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Trip Details

Epic Antarctica via the Phantom Coast and the Ross Sea - Ross Ice Shelf, Amundsen Sea, Macquarie Island
32 Days   |   Departures: 12/3/10   |   From $24,990

Locations:  Antarctic Peninsula | South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands | South Shetland Islands | Falkland Islands

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Trip Highlights: Ross Ice Shelf, The Phantom Coast and Amundsen Sea, Macquarie Islands. Last chance for this trip before Khlebnikov retires!

Rates: $24,990 - $41,990
Triple from $24,990, Twins from: $33,790
Above rates are per person.

Single Rate: 1.7 times the regular double occupancy rate, Standard Twin Cabins

Ship  - Kapitan Khlebnikov - Icebreaker
Passengers: 108

Summary

During this 32-day voyage you will discover the very remote Phantom Coast. For two centuries, the ice-locked coastline defied the efforts of explorers to chart it. Exploring the Phantom Coast is still a challenge for all but the toughest vessels. Your ship, a polar-class icebreaker, combines power and technology with creature comforts. Originally designed for the rigors of northern Siberia, Kapitan Khlebnikov is one of a few vessels of its kind in the world.

Special Guest: Doug Allan, Emmy-winning Wildlife Cinematographer

Since the Kapitan Khlebnikov will be under contract with the Russian government as of March 2012, this, sadly, will be her last run of this itinerary.

Itinerary

Day 1: Santiago, Chile
When you arrive in Santiago, Chile to spend the night, expect to meet others, like yourself, who have dreamed of sailing on the only polar-class icebreaker fitted for expedition travel in Antarctica.

Day 2: Stanley, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
After a group flight from Santiago, you will be welcomed aboard the icebreaker at anchor in the harbor of the capital of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Stanley.

Days 3-4: At Sea
Seabirds accompany the ship across the Southern Ocean to the first landfall in Antarctica. Your Expedition Team will deliver presentations about the birds, and marine mammals that you will encounter during the voyage. Reminiscing will begin, as those who have returned for one last voyage will tell stories about their previous adventures aboard Kapitan Khlebnikov.

Days 5-8: South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula
You aim to visit penguin rookeries and to cruise among ice floes where seals lounge in the Antarctic summer sun. Pushing southward, you cross the Antarctic Circle, to enter a world of continuous daylight. You’ll explore bays ringed by glaciers, where penguins and seals co-exist in relative harmony. From Marguerite Bay, you’ll enter the Bellingshausen Sea.

Days 9-15: The Phantom Coast and Amundsen Sea
As you follow the Phantom Coast, you expect to visit Peter I Island. In 2006, your historian noted that only 800 people in all human history have been known to visit the island. Look forward to several adventurous days of breaking through the Amundsen Sea pack ice. Your leaders will deploy the helicopters so you can witness the power of the icebreaker from the air.

Days 16-24: The Ross Sea
Be on the alert for Emperor Penguins. The water around the Ross Ice Shelf is known to be the habitat of the largest species of penguins. Ross Island is home to the U.S. research base McMurdo Station and to Scott Base, New Zealand’s research station. Nearby is Robert Falcon Scott’s Discovery Hut (1901–04). Our planned visit is carefully controlled to ensure that the impact of your exploration is negligible.

At Cape Royds and Cape Evans, you’ll visit two huts associated with the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. You’ll tour the huts after an onboard presentation by your historian.

Days 25-27: At Sea
How will you know when Kapitan Khlebnikov leaves Antarctica behind? When the vessel crosses the Antarctic Convergence, the biological boundary that separates Antarctic waters from the warmer waters of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The zone, which you will encounter during these two days at sea, is about 32 to 48 km (20 to 30 miles) wide, and lies somewhere between 48° and 61°S.

Days 28-29: Macquarie Islands
Heading north, you pause to visit Macquarie Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Four species of penguin breed there. Macquarie is the only place on Earth where the white-chinned Royal Penguin is found. The number of visitors is highly restricted to this nature reserve to protect the wildlife. To protect the island permission to visit is not always granted.

Days 30-31: At Sea
The Captains’ Farewell Dinner will be especially poignant, for you will be bidding the icebreaker farewell also.

Day 32: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Upon disembarking in Hobart, Australia, you will transfer the group by motor coach from the dock to the airport.

Notes:

Read this itinerary as a guide only; the exact route and program varies according to ice and weather conditions - and the wildlife you encounter. Flexibility is the key to the success of this expedition.

Emergency Evacuation Insurance
Emergency evacuation coverage to a maximum benefit per paying passenger of $100,000 is included in the cost of this expedition. Included coverage is applicable only to travel between the first and last day of the expedition purchased. Additional days of travel prior to the expedition and/or after the expedition are not covered by the included emergency evacuation insurance. We strongly advise all passengers to purchase medical, cancellation and baggage insurance, and additional emergency evacuation coverage.

Included:
One night pre-expedition hotel accommodation with breakfast, as indicated in the itinerary. (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 transfers from the hotel to the ship at the embarkation port, and from the ship to the local airport on disembarkation; Shipboard accommodation 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; Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities; All Zodiac transfers and cruising per the daily program; Formal and informal presentations by our 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; an expedition parka – yours to keep; Coffee, tea, cocoa 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 Insurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of $100,000 per person.

Not Included:
Any airfare (the charter flight from Santiago to Stanley must be purchased in conjunction with the expedition, $690 per person); Passport and visa expenses; Government arrival and departure taxes; Any meals ashore with the exception of breakfast at the host hotel before embarkation; Baggage, cancellation and medical travel insurance; Excess baggage charges; Laundry, bar, beverage and other personal charges; Telecommunications charges; The customary gratuity at the end of the voyage for Hospitality Team members, ship’s crew and Expedition Team members; Based on weather and other operational considerations, helicopters may be available for private charter flights. When available, the cost of private charter flights will be at the hourly rate announced on board.