After a restless overnight at a Seattle airport hotel, we were up at 3am to begin the hurry and wait of modern air travel.
Just a few years back, I traveled around the world for a year with one ... Full Journal »
Weddell Sea & Antarctic Peninsula
« All Polar Pioneer cruise options
| Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | ||||
| Triple Shared | Twin Shared | Twin Private | Mini Suite | Suite | |
| Feb 28 '14 |
$8,200 | $9,700 | $11,025 | $12,080 | $13,200 |
| Kayaking Option: $995 | |||||
- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double or triple occupancy. Request the Twin or Triple 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.
- Single costs are 1.7 times the twin rate
Deposit & Payment - Single costs are 1.7 times the twin rate
Day 1 Embark in Ushuaia
Board the ship Polar Pioneer in the afternoon. Set sail along the Beagle Channel then turn south towards Antarctica.
Day 2 Drake Passage
As you cross the Drake Passage, the temperature begins to fall. Your naturalist and geologists will expand your Antarctic knowledge, while safety and environmental briefings prepare you for landings. The outer decks and flying bridge provide excellent space to see and photograph wildlife.
Day 3 Enroute to South Shetland Islands
By mid-afternoon the ship should be in iceberg waters. If all goes well you may encounter your first penguin on one of the South Shetland Islands.
Day 4 Antarctic Sound
Access to the Weddell Sea is totally ice-dependent. Calved from Weddell Sea’s massive ice shelves, the giant icebergs of Antarctic Sound on the Peninsula’s northeast coast create a memorable sight. Thread your way through waters alive with penguins against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery, forged by volcanic activity.
Days 5-7 Weddell Sea
For the next three days, the whim of weather systems and shifting pack ice will dictate your schedule. You may visit the vast penguin colonies of Brown Bluff, or Paulet Island, fossil-rich Seymour Island and historic Snow Hill Island. Hike to spectacular vantage points on Beak and Devil islands. You may even reach the islands of Prince Gustav Channel. Wherever you go, wildlife, Heroic Age relics and haunting landscapes await.
Days 8-9 Antarctic Peninsula
Returning through Antarctic Sound, head for the Peninsula’s beautiful western flanks. Make full use of daylight hours and relatively ice-free waters to experience as much as possible. Wildlife stops on offshore islands, visiting historic huts and Zodiac cruising amidst bergs and whales are all possibilities.
Days 10-11 Drake Passage
Cross the Drake Passage with magnificent albatrosses in our wake. The last shipboard lectures give you time to polish your Antarctic education before making a ceremonial rounding of Cape Horn, time and weather permitting.
Day 12 Disembark in Ushuaia
A pre-dawn sail along the Beagle Channel and an early breakfast prepare you to dock in Ushuaia. There’s time for final photos and to say your farewells before disembarking.
Itinerary Notes
Please note that the itineraries are at the mercy of weather conditions and not all landings are guaranteed. Itineraries are flexible and will change voyage to voyage, allowing the best chance to make the most of surprising wildlife displays and unexpected opportunities.Cruise fare includes:
- Comprehensive pre-departure information
- All meals, snacks, tea & coffee
- All shore excursions and zodiac cruises
- Educational lectures and guiding services by polar experts
- Use of gumboots
- Daily cabin service
- Polar Pioneer travel mug
- Professionally produced voyage log
Deposit & Payment
Initial deposit is $1450, 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 100 days prior to departure.
Final payment by bank transfer, check or Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Amex. Credit Card payments subject to 3% convenience fee and maximum $15,000 charge.
Booking last minute? No problem! Please contact one of our trip planners, and we can get you on your way if booking less than 100 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 | Deposit |
| 89 days or less | 100% trip cost |
Polar Pioneer
- Ship Highlights
- Passengers : 54
Polar Pioneer was built in Finland in 1985 as an ice-strengthened research ship, and for many years she plied the treacherous waters of the USSR's northern coast. In 2000 she was refurbished in St Petersburg to provide comfortable accommodation for 54 passengers. A combined bar/lounge/library area (stocked with a good collection of polar books) was also created by simple internal restructuring - inviting surroundings for your Antarctica travel.
This class of vessel has a fine reputation for polar expedition cruising, due to its strength, maneuverability and small number of cabins. All cabins have outside portholes plus ample storage space. The Russian captain and crew are among the most experienced ice navigators in the world and their enthusiasm is legendary.
The spacious bridge is always open to us and the decks are ideal for viewing. The chefs are European, and the dining room is attended by Russian stewardesses.
Polar Pioneer is not a luxury vessel as such, but this is a most popular ship for travel to the Polar regions. The accommodation is simple yet comfortable, and the meals are wholesome and uncomplicated. A small fleet of inflatable Zodiacs with outboard motors enable us to travel from ship to shore.
| Cabins | |
|---|---|
 | Triple Shared Triple Cabins have two lower and one upper berth, a desk, a small washbasin, storage and hanging space and portholes. Showers and toilets are very close by and are shared with other Main Deck cabins. |
 | Twin Shared Twin Shared Cabins have two lower bunks, a desk, small washbasin, ample storage and hanging space and portholes. Showers and toilets are very close by and are shared with other Main Deck cabins. |
 | Twin Private Twin Private Cabins have two lower bunks, a desk, windows, and a private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. Two cabins have upper and lower bunks (cabins 402 and 403). |
 | Mini Suite Mini Suites have a separate small bedroom with double bed, a sofa bed in the main room, a desk, video player and TV, windows and a private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. |
 | Suite The Suite features a large lounge area, a separate small bedroom with double bed, a sofabed in the main room, a video player and TV, refrigerator, large forward and side facing windows, and a private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. |
