Antarctic Express 2012-13

Day 1 is an arrival day and you can arrive at any time. You will be transferred to your hotel in Ushuaia. A night in a hotel is included in the voyage price. No meals are included on Day 1. Arrival Transfers:Please note an arrival transfer from the airport is included in your voyage fare. Full details will be sent with your final joining instructions. Accommodation: If you arrive earlier or wish to extend your stay and need accommodation please ask Peregrine or your agent for details and costs.

A transfer from your hotel or town centre to the pier for embarkation on to the ship will take place at 4pm. Full details will be sent with your final joining instructions. Once onboard, our expedition team will welcome you and once you’ve settled in we’ll set sail from Ushuaia, charting our course through the Beagle Channel. Embarkation will occur in the late afternoon, after which the vessel will sail down the historic Beagle Channel. This historic channel transects the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the extreme south of South America. Historic visitors who have traversed this channel include Charles Darwin, who journeyed through this region in the famous HMS Beagle. As we continue south, travelers will keep watch on deck for seabirds, seals and dolphins that can approach the vessel.

As we cross the Drake Passage, our team of experts will be out on deck to help us spot whales and identify seabirds. We also have the chance to take part in the onboard presentation series, preparing us for our adventure to the 'White Continent'. Talks on wildlife, ice and polar history will create enormous anticipation that continues to build as we cross the Antarctic Convergence. Here the cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean meet the warmer waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We will also notice a sharp drop in temperature at this point. Huge icebergs loom up against the horizon and seabirds such as the wandering albatross and petrels are regularly sighted.

When the Antarctic Convergence is left in the ship’s wake, we witness the first whale migrating south, and a solitary iceberg floats by we truly begin our remarkable journey to the seventh continent. Yet perhaps is the first sight of land itself that is embraced as the true beginning to our adventure. Many factors play a role in defining each expedition, creating a unique experience for every group of travellers. We will attempt to leave the ship to explore bays, channels and landing sites twice a day, and, with wildlife always at the forefront of our minds. We will visit penguin rookeries, scout for humpback and minke whales, orcas and a number of the southern seal species, including the all mighty Leopard Seal. The majesty of the Peninsula’s mountains will engulf you also as travellers get the chance to scramble up to vantage points. One of these in particular, in Orne Harbor, gives the opportunity to visit a Chinstrap Penguin colony high up on a ridge. Whilst some may be hiking, others may find pleasure in sitting quietly on a pebbled beach as curious penguin chicks approach. All should however take part in the Polar Plunge, either through encouraging those brave enough, or by strapping on the harness yourselves and plunging into the frigid waters of an icy Antarctic bay. The natural cycle of life ensures that every expedition is different. And that every expedition is full of surprises! In Antarctica, silence is so complete that interruptions become indelible memories: noisy penguins squabbling over prized pebbles, the boom and crack of a calving glacier in Neko Harbor. Then there is the sound of breathing as arms pump and legs power up an incline on cross-country skis. As travellers sail from island to shore to bay during three days in the Peninsula, the Expedition Team provides opportunities for contemplation, to test endurance and engage curiosity.

The journey back across the Drake Passage again provides time to spend out on the decks watching the seabirds and scouting for whales, attending presentations by our Expedition Team or simply relaxing and reminiscing about your experiences. Disembark in Ushuaia.