Antarctic Express 2012-13

Trip Length	Trip Code
10 days	PPAEX

Countries Visited
Antarctica, Argentina

Start City	End City
Ushuaia	Ushuaia

This Peregrine journey takes us to one of the world's most awe-inspiring destinations. After making shore visits on our way through the South Shetland Islands we arrive at the Antarctic Peninsula, on the continent of Antarctica, to be immediately dazzled by perhaps the most dramatic scenery to be found anywhere on earth. Sailing aboard our well-appointed expedition vessel, we witness Antarctic nature in all its glory. These areas boast an extraordinary abundance of wildlife, including five species of seals and massive rookeries of gentoo, Adelie and chinstrap penguins as well as a profusion of seabirds ranging from albatross to skuas. Another wildlife highlight may well be observing a variety of magnificent whales in close proximity as they crest the surface of the waves. On the 'White Continent', we also see remarkable landscapes of ice.

Weather, ice and other mitigating factors may result in changes to our itinerary and alteration to certain shore excursions.

Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1: Ushuaia

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.

Day 2: Ushuaia - Embarkation Day

Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

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.

Day 3-4: Drake Passage

Meals included: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners

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.

Day 5-7: South Shetland Islands and Antarctica

Meals included: 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners

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.

Day 8-10: Drake Passage, Ushuaia

Meals included: 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners

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.

Your Trip

What's Included

Arrival transfer from airport
On embarkation day luggage taken from the hotel to ship and on disembarkation day from ship to airport or town (see detailed itinerary for notes on transfers)
One night pre-voyage hotel accommodation (twin share)
Complimentary expedition parka
Shipboard accommodation
Port taxes
Highly experienced expedition leader, crew and lecturers
All meals including afternoon teas on most days
Access to public viewing areas
Shore excursions by Zodiac boat
On-board lectures, videos, slide and film shows
On-board medical officer
Comprehensive pre-departure booklet and expedition manual

Summary of accommodation, transport & meals

Accommodation

8 nights Expedition Voyage
1 night Hotel

Meals

9 breakfasts
7 lunches
8 dinners

Not Included

All airfares
Visa and passport fees, airport departure taxes
Additional pre-voyage hotel accommodation apart from 1 night in Ushuaia
Post-voyage hotel accommodation
Laundry, postage, telephone calls, drinks, medical expenses
Travel insurance, emergency evacuation charges
Gratuities to staff and crew

What to know

Vaccinations

Vaccinations may be required for this trip. Talk to your doctor about the up-to-date information for this region.

Visas and Permits

It is your responsibility to ensure you have all required visas for your trip. Rules and regulations governing the issuance of visas are constantly changing, and vary for different nationalities and you should check visa requirements with your travel agent or relevant consular authority well before travel.

Antarctica
No visas are required to visit the Antarctic continent or its offshore islands. However, you will need to have your passport with you on the ship, as port authorities will wish to inspect passports on departure from Ushuaia or Port Stanley (as the case may be) and also again at the end of your voyage. (To facilitate matters, our ground operators in Ushuaia or Port Stanley will usually collect your passport prior to departure in order that all passengers’ passports may be kept together for the duration of the voyage. After completion of port formalities on the return to Ushuaia or Stanley on the final morning, they will be handed back to you prior to your disembarkation from the ship.) For most departures, your ship departs for the Antarctic continent from the port of Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, at the southern tip of Argentina. At the time of printing, no visas for Argentina are required by holders of Australian, New Zealand, British, Canadian, U.S.A. or European passports. Passengers holding passports issued by other countries should carefully check the situation with their travel agent or Argentinean consular authorities. If your flight to Ushuaia travels via Santiago, tourist visas are required for Chile for some nationalities. Please check with your travel agent. For a side trip to Iguassu Falls, Australian, USA and British passport holders also require a Brazilian visa if visiting the Brazilian side of the falls. However, New Zealanders and Canadians do not require a visa for this. This visa must be obtained prior to entering the country and, at the time of printing, costs $US60. Please check carefully with your travel agent or your nearest appropriate consulate for up-to-date information before you leave your home country. (There have been suggestions that passengers entering Brazil from Argentina for just a few hours at Iguassu may be able to do so without holding a visa, but we cannot give any guarantees. The only certain way is to hold a visa issued as above.) For the trip scheduled to depart from Port Stanley (and those departures scheduled to visit the Falkland Islands), visitors from Britain, the Commonwealth, North America, Chile and the European Community do not need visas as at the time of printing. Visitors should check their particular situation with us, their travel agent, the nearest British Consulate, or contact the Travel Co-ordinator at the Falkland Island Government Office in London (tel: 020 7222 2375).

