Antarctic, Falklands and South Georgia Cruise

Why Join This Cruise:

• An unparalleled cruise combining the history and variety of The Falklands, the extraordinary density of wildlife of South Georgia, finishing with Antarctica itself as the 'jewel in the crown'


• Travel aboard a small ice-strengthened vessel, renowned for their excellent guides, expeditionary feel, ease of logistics on landings, and a very personalised overall experience


• Privileged opportunity to see a wide range of wildlife as you head south into polar waters, particularly birdlife and whales, penguins & seals


• Visit Ernest Shackleton's grave on South Georgia and learn of these brave explorers as you follow in their footsteps

Trip Overview
For those who can afford the time, this 20 day cruise combining The Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica is the ultimate trip in terms of sheer variety and 'wow' factor, and without fail annually attracts glowing reports from all past travellers.

The Falkland Islands are home to an astonishing and very tame diversity of wildlife, with a strong historical element and are a great 'starter'. South Georgia on the other hand is altogether different and harsher, with 7000ft towering mountains, glaciers and beaches. Experience the extraordinary king and gentoo penguin colonies numbering into the millions, marvel at the acrobatics of the wandering albatross and observe beaches crowded with elephant seals and Macaroni penguins. The history of the great explorers from the 'heroic era' reverberates through this trip as you depart South georgia, final resting place of Shackleton and head for Antarctica itself, the magical white continent and a wonderful end to this extraordinary trip.



Itinerary

Day 1 London Heathrow/Buenos Aires
Depart London Heathrow for Buenos Aires, flying overnight.

Day 2 Buenos Aires
Arrival in Buenos Aires early morning where you will be met by a local guide. Rest of day to explore independently or simply relax.

Day 3 Buenos Aires/ Ushuaia
Early transfer to the domestic airport for the flight down to Ushuaia on Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire), the southernmost city in the world. Afternoon to explore the historic and bustling town and harbour independently.

Day 4 Ushuaia/ Southern Ocean
Morning at leisure with option to explore the nearby Lapataia National Park before embarking on your expeditionary boat in the afternoon. Plan to be on deck as you set sail on the scenic Beagle Channel heading towards open ocean and The Falklands.

Day 5 At Sea
As you cruise these wildlife-rich waters, the expedition staff introduces the various species of birds and marine life that you will encounter on our voyage. Wandering, Black-browed and Sooty Albatross, shearwaters, Giant and Cape Petrels and numerous other seabirds accompany us.

Days 6 & 7 Falkland Islands
You will spend two full days in the Falkland Islands, renowned for their amazing wildlife. On Carcass Island highlights include Flightless Steamer Ducks, Magellanic and Gentoo Penguins and a colony of the rare Black-crowned Night Herons. Peale's and Commerson's Dolphins are often seen along the coast. Nearby New Island boasts fantastic Rockhopper Penguin rookeries, along with Black-browed Albatross and Blue-eyed Shags. You will also have the opportunity to explore Stanley, the charming capital.

Days 8 & 9 Southern Ocean
At Sea heading towards South Georgia. Cross the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar waters sink beneath the warmer waters of the more temperate zones.

Days 10 to 13 South Georgia
Sharing many of the biological characteristics of Antarctica, South Georgia has awe-inspiring scenery with towering, 7,000-foot mountains and mighty glaciers, but also low-lying, grassy areas, deep fjords and beaches. First sighted by Captain James Cook in 1775, the island attracts an astounding concentration of wildlife and is viewed by many as one of the most inspiring places on earth. Thousands of King Penguins greet you at Salisbury Plain where rugged snow-covered mountains and glaciers provide a backdrop for this marvellous scene. Wandering Albatrosses nest at Prion Island, where luxurious tussock grass provides a habitat for a variety of seabirds - and camouflage for thousands of breeding fur seals. Huge elephant seals and a substantial number of King and Gentoo Penguins crowd the beaches along the coast at places such as Gold Harbour while Light-mantled and Sooty Albatrosses nest in the cliffs behind.

The island also played a significant role in the story of Shackleton's epic journey after the sinking of his ship, the 'Endurance'. It was here, in the whaling station of Stromness that he finally arrived, after a harrowing voyage in a small boat from Elephant Island across the Scotia Sea and over the never-before-climbed mountain range of South Georgia. You will visit his grave at Grytviken, a once-active whaling station.

Day 14 & 15 Scotia Sea
At sea. The first icebergs appear on the horizon as you head south to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Days 16 to 19 South Shetland Islands & Antarctic Peninsula
Approaching the rugged South Shetland Islands, your first landfall could be Elephant Island where Shackleton's men found refuge during the epic 'Endurance' expedition.

