HIGHLIGHTS
- Passing
the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural
boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer
sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic
upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life
changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses,
black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape
pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue
petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.
- Visit
Danco Island – Activities here may focus on the gentoo
penguins nesting on the island, in addition to the Weddell and
crabeater seals that can be found nearby.
- Visit
Neko Harbour – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and
endless wind-carved snow, Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a
Zodiac cruise and landing that afford the closest views of the
surrounding alpine peaks.
- Visit
Paradise Bay – You may be able to take a Zodiac cruise in
these sprawling, ice-flecked waters, where there’s a good
chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales.
- Visit
Pléneau & Petermann Islands – If the ice
allows it, you could sail through the Lemaire Channel in search of
Adélie penguins and blue-eyed shags. There is also a
possibility you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales here,
as well as leopard seals.
- Visit
Port Lockroy – After sailing through the Neumayer Channel,
you may get a chance to visit the former British research station
– now a museum and post office – of Port Lockroy on
Goudier Island. You may also be able to partake in activities around
Jougla Point, meeting gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | Quadruple Porthole | Triple Porthole | Twin Porthole | Twin Window | Twin Deluxe | Superior | Junior Suite | Grand Suite |
|---|
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | (Starting from)
Quadruple Porthole | (Mid-range)
Twin Deluxe | (High-end)
Grand Suite |
|---|
ITINERARY
Day
1: End of the World, Start of a Journey
Your
voyage begins where the world drops off: Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to
be the southernmost city on the planet, located on the far southern tip
of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small
resort town on Tierra del Fuego – nicknamed “The
End of the World” – and sail the scenic,
mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the rest of the evening.
Day
2 – 3: Path of the Polar Explorers
Over
the next two days on the Drake Passage, you catch a taste of life from
the perspective of the polar explorers who first braved these regions:
cool salt breezes, rolling waves, maybe even a fin whale blasting up a
column of sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence
– Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when
north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas
– you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only
does the marine life change, the avian life changes too: A variety of
albatrosses and petrels show up, along with Cape pigeons and southern
fulmars. Then, near the South Shetlands Islands, the first icebergs
flash into sight.
Day
4 – 7: Enter the Antarctic
Gray
stone peaks sketched with snow, towers of broken blue-white ice, and
dramatically different wildlife below and above. You first pass the
snow-capped Melchior Islands and Schollaert Channel, sailing between
Brabant and Anvers Islands.
Possible
sites you may visit include:
Wilhelmina Bay
– A likely spot to see feeding humpback whales. If conditions
allow, you may even embark on a Zodiac cruise to the ghostly wreck of
the Guvernøren, a whaling vessel that caught fire here in
1915.
Cuverville Island
– Stabbing up between Rongé Island and the
Antarctic Peninsula, Cuverville houses a colony of several thousand
gentoo penguins as well as pairs of breeding brown skuas.
Danco Island
– Activities here may focus on the gentoo penguins nesting on
the island, in addition to the Weddell and crabeater seals that may be
found nearby.
Neko Harbour
– An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless
wind-carved snow, Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise
and landing that afford the closest views of the surrounding alpine
peaks.
Paradise Bay
– You may be able to take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling,
ice-flecked waters, where you have a good chance of seeing humpback and
minke whales. You have the chance to land on the Continent here too.
Booth, Pléneau
& Petermann Islands – You may sail
through the Lemaire Channel in search of Adélie penguins and
blue-eyed shags. There’s also a good chance you’ll
encounter leopard seals as well as humpback, minke, and fin whales
here. You may also visit Booth Island’s Port Charcot.
Melchior Islands
– A beautiful landscape rich with icebergs. Leopard seals,
crabeater seals, and whales are found here.
You
depart at noon, depending on conditions on the Drake Passage.
Day
8 – 9: Familiar Seas, Familiar Friends
While
crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of
seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more
familiar to you now, and you to them.
Day
10: New Friends, New Destinations
New
passengers join you in Ushuaia before you push back through the Beagle
Channel.
Day
11 – 13: Path of the Polar Explorers
En-route
to South Georgia. After passing the Antarctic Convergence –
Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold
waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in
the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life
change, the avian life changes too: A variety of albatrosses and
petrels show up, along with Cape pigeons and southern fulmars.
Day
14 – 16: South Georgia sights
Our
aim today is to visit some of the world’s top king penguin
rookeries. This time of year you have a good chance of seeing these
animals nesting on eggs, with their chicks nearby. The rookeries are
sometimes overflowing, with penguins traveling to and from the beach.
Possible
visits in this region include:
Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay,
Gold Harbour – Here you can see not only the
massive king penguin colony, but also elephant seals and limitless fur
seal pups playing in the surf.
Prion Island
– This is a great location to watch for wandering albatrosses.
Grytviken
– We also have the opportunity to check out this abandoned
whaling station, where king penguins walk the streets and elephant
seals lie around like they own the place – because they
basically do! You might also see the South Georgia Museum as well as
Shackleton’s grave here.
Cooper Bay
– This is a fine place for a Zodiac cruise, and this bay also
houses a rookery of macaroni penguins. King penguins, pintails, and
giant petrels may also appear here.