Argentina
Australians, Americans, British, Canadians and New Zealanders, do not currently require a visa for Argentina. For all other nationalities please reconfirm your visa requirements with your travel agent. Please note that when entering Argentine Territory, the following citizens must pay a "reciprocity fee": Australians USD100, Canadians USD75 and Americans USD160. From 20 December 2010, the fee will be valid for multiple re-entries within a period of one year as of the date of first entry. Previously the fee was only collected at Ezeiza International Airport and at Aeroparque Jorge Newbury Airport on arrival but this will now be done entirely ONLINE, effective October 31, 2012 (for arrivals to Aeroparque Jorge Newbury airport) and December 28, 2012 (for arrivals to Ezeiza airport). This fee also needs to be paid online if you are crossing the border into Argentina by land. This price is subject to change and the price on the below website will have the up to date costs.

How to pay the reciprocity fee online:
• Visit www.migraciones.gov.ar or www.provinciapagos.com.ar and register to start the process
• Fill out the form with the corresponding personal and credit card information
• Print the payment receipt
• Present the printed receipt at Immigration Control on arrival in Argentina. The receipt will be scanned by the Immigration officials, the information will be checked, and entry to the country will be registered

Insurance

You are required to have travel insurance before heading off on a Peregrine trip. Insurance can be organised by your Peregrine representative or your travel agent.

Responsible Travel

Our Responsible Travel ethos is at the heart of everything we do, from getting the basics right like respecting local cultures and the environment, to initiating projects that make positive contributions to communities, to our staff’s fundraising efforts and offsetting our carbon emissions.
Please visit our Responsible Travel (http://www.peregrineadventures.com/rt) page for more information.

Customs and Culture

Our Pre Departure Information or Travel Dossier (provided upon booking a trip) provides tips on how you can show respect for the local customs and culture in the country you are travelling in.

The information listed above is a brief description of some things you may need to consider when booking a trip. Once a tour is booked you will be provided with a link to your Travel Dossier which will contain detailed Pre Departure information.

Important Information

These Trip Notes should be read in conjunction with Peregrine’s Antarctica pre-departure information that is provided to you shortly after booking (or which can be requested prior to booking). A second information manual dealing with Antarctic history, geology, geography, marine and bird life will also be provided.

1. Budgeting: in addition to funds for onboard expenses, it is sometimes possible to purchase souvenirs such as books, t-shirts, stamps, postcards, windcheaters, caps and similar items at some of the research stations in the Antarctic Peninsula area. Mail can sometimes be posted from these stations as well. Transactions are usually in US dollars cash.

2. Clothes: please read our Antarctic pre-departure information carefully. Although you don’t need to make expensive, specialist-clothing purchases for this trip, you will need clothes that adequately protect against cold and wet conditions. (Sea spray is common on board Zodiacs). It is recommended that you have warm, waterproof clothing available for use upon arrival in Ushuaia, to protect yourself against the inclement weather.

3. Motion sickness: the waters of the Drake Passage can be some of the roughest seas in the world, although at other times they are so smooth that it is referred to as the 'Drake Lake'! Although our vessels are among the most stable ships in their class, we will still inevitably encounter motion. Unless you are certain you are impervious to the problem, you should take precautions against seasickness. Your doctor can advise you as to the best methods for avoiding this uncomfortable condition.

4. Gratuities: we suggest you allow the equivalent of US$11-13 a day for gratuities for the crew and expedition staff. This is usually collected just prior to the end of the cruise. If you wish, the amount can be paid by Visa or MasterCard.

5. Sea kayaking: there are separate Trip Notes for the sea kayaking option. Please note that this option must be booked prior to your departure from home and it cannot be booked on the ship. Some prior experience is required.

6. Camping: if you chose to camp on the continent, we’ll provide all the required gear such as tents or bivouac (or 'bivy') sacs and sleeping bags. This excursion is managed with strict environmental regulations - a portable toilet is used and absolutely everything is transported back to the ship afterwards. Please note that this option must be booked prior to your departure from home, it cannot be booked on the ship. Spaces are limited.

Peregrine Voyage Documentation
Once you have booked your voyage to the Polar regions with Peregrine, you will be required to complete a series of online forms. You will be sent a link via email (my polar forms) which will take you to an enrolment form, cruise contract, medical form, arrival/departure information form and expedition parka size order form. These forms must be completed.

About this Information

The information provided here is given in good faith and has been compiled with all reasonable care. However, things change and some of the information may become out of date. Please keep this in mind when you read it and check with us if you want to be sure about something. The document was correct at time of printing, but you can check online for the most up to date version. If you have any queries, please contact your travel agent or our staff in Australia. We are here to help you!

Last Updated

23 October 2012

General Contact Details

Phone: +61 3 8601 4444
E-mail: sales@peregrineadventures.com
Web: Visit Peregrine