HIGHLIGHTS
- Outings
and shore visits in Zodiac®inflatables with a team of
experienced naturalist guides.
- Lectures
and information sessions hosted by our naturalist-guides, covering
wildlife, history, geopolitics, the great explorers, climate,
environmental protection…
- Antarctic
Polar Circle crossing.
- Hiking
opportunity.
- Landscapes:
moors scattered with moss and lichen, white-sand beaches and turquoise
waters in the Falkland Islands; alpine landscapes, lush green plains
and suspended glaciers in South Georgia; drifting icebergs, ice floe,
glaciers and snow-capped mountains in the Antarctic Peninsula.
- Wildlife:
black-browed albatrosses, snowy albatrosses, Magellanic penguins,
Gentoo penguins and southern rockhopper penguins in the Falkland
Islands; king penguins, elephant seals, fur seals and macaroni penguins
in South Georgia; humpback whales, Gentoo penguins, Adelie penguins,
chinstrap penguins, leopard seals, crabeater seals and Weddell seals in
the Antarctic Peninsula.
- Educational
discovery in the respect of environment.
- New: for your
comfort and convenience, an optional premium package including one
night in Ushuaia on the eve of boarding your ship and an excursion to
Tierra del Fuego National Park (for more details, please contact us).
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
|
Start Date | End Date | Superior Stateroom | Deluxe Stateroom | Prestige Deck 4 | Prestige Deck 5 | Prestige Deck 6 | Deluxe Suite | Prestige Deck 5 Suite | Prestige Deck 6 Suite | Owner's Suite |
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:For
your serenity, PONANT selects a flight for your trip and provides
transfers and visits. This package is included in your cruise fare.
Embarkation
Day – Buenos Aires/Ushuaia
Flight
Buenos Aires/Ushuaia selected by PONANT.
Approximate
flight duration: 3 hours, 30 min.
Meet
and greet at the airport (English-speaking assistance)
Depending
on your choice made when booking your cruise (options not combinable):
Departure
from the airport for your transfer to the Arakur Hotel, one of the
newest hotels built in Ushuaia. It overlooks the town and its bay.
In
the Yamanas’ language, “Ushuaia” means
“the bay which looks towards the east”. This native
tribe was established here long before the arrival of the
“white” people. At the tip of the Beagle Channel,
which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Ushuaia is a unique
place in this world and is proud to be the southernmost city. Rising on
an island, it seems to float between two oceans. The snow-capped
mountains draw the border with Chile in the background. Here you truly
feel at the end of the world…
After
lunch at the Arakur Hotel you will have some time at leisure and/or
will be invited to join a walk through the Natural Reserve of the Cerro
Alarken. Arakur is a unique starting point for discovering a preserved
area which covers 100 hectares (248 acres); this is a sheltered place
for flora and fauna species typical to the Tierra del Fuego area
(please note that the observation of fauna is not guaranteed). The
unique location of the Arakur close to the Mount Alarken makes it as
well the perfect setting to enjoy lovely panoramas over the bay.
The
walk is selected in order to suit most guests’ walking
ability. You will be escorted by a guide to discover the park.
OR
When
booking the cruise, guests willing to visit the Tierra del Fuego
National Park will be able to sign up for an optional group excursion,
with extra cost. If you decide to do so, please note that immediately
upon arrival in Ushuaia airport, you will leave towards the Park where
you will have lunch before starting the tour.
Created
in 1960, the park which covers 63 000 hectares (155 670 acres) is
located in the south west of the Tierra del Fuego Province on the
Beagle Canal. One of his entries stands slightly over 6 miles from
Ushuaia.
Mountainous
landscapes, lagoons, bogs, and rivers draw a picturesque scenery
reinforced by the southern position of the park itself. The Darwin
Mountains, which represent the southern part of the Andes Mountains are
mainly responsible for such landscape. The Park is only partly
accessible to the public and this tour will provide you with the
opportunity to discover the local flora and sub-Antarctic landscapes.
If you get lucky, you may encounter beavers, dams, birds, wild orchids,
etc… This is a true paradise for Nature Lovers!
Lunch
will be served in a restaurant within the Park.
(Please
note that the Tierra del Fuego excursion is subject to a minimum of
participants: if this number is not reached, our operator will not be
able to guarantee the departure – In this case, you will be
given the option to join the Arakur programme.)
At
the end of your visit, you will return to Ushuaia and the port, for
embarkation on your vessel.
–
Cruise on board your ship
Disembarkation
Day – Ushuaia/Buenos Aires
Disembarkation.
Meet
and great at the port (English-speaking assistance).
Transfer
to the airport for check-in of the flight Ushuaia/Buenos Aires selected
by PONANT.
Approximate
flight duration: 3 hours, 30 min.
Your
programme includes:
- Transfers,
flights Buenos Aires/Ushuaia/Buenos Aires in economy class
- Lunch
at Arakur Hotel and beverages during lunch (mineral water + 1 soft
drink or 1 local beer + 1 coffee) on embarkation day
- English-speaking
local guide during the transfers.