The Antarctic Peninsula is the most easily accessible part of the White Continent but it also has some of the most awe-inspiring scenery and a rich variety of wildlife. This itinerary offers ample time for exploring this wilderness region that few people have ever visited. Sailing around the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, you will navigate the Antarctic Sound, often referred to as "iceberg alley". Huge tabular icebergs drift north from the Antarctic continent.

Besides the magnificent scenery of mountains, snow and ice, you can expect to see a wide variety of the native wildlife, particularly Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adélie Penguins, which occur in rookeries ranging from a few pairs to thousands (Baily Head = 250,000 chinstraps!). Marine mammals that you are likely to see include Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals, while orcas, humpback and Minke whales may be spotted at close range. This area is also of substantial historical interest.

Daily itinerary will be uninfluenced by weather and local ice conditions but will include the following key places of interest:

Paradise bay, Neumayer and Lemaire Channels, Paulet Island, Port Lockroy, Cuverville & Petermann Islands.

Days 20 and 21 Drake Passage
Today you leave Antarctica and head north back across the Drake Passage.

Day 22 Ushuaia/ Buenos Aires
After breakfast disembark with the morning at leisure in Ushuaia before catching the early afternoon flight back to Buenos Aires. Overnight in Buenos Aires.

Day 23 Buenos Aires/ Heathrow
Depart Buenos Aires for Heathrow, flying overnight.

Optional Adventure Activities

• Kayaking


• Camping on Antarctic Continent

** Please note that the kayaking carries a supplementary cost



Cruise dates and boats for 2009/10

Small Expeditionary
Professor Molchanov
4th - 23rd Nov (20 days)
5th - 23rd Jan (19 days)
12th Feb - 2nd Mar (19 days)

Professor Multanovskiy
2nd - 22nd Nov (20 Days)

Small Adventure
Polar Pioneer
9th - 27th Nov (19 days)
7th - 25th Jan (19 days)

Ocean Nova
2nd - 21st Nov (19 days)
22nd Jan - 10th Feb (19 days)
22nd Feb - 13th Mar (19 days)

Medium Expeditionary
Clipper Adventurer
1st - 20th Dec (19 days)
28th Dec - 16th Jan (19 days)

Plancius
8th - 26th Jan (19 days)*
5th - 23rd Feb (19 days)
*birding & bilingual

M/V Orlova
19th Dec - 7th Jan (19 days)
24th Jan - 12th Feb (19 days)

Medium Adventure
Akademik Sergey Vavilov
6th - 30th Nov (25 days)
20th Dec - 7th Jan (19 days)
20th Jan - 9th Feb (21 days)
22nd Feb - 12th Mar (19 days)

Akademik Ioffe
5th - 23rd Feb 2010

Please refer to the 'Antarctic Boats' section for full details of all these boats.

Guide Price for 2009/10

Cabin Type(from guide price quoted per person)	Clipper	Vavilov		Plancius	Ocean Nova
Triple cabin (*with/ without bathroom)	£6,425	£6,995		£8,660	£7,590
Twin cabin with shared bathroom	-	£8,050		-	-
Twin cabin with semi-shared bathroom	-	£8,450		-	-
Twin with Private Bathroom	£8,635	£8,790		£9,660	£9,970
Superior	£9,565	£9,850		£10,825	-
Deluxe	-	£10,380		-	-
Suite	£11,435	£10,495			-
Single dedicated cabin	-	-		-	£13,460

Notes
The above prices are a guide price only, are subject to exchange rate fluctuations and fuel surcharges, and based on shoulder season rates and based on 2 people sharing a cabin. Please note that these prices increase during the peak Antarctic season, particularly Christmas to end of February.

*All cabins on board the Clipper Adventurer, Ocean Nova & Plancius have their own private en suite bathroom, including the Triples in these ships.

Single Supplement: For those solo travellers preferring their own cabin, typically a multiplier of 1.7/ 1.8 on the cost of a single berth is used to calculate the single supplement on those ships without dedicated single cabins. Please contact the office for a quotation.

Includes

• All flights


• Accommodation in Argentina


• Airport/ hotel transfers in Buenos Aires


• Antarctic cruise based on full board


• All guided excursions, landig and lectures on board the boat

Excludes

• Any additional accommodation, services or excursions not mentioned in the itinerary


• Travel insurance & vaccinations


• Visas & gratuities


• Items of a personal nature, including laundry & drinks


• Any additional Fuel Surcharge

For further details or to check availability, please either call one of our consultants on 01285 880981 or complete our enquiry form.


Steppes Travel cruise destinations include: Alaska, Amazon, Antarctica, Arctic, Baja Mexico, Galapagos.