iExplore Antarctica: Crossing the Circle(Trip #65554)

Tour Overview

Welcome to Antarctica! This extended active adventure pushes south along the Peninsula. It’s goal- to cross the Antarctic Circle. You participate in regular zodiac landings, specialist presentations and optional activities- camping and kayaking.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Ushuaia, Argentina
Today when you arrive at Ushuaia International Airport, collect your luggage and grab a taxi to the hotel for check-in.

There is an unexpected charm to Ushuaia, your gateway to Antarctica. The streets are as steep as any in Pittsburgh. The backdrop of snow-capped mountains rivals Vancouver. The numerous restaurants serve a delicious range of international foods.

Arrive as early as possible to explore the city at the end of the world. Then settle into your comfortable hotel room for the night.

A night at the hotel is included in your tour cost, so your room is ready should your flight to Ushuaia not arrive until midnight- just one of the details that sets us apart.
Overnight in Ushuaia

Day 2: Embarkation Day:
Luggage should be clearly tagged with cabin tags as provided in your final documents and ready to be picked up by the hotel porters by 10:00 AM.

The morning is at your leisure in Ushuaia and the surrounding wilderness areas.

A fascinating region, Tierra del Fuego ranges from barren, desolate landscape raked clean by high winds to pine and beech forests, beautiful blue lakes and snowcapped mountain peaks (and good trout fishing as well). The area, shared by Argentina and Chile, is actually on an island at the southern tip of South America.

Time permitting, you may wish to take ferry ride to Isla de los Lobos, Isla de Pajaros, Martello Island, or Bridges Island. Take along warm clothing any time of year.

Prior to arrival at the vessel, please be sure to have readily available, your passport Argentinean
immigration form and your air tickets - these will be collected by one of cruise staff members
upon embarkation. Our local agent, will provide a non-exclusive transfer to your cruise vessel at 3: 30PM boarding.

Anticipation is high when you board the bus for the transfer to the pier. Will you be the first to spot the members of the Expedition Team waiting to direct you to your cabin?

Once you are satisfied your luggage has arrived safely, explore the ship. The observation deck affords fine views of the deckhands releasing the lines, and the panorama of Ushuaia Harbor.

After the essentials- lifeboat drill, the Welcome Briefing, and your first dinner aboard- return to the deck. Take note of the low, subtle rumble of the engines under your feet. Listen for the sound of water breaking against the hull. As the ship steams down the Beagle Channel, the cares of the world slip into the background. The rhythm of life at sea has begun.
Breakfast, Dinner
Akademik Sergey Vavilov or Ocean Nova or Akademik Shokalskiy or Akademik Ioffe

Days 3 & 4: The Drake Passage
Crossing the notorious Drake Passage is as much a part of the Antarctic experience as penguins and krill. With the right weather conditions your passage will be relatively easy, but pack your seasick medication just in case the Drake lives up to its reputation.

After breakfast, the education program begins. The range of the subject is diverse, but all are chosen to prepare you for the landings and Zodiac cruises in the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Unlike cruise voyages where the schedule of onboard activities is replicated exactly on each sailing, every Antarctic Adventure expedition is unique. The Expedition Team changes the content of the content of the education program and the presentation schedule to take advantage of the personnel aboard, their background, interest and style. This keeps the presenters fresh and their presentations dynamic.

You can spend part of the day on deck watching the petrels and albatrosses that accompany the ship, gliding for miles, never appearing to move a muscle. Carry your camera and binoculars with you. The naturalist will be on deck from time to time to assist you with the identification of the marvelous creatures.

One of the briefings will cover the Antarctic Conservation Guidelines. As a member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), actively supporting the organizations efforts to mitigate the impact of tourism in Antarctica, you can help achieve that goal by adhering to the IAATO conservation guidelines that cover everything: boot washing, number of visitors on shore, and human behavior around wildlife.

The choice of activities in the evenings aboard the ship is varied. Over a drink in the bar, get to know your fellow adventurers, who come from all over the world- Europe, Australasia, South America, North America and Africa. Watch a movie in the presentation room, or borrow a book about Antarctica from the library and curl up in your cabin with the sound of waves lapping the hull drifting through the window.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Akademik Sergey Vavilov or Ocean Nova or Akademik Shokalskiy or Akademik Ioffe

Days 5 to 12: South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic Circle
The first activities in the Peninsula region are often in the South Shetland Islands, as they are the closest islands to the Antarctic continent where you sail from Ushuaia. Activities, which are announced in advance of the daily program delivered, are scheduled at any time of day. The Expedition Team takes advantage of the long hours of daylight that occur so near to the Antarctic Circle. One possibility is cruising in Zodiacs along a volcanic ash beach in the shelter of the flooded calderas of Deception Island.

