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Trip Details

Icebergs & Emperors - Commonwealth Bay & Beyond
Ice-Breaker, Mawson’s hut, East Antarctic coast, French base Dumont d’Urville, Ninnis & Mertz Glaciers, Oates Land Coast, and Macquarie Island
27 Days   |   Departures: 12/11/09  |   From $12, 290

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

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2009/10 Itinerary

Antarctic Peninsula, Falklands, South Georgia cruises

Antarctica Cruise - The Peninsula
From $3,890
 Antarctica Cruise
Possibly the best overall trip, kayaking and scuba Diving option
 Falklands, South Georgia, & Antarctic Peninsula
Most popular trip including South Georgia at the best time of year
South Georgia and the Falkland Islands
25 days - National Geographic Partnership
Antarctic Peninsula
climbing, kayaking
Antarctica Cruise
Comfortable expedition ship at half capacity
Emperor Penguin Safari, ice-breaker trip to the Weddell Sea
Antarctica Cruise - The Peninsula
Active Adventure - kayaking and climbing
Antarctic Circle
optional scuba Diving option
Antarctic Circle
Kayaking, Camping

Antarctic Peninsula
ice-breaker

Cruises in Eastern Antarctica - Ross Sea Region

Historic Huts & Antarctic Heroes
Ross Ice Shelf, McMurdo Sound
Epic Antarctica via the Phantom Coast and the Ross Sea
31 days, icebreaker
Icebergs & Emperors
Mawson’s hut, East Antarctic coast
Whale watching cruises
Galapagos cruises

Recommended Books

Antarctica (Country Guide)
Lonely Planet travel guide Antarctica
USA
Buy from Amazon USA | UK Buy from Amazon UK

Antarctica Cruising Guide
Antarctica Cruising Guide
USA Buy from Amazon USA | UK Buy from Amazon UK

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, Alfred Lansing

Antarctic Oasis: Under the Spell of South Georgia, Pauline Carr and Tim Carr

The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica, Sara Wheeler

The Crystal Desert, David Campbell

 

Testimonials  |   Ship types

Trip Highlights: A great combination of adventure, history and wildlife in one of the most remote and pristine regions on Earth. Fantastic birding and helicopter tours.

Rates: $12,290 - $23,490
Triple: $13,490, Twins from: $16,390
Rates are per person.
Single Rates: 1.7 times the twin share price

2009 rates subject to change in the event of significant fuel increases

Ship - marine Svetaeva - Icebreaker
Passengers: 102

Introduction

The concentration of Polar History in the Ross Sea and Commonwealth Bay region of Antarctica is without equal. This expedition aims to visit Sir Douglas Mawson’s historic hut, renowned as the ‘Home of the Blizzard’. Passengers will also explore further west along the East Antarctic coast and beyond the French scientific base, Dumont d’Urville. Other highlights planned include: Ninnis & Mertz Glaciers, Oates Land Coast, and Macquarie Island. This is not a conventional cruise. Please note that you will face challenges similar to those faced by early Antarctic explorers, and your itinerary will vary depending on the conditions you encounter and the opportunities that arise.

Itinerary

Day 1: Embark in Hobart
Today you will board Marina Svetaeva in Hobart, Tasmania. Aurora staff and Russian crew welcome you onboard, before we set off down D’Entrecasteaux Channel and turn south along Tasmania’s east coast. Being at sea means different things to different people. Some face going to sea with trepidation, but by the time your journey ends you’ll find you’ve developed a special relationship with this wide and bountiful ocean.

Days 2-3: At Sea
As you make your way towards Macquarie Island, soaring albatross and shearwaters will follow the ship as you navigate southern ocean swells. Informative talks enhance your understanding of the wildlife, oceanography, geology and history of the mighty Southern Ocean and the great white continent. You also learn about safety procedures for Zodiacs and environmental guidelines for your activities ashore.

Days 4-5: Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island is the peak of a submerged mountain range, 850 miles south of Hobart. Now a World Heritage Area, it was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1933 and is home to some three million royal penguins, hundreds of thousands of inquisitive king penguins, and nesting albatross. On the beach you may encounter elephant seals and frisky fur seals peeking through strands of bull kelp. This is truly a unique place, a jewel in the Southern Ocean, mysterious and lonely. You may visit Sandy Bay, cruise along the shore of Lusitania Bay and land at the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service base.