- The
walk through the Cerro Alarken Reserve starting from the Arakur Hotel
and leaded by English speaking guide (except if you select optional
Tierra del Fuego National Park excursion)
For
your optional Tierra del Fuego National Park excursion, your programme
includes:
Please
note if you choose this excursion, it is not combinable with Arakur
Hotel programme and therefore replaces it.
- The
excursion by local bus and the entrance fees to the National Park
- The
lunch with the beverage package including: 1 mineral water + 1 soft
drink or 1 local beer + tea or coffee
- Transfers
and visit as mentioned in the programme
- The
services of a local English speaking guide
Your
programme does not include:
- Tips
for the local guide.
- Personal
expenses.
- Other
services not mentioned in the programme.
Please
note:
- The
local currency is the Argentinian Peso. You will be able to make most
of your purchases in USD (in small denominations) or by credit card,
accepted in most hotels, shopping centres and boutiques. You will also
be able to retrieve Pesos from the ATM’s.
- Summer
season: temperatures vary between 41F and 65F
- We
recommend you wear warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes either
for the visit to the Reserve or if you book the optional excursion to
the National Park.
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
|
Start Date | End Date | (Starting from) Superior Stateroom | (Mid-range) Prestige Deck 6 | (High-end) Owner's Suite |
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:For
your serenity, PONANT selects a flight for your trip and provides
transfers and visits. This package is included in your cruise fare.
Embarkation
Day – Buenos Aires/Ushuaia
Flight
Buenos Aires/Ushuaia selected by PONANT.
Approximate
flight duration: 3 hours, 30 min.
Meet
and greet at the airport (English-speaking assistance)
Depending
on your choice made when booking your cruise (options not combinable):
Departure
from the airport for your transfer to the Arakur Hotel, one of the
newest hotels built in Ushuaia. It overlooks the town and its bay.
In
the Yamanas’ language, “Ushuaia” means
“the bay which looks towards the east”. This native
tribe was established here long before the arrival of the
“white” people. At the tip of the Beagle Channel,
which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Ushuaia is a unique
place in this world and is proud to be the southernmost city. Rising on
an island, it seems to float between two oceans. The snow-capped
mountains draw the border with Chile in the background. Here you truly
feel at the end of the world…
After
lunch at the Arakur Hotel you will have some time at leisure and/or
will be invited to join a walk through the Natural Reserve of the Cerro
Alarken. Arakur is a unique starting point for discovering a preserved
area which covers 100 hectares (248 acres); this is a sheltered place
for flora and fauna species typical to the Tierra del Fuego area
(please note that the observation of fauna is not guaranteed). The
unique location of the Arakur close to the Mount Alarken makes it as
well the perfect setting to enjoy lovely panoramas over the bay.
The
walk is selected in order to suit most guests’ walking
ability. You will be escorted by a guide to discover the park.
OR
When
booking the cruise, guests willing to visit the Tierra del Fuego
National Park will be able to sign up for an optional group excursion,
with extra cost. If you decide to do so, please note that immediately
upon arrival in Ushuaia airport, you will leave towards the Park where
you will have lunch before starting the tour.
Created
in 1960, the park which covers 63 000 hectares (155 670 acres) is
located in the south west of the Tierra del Fuego Province on the
Beagle Canal. One of his entries stands slightly over 6 miles from
Ushuaia.
Mountainous
landscapes, lagoons, bogs, and rivers draw a picturesque scenery
reinforced by the southern position of the park itself. The Darwin
Mountains, which represent the southern part of the Andes Mountains are
mainly responsible for such landscape. The Park is only partly
accessible to the public and this tour will provide you with the
opportunity to discover the local flora and sub-Antarctic landscapes.
If you get lucky, you may encounter beavers, dams, birds, wild orchids,
etc… This is a true paradise for Nature Lovers!
Lunch
will be served in a restaurant within the Park.
(Please
note that the Tierra del Fuego excursion is subject to a minimum of
participants: if this number is not reached, our operator will not be
able to guarantee the departure – In this case, you will be
given the option to join the Arakur programme.)
At
the end of your visit, you will return to Ushuaia and the port, for
embarkation on your vessel.
–
Cruise on board your ship
Disembarkation
Day – Ushuaia/Buenos Aires
Disembarkation.
Meet
and great at the port (English-speaking assistance).
Transfer
to the airport for check-in of the flight Ushuaia/Buenos Aires selected
by PONANT.
Approximate
flight duration: 3 hours, 30 min.
Your
programme includes:
- Transfers,
flights Buenos Aires/Ushuaia/Buenos Aires in economy class
- Lunch
at Arakur Hotel and beverages during lunch (mineral water + 1 soft
drink or 1 local beer + 1 coffee) on embarkation day
- English-speaking
local guide during the transfers.
- The
walk through the Cerro Alarken Reserve starting from the Arakur Hotel
and leaded by English speaking guide (except if you select optional
Tierra del Fuego National Park excursion)
For
your optional Tierra del Fuego National Park excursion, your programme
includes:
Please
note if you choose this excursion, it is not combinable with Arakur
Hotel programme and therefore replaces it.
