Starting the voyage
When my wife and I finally went to Antarctica in November on the Ocean Nova, a Quark ship that carried us and 62 other passengers, it was the highlight of the year, if not a ... 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 22 '13 |
$7,455 | $8,830 | $10,025 | $10,985 | $12,000 |
| Optional kayaking: $975 | |||||
-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. Stay busy with lectures and safety briefings in preparation for your first landing.
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
In the early hours of the morning hope to be among the towering corridors of icebergs in Antarctic Sound. A narrow passage, alive with penguins, guards the entrance to the Weddell Sea.
Days 5-7 Weddell Sea
Three days of exploring in the whale- and seal-rich Weddell Sea, where activities will be controlled by the movement of ice. Huge glaciers pour down between the mountains from the polar plateau, and the surface of the ocean is covered with plates of ice the size of city blocks. One aim is to visit the fossil-rich shores of Seymour Island.
Days 8-9 Antarctic Peninsula
Plan to visit the beautiful western flanks of the Antarctic Peninsula, exploring the Gerlache Strait, Neumayer Channel, and Paradise Harbour area.
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.
Day 12 Disembark in Ushuaia
Cruise up the Beagle Channel in the early morning before docking in Ushuaia. After transferring to a city hotel there is time to explore the central town area, or perhaps visit the nearby Tierra del Fuego mountains.
Itinerary Notes
Included in your cruise:- All meals on board ship.
- All shore excursions from the ship including the use of Zodiacs.
- Lectures, videos, slide and film shows and guide services.
- Medical services. There is a resident medical officer and infirmary on board.
- Port taxes and port charges imposed by government authorities.
- Pre-departure information and briefing.
Not included in your cruise:
- Air transport and airport transfers before and after the cruises.
- Visa, passport and vaccination charges and airport departure taxes.
- Hotels and meals not included in ship cruise itinerary.
- Laundry, postage, personal clothing, medical expenses, personal travel insurance, items of a personal nature such as bar charges, phone calls.
- Emergency evacuation charges.
- Customary end of voyage tips.
Deposit & Payment
Initial deposit is $1250 for Antarctica or AU$1500 for Arctic voyages, 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 | $600 per person |
| 0-90 days | 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. |