Douglas Mawson set up his communication base here in December 1911, and the island is now the year round home to approximately 20 Australian Antarctic Division and Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife personnel.

Days 6-9: At Sea
Your busy lecture program will continue and days at sea are also time for reflection, reading or pursuing creative activities. You’ll also show informative and historical videos, as indicated by the daily program – the newsletter informing everyone of the proposed "plan of the day". While you have darkness at night you will ask the crew to watch for the Aurora Australis, that incredible display of undulating curtains of light.

Between Macquarie Island and the Antarctic continent you’ll cross the Antarctic convergence and then the Antarctic Circle (at latitude 66°32' S). Each day will be a little colder and light a little longer as you approach the continent. No one will forget the sight of their first iceberg.

Days 10-12: South Magnetic Pole and Commonwealth Bay, George V Coast
One of Australia’s most famous explorers, Sir Douglas Mawson, dubbed Commonwealth Bay "the Home of the Blizzard." You may land at Cape Denison to visit the hut built for his 1911-14 expedition. Hope for calm conditions, as high winds here can thwart attempts to land.

With luck you may see Wilson's storm petrels, Weddell seals, Adélie penguins and perhaps some skuas.

Since Mawson’s day, the South Magnetic Pole has migrated off the land and is now located out to sea. Ice and weather permitting, your Captain will attempt to manoeuvre your ship into position over the South Magnetic pole.

Day 13: Dumont d’Urville
Overnight you wind your way through iceberg-adorned seas towards Petrel Island, home of the French research station Dumont D’Urville, and the nesting ground of snow and Wilson’s storm petrels. You may visit the station, walk the island shores and take Zodiacs or helicopters to admire the ice-front of the Astrolabe Glacier.

The research station was named after the French explorer Dumont D’Urville, who proclaimed the territory for France in January 1840. He also named the Adélie penguin after his wife. This is the predominant penguin species along these coasts, and insists on nesting among the station buildings.

There’s a chance you can post letters from the French post office, but who knows when those back home will receive their mail.

Days 14-15: East Antarctic Coastline
You follow the route taken by Captain John King Davis in 1912 as he pushed Aurora through pack ice to find a place for Mawson’s Western Party to winter. Like Davis, ice and weather will dictate your path, but you hope to get close to the Dibble Iceberg Tongue, and push along the Wilkes and Sabrina Coasts as far west as time allows, watching for emperor penguins along the way.

Day 16: Port Martin
Heading east again, you may stop at this rocky toehold on the Antarctic Plateau, usually out of reach of the renowned katabatic winds of Commonwealth Bay. Here you may visit the French Base abandoned after a fire in the 1950s, and now home to a lively Adélie penguin colony. What a Christmas treat!

Day 17: Mertz Glacier
Leaving Port Martin, sail past Commonwealth Bay again. If you were unsuccessful with your first attempt to land at Mawson’s Hut, this will be another opportunity. You then pass the awesome ice tongue of Mertz Glacier, which floats many, many miles out to sea before disgorging its quota of icebergs into the Southern Ocean. This natural barrier attracts wildlife including the larger whale species. Should the opportunity arise, you could take a closer look at its crevassed ice cliffs from the Zodiacs.

Days 18-20: Oates Land Coast
Your leaders have long dreamt of threading through the maze of icebergs formed by the Mertz Glacier to reach open water along the Oates Land Coast. With the helicopters they hope to chart a route to explore as much as possible of this seldom-visited coast.

There is no way to know how far the ice edge will stretch out from the coast of the polar plateau. You will experience the delight and comfort of being in a strong steel ship rather than being on a wooden square-rigged sailing vessel! The ice edge is a marvelous place, where nutrients rise to the surface and many different species of whales, seals, and penguins can be seen.

You’ll then reverse your course, swinging north to avoid dense pack ice, and relax on board and recap your experiences thus far as you enjoy your final views of life along the ice edge.

Days 21-23: Southern Ocean
As you head north you welcome time at sea to assimilate the rich experiences of the past few weeks. Lectures and seminars will help consolidate what you’ve seen and felt.

Day 24: Auckland Islands / NZ Sub Antarctics
The Auckland Islands are a small archipelago made up of one large and five smaller volcanic islands. You may land for a leg stretch or take a Zodiac cruise to view breeding grounds of both shy and wandering albatross. The vegetation is varied and interesting with several endemic plants. And, about 52 species of birds breed on the Auckland Islands. More than half the species are seabirds, and there are three species of penguins including the rare Yellow-eyed penguin.