- The
excursion by local bus and the entrance fees to the National Park
- The
lunch with the beverage package including: 1 mineral water + 1 soft
drink or 1 local beer + tea or coffee
- Transfers
and visit as mentioned in the programme
- The
services of a local English speaking guide
Your
programme does not include:
- Tips
for the local guide.
- Personal
expenses.
- Other
services not mentioned in the programme.
Please
note:
- The
local currency is the Argentinian Peso. You will be able to make most
of your purchases in USD (in small denominations) or by credit card,
accepted in most hotels, shopping centres and boutiques. You will also
be able to retrieve Pesos from the ATM’s.
- Summer
season: temperatures vary between 41F and 65F
- We
recommend you wear warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes either
for the visit to the Reserve or if you book the optional excursion to
the National Park.
ITINERARY
Day
1: Ushuaia
Capital
of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the
gateway to the “Great White“ and the South Pole.
Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian
people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of
mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have
chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the
Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most
fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the
unlikely and the inaccessible…
Day
2: At sea
During
your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on
board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in
shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be
tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without
a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or
shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet
the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the
open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to
admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to
observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort,
rest and entertainment.
Day
3: New Island
This
island with its distinctive jagged relief is located on the western
edge of the Falkland Islands and is home to a tiny village of two
families. Step onto the golden sand of its flower-lined beaches, beside
which an old stone house still stands, and you'll feel like you've
entered a natural paradise. A narrow pathway weaves around typical
Falkland moorlands. Follow it and in under 20 minutes you'll find
yourself at the heart of a colony of southern rockhopper penguins,
black-browed albatross and imperial shags. It's the perfect opportunity
to watch the albatross swoop down from the cliffs and skim the waves
that crash against the rocks on the exposed side of the island.
Grave
Cove
Make
your way through the turbulent Woolly Gut strait and emerge in the
stillness of Grave Cove. Located in the northern edge of the Falkland
Islands, this bay owes its name to the vestiges of whalers’
graves that overlook the beach. As you step off the boat and onto the
white-sand beach, you might find yourself escorted by a few hospitable
Commerson's dolphins, elegantly adorned in black and white. A
stroll along the grassy dunes will lead you to a vast plain of lush
green grass, tended by a few sheep. On the other side of the island
you'll find one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies in the area.
With some luck, you'll also glimpse a sea lion scouring the waves for
his next meal.
Day
4: At sea
Day
6: South Georgia
Aboard
your ship, discover South Georgia, a region formed by an underwater
mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula.
All the wildlife of the Far South can be found there: king and Gentoo
penguins, elephant seals, fur seals… You might get the
chance to discover the majestic glaciers of Gold Harbour and the vast
plains of Fortuna Bay. If you are fortunate enough to land at Salisbury
Plain, you can expect a wonderful spectacle: more than 300,000 king
penguins, which you will recognise by the bright orange mark on their
head and neck, have taken up residence there.
Day
9: At sea
Day
10: Antarctic Peninsula
Succumb
to the magic of a place unlike any other. To this day, the mythical
Antarctic Peninsula still holds real fascination and promises its
visitors unforgettable moments. Throughout your adventure in this icy
realm, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in
subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife.
Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels are at home here, as
are elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales, and orcas.
Depending on which sites you will be lucky enough to visit, you may get
the chance to observe them and share with them the beauty of these
extreme parts.
Each
day, based on ice conditions, the Captain and the Expedition Leader
will suggest Zodiac® outings or landings to discover the
infinite riches of the Antarctic Peninsula. Glaciers, ice
floe, tabletop icebergs, mountain peaks that plunge straight into the
sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, enchanting bays, and vestiges
of the whaling industry: these are the faces of the Antarctic that will
likely reveal themselves to you, in a hushed and surreal atmosphere.
You will sail in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache
and Sir Ernest Shackleton, great Antarctic explorers who, from the 19th
century, set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands.
Day
13: Crossing the Antarctic Circle
Weather
permitting, we'll cross the mythic line of the Antarctic Polar Circle,
located along 66°33’ south of the Equator. This
iconic area demarcates the point from which it is possible to view the
midnight sun during the December solstice. Within this circle, the sun
remains above the horizon for 24 consecutive hours at least once a
year. Crossing this line, an experience known to few people, is sure to
be an unforgettable highlight of your cruise through the polar regions.
Day
14: At sea
Day
15: Crossing the Drake Passage
If
there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists,
researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake
Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties
winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the
shortest route to Antarctica. Seasoned navigators will tell you that
you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic
convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet
warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbours a very diverse
marine fauna. Don't forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of
elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the
wind around your ship.
Day
17: Ushuaia
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Gratuities
are included
- Free
Expedition Jacket to Keep and boots are available for rent
- Bottled
Water, Bar Drinks, Beer, House Wines and Soft Drinks are included with
lunch and dinner
- Complimentary
onboard WiFi (beginning in 2019)
- Complimentary
Traveler's Valet laundry servicce (beginning in 2019)