The first activities in the Peninsula region are often in the South Shetland Islands, as they are the closest islands to the Antarctic continent where you sail from Ushuaia. Activities, which are announced in advance of the daily program delivered, are scheduled at any time of day. The Expedition Team takes advantage of the long hours of daylight that occur so near to the Antarctic Circle. One possibility is cruising in Zodiacs along a volcanic ash beach in the shelter of the flooded calderas of Deception Island.

Adelie, Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins breed on the islands of the South Shetlands. Elephant seals are known to haul out near the rookeries. Leopard seals patrol the waters edge. Skuas, predators that dive from the sky, squawk and fly about. The breeding season is short in Antarctica, so activity is continual. The type of activity changes as the seasons move from austral spring to summer to fall.

Kayakers wet their hulls in sheltered bays. Campers sleep ashore in tents designed for polar exploration.

Early in the season, the penguins will be building nests and courting. Observe the rituals, which to your eyes may appear comical, but is to the penguins serious business. When the chicks hatch, the parents invest considerable energy feeding them, waddling or toboggan to the sea, where they feel on krill. They return to the rookery, often climbing steep inclines to regurgitate their dinner into the mouth of the demanding chick. So frequent is this activity that the birds create highways. By the way, penguins have the right of way in Antarctica.

In late summer, the chicks fledge, and the adults molt. During the molt, the energy they expend is internal, because the birds live off the blubber they have accumulated. They would die if they returned to the sea before the new feathers grow in.

Establishing a research station in Antarctica is an important step on the road to becoming a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty. The original signatories have been conducting research for decades at their bases on the continent and in the South Shetland Islands. We try to include a visit to a research station on this expedition. Please note that permission is granted locally and that many elements can influence it and how a visit takes place.

As you sail past the strait that separates the South Shetland Islands from the Antarctic Peninsula, spend some time on deck, watching for icebergs. They are classified according to their shape. There are secluded bays in the Peninsula known as iceberg graveyards, where small icebergs run aground. When the conditions are right, we lower the Zodiacs and cruise at a proscribed distance around them- an unforgettable sight!

Life clings to the edges in the Antarctic Peninsula. Rare, rocky shorelines are jealously guarded by its denizens, as habitable real estate is rare. Mountains rise steeply from the sea. Their summits glisten when the sun strikes them. Fog could descend, obscuring their height. In a sheltered bay, drifting in a Zodiac, its engine turned off momentarily, you experience a silence so complete that you may hear the beating of your own heart! If a seal or whale pops out of the water to gaze over the pontoon at you, your heart quickens.

Antarctica is surprisingly colorful. The evening sky can stain snow rose or orange. The rich greens of moss vibrate beside the rusty red of lichens growing on rocks. Icebergs range from turquoise through azure to violet in different light. The seawater can appear inky one moment

and clear as glass another. Carry a camera. The opportunities for photography are extraordinary.

As you explore Antarctica, the Expedition Team holds recaps of what is experienced during landings. These recaps provide opportunities to relive the adventures; share your experiences and ask a question of the Expedition Team. Traveling with a small number of like-minded travelers in a ship for an extended period of time is a recipe for friendships that last a lifetime. Each new adventure shared builds upon the last. Every moment of laughter or awe becomes a memory you cherish. The expedition experience can only be truly understood by participating.

The goal of this expedition is to cross the Antarctic Circle into that part of Antarctica where daylight is eternal for a few months each year. To achieve this, the Expedition Leader will adjust the itinerary in response to local conditions.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Akademik Sergey Vavilov or Ocean Nova or Akademik Shokalskiy or Akademik Ioffe

Days 13 to 15: The Drake Passage- Ushuaia, Argentina
Continuing recap sessions provide opportunities to discuss how you, a newly minted Polar Ambassador, can help to preserve Antarctica for future generations.

