16/2011, 2/3/2011
Highlights:
This voyage feels more like a private expedition than a cruise. Very casual and active. Sea kayaking, camping, cross-country skiing and mountaineering options on select dates.
Summary: This well-established expedition cruise offers you the ideal introduction to Antarctica. Departing and finishing in the port of Ushuaia in Argentina, the itinerary visits prime sites along the Antarctic Peninsula and the neighboring South Shetland Islands. This program will emphasize wildlife viewing, possible visits to scientific bases, and the breathtaking scenery with narrow waterways, glaciers, icebergs and rugged mountains.
ExpeditionTrips’ Amelia Tockston, has sailed aboard the Akademik Ioffe. Click to view her travel journal and photos!
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Guaranteed - No Fuel Surcharge.
Prices from:
$4,990 to $11,690
Fuel surcharge may apply (subject to change).
View: Rates | Deckplan | Cabin Photos
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Itinerary - In Brief
Itinerary - Detailed
Days 1-2:
Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Arrive in Ushuaia, a small town at the "end of the world" surrounded by rugged peaks and glaciers, and transfer independently to your conveniently located hotel. The following day, in the afternoon, the Expedition Team gets you settled aboard your ship as you sail into the Beagle Channel to start your Antarctic expedition.
Days 3-4:
Crossing the Drake Passage
Prepare for rough water, but do not be disappointed if your crossing is smooth sailing. The Drake is always changing.
Days 5-9:
South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula
Many factors play a role in shaping the expedition’s progress. We attempt to leave the ship to explore in a range of activity levels at least twice a day. Perhaps, you’ll feel salt spray on your face as the Zodiac weaves in and around grounded icebergs in Pleneau Bay. You could scramble to the top of a craggy hill for an unforgettable view of an icy chasm near Port Lockroy. You could sit quietly on a pebbled beach and wait for a curious penguin chick to approach or plunge into the frigid Antarctic waters.
Explore the highlights of the Antarctic Peninsula with adventurers who enjoy camping, kayaking, cross –country skiing, mountaineering and other active pursuits. Over the course of the austral spring and summer, the sun lingers longer and longer, melting snow and ice. Wildlife abounds: chicks hatch and fledge, and pods of whales breach in a deep bay where a calving iceberg has churned up krill, the local delicacy.
The natural cycle of life ensures that every expedition is different. And that every expedition is full of surprises! In Antarctica, silence is so complete that interruptions become indelible memories: noisy penguins squabbling over prized pebbles, the boom and crack of a calving glacier near Petermann Island. Then there is the sound of breathing as your arms pump and your legs power you up an incline on cross-country skis. As you sail from island to shore to bay during four days in the Peninsula, the Expedition Team provides opportunities for contemplation, to test your endurance and engage your curiosity.
Days 10-11:
Drake Passage
Today you leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. In between bird watching and whale watching, and enjoying some final lectures by our expedition staff, this is a chance to relax and review our adventures before returning to Ushuaia.
Day 12:
Ushuaia
You disembark after breakfast and are transferred to the airport for your independent flights home.
Notes:
The following departures operate aboard the Akademik Sergey Vavilov: 12/4/2010, 1/1/2011, 1/11/2011, 2/3/2011
The following departures operate aboard the Akademik Ioffe: 11/19/2010, 11/29/2010, 12/9/2010, 12/19/2010, 1/16/2011
Read this itinerary as a guide only; the exact route and program varies according to ice and weather conditions - and the wildlife you encounter. Flexibility is the key to the success of this expedition.
Camping Option: $195 per person; all departures (minimum age 12 years, limited to 30 passengers)
Sea Kayaking: $795 per person; all departures (minimum age 16 years)
Cross-Country Skiing and Mountaineering: $550 per person for each activity; 11/19/2010 - 12/19/2010 (minimum age 18 years)
Included:
Group transfer from airport to hotel regardless of arrival date; one night pre-expedition hotel accommodation with breakfast, as indicated in the itinerary. (The number of guests per room is the same as cabin occupancy on the ship. Due to limited availability, travelers who reserve a suite on board are accommodated in standard rooms at the hotel.); Group transfers from the hotel to the ship at the embarkation port, and from the ship to the local airport on disembarkation; Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping; All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on board throughout your voyage. (Please inform us of any dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare kosher meals.); All shore landings per the daily program; Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities; All Zodiac transfers and cruising per the daily program; Formal and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled; Photographic Album on DVD, documenting the voyage; A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for shore landings; an expedition parka – yours to keep; Coffee, tea, cocoa available around the clock; Hair dryer and bathrobe in every cabin; Comprehensive pre-departure materials, including a map and an informative Antarctic Reader; All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program; All luggage handling aboard ship; Emergency Evacuation Insurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of $100,000 per person.
Not Included:
Any airfare; Passport and visa expenses; Government arrival and departure taxes; Any meals ashore with the exception of breakfast at the host hotel before embarkation; Baggage, cancellation and medical travel insurance; Excess baggage charges; Laundry, bar, beverage and other personal charges; Telecommunications charges; The customary gratuity at the end of the voyage for Hospitality Team members, ship’s crew and Expedition Team members.
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