Antarctica Cruise - The Peninsula (2009/2010)

Traveling to the farthest reaches of the world doesn?t mean you can?t be comfortable! Embark on this ideal introduction to Antarctica aboard a beautiful expedition ship that combines adventure with service and many amenities of a classic passenger vessel. The outstanding cuisine may vie with the landscape and wildlife for your attention. Depart and finish in the port of Ushuaia in Argentina, and visit prime sites along the Antarctic Peninsula and the neighboring South Shetland Islands. This program emphasizes wildlife viewing, possible visits to scientific bases, breathtaking scenery with narrow waterways, glaciers, icebergs and rugged mountains. Enjoy quality and value at a good price!

ExpeditionTrips? Program Manager, Joy Martinello, has sailed aboard the Clipper Adventurer. Click to view her travel journal and photos!

Itinerary

Days 1-2: Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Arrive in Ushuaia, a small town at the "end of the world" surrounded by rugged peaks and glaciers, and transfer independently to your conveniently located hotel. The following day, in the afternoon, the Expedition Team gets you settled aboard your ship as you sail into the Beagle Channel to start your Antarctic expedition.

Days 3-4: Crossing the Drake Passage

Among the many unforgettable experiences you?ll have on your journey, food will certainly be one of them. It may seem as if you are dining in one of the finer restaurants in the world, with one exception: other restaurants would never interrupt you with shouts of ?whales ahead at 12 o?clock.?

You?ll be properly prepared for wildlife sightings, because our Expedition Team delivers an incomparable education program as you cross the Drake Passage en route to Antarctica.

Days 5-9: Exploring the Antarctic Peninsula

You have arrived in Antarctica! The Expedition Team will attempt an average of two landings per day. Many factors influence the daily program, such as prevailing wind, ice, weather conditions, and wildlife behavior. During the voyage, our onboard fleet of Zodiacs will transfer you to penguin rookeries, where you are welcomed by a committee of chattering birds. There will be leisurely Zodiac sightseeing cruises past icebergs or wildlife on the rocky shoreline.

During your four days exploring the Peninsula, you?ll make new friends over a game of cards in the lounge, or a beverage in the bar. Don your parka and join fellow travelers on the deck as you sail through the Gerlache Strait or along the Danco Coast, past towering glacier-covered mountains that shoot to the sky. Don?t forget to pack your binoculars. There may be seals sunning on an ice floe or a raft of penguins feeding as you sail past.

During the in-depth education program, the historian will recount the development of the region, pointing out the remains of buildings where spies dwelled or a doctor went mad. The ornithologist will take you ashore and help you identify different species of birds. You could cruise with a glaciologist through a bay filled with fantastically colored icebergs.

Days 10-12: Drake Passage / Ushuaia

Returning to Ushuaia across the Drake Passage, you know you are one of the people in the world that have set foot on Antarctica. The adventure will be with you forever. You may already be thinking of a return trip ? as many have found before, the lure of Antarctica is a strong one.