A year after Captain Bristow discovered the Auckland Islands in 1806, 14 men were put ashore there and gathered 11,000 sealskins. This was just the beginning, and many thousands were slaughtered. It has taken 150 years for the seal population to recover. Thankfully, these islands are now a flora and fauna reserve.

Days 25-26: At Sea
This morning you may continue your explorations of the New Zealand Sub Antarctic islands. You then start the journey home across the Southern Ocean towards Australia.

Day 27: Hobart
You dock at Hobart in the early morning. Disembark and farewell new friends, or join them to explore this lovely, historic seaport.


Included:
Accommodation and all meals on board Marina; All sightseeing, shore excursions, Zodiac rides, helicopter flights and other surface transportation as required for the cruise itinerary; All port landing service charges imposed by local administrations and government authorities; Lectures, slide / film shows and video programs on board; Service of the vessel's expedition staff; Basic attention and treatment by the ship's medical staff; Padded expedition jacket.

Not Included:
Fuel surcharge ($1,040 per person for 12/12/2008, subject to change); Air or land transportation to or from the ship, including any departure taxes, noise levies, or other associated taxes or charges; Excess baggage on any flights; Vaccination costs / passport / visa fees (if required); Items of personal nature, laundry, bar charges, wine, phone calls, cable / telex / fax charges, etc; Tips to ship’s crew; Any travel insurance or insurance of a personal nature; Any hotels, meals, transfers or other services prior to embarkation or after embarkation of the vessel; Any medication or treatments by the ship's medical staff other than basic day to day necessities.
 

Antarctica Ross Sea Region Cruises - (not an exhaustive list)

Trip Departure Dates Visiting Ship / Pax Options* Prices** Days Departure port
Historic Huts & Antarctic Heroes - Ross Sea Exploration 1/7/10, 2/2/10 Auckland Islands, Macquarie and Campbell Islands, Explore the Ross Sea, Historic Huts, Ross Ice Shelf, McMurdo base. Expedition Ship

100 - Marina Svetaeva

Helicopter Sightseeing Flights $12,290 - $23,490 26 Port of Bluff / Invercargill, New Zealand - disembark Hobart Tasmania
Epic Antarctica via the Phantom Coast and the Ross Sea 12/04/09 Ross Ice Shelf, McMurdo Station, Campbell and Enderby Islands; very rare icebreaker voyage Icebreaker

108 - Kapitan Khlebnikov

Helicopter Sightseeing Flights $22,490 - $37,590 31 Stanley, Falkland Islands - disembark Lyttelton, New Zealand
Antarctica and the Ross Sea Region

1/8/10, 2/6/10

Macquarie Island and Campbell Island, Ross Ice Shelf and Cape Adare, Emperor Penguins, Shackleton and Scott's Hut.

Research Vessel

48 - Spirit of Enderby

  $11,881 - $21,415 30 Port of Bluff / Invercargill, New Zealand - disembark same
Icebergs & Emperors - Commonwealth Bay & Beyond 12/11/09 Mawson’s hut, East Antarctic coast, French base Dumont d’Urville, Ninnis & Mertz Glaciers, Oates Land Coast, and Macquarie Island Icebreaker

100 - Marina Svetaeva

Helicopter Sightseeing Flights $12,290 - $23,490 27 Hobart Tasmania - disembark same

Antarctic Peninsula Region Cruises - (not an exhaustive list)

Trip

Departure Dates

Highlights

Ship / Pax

Options* Prices** Days Departure port
Classic Antarctica 12/10/09, 1/6/10, 1/15/10, 2/11/10 South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Lemaire Channel, Paradise Bay, Port Lockroy Expedition Ship

Orlova - 110

  $3,890 - $10,490 11 Ushuaia, Argentina
Antarctica Cruise - Explorer - Possibly the best overall expedition cruise to Antarctica 11/4/09, 12/16/09, 12/27/09, 1/7/10, 1/18/10, 1/29/10 South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Lemaire Channel, Paradise Bay, Port Lockroy Expedition Ship

National Geographic Explorer - 110

Kayaking
Scuba
$10,760 - $19,870 15 Fly from Miami to Santiago - Chile, embark in Ushuaia, Argentina
Antarctica Cruise The Peninsula (Adventure Options)
 
