Antarctica Cruises & Tours

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Extend your Antarctica travel a few more days with an Antarctic extension. Antarctica Hospitality
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Research Ship Akademik Ioffe Akademik Shokalskiy Aleksey Maryshev Grigoriy Mikheev Polar Pioneer Professor Molchanov Professor Multanovskiy Akademik Sergey Vavilov MV Ushuaia Peregrine Mariner/ Akademik Ioffe Peregrine Voyager / Akademik Sergey Vavilov Ice Breaker Ship Kapitan Khlebnikov Expedition Cruise Ship Polar Star Antarctic Dream Clipper Adventurer - QU MV Orlova National Geographic Endeavour Ocean Nova Andrea Marina Svetaeva MV Plancius One Ocean Navigator / Plancius Luxury Expedition Ship Corinthian II Orion Minerva National Geographic Explorer Clelia II

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Ship: MV Ushuaia

Itinerary: Classic Antarctica

click to enlarge
  Antarctic watersPhoto by: Claudio Suter

 cabins & deck plans  |  additional itineraries  |  cancellation policy

Day 1 :	Depart from Ushuaia
Days 2-3 :	Crossing the Drake Passage
Days 4-8 :	Exploring the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula
Days 9-10 :	Crossing the Drake Passage
Day 11 :	Arrival at Ushuaia
	Click for full itinerary

Days	Dates	Deck + Cabin Type
		Cat C	Cat B	Cat A	Superior	Suite
11	Nov 28, 2008 Dec 8, 2008 Mar 8, 2009 Mar 18, 2009	$3,990	$5,130	$6,410	$6,780	$7,130
11	Dec 18, 2008 Jan 7, 2009 Jan 17, 2009 Feb 6, 2009 Feb 26, 2009	$4,980	$6,130	$7,700	$8,130	$8,550
11	Dec 10, 2009 Mar 10, 2010 Mar 20, 2010	$4,790	$6,160	$7,690	$8,140	$8,560
11	Dec 20, 2009 Dec 30, 2009 Jan 9, 2010 Jan 19, 2010 Jan 29, 2010 Feb 8, 2010 Feb 18, 2010 Feb 28, 2010	$5,980	$7,360	$9,240	$9,760	$10,260
Destinations : Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, South Shetland Islands Activities : Nature Viewing, Photography, Whale Watching

Day 1 : Depart from Ushuaia

Embark the ‘Ushuaia’ in the afternoon and meet your expedition and lecture staff. After you have settled into your cabins we sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.

Days 2-3 : Crossing the Drake Passage

Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Frances Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region. The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds. As we sail across the passage, our lecturers will be out with you on deck to help in the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in our wake. The Ushuaia’s open bridge policy allows you to join our officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures will be offered as well.

The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of twenty islands and islets first sighted in February 1819 by Capt. William Smith of the brig Williams. With favorable conditions in the Drake Passage our lecturers and naturalists will accompany you ashore as you experience your first encounter with the penguins and seals on Day 3.

Days 4-8 : Exploring the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula

The South Shetland Islands are a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries, beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals make every day spent in this amazing island group unforgettable. Sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island and the chance to swim in the hot springs of Pendulum Cove is truly amazing. King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, features colonies of nesting Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels and is home to scientific bases of many different countries. Macaroni, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins as well as elephant seals await you at Livingston Island.

The Antarctic Peninsula’s remarkable history will provide you with a type of excitement often only associated with the early explorers. You will have plenty of time to explore its amazing scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways, and an incredible wide variety of wildlife. Apart from penguins and seabirds you are very likely to see Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as Minke, killer (orca) and humpback whales at close range.

We hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways (depending on the ice conditions): the Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel, and the Lemaire Channel, the latter are narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers. We plan to make at least two landings per day. Possible landing sites may include:
Paradise Bay is perhaps the most aptly named place in the world and we attempt a landing on the continent proper. After negotiating the iceberg-strewn waters of the Antarctic Sound, we hope to visit the bustling Adélie Penguin (over 100,000 pairs breed here) and Blue-eyed Cormorant colonies on Paulet Island. The Nordenskjöld expedition built a stone survival hut here in 1903. Today its ruins have been taken over by nesting penguins.

Further exploration may take you to Melchior Island, Cuverville Island, Portal Point, Neko Harbour, Pléneau Island and if ice conditions permit, to Petermann Island for a visit to the southernmost colony of Gentoo Penguins.

Days 9-10 : Crossing the Drake Passage

We leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Join our lecturers and naturalists on deck as we search for seabirds and whales and enjoy some final lectures. Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.

Day 11 : Arrival at Ushuaia

We arrive at Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark the ‘Ushuaia’ after breakfast.

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- A fuel surcharge of $300 per person applies to the NOV 28, DEC 08, DEC 18, 2008, departures, and a surcharge of $375 per person applies to JAN 7, JAN 17, FEB 6 and FEB 26, 2009 departures. With regards to our March voyages, we will advise the amount of the fuel surcharge depending on the price of fuel approximately 3 months prior to the voyage.

- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double occupancy. Request the Twin Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
-Twin cabins (except suites) are available for single occupancy at 1.5 times the share rate. Suites may be reserved at 2 times the share rate. A third berth (sofa bed) in a few suites maybe occupied at 50% of the published twin share rate.

Prices are based on a 3% cash discount.

Ship Description: MV Ushuaia

click to enlarge
  Zodiac ExcursionPhoto by: M. Meyer

The "Ushuaia" is a steel hulled, ice-strengthened vessel built originally for oceanographic research. She was recently converted to passenger voyages. Navigation and communication equipment has been newly upgraded and cabins were refurbished to provide comfortable accommodations for Antarctic passengers.

Cat C 509-512, 514-517. 8 inside cabins on the lower deck (D) with semi-private facilities (2 cabins share one bathroom, each has sink) and bunk beds. Each cabin is equipped with washbasin.	Cat B 407-414, 416, 418, 420, 422. 12 twin outside cabins with portholes on the main deck (E). Semi-private facilities, two berths (upper/lower). Each cabin is equipped with washbasin.
Cat A 208, 210, 212-215. 6 twin outside cabins on the upper deck (G) with portholes. Private facilities and two berths (upper/lower).	Superior 205, 211, 301-308. 10 superior twin outside cabins with windows (205 & 211 have portholes) on the upper deck (G). Private facilities and two lower berths.
Suite Five outside cabins with windows (207 has portholes). Private facilities, separate bedroom and sitting area, TV/VCR/DVD, fridge. 201 & 203 have two lower beds; 202 has a double bed and a sofa bed. 204 & 207 have two lower beds and a sofa bed

Antarctica Articles & Information :
Antarctica Wildlife | Antarctica History and Present | Antarctica Weather | South Shetland Islands | South Georgia Islands | Falkland Islands | Antarctic vs. Arctic Pole Comparison | Sailing Antarctica in a World-Class Racing Yacht | Antarctica Travel: The Long and Short of It | Antarctic Peninsula | Jonathan's Adventures to Antarctica on the Professor Molchanov | Antarctica's Changing Ice Shelf | Falkland Islands: A Legacy of Disputes | The Falklands War | Current Politics | Cruising Falklands Geography | Wildlife in the Falklands | Introducing the Falkland Islands | Falkland Islands Environment | Weather in the Islands | British Influenced Culture of the Falklands | Cuisine in the Falklands