Your Itinerary
DAY 1: 11th February 2008
Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
The fascinating and distant city of Ushuaia is
conveniently served by flights arriving from
Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santiago, Chile.
Your included hotel is not far from the airport
and the taxi fare is reasonable. Please note that
your room may not be available for occupancy
until mid-afternoon, however you may store your
luggage and explore the city at the end of the
earth should you arrive early.
If you need assistance, our representative will be
available at a hospitality desk in the hotel lobby at a
pre-determined time to offer suggestions about the
best places to dine or shop or visit. The hospitality
desk times will be listed in your final documents.
DAY 2: 12th February 2008
Embarkation Day
This expedition includes a guided motor coach tour of nearby Tierra del Fuego National Park that is comprised of a short hike along a boardwalk to an estuary. You could see Flightless Steamer Ducks, their wings beating the water like Mississippi paddle-wheelers. The tour ends at a rustic dining hall, where you will enjoy a traditional Argentine asado barbecue. Lamb, chicken and beef are barbecued over an open fire and served with warm Patagonian hospitality.
In the late afternoon, we will transfer you and your fellow adventurers to the pier to board the ship. Please have your identification on hand, because you must pass through security.
On board, the Expedition team will direct you to the lounge, for a safety briefing where emergency procedures are explained, followed by a practical demonstration. During the welcome briefing, the Expedition Leader introduces the team of specialists that accompanies every expedition.
Be sure to take time to linger on deck before dinner and take note of the low, subtle sound of the engine under your feet. Feel the moist sea air on your skin and listen for the lapping of waves against the hull. As the ship draws away from shore, you will feel the cares of the world slip into the background. The rhythm of life at sea has begun. |
The three-course dinner with a choice of main course is served in the dining room and there is no need for formal attire, as our style is casual. After all you never know when you may want to return to the deck should the Expedition Team announce “dolphins at one o’clock!”
DAY 3-4: 13th & 14th February 2008
Crossing the Drake Passage
Crossing the notorious Drake Passage is as much a part of the Antarctic experience as penguins and krill. With the right weather conditions your passage will be relatively easy, but pack your seasick medicine just in case the Drake lives up to its reputation.
The day begins with a wake-up call over the ships public address system where you are informed of the ships latitude and longitude, sea conditions, and weather. After breakfast, the in-depth education program commences. It could be about the early days of discovery in Antarctica or alternatively, you could hear a variety of presentations on the life cycle of the wildlife you will encounter during the voyage. Unlike cruise voyages where the schedule of onboard activities is replicated exactly on each sailing, every Classic Antarctic education program is unique. The Expedition Team changes the content and the schedule of presentations to take advantage of the personnel aboard, their background, interest and style. This keeps our presenters fresh and their presentations dynamic.
If conditions permit, you can spend the day on the deck watching the petrels and albatrosses that accompany the ship for miles so carry your camera and binoculars with you. Our shipboard ornithologist will be on deck from time to time to assist you to identify the marvellous creatures.
When the ship crosses 61°S latitude, you will be in Antarctic waters. While the political boundary of Antarctica lies at 60° S, the Antarctic Convergence (also known as the Antarctic Polar Front) represents the biological boundary. This natural phenomenon is normally located somewhere between 55 and 60° S. However, its position shifts seasonally nearly 161 kilometres (100 miles) north and south.
In anticipation of the first landing, you are shown how to board a Zodiac from the ships gangway and how to exit on landing. By the end of the expedition, riding on the pontoons of these sturdy landing craft will be second nature to you.
DAY 5-8: 15th, 16th ,17th & 18th February 2008
Antarctica
During these four days, you will explore the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, aboard and ashore. Keep in mind that no two expeditions are alike and landings and wildlife sightings are all subject to weather, ice conditions and the natural cycles of the wildlife. It is the element of the unknown that makes expedition-style travel exhilarating, even on an easygoing adventure such as this one. That said, our expeditions have common elements, such as landings, wildlife sightings, research stations, and the landscape. The following descriptions are intended to depict the flavour of an Expedition Ship adventure.
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DAY 9-10: 19th & 20th February 2008
The Drake Passage
A day at sea can be as busy as any day ashore as the members of the Expedition Team continue the education program. The subjects can range from a presentation on the historic age of exploration to whales of the Southern Ocean.
You can choose to spend time outside on the deck watching for the large seabirds that have accompanied mariners through the passage since Magellan made his first navigation of the globe. By now you should be able to recognize albatross and petrels on the wing.
There is always time to relive your adventures as you exchange photos with strangers who have become friends. Continuing recap sessions provide opportunities to discuss how you, a newly-minted Polar Ambassador, can help to preserve Antarctica for future generations.
When packing day arrives a briefing is held, final remarks are made and instructions for disembarkation are delivered. You learn when to place your luggage in the corridor outside the cabin door for collection.
DAY 11: 21st February 2008
Ushuaia, Argentina
During the night, a small vessel comes alongside and a local pilot boards the ship to help navigate the last stretch of water en route to Ushuaia. We suggest that you stay up to watch if the weather is fine and you’ll enjoy the soft, lingering light of an austral summer night.
After breakfast aboard the ship, you are transferred by bus to the passenger collection point at the end of the quay. Your Antarctica adventure may have ended but the memories will live with you forever.
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