Moltke Harbour
– Located in Royal Bay, this scenic spot gives you the chance
to see the huge king penguin colony that lives here. This bay was also
the site of the astronomical station where a German expedition using
the vessel SMS Moltke observed the Venus transit in 1882.
Day
17 – 20: Once More to the Sea
A
pleasant tailwind often accompanies the vessel through the westerlies,
and on both sides of the Antarctic Convergence, you might see large
numbers of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds. If the conditions are
right, you can also observe the stars changing position as we travel
north.
Day
21: The quest continues at the great Gough Island
Today
we plan to approach Gough Island for a Zodiac cruise in Quest Bay, if
the weather permits. Here you might see northern rockhopper penguins
and sub-Antarctic fur seals. In previous years, it has been possible
for us to circumnavigate most of Gough Island’s 33-mile
circumference, taking in this area’s splendid scenery and
abundant wildlife.
Day
22 – 25: Tristan da Cunha and all the pretty birds
The
remote islands of Tristan da Cunha are famed for their plentiful bird
populations, which include rockhopper penguins, several species of
albatross, petrels, skuas, terns, and many others. Our goal during this
stage of our voyage is to visit the small settlement on the west side
of the main island, but we might also land at Seal Bay on the south
side of Tristan da Cunha or at Sandy Point on the east side.
In
these stunning locations, you could encounter such exotic wildlife as
yellow-nosed albatrosses and sub-Antarctic fur seals, all while
exploring a rarely visited spot. We also intend to land at Nightingale
Island and Inaccessible Island, both of which offer great views of
beautiful seabirds ranging from yellow-nosed albatrosses to brown
noddies.
Two
days are reserved at Tristan da Cunha in case of bad weather, but
please remember that nature determines our itineraries here: Since
beginning the Atlantic Odyssey cruise in 1998, adverse weather led to
the cancellation of 35% of Tristan da Cunha landings. If we have to
divert for safety reasons, we will find good alternatives.
Day
26 – 29: Subtropical seas and seabirds
Seabirds
and dolphins often follow our vessel in this area, where you may also
be able to see how the constellations are changing again. As we sail,
the northern constellations start to appear while the Magellanic Clouds
sink low to the horizon.
Day
30 – 32: Highlights of Saint Helena
After
we land at Jamestown on Saint Helena Island, you will have the
opportunity to enjoy the area’s local culture, pleasant
climate, and endemic bird life. You can pay a visit to Longwood House,
where Napoleon died in exile; walk the 699-step Jacob’s
Ladder, if you’re feeling ambitious; or snorkel the shallows
offshore, seeing multitudes of tropical and subtropical fish. We also
plan to visit the location where English astronomer Edmond Halley
observed the southern sky, describing nearly 400 stars and their
constellations during the 17th century.
Please
note: You have the option to disembark and fly home from Jamestown, if
flights are available. In the evening, we will depart for Ascension
Island and Praia, Cape Verde, where you can also disembark. Make sure
to book voyage JNS35-23 if you want to fly out from Praia.
Our
astronomical program: -
During
the voyage described above, we will travel in both the Southern and
Northern Hemispheres, assembling on the aft deck to observe how stars
and constellations change as we travel north. Southern constellations
like the Southern Cross, with its so-called “jewel
box” of stars, will be visible if the weather permits. We
might also see the large globular cluster, Omega Centauri, as well as
the Magellanic Clouds, which are “satellite clouds”
of our own galaxy, first reported by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan in 1521.
On
the South Georgia leg of our voyage, we plan to visit Moltke Harbour in
Royal Bay. On top of being the location of a great king penguin colony,
this is also the site of an astronomical station where a German
expedition using the vessel SMS Moltke observed the Venus transit in
1882. As we sail north across the Atlantic, new constellations will
appear over the northeastern horizon.
Weather
and time permitting, we also intend to climb the hill at Saint Helena
Island, where English astronomer Edmond Halley (discoverer of
Halley’s Comet) investigated the southern sky and described
nearly 400 stars in their constellations during the 17th century.
When
we cross the equator, you will notice the moon looks different in its
phases in the Southern Hemisphere as opposed to the Northern. Some of
the stars we will look for, like Epsilon Eridani, have planets around
them, which can inspire discussions about the likelihood of
extraterrestrial life.
We
will offer optional workshops in astronomical navigation with sextants
during our sea days. These fascinating workshops are limited in the
number of people who can participate, however, and reservations are
required. You can practice calculating a position at sea while also
learning about the Huygens clock, Mercator projection, and other
related topics.
In
addition, we will provide a workshop about astrophotography (also
limited, reservations required) that will focus on the photography you
can do with your own equipment. The focus on board will be the
theoretical background and image-processing techniques, since
conditions on a moving ship will most likely not allow
astrophotography. But if weather and time allow, we may practice some
photography on Saint Helena.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Voyage
aboard the indicated 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.
- Free
use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
- Luggage
transfer from pick-up point to the vessel on the day of embarkation, in
Ushuaia.
- All
miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
- Comprehensive
pre-departure material.
Excluded
from this voyage
- Any
airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights
- Pre-
and post- land arrangements.
- 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.
- The
customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other
service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Astronomy & Astrophotography workshop: Free
