TRIPS

Glaciers of Patagonia

$ 5,550.00

Antarctica Peninsula cruise offers you a myriad of ways to explore and enjoy the Antarctic Region. This expedition allows you to hike, snowshoe, kayak and even camp out under the Southern Polar skies.

Description

Antarctic Peninsula aboard Plancius

Day 1: Punta Arenas
Check in at 1385 O’Higgins Street (Arturo Prat Port) in Punta Arenas between 13:00 and 17:00 (1-5 PM) on the day of your cruise departure. Board the M/V Stella Australis (6 PM). After a welcoming cocktail reception hosted by the captain and his crew, the ship departs for one of the remotest corners of planet Earth. During the night we cross the Strait of Magellan and enter the labyrinth of channels that define the southern extreme of Patagonian. The twinkling lights of Punta Arenas gradually fade into the distance as we enter the Whiteside Canal between Darwin Island and Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.

Day 2: Ainsworth Bay – Tuckers Islets

By dawn the ship is sailing up Admiralty Sound (Seno Almirantazgo), a spectacular offshoot of the Strait of Magellan that stretches nearly halfway across Tierra del Fuego. The snowcapped peaks of Karukinka Natural Park stretch along the north side of the sound, while the south shore is defined by the deep fjords and broad bays of Alberto de Agostini National Park. We go ashore at Ainsworth Bay, which harbors copious bird life and a colony of southern elephant seals which can sometimes be spotted from the Zodiacs. Two guided excursions are available: one is along the edge of a stream, peat bog and beaver habitat to a waterfall-and-moss-covered rock face tucked deep inside a pristine sub-polar forest; the other is a more strenuous hike along the crest of a glacial moraine. Both afford views of Marinelli Glacier and the Darwin Mountains.

Leaving Ainsworth Bay behind, we sail west along the sound to the Tucker Islets. After lunch, we board the Zodiacs again for a close-up view of the Magellan penguins that inhabit the tiny islands. More than 4,000 penguins use Tucker as a place to nest, give birth and nurture their chicks. Many other bird species also frequent the area including king cormorants, oystercatchers, Chilean skuas, kelp geese, dolphin gulls, eagles and even the occasional Andean condor. In September and April — when the penguins live elsewhere — this excursion is replaced by a short walk to a glacier at nearby stunning Brookes Bay.

Day 3: Pia Glacier – Glacier Alley
Overnight we sail around the western end of Tierra del Fuego via the very narrow Gabrial Channel, Magdalena Channel and Cockburn Channel. After rounding the remote Brecknock Peninsula, Stella Australis tacks eastward and enters the Beagle Channel again. By morning we are entering Pia Fjord and boarding the Zodiacs for a shore excursion to Pia Glacier. After disembarking we take a short hike to gain a panoramic view of the spectacular glacier, which extends from the mountaintops down to the sea or a longer much more difficult walk up a lateral moraine of the old Pia Glacier.
No one knows for certain how the hulking mass of snow and ice got its feminine moniker, but one theory says it was named for Princess Maria Pia of Savoy (1847-1911), daughter of the Italian king.

Back onboard the ship, we continue east along the Beagle Channel through an area called Glacier Alley. Living up to its name, the passage features a number of impressive tidewater glaciers flowing down from the Darwin Mountains and Darwin Ice Sheet on the north shore. Most of them named after European countries — Holland, Italy, Germany, Spain and France.

Day 4: Wulaia Bay – Cape Horn
During the early morning we navigate the narrow Murray Channel between Navarino and Hoste islands and drop anchor at historic Wulaia Bay, one of the few places in the archipelago where the human history is just as compelling as the natural environment. Originally the site of one of the region’s largest Yámana aboriginal settlements, the bay was described by Charles Darwin and sketched by Captain FitzRoy in the 1830s during their voyages on the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for its mesmerizing beauty and dramatic geography. After a visit to the Australis-sponsored museum in the old radio station — which is especially strong on the Yámana people and European missionaries in the area — passengers have a choice of three hikes (of increasing degrees of difficulty) that ascend the heavily wooden mountain behind the bay. On all of these you will be strolling through an enchanted Magellan forest of lengas, coigües, canelos, ferns, and other endemic fauna to reach a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the bay. Before leaving Wulaia Bay, drop something into the wooden mail barrel inside the museum – letters or postcards meant to be hand delivered by future travelers – an ancient mariner tradition revived by Australis.In the afternoon we cruise across Nassau Bay into the remote archipelago that includes Cape Horn National Park. Weather and sea conditions permitting, we shall go ashore on the windswept island that harbors legendary Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos). Discovered in 1616 by a Dutch maritime expedition — and named after the town of Hoorn in West Friesland — Cape Horn is a sheer 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory overlooking the turbulent waters of the Drake Passage. For many years it was the only navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic, and was often referred to as the “End of the Earth.” The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2005. The Chilean navy maintains a permanent lighthouse on the island, staffed by a lightkeeper and his family, as well as the tiny Stella Maris Chapel and modern Cape Horn Monument.

