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Trip Details

Epic Antarctica via the Phantom Coast and the Ross Sea
Ice-Breaker, Ross Ice Shelf, McMurdo Station, Campbell and Enderby Islands - rarely visited regions
31 Days   |   Departures: 12/4/09  |   From $22,490

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

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Trip Highlights: Ross Ice Shelf, McMurdo Station, Campbell and Enderby Islands; very rare icebreaker voyage.

Rates: $22,490 - $37,590
Triple from: $22,490 twins from: $29,990
Above rates are per person
Single Rate: 1.7 times the regular double occupancy rate, Standard Twin Cabins
Fuel surcharge may apply

Ship  - Kapitan Khlebnikov - Icebreaker
Passengers: 108

Introduction

During this 31-day voyage you will discover the very remote Phantom Coast. This voyage is the only passenger expedition to explore the seldom-visited region in 2009-2010. 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.

Itinerary

Day 1: Santiago, Chile
Arrival in Santiago, Chile, where you spend the night at your hotel.

Day 2: Stanley, Falkland Islands
Fly to Stanley, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). In the late afternoon, board your icebreaker for the voyage to Antarctica.

Days 3: South Shetland Islands and The Antarctic Peninsula
Seabirds accompany the ship across the Drake Passage to the South Shetland Islands, your first landfall in Antarctica. Visit penguin rookeries and deploy Zodiacs to cruise through ice floes where seals lounge in the Antarctic summer sun.

Days 9-16: The Phantom Coast and Amundsen Sea
As you follow the Phantom Coast, visit Peter I Island. In 2006, the last time your guides landed here successfully, the 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 guides will deploy the helicopters so you can witness the power of the icebreaker from the air.

Days 17-21: Ross Ice Shelf, Ross Island and McMurdo Station
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). Your planned visit is carefully controlled to ensure that the impact of your exploration is negligible.

Days 22-24: Cape Royds and Cape Evans
At Cape Royds, you visit Ernest Shackleton’s Nimrod Hut (1907–09). At Cape Evans, you visit a hut associated with Shackleton and Scott. A century after its construction, the Cape Evans hut is considered one of the ten most-endangered monuments in the world. The Antarctic Heritage Trust (UK and NZ) are raising funds for its restoration. Your guides support the project through onboard charity auctions, visitor admission fees and corporate donations.

Days 25-30: Southern Ocean, Campbell and Enderby Islands
Heading north, pause to visit Campbell Island, a nature preserve where Royal Albatross nest. You’ll follow boardwalks through lush greenery to observation points, from which you can photograph wildlife. Yellow-eyed Penguins, Royal Albatross and New Zealand sea lions share Enderby Island with Red-crowned Parakeets. If the conditions are right, you’ll go ashore to explore the protected environment.

Day 31: Lyttelton, New Zealand / Disembark
Upon disembarking in Lyttelton, New Zealand, you will be transferred as a group by motor coach from the dock to the Christchurch airport.

Important Reminder: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy and excitement of expedition travel. There are no guarantees that you can achieve everything your staff and crew sets out to accomplish. A measure of flexibility is something all of you are encouraged to bring to the voyage.


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.

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.); 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 and Zodiac excursions per the daily program; Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities; Formal and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled; Photographic Album on DVD; A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for shore landings; Hair dryer in every cabin; A Quark Expeditions parka; Coffee, tea, cocoa and bottled water available around the clock; Comprehensive pre-departure materials, including a map and an informative Antarctic Reader; Group transfers from the hotel to the ship at the embarkation port, and from the ship to the local airport on disembarkation – plus all baggage handling aboard ship; All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program; Emergency Evacuation Insurance for all passengers to a maximum of $100,000 per person; All helicopter transfers and aerial sightseeing according to each day’s program.

Not Included:
Any airfare, however, for economy seats on the charter flight from Santiago to Stanley must be purchased in conjunction with the expedition ($699 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.