Expedition
Jan ssonius - Guests
Antarctica Special - Discovery and learning voyage
Tour the wondrous western shores of the Antarctic Peninsula

The seabirds of the South Shetlands, the ice formations of Antarctic Sound, the whale hotspots of Wilhelmina Bay - all of these experiences and more await you on this exploratory expedition cruise, which focuses not only on visiting Antarctica's most iconic locations but also its most beloved wildlife. Penguins included.


 

 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica's natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson's storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.
  • The volcanic islands of the South Shetlands are windswept and often cloaked in mist, but they do offer subtle pleasures: There's a wide variety of flora (mosses, lichens, flowering grasses) and no small amount of fauna (gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels).
  • In Deception Island, the ship plunges through Neptune's Bellows and into the flooded caldera. Here you find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, and thousands of cape petrels – along with kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns. A good hike is a possibility in this fascinating and desolate volcanic landscape.

DATES / RATES

Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
Start DateEnd DateQuadruple PortholeTriple PortholeTwin PortholeTwin WindowTwin DeluxeSuperiorJunior SuiteGrand Suite
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
Start DateEnd Date(Starting from)
Quadruple Porthole
(Mid-range)
Twin Deluxe
(High-end)
Grand Suite


ITINERARY

Day 1: End of the world, start of a journey
Your voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.

Day 2 – 3: Path of the polar explorers
Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting up sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.

Day 4: Scenes of South Shetland
The volcanic islands of the South Shetlands are windswept and often cloaked in mist, but they do offer subtle pleasures: There’s a wide variety of flora (mosses, lichens, flowering grasses) and no small amount of fauna (gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels). In Deception Island, the ship plunges through Neptune’s Bellows and into the flooded caldera. Here you find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, and thousands of cape petrels – along with kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns. A good hike is a possibility in this fascinating and desolate volcanic landscape.

As an alternative, you may be able to engage in activities near Half Moon Island. Here chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals often haul out onto the beach near Cámara Base, an Argentine scientific research station.

Day 5: Icescapes of the Antarctic Sound
Glaciers, icebergs, and pack ice extend into the horizon. On the northern side of the Antarctic Sound is Dundee Island, where you have the chance to land at Petrel Cove. The Argentinean Base Petrel is located here, and its massive airplane hangar hints at the base’s heritage: It was from this stretch of flat land that Lincoln Elsworth and Herbert Hollick-Kenyon completed the first flight across the Antarctic Continent in 1935.

Day 6: Sailing the Wright Ice Piedmont
Next you sail along the Wright Ice Piedmont at Graham Land, which was mapped based on photographs taken between 1955—57. The piedmont was named after the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, who in December 1903 were the first people to fly an airplane.

Day 7 - 8: Valdivia, Wilhelmina Bay, Brabant Island
We may land at the following spectacular sites:

Valdivia Point views: Keeping to the west coast of Graham Land, you reach Valdivia Point, named after the German ship Valdivia by Otto Nordenskjöld’s Swedish Antarctic Expedition. Further west you may also see Challenger Island and Bluff Island.

Wilhelmina Bay – A likely spot to see feeding humpback whales. If conditions allow, you may even embark on a Zodiac cruise to the ghostly wreck of the Guvernøren, a whaling vessel that caught fire here in 1915.

The bays of Brabant Island

You then continue sailing to the western side of Brabant Island, exploring Avicenna Bay, Buls Bay, and the analysis-inspiring Freud Passage.

Day 9 – 10: Further exploration
Sites you may visit during the last two days in Antarctica may include:

Danco Island – Activities here may focus on the gentoo penguins nesting on the island, in addition to the Weddell and crabeater seals that can be found nearby.

Neko Harbour – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow, Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing that afford the closest views of the surrounding alpine peaks.

Paradise Bay – You may be able to take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters, where there’s a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales.

Port Lockroy – After sailing through the Neumayer Channel, you may get a chance to visit the former British research station – now a museum and post office – of Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. You may also be able to partake in activities around Jougla Point, meeting gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags.

At the nearby sites, such as Damoy Point there may be the opportunity for snowshoeing to the old ski-way, this is also one of our favourite camping sites.

Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.

Day 11 – 12: Familiar seas, familiar friends
Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

Day 13: There and back again
Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

(Click image to view Ship details)

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary.
  • All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
  • All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
  • Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
  • Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes on Plancius, Ortelius, Hondius and Janssonius.
  • Free use snowshoes on Noorderlicht and Rembrandt van Rijn.
  • On Spitsbergen voyages: Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen.
  • On Rembrandt voyages: Transfers and baggage handling between airport and ship at Constable Pynt on the chartered group flights.
  • Luggage transfer from pick-up point to the vessel on the day of embarkation, in Ushuaia.
  • Pre-scheduled group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly after disembarkation).
  • Group transfer from the vessel in Bluff to the airport in Invercargill, on OTL26-22.
  • Group transfer from Kelvin Hotel in Invercargill to the vessel in Bluff, on OTL28-20 and on OTL27-22.
  • During voyages OTL28-20 and OTL22-20, OTL26-22 & OTL27-22: ship-to-shore helicopter transfers (with no specific amount of helicopter time guaranteed).
  • All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
  • AECO fees and governmental taxes.
  • Comprehensive pre-departure material.
NOT INCLUDED:
  • Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights; pre- and post- land arrangements.
  • Transfers to / from the vessel outside Spitsbergen.
  • Transfer supplement (T) for voyages PLA12-21, PLA13-21, OTL13-21 HDS13-21, HDS14-21, for bus shuttle between Akureyri (ship) and Radhus Reykjavikur / city hall in Vonarstraeti and v.v. (6 hours), € 100,- / $ 120,- pp one way and € 170,- / $ 200,- pp return. This must be booked in advance.
  • Transfer supplement (T) for voyages HDS13-22, HDS14-22, JNS14-22, JNS14-22, OTL13-22, OTL14-22, and PLA13-22 for bus shuttle between Akureyri (ship) and Radhus Reykjavikur / city hall in Vonarstraeti and v.v. (6 hours), € 105,- / $ 120,- pp one way and € 180,- / $ 200,- pp return. This must be booked in advance.
  • Transfers to the vessel in Ushuaia and Ascension and from the vessel in Ascension and Praia; passport and visa expenses.
  • Government arrival and departure taxes.
  • Meals ashore.
  • Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended).
  • Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges.
  • The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).

ADVENTURE OPTIONS
  • Kayaking: USD 450
  • Camping: USD 195
  • Snowshoeing: Free

 

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DISCLAIMER: Rates are per person and subject to change.