When packing day arrives, a briefing is held, final remarks are made and instructions for disembarking are delivered.

Ushuaia, Argentina. A small vessel comes alongside and a local pilot boards the ship to help navigate the last stretch of water en route to Ushuaia. We suggest that you watch if the weather is fine. You’ll enjoy the soft light of an austral summer day.

After breakfast aboard the ship, you are transferred by bus to the airport.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Akademik Sergey Vavilov or Ocean Nova or Akademik Shokalskiy or Akademik Ioffe

Important Reminder: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy- and excitement of expedition travel. There are no guarantees that we can achieve everythng we set out to accomplish. A measure of flexibility is something all of us must bring to a voyage.

Departure Dates

Aboard the Akademik Sergey Vavilov
January 21 to February 4, 2011
February 13 to 27, 2011

February 26 to March 12, 2011

Aboard the Ocean Nova
January 9 to 23, 2010
February 9 to 23, 2010
January 8 to 22, 2011
February 8 to 22, 2011

Aboard the Akademik Ioffe
January 26 to February 9, 2011

Prices

2009-2011 Pricing

Aboard the Akademik Sergey Vavilov:
January 21 and February 13, 2011 departures:
$8,490 per person, Triple Shared Facilities
$10,190 per person, Twin Shared Facilities
$10,790 per person, Twin Semi-Private Facilities
$12,190 per person, Twin Private Facilities
$12,890 per person, Superior
$13,790 per person, Suite
$14,990 per person, Cook Suite

February 26 to March 12, 2011 departure:
$6,490 per person, Triple Shared Facilities
$7,790 per person, Twin Shared Facilities
$8,190 per person, Twin Semi-Private Facilities
$9,490 per person, Twin Private Facilities
$10,190 per person, Superior
$10,790 per person, Suite
$11,690 per person, Cook Suite

Aboard the Ocean Nova:
$9,190 per person, Triple
$12,990 per person, Twin
$18,290 Dedicated Single

Aboard the Akademik Ioffe:
$8,490 per person, Triple Shared Facilities
$10,190 per person, Twin Shared Facilities
$10,790 per person, Twin Semi-Private Facilities
$12,190 per person, Twin Private Facilities
$12,890 per person, Superior
$13,790 per person, Suite
$14,990 per person, Cook Suite

Inclusions:
· One-night pre- expedition hotel accommodations, including breakfast. (The number of guests per room is the same as cabin occupancy on the ship. Due to limited availability, travelers who reserve a suite on board are accommodated in standard rooms at the hotel.)
· Group transfer from the hotel to the ship on embarkation day.
· Group transfer from the ship to the airport on disembarkation day.
· Shipboard accommodations with daily housekeeping.
· All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on board throughout your voyage. (Please inform us of any dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare kosher meals.
· All shore landings per the daily program.
· All Zodiac transfers and cruising per the daily program.
· Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities.
· Formal and informal presentations by the Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled.
· Photographic album on DVD, documenting the voyage.
· A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for shore landings.
· A Quark Expeditions parka- yours to keep.
· Coffee, tea, cocoa and water available around the clock.
· Hair dryer and bathrobe in every cabin.
· Comprehensive pre-departure materials including a map and an informative Antarctic reader.
· All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
· All luggage handling aboard ship.
· Emergency evacuation assurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of $100,000 per person.

Exclusions:
· Airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights
· Arrival taxi transfers or optional excursions in Ushuaia
· Passport and visa expenses
· Government arrival and departure taxes
· Meals ashore; supplement for single hotel accommodations
· Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended)
· Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar and beverage charges and telecommunication charges
· Customary gratuity at the end of the voyage for those who have served you aboard (guidelines will be provided)

Special Cancellation Policy:
All requests for cancellations must be received in writing. Cancellations received up to 180 days prior to departure are refunded less an administrative fee of $750 per person. If cancellation is received between 179 and 90 days prior to deposit, the deposit is forfeited. Please note that for cancellations received within 89 days prior to departure, all deposits and tariffs are forfeited. If cancellation occurs within the 89-day period and full payment has not been received, the full penalty will still apply and unpaid monies are due immediately. Prices quoted are based on group participation and no refunds will be made for any part of the program in which you choose not to participate, including any helicopter flying time (if applicable and which, at the discretion of the Captain and Expedition leader, may or may not be utilized.)