Day 5: Ushuaia
The following morning we sail into Argentine waters and dock in Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city.

Arrival at 08:30 a.m. and 9:30 am according to date of departure.

NOTE: The excursions described in the itineraries can normally be carried out. Notwithstanding the above, Transportes Marítimos Terra Australis S.A., Transportes Marítimos Via Australis S.A., and Transportes Marítimos Geo Australis S.A reserve the right to reschedule, shorten, or alter all or part of the itineraries and/or excursions without prior notice, in order to safeguard the wellbeing and safety of passengers, preserve the environment, or due to any extraordinary circumstances, acts of God or force majeure. For the same reasons, the hours of departure or arrival of the vessels may be subject to change. There is no guarantee of wildlife sighting because the precise location of these animals cannot be confirmed.

Departure Dates

Pre Season Cruise:
NOV 08 – NOV 18, 2016

On Season Cruise:
2016: NOV 18 – NOV 29, 2016 | DEC 17 – DEC 28, 2016 | DEC 28, 16 – JAN 08, 2017
2017: JAN 08 – JAN 18, 2017 | FEB 05 – FEB 15, 2017 | MAR 06 – MAR 17, 2017 | DEC 18 – DEC 29, 2017
2018: DEC 29, 2017 – JAN 09, 2018 | JAN 09 – JAN 19, 2018 | FEB 07 – FEB 17, 2018 | MAR 08 – MAR 19, 2018

Post Season Cruise:
MAR 17 – MAR 26, 2017 | MAR 19 – MAR 28, 2018



Pre Season
$6480
Cruise only per person

  • Quadruple Porthole: $6480
  • Triple Porthole: $7290
  • Twin Porthole: $7875
  • Twin Window: $8370
  • Twin Deluxe: $8865
  • Superior: $9675

On Season
$7950
Cruise only per person

  • Quadruple Porthole: $7950
  • Triple Porthole: $8950
  • Twin Porthole: $9650
  • Twin Window: $10250
  • Twin Deluxe: $10850
  • Superior: $11850

Post Season
$5550
Cruise only per person

  • Quadruple Porthole: $5550
  • Triple Porthole: $6150
  • Twin Porthole: $7050
  • Twin Window: $7450
  • Twin Deluxe: $7850
  • Superior: $8600

CHILDREN:
Upon request (some voyages may be excluded), children under 16 with parents may receive 40 % discount in Superior, Triple (sharing with 2 parents / adults) and Quadruple Cabins (sharing with 3 parents / adults).

SINGLE TRAVELLER:
Single travellers can choose between “single occupancy” at a supplement of 1,7 x the Twin or Superior cabin rate , or “sharing basis” in Twin, Triple or Quadruple category at no additional cost.

Additional information

OVERVIEW

The Antarctic Peninsula Plancius cruise offers you a myriad of ways to explore and enjoy the Antarctic Region. This expedition allows you to hike, snowshoe, kayak, go mountaineering, and even camp out under the Southern Polar skies.

DEPARTURE

As indicated

SHIP & CABIN

M/V PLANCIUS
M/v “Plancius” was built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy and was named “Hr. Ms. Tydeman”. The ship sailed for the Dutch Navy until June 2004 and was eventually purchased by Oceanwide Expeditions. The vessel was completely rebuilt as a 116-passenger vessel in 2009 and complies with the latest SOLAS-regulations (Safety Of Life At Sea). M/v “Plancius” is classed by Lloyd’s Register and flies the Dutch flag.
Perfect for any expedition
M/v “Plancius” accommodates 116 passengers in 53 passenger cabins with private toilet and shower in 4 quadruple porthole cabins, 2 triple porthole cabins, 9 twin porthole cabins, 26 twin cabins with window and 2 twin deluxe cabins, all (ca. 12,5 square meters) and 10 twin superior cabins (ca. 21 square meters). All cabins offer lower berths (one queen-size bed in the superior cabins and two single beds in the twin cabins), except for the 4 quadruple cabins (for 4 persons in 2x upper and lower beds), and 2 triple cabins (1 bunk bed plus 1 lower bed).

INCLUSIONS

– 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 on Plancius and Ortelius, and snowshoes on Plancius.
– Luggage transfer from pick-up point to the vessel on the day of embarkation, in Ushuaia.
– Pre-scheduled group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly after disembarkation).
– Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
– All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
– Comprehensive pre-departure material.

EXCLUSIONS

International Airfare/train ticket, Call 1-888-887-1688 to get a quote from your home city
Any airfare whether on scheduled or charter flights; pre- and post-land arrangements; transfers to the vessel in Ushuaia and Ascension and from the vessel in Ascension and Praia; 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; and the customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).

QUESTIONS

Should you have any further questions, please call 1888-887-1688 for assistance or chat online with us.

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