South Georgia
« All Ortelius cruise options
| Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | ||||
| Quadruple Porthole | Twin Porthole | Twin Window | Superior | Suite | |
- Please note: There will be an additional fuel surcharge of US $25 per passenger per night on Antarctic voyages for the 2012-13 season.
- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double occupancy.
- Cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.7 times the double occupancy rate.
- Due to the extreme nature of itinerary destinations, travel insurance is mandatory for all cruises aboard the Ortelius - including medical, accident and repatriation/evacuation insurance.
Deposit & Payment - Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double occupancy.
- Cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.7 times the double occupancy rate.
- Due to the extreme nature of itinerary destinations, travel insurance is mandatory for all cruises aboard the Ortelius - including medical, accident and repatriation/evacuation insurance.
Day 1 Embark in Ushuaia, Argentina
In the afternoon, embark in Ushuaia, Argentina and set sail.
Days 2-5 At Sea
You will be followed by a great selection of seabirds while crossing the Southern Atlantic. Entering Antarctic waters, the temperature will drop by as much as 10 degrees C in the time span of only a few hours. Near the Convergence we will see a multitude of southern seabirds near the ship; several species of Albatrosses, Shearwaters, Petrels, Prions and Skuas.
Days 6-13 South Georgia
An exciting expedition with zodiac excursions and hiking options. Visit Pegotty Bluff, the historic camp site. It was from there on the 19th May 1916 that Shackleton, Crean and Worsley set off across the Island to Stromness in a 36 hours marathon trek. The same day stop over at Cape Rosa, where it is intended to make a landing. Shackleton’s James Caird landed at Cape Rosa after an epic 16 days voyage from Elephant Island. Truly a historic day!
The ship will be positioned around the Northwest corner of South Georgia. One of the highlights is the visit to Prion Island, where you will witness the breeding efforts of the huge Wandering Albatross and enjoy watching their displays. At Salisbury Plain, the second largest King Penguin colony in South Georgia, also see elephant seals.
In Fortuna Bay the beaches are inhabited by King Penguins and seals. You might even see reindeer! Follow the final section of Shackleton’s route to Stromness, the abandoned whaling village.
At Grytviken see an abandoned whaling village, where King Penguins now walk in the streets and seals have taken over the buildings. At Grytviken visit to the Whaling History Museum as well as to Shackleton’s grave near by.
During the next few days the expedition will explore the beaches of Ocean Harbour, Godthul, Cobblers Cover, Gold Harbour, Drygalski Fjord, Larsen Harbour, Cooper Bay, St. Andrews Bay,Possession Bay, Right Whale Bay and Elsehul. The sites visited give a good opportunity to see a wide spectrum of landscapes and wildlife, like King and Macaroni Penguins, Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses, Fur Seals, Elephant Seals and the introduced reindeer.
Drygalski Fjord is a great scenic place for zodiac cruising. There will be opportunities for walkers in the group to hike at Godthul and Gold Harbour hikes will be guided and vary in length with approx. 2 – 4 hours, 5 – 10 km. All hiking excursions are subject to weather and landing site availability.
Unique to the 2012 departure is an expedition for real explorers! Apply now to become a member of the expedition team to traverse the island of South Georgia on a self supplied ski trek hauling pulkas (sledges) with personal and shared equipment (food, stoves, fuel) across mountainous terrain from the South to North coast. The skiers will cover a total distance of 40 – 50 km retracing sections of the historic Shackleton route from 1916. The expedition will be guided by leading polar explorer, expedition leader, author and speaker Børge Ousland, who initiated expeditions to both the South and North Poles and solo crossings of both the Antarctic and the Arctic from coasts to coasts.
Days 14-17 At Sea
The ship is followed by several species of albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters and diving petrels. At sea, on your way to Uruguay exit the Antarctic Convergence.
Day 18 Montevideo, Uruguay
This morning arrive in Montevideo, Uruguay and disembark for your continued journey home.
Itinerary Notes
Fares include:• Voyage aboard the designated 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.
• All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
• Comprehensive pre-departure material.
Not included:
Any airfare whether on scheduled or charter flights; pre- and post land arrangements; transfers to the vessel; 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; and the customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).
Please note: It is agreed that if world fuel prices will reach or exceed US Dollar $90 per Barrel Brent 90 days prior to departure the Ortelius reserves the right to levy a fuel surcharge of US $25 per passenger per night.
Deposit & Payment
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, and Discover. Alternatively, you can send a check to our Missoula, Montana, office or register online at: https://www.adventure-life.com/forms/fourways.php
Final payment is due 70 days prior to departure.
Final payment by transfer, check or Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Amex. Credit Card payments subject to variable credit card fee.
Booking last minute? No problem! Please contact one of our trip planners, and we can get you on your way if booking less than 70 days prior to departure.
Click here to see a copy of our Terms and Conditions.
Cancellation Policy
| Days Prior to departure | Fee |
|---|---|
| 90 days or more | 25% deposit |
| 89-60 days | 55% trip cost |
| 59-0 days | 100% trip cost |
Ortelius
- Ship Highlights
- Passengers : 106
The ice-strengthened vessel “Ortelius” is an excellent vessel for Polar expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica, providing us with possibilities to adventure remote locations such as the Ross Sea and Franz Josef Land.
“Ortelius” was built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989, was named “Marina Svetaeva”, and served as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. The vessel is re-flagged and renamed “Ortelius”. As Plancius, Ortelius was a Dutch / Flemish cartographer. Abraham Ortelius (1527 – 1598) published the first modern world atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum or Theatre of the World in 1570. At that time, the atlas was the most expensive book ever printed.
The vessel has the highest ice-class notation (UL1 equivalent to 1A) and is therefore very suitable to navigate in solid one-year sea ice and loose multi-year pack ice. “Ortelius” is a great expedition vessel for 100 passengers with lots of open-deck spaces and a very large bridge which is accessible to the passengers. The vessel is manned by 34 highly experienced Russian nautical crew, 15 international catering staff, including stewardesses, 6 expedition staff (1 expedition leader and 5 guides/lecturers) and 1 doctor.
”Ortelius” offers a comfortable hotel standard, with two restaurants, a bar/lecture room and a sauna. Voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 100 on the “Ortelius”, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities.
The vessel offers basic but comfortable cabins and public spaces. The cabin lay-out is as follows: 5 quadruple cabins with bunk beds and private facilities (these can also be used as triple or twin cabins); 23 twin cabins with portholes, private toilet and shower and 2 single lower berths; 10 twin cabins with windows, private toilet and shower and 2 single lower berths; 6 superior cabins with double beds, private toilet and shower and a separate day room, and 1 suite with a double bed, private toilet and shower and a separate day room. All cabins are spacious outside cabins with a minimum of two portholes or windows per cabin.
| Cabins | |
|---|---|
 | Quadruple Porthole 5 quadruple cabins with bunk beds and private facilities (these can also be used as triple or twin cabins). Spacious outside cabins with a minimum of two portholes or windows per cabin |
| Twin Porthole 23 twin cabins with portholes, private toilet and shower and 2 single lower berths. Spacious outside cabins with a minimum of two portholes or windows per cabin. | |
| Twin Window 10 twin cabins with windows, private toilet and shower and 2 single lower berths. Spacious outside cabins with a minimum of two portholes or windows per cabin | |
 | Superior 6 superior cabins with double beds, private toilet and shower and a separate day room. Spacious outside cabins with a minimum of two portholes or windows per cabin |
| Suite 1 suite with a double bed, private toilet and shower and a separate day room. Spacious outside cabins with a minimum of two portholes or windows per cabin. | |
