Table Of Content
During the excursion you will see the antique houses that belonged to the first families settled in Ushuaia. The excursion ends with a visit to the Old Prison Museum before transferring to the pier for embarkation at approximately 4.00 pm. Although kayaking opportunities are possible in most locations during each excursion in the Antarctic region, weather, sea and ice conditions will dictate the when and where to ensure your safety and improve your experience. On the morning of the final day of our voyage, we will arrive back at the pier of Ushuaia, Argentina. Trees, grass and a busy city may seem strange to you after the white wilderness of Antarctica!
NEW! The Americas & Antarctic Explorer
This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (open at the captain’s discretion) for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendor. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of the pristine paradise of the splendid white continent. Embark on one of the longest Antarctica-only cruises, this 13-day Antarctica Explorer voyage, and discover in depth the breathtaking scenery, glacier-clad peaks, and extraordinary wildlife of the Great White Continent. Experience a genuine exploratory expedition with no predetermined schedule, allowing you to discover Antarctica as it was meant to be. With the extra time to explore and a vessel with a PC6/1A ice rating, gain access to areas off-limits to most ships, offering a more immersive experience of Earth’s last frontier. Massive, magnificent, and unforgiving, Antarctica is a continent of superlatives that will leave your mind searching for words to describe it.
Crossing, Kayaking, Camping: Three Antarctic Adventures
Passengers seeking a gentler-on-the-wallet experience, preferring some cruise ship comforts, but care little about private verandas or butlers. Quark’s passengers tend to be uber-active cruisers eager to camp overnight, snowshoe, go mountaineering and cross-country skiing while still traveling upscale. We also hope to visit the remnants of South Georgia’s thriving whaling stations and pay our respects to Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survival is synonymous with this island. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow. As we commence the Drake Passage crossing, we make the most of our time getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. Our expedition team prepare you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures and start our lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife and environment.
Holland America Line: Point-to-Point Journeys to Antarctica
Before leaving for your voyage, please make sure anything you bring that may come into contact with the environment (clothes, equipment, etc.) is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The cost of an Antarctica cruise largely depends on the departure date, how long the cruise goes for, and the type of cabin you book on the ship but most cruises start from USD$4,500. While you can't embark on an expedition to the world's seventh continent alone, you can travel solo on a group tour to Antarctica. Antarctica isn't owned by one single country, instead governed internationally through the Antarctic Treaty system signed in 1959 by 12 countries who had sent scientists to Antarctica during and around that time.
With no set itinerary in Antarctica, this voyage offers adventurous travellers the chance to experience Antarctica as it was meant to be – flowing with the wind, sea and ice, and taking the best opportunities Mother Nature provides. This voyage departs in the first half of the brief Antarctic summer, when sea ice is at its maximum – this offers us ample opportunities to explore in the icy wilderness of the last continent. Our exact route will be subject to careful planning by the Expedition Leader and Captain – however we will aim to visit a range of sites which showcase the best of this staggeringly beautiful region.
After lots of research, personal testing, and fielding quite a few (better) offers from competitors, we decided that Quark Expeditions is the company we trust to operate our own group tours to Antarctica. All of their ships have under 200 passengers too, meeting IAATO regulations for number of people off the ship at any one time. Check out our guide on the best time to visit South Georgia based on our personal experience. So if you’re unlucky and just so happen to get two days of bad weather in either Punta Arenas or Antarctica during your scheduled days of departure, your entire trip can be cancelled. These trips usually take around days, with 5-7 days spent on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula (the rest of the days are travelling over the Drake Passage), and no two trips are the same.
However, this may have only been the first documented discovery of Antarctica, as it's believed that Pacific Islanders may have reached the white continent in 650 AD. Eating and drinking in Antarctica is done aboard your expedition ship, with all meals provided for the duration of your journey. Tea and coffee, as well as soft drinks and juices, are ready to greet you when you come back from a shore landing and at meal times, while alcoholic beverages are also available, but for an additional price. You’ll find out everything you want to know from our Antarctic experts, including naturalists and ornithologists.
The Antarctic Peninsula - Adventure awaits
She loves to share her passion about the polar regions and strongly believes that people can only protect what they care about. When you cruise to Antarctica, you get to take in breathtaking views and infinite beauty from the comfort of your balcony or the top-deck. Set your eyes on whale-abundant waters and catch a glimpse of penguin colonies as you sail past and feel free to experience all the wonder that surrounds you. Unveiled in 2019, this super-swanky, 228-passenger "discovery yacht" was the first oceangoing vessel for luxury purveyor Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours -- a brand better known for river cruises. Tourists have been visiting Antarctica in small numbers since 1966, when adventure tour pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad led a small group of "citizen scientists" to the Antarctic Peninsula on a chartered Argentine navy ship.
Pen Your Polar Experience
However, there is often ample time to gain the required experience before you depart. We may be able to recommend a reputable sea kayak operator in your area for some tuition prior to the trip. Led by experienced guides, you and your small group of like-minded adventurers will paddle between ice floes, brash ice and icebergs of all shapes and sizes. Paddling is one of the best ways to access and intimately explore the beautiful coastlines we visit and therefore make the most of your time in the wild and remote destinations we visit.
Don't miss cruising Antarctica and experiencing some of the most exhilarating destinations in the world. This line notably features late winter (Antarctica's late summer) sails -- a chance to see the region in a different season, with nesting penguins and returning whales. As we sail towards the Falklands~Malvinas, there is plenty to keep you occupied on board. Our expedition team will continue to share their wealth of knowledge about the wildlife, history and natural world as part of the onboard lecture series.
One unique tour that’s popped up recently, and has been pioneered by Quark Expeditions and now also offered by Ponant, is a trip to the emperor penguins of Snow Hill. But one thing to keep in mind is that you’re not sailing to Antarctica in a little boat. You’re on a large expedition ship which is designed to handle much worse conditions than the Drake. After our very successful tour to Antarctica this season, we are going to be running another exclusive adventure down to the Peninsula in 2025, this time crossing the Antarctic Circle!
I boarded a cruise to Antarctica: here's what it's like traveling to the White Continent on the Deluxe Sea Spirit - Cruise Blog
I boarded a cruise to Antarctica: here's what it's like traveling to the White Continent on the Deluxe Sea Spirit.
Posted: Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The water temperature in the polar regions is close to freezing and winds sweep off the glaciers, making paddling a chilling experience. In South Georgia, there are stronger winds and swells than in Antarctica. In South Georgia however, conditions can be more varied and you require solid paddling experience in ocean swell and wind. We also aim to ship-cruise through fjords with towering cliffs of ancient stone, or into deeply indented bays towards dramatic glacier fronts. This is a great time to find a comfy spot in the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge to enjoy uninterrupted views of South Georgia’s majestic coast.
For example an 11-day itinerary often means just 4-5 days in Antarctica, and the rest of the time is spent before the trip in Buenos Aires or Ushuaia and the two days each way on the Drake. Adventure activities, such as kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding and camping, usually have an additional cost no matter which company you’re with too. Of course you can sometimes find trips for as long as USD$5,000 per person if you book it super last minute on a special deal, and ones as expensive as USD$50,000 or more. Essentially, you get what you pay for when it comes to the ship; the more you pay, the nicer the onboard experience.
French-speaking passengers or Francophile cruisers who love Gallic flair and cuisine will find their bliss with Ponant. Passengers who want to see and hear Antarctica's underwater life over cocktails or enjoy major pampering after their day of exploration will adore cruising with Ponant. Antarctic itineraries on Lindblad-National Geographic run between eight and 25 days. The shortest (and most economical) are the Fly the Drake cruises that let you skip sailing across the Drake Passage, thus allowing you to spend the entire cruise actually in the waters of Antarctica. Some begin in Buenos Aires; others start in Santiago and include more of South America, such as Patagonia and the Chilean fjords.
All G Expedition passengers receive their own exclusive parka, included with their tour. More is included and you’ll enjoy greater hands-on exploration, interactions with local experts, and freedom to roam. Few travellers make it to this icy continent, but the lucky ones who do get to explore a frozen Eden ruled by the elements and teeming with wildlife. All members — regardless of status — will enjoy a $250 onboard credit to use on incidentals. I've sailed on nearly all of these new vessels, in many cases in polar regions, and have been consistently amazed by just how much of an upgrade they really are. Some of the fanciest of the newcomers also have such over-the-top amenities as helicopters for sightseeing from above and submarines for seeing what lurks just under the water.
You will have ample time to enjoy observing seabirds from the stern of the ship, keeping a close watch for whales and other marine wildlife, or simply enjoying the many facilities available to you on the ship. It is the snowy southern islands as well as the lush, bird-filled flora of the sub-Antarctic. And Antarctica is the snowy peaks, vast penguin colonies, and whale-abundant waters of the Antarctic Peninsula.
No comments:
Post a Comment