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Antarctica - 'Basecamp'
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Antarctica - 'Basecamp'
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Antarctica - 'Basecamp'
| Title: | Antarctica - 'Basecamp' |
| Dates: | |
| Tripcode: | PLA25-19 |
| Duration: | 11 nights |
| Ship: | m/v Plancius |
| Embarkation: | Ushuaia |
| Disembarkation: | Ushuaia |
| Language: | English speaking voyage |
| More about: |
Antarctica cruises Antarctic Peninsula cruises |
Itinerary
PLEASE NOTE: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. The on-board expedition leader will determine the final itinerary. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. Average cruising speed of m/v Plancius is 10.5 knots .
The Antarctic Peninsula Basecamp 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.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, is 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 mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.
Day 2 - 3: Path of the polar explorers
Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting up 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. 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.
Day 4 - 9: Entering Antarctica
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.
Places you might visit includes:
Neumayer Channel – The vessel may position itself here, launching its multiple basecamp activities from the protected waters around Wiencke Island. You can enjoy the splendors of this alpine environment at sea with Zodiac and kayaking trips, or if you’re in the mood for a walk, there are possible snowshoe hikes and soft-climb mountaineering options farther inland. Naturally, favorable weather conditions determine the possible activities.
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. There are great opportunities also for kayaking and camping here, and when conditions are right, you can even snowshoe around the shore.
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. There are great opportunities also for kayaking and camping here, and when conditions are right, you can even snowshoe around the shore.
Pléneau & Petermann Islands – If the ice allows it, you can sail through the Lemaire Channel in search of Adélie penguins and blue-eyed shags. There’s also a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales here, as well as leopard seals. Kayaking, glacier walks, and more ambitious mountaineering trips are the potential activities of this location.
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 have the chance to make camp here like a true polar explorer (but with a better tent), enjoying a supreme overnight Antarctic adventure.
Errera Channel – Possible sites in this area include Danco Island and Cuverville Island, but also the lesser known (though equally picturesque) Orne Island and Georges Point on Rongé Island.
On your last day of near-shore activities, you pass the Melchior Islands toward the open sea. Keep a sharp lookout for humpback whales in Dallmann Bay. You might also shoot for Half Moon Island, in the South Shetlands, with further chances for activities.
Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.
Day 10 - 11: Familiar seas, familiar friends
Your return voyage is far from lonely. 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 12: There and back again
Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.
Highlights you might experience
m/v Plancius
The ice-strengthened vessel Plancius is an ideal vessel for polar expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic. Full ship info >>
ACTIVITIES YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN
Camping
FREE
Kayaking
FREE
Mountaineering
FREE
Photo Workshop
FREE
Snowshoeing
FREE
Cabins & Prices
Quadruple Porthole
- 1 porthole
- 2 upper & lower berths
- Private shower & toilet
- Desk & chair
- Flatscreen TV
- Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
- Hair dryer
- Ample storage space
- This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin
Complete cabin
33600 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sharing berth
8400 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price
Triple Porthole
- 1 porthole
- 1 upper berth & 2 lower berths
- Private shower & toilet
- Desk & chair
- Flatscreen TV
- Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
- Hair dryer
- Ample storage space
- This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin
Complete cabin
28350 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sharing berth
9450 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price
Twin Porthole
- 1 porthole
- 2 lower berths
- Private shower & toilet
- Desk & chair
- Flatscreen TV
- Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
- Hair dryer
- Ample storage space
Complete cabin
20600 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
17510 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sharing berth
10300 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price
Twin Window
- 1 window
- 2 lower berths
- Private shower & toilet
- Desk & chair
- Flatscreen TV
- Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
- Hair dryer
- Ample storage space
Complete cabin
21500 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
18275 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sharing berth
10750 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price
Twin Deluxe
- 2 windows
- 2 lower berths
- Private shower & toilet
- Desk & chair
- Flatscreen TV
- Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
- Hair dryer
- Ample storage space
- These cabins are corner cabins and are slightly more spacious than the normal twin porthole/window cabins
Complete cabin
23100 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
19635 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sharing berth
11550 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price
Superior
- 2 windows
- 1 double bed
- 1 sofa bed
- Private shower & toilet
- Desk & chair
- Flatscreen TV
- Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
- Refrigerator
- Coffee & tea maker
- Hair dryer
- Ample storage space
Complete cabin
24300 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
20655 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