11/21/09, 12/19/09, 1/11/10, 2/18/10, 2/28/10 South Shetlands, Antarctic Peninsula, Penguin Rookeries, Lemaire Channel, Spectacular Glaciers Research Vessel

Shokalskiy - 48

Kayaking, Camping $5,390 - $11,990 12 Ushuaia, Argentina
Antarctic Peninsula - one of the most active programmes 12/07/09 South Shetland Islands, Abundant Wildlife, Lemaire Channel Research Vessel

Polar Pioneer - 56

Climbing
Kayaking
$6,090 - $10,390 12 Ushuaia, Argentina
Antarctica Cruise - The Peninsula 12/9/2009 Antarctica Cruise - The Peninsula - South Shetland Islands, Lemaire Channel, Paradise Bay, Port Lockroy Icebreaker

Polar Star -  - 98

  $5,830 - $10,915 11 Ushuaia, Argentina
Antarctica Cruise - The Peninsula (Active Adventure)

 

11/11/09, 12/27/09, 1/19/10 South Shetlands, Antarctic Peninsula, Penguin Rookeries, Lemaire Channel Research Vessel

Akademik Ioffe and Akademik Sergey Vavilov - 110

Kayaking,
Camping
$4,990 - $11,690 12 Ushuaia, Argentina
Trip

Departure Dates

Visiting

Ship / Pax

Options* Prices** Days Departure port
Antarctica, Crossing The Circle 1/9/10, 2/9/10 Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Island, set foot on Antarctica South of the Antarctic Circle Expedition Ship

Ocean Nova - 68

Kayaking, Camping $9,190 - $18,290 15 Ushuaia, Argentina
Antarctica - Cruise - The Peninsula
Comfortable expedition ship

 
12/7/09, 1/18/10 South Shetland, Paradise Bay, Lemaire Channel Luxury Expedition Ship

Minerva - 199

  $7,595 - $21,595 14 Buenos Aires / Ushuaia, Argentina
Antarctica Cruise - The Peninsula 11/29/09, 12/10/09, 1/7/10, 1/18/10, 1/29/10, 2/9/10 Antarctic Peninsula, Penguin Rookeries, Lemaire Channel Luxury Expedition Ship

Prince Albert II - 132

  $9,145 - $32,745 12 Buenos Aires / Ushuaia, Argentina
Antarctic Peninsula and Across the Circle 2/5/10, 2/16/10 Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, Crystal Sound, Antarctic Circle Research Vessel

Polar Pioneer - 56

Scuba $6,090 - $10,390 12 Ushuaia, Argentina
Antarctica Cruise - Emperor Penguin Snow Hill Island Safari 10/10/09, 10/22/09, 11/3/09 Weddell Sea - Ice-Breaker / Helicopter trip Emperor Penguin Rookery, Gentoo and Adelie penguins, set foot on continental Antarctica Icebreaker

Kapitan Khlebnikov - 108

Helicopter Sightseeing Flights $13,890 - $22,690 14 Ushuaia, Argentina

Cruises Visiting South Georgia

Trip

Departure Dates

Visiting

Ship / Pax

Options* Prices** Days Departure port
Antarctica, Falklands, & South Georgia - Most popular trip including South Georgia at the best time of year 12/19/09, 1/24/10 Falkland Islands,  South Georgia, Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, wildlife viewing, visits to scientific bases Expedition Ship

Orlova - 110

  $9,990 - $20,890 20 Ushuaia, Argentina
South Georgia & the Falklands 11/15/09, 2/9/10

 

Vast Colonies of King Penguins, Breathtaking Scenery, Historic sites - kayaking option, resident photographer Expedition Ship

National Geographic Endeavour - 110

 

Kayaking option, Resident photographer

 

$18,450 - $34,270

 

25 Santiago Chile / Ushuaia, Argentina

 

South Georgia & Antarctica: In the Footsteps of Shackleton 11/21/09 Antarctic Peninsula, Vast Colonies of King Penguins with chicks, Breathtaking Scenery, Sir Ernest Shackleton Historical Sites Luxury Expedition Ship

Clelia II -  - 100

  $15,595 - $25,995 22 Ushuaia, Argentina
Notes
*
options may be at additional cost and are usually booked when the cruise is booked - it may be too late once the cruise has started.
** prices are based per person, the lowest price is usually for triple occupancy and the highest for double occupancy in the best available suite.

Feeling overwhelmed? contact our travel partners who will help you find the best cruise for your requirements.

 

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