It is understood that refunds cannot be made to passengers who do not complete the tour for any reason whatsoever.

Options & Upgrades

Adventure options are available on selected departures. Space is limited, please book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Kayaking, Camping

What is it like to camp in the Antarctic?

Past campers tell us that they spent most of the night outside their tents absorbing the silence. They reluctantly communicated in whispers, as they found speaking intrusive. During the few hours of darkness that fall they are tempted to reach overhead, because the stars seem near enough to touch. Campers from the Northern Hemisphere find the constellations unfamiliar, adding to the other-worldliness of the experience. All participants report that camping deepens their understanding of Antarctica in countless ways.

What is it like to kayak in the polar regions?

There is a lot to do within the first few moments of entering a kayak. Once you are settled and have a feel for the paddle in your hands, you will turn your attention to the surroundings. That is the moment, so our kayakers tell us, when you will truly understand that the experience of of paddling in Antarctica is like no other. Crystal clear water supports the hull. Elemental sounds of water lapping and the drip of resting paddles are a counterpoint to the cry of penguins and the cracking of ancient ice. Dwarfed by the immensity of the landscape, for a short while you drift in awe.

Trip Information

If I book this expedition, what additional major expenses will I incur?

Transportation to and from the embarkation point is not included in the cost of the expedition.

Wearing the right clothes is essential. Mean coastal temperatures are seldom far below freezing. However sunny conditions may swiftly shift to storms with very cold winds and snow flurries. A complimentary parka is provided and we loan you a pair of boots for the duration of the expedition. Once you have booked, we will provide you with a complete list of what to pack.

Of course gratuities are always at your discretion, but we recommend $10-15 per person day if you were pleased with the service level on board. This will be anonymously collected at the end of the voyage and distributed amongst staff and crew. You can make this payment in cash or charge to your shipboard account.

What is the average age and nationalities of travelers on this expedition?

Adventure Ship travelers range in age from 20 to 80 - with the majority between 35 and 55. Most members of Adventure Ship expeditions are active, independent-minded travelers from around the world.

Must I understand English to participate?

Our voyages appeal to an international audience. About 40% of the travelers who join our voyages come from countries where English is not the first language. English is the language used for all documents, communications, shipboard announcements and education program presentations. While most of our travelers have a working knowledge of English, their level of proficiency with the language varies greatly. If you have questions on how your knowledge of English may impact your experience, please contact our office and one of our Adventure Consultants will be happy to discuss this with you.

Do I have to be fit to join one of these expeditions?

Adventure Ship expeditions are for active travelers. Travelers must be able to make their way down a steep, narrow gangway, on the side of the ship to the Zodiac for shore landings. You should be able to walk steadily about the ship, keeping one hand free for the railing, and be able to negotiate through a heavy steel sea door. This expedition is not appropriate for people with restricted mobility as none of our ships offer handicap facilities. Shore landings usually offer a choice of a shorter hike and longer hikes. Of course, if you wish to remain back at the landing site with some of the staff, you are welcome!

May my children accompany me on the expedition?

On this expedition we welcome children that are at least 12 years of age. All children must be accompanied by at least one adult willing to supervise them at all times. Note that the shipboard education programs are designed for adults.

How long will it be light during my trip?

The time of year you travel to Antarctica will determine the amount of daylight. October, November are typically the months where the night falls around 9 or 10pm with sunrise in the early morning. This is the beginning of the Summer Season. Peak daylight is Mid December through early February with nearly 24 hours of sunlight, depending on how far south your voyage travels.

What about seasickness?

In general, the roughest seas encountered are during the open ocean crossings to and from Ushuaia through the Drake Passage; it takes roughly 2 and one half days to get to/from the peninsula and 2 days to/from the Falkland Islands. Everyone reacts differently to the seas, so our Medical Director suggests you consult your physician for a recommendation for your specific circumstances.

Do your ships have stabilizers?

Yes, all our ships have stabilizers.

What is the food like on your ships?

Our passengers rave about the food and the food service offered on our ships. We have standardized our Catering operations on all our ships, so regardless of which ship you travel on, you will receive the same variety of food and excellent service. We offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, and can accommodate most dietary requests and restrictions provided you notify us at time of booking. Afternoon tea with desserts is served each afternoon, and coffee/tea/water service is available in the lounge areas around the clock.