HIGHLIGHTS
- Embrace
the expeditionary spirit on a quest to reach the colony of thousands of
pairs of emperor penguins and their chicks
- Spend
five days in the vicinity of Snow Hill, either on tour to the colony,
or immersing yourself in our custom-designed Weddell Sea experiences
- Travel
aboard our new ship Ultramarine, enjoying the sauna or one of the
ship’s many other onboard amenities
- Enjoy
the intimacy of traveling on a ship with a reduced capacity of 150
guests
- Additional
staff means there will be one expedition team member for every four
guests
- Learn
from polar experts during our enhanced onboard education program
- Enjoy
helicopter sightseeing and Zodiac cruising for unique perspectives of
the Antarctic Peninsula.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | Explorer Triple | Solo Panorama | Explorer Suite | Balcony Suite | Deluxe Balcony Suite | Terrace Suite | Penthouse Suite | Owner's Suite | Ultra Suite |
|---|
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:Package
Cost: USD 995 per person
- One
night's pre-expedition hotel accommodation in Buenos Aires with
breakfast (Note: The number of guests per room is the same as cabin
occupancy on the ship. Due to limited availability, travelers who
reserve a suite on board are accommodated in standard rooms at the
hotel. Triple rooms may not be available.)
- Group
flight departing from Buenos Aires’ domestic airport
(Aeroparque/AEP) to Ushuaia, and returning to Buenos Aires’
international airport (Ezeiza/EZE)
- Group
transfer from hotel to airport in Buenos Aires
- Group
transfer from Ushuaia airport to the ship, and return (Note: Transfer
on arrival in Buenos Aires from airport to hotel at the beginning of
the journey is not included. Please make your
- way
to the included hotel.)
- Combined
airport transfer and express bus tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park
after disembarkation in Ushuaia
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | (Starting from)
Explorer Triple | (Mid-range)
Deluxe Balcony Suite | (High-end)
Ultra Suite |
|---|
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:Package
Cost: USD 995 per person
- One
night's pre-expedition hotel accommodation in Buenos Aires with
breakfast (Note: The number of guests per room is the same as cabin
occupancy on the ship. Due to limited availability, travelers who
reserve a suite on board are accommodated in standard rooms at the
hotel. Triple rooms may not be available.)
- Group
flight departing from Buenos Aires’ domestic airport
(Aeroparque/AEP) to Ushuaia, and returning to Buenos Aires’
international airport (Ezeiza/EZE)
- Group
transfer from hotel to airport in Buenos Aires
- Group
transfer from Ushuaia airport to the ship, and return (Note: Transfer
on arrival in Buenos Aires from airport to hotel at the beginning of
the journey is not included. Please make your
- way
to the included hotel.)
- Combined
airport transfer and express bus tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park
after disembarkation in Ushuaia
ITINERARY
DAY
1 | ARRIVE IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Upon
arriving in this fascinating city, known
for its architecture and rich
European heritage, you will independently
transfer to your group hotel
(pre-expedition hotel night included in
mandatory transfer package).
DAY 2 | FLY TO USHUAIA
& EMBARK
After
an early breakfast at the hotel, your group
will transfer to the airport and board
our private charter flight to Ushuaia,
Argentina. Upon
arrival, you will be transferred from the
airport to a central downtown location to
enjoy time on your own to explore
quaint Ushuaia—the world’s southernmost
city—before making your way to the
pier. After a late afternoon embarkation,
you will sail along the historic
Beagle Channel, which transects the Tierra
del Fuego archipelago in the extreme
south of South America. Enjoy the air of
anticipation as you depart—the next land
you see will be the Antarctic!
DAYS
3 & 4 | CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE
The
unpredictable and exciting Drake Passage,
which lies at the confluence of the
Pacific, the Atlantic and the Southern oceans, is
an adventure unto itself. While being well
taken care of by our expert onboard
staff and expedition team, you’ll have plenty
of time to gaze out at the expansive
ocean waters, photograph seabirds as
they swoop around the ship, and get to
know your Expedition Team and fellow
travelers
DAYS 5 | NAVIGATING INTO
THE WEDDELL
SEA
Onboard
presentations by worldrespected experts will enrich your polar
quest, conveying what it was like a
century ago for the brave polar heroes who
embraced the unknown. You’ll
also learn more about the icedwelling emperor penguins.
DAYS 6–10 |
WEDDELL SEA AND THE QUEST
TO LAND AT SNOW HILL
The
journey toward Snow Hill Island will put
you in explorer mode as the captain and
Expedition Leader keep you updated
through weather briefings, meteorological
and sea ice condition reports.
The thickness of ice will determine
how close Ultramarine can get to Snow
Hill Island, then our twinengine helicopters will take over. Like
summitting a mountain from base camp,
parties will set out from Ultramarine
towards the emperor penguin
colony. Their adventure begins with
an extended helicopter transfer
that will reveal a landscape of
snow-capped peaks and apartmentbuilding-sized tabular icebergs.
The rookery
itself is located on the sea ice off the
south coast of Snow Hill Island and
the landing will be as close to the
penguins as possible, yet at a safe
distance to avoid disturbing the birds. Upon
landing, your party will walk across
the ice to the fabled emperor
penguin colony. The wind. The ice
beneath your feet. Walking next to
paths in the snow carved by penguins
that came before. And then there are
the incredible sounds of the
penguins in the distance as you march
toward one of the rarest wildlife opportunities
on the planet: the colony of
thousands and thousands of rarelyseen emperor penguins.
The
goal of the expedition is to get every guest to
the remote rookery once. The Expedition
Team and special experts will be close by
to answer your questions and ensure you
take in everything there is to see.
You’ll observe close up how the emperor
penguins behave as a tight-knit community,
how they care for their young, and
how they body surf across the ice in
a way that can only be described
as quirky yet efficient. The helicopter
expedition in search of the emperor
colony might just be the adventure
of a lifetime! And while
at base on Ultramarine with your
attentive Expedition Team, you’ll be immersed
each day in the polar experience
of the Weddell Sea.
Daily activities
will include Zodiac cruising among the
icebergs, adventuring and learning
while atop the ice, paddle-ontop kayaking, or working with our team to observe
the weather forecasting and ship
operations up close. A
particularly enriching component of your
voyage will be the bespoke educational
programs tailored specifically for this
expedition that offer both traditional
(lecture format) and handson opportunities for learning about this fascinating
region. Each day our polar experts,
who include penguin scientists, biologists
and polar historians, will present on
various aspects of emperor penguins
and their behaviors, ice formations
such as the tabular icebergs which
you’ll see from the deck of your ship, and
the experiences of polar explorers
who braved the Weddell Sea over a
century ago.
Or you might, on one of
these days, decide to take the polar
plunge, or test your balance on a stand-up
paddleboard. Then again, maybe
you’ll enjoy a little pampering. If so, you
can choose from Ultramarine’s excellent
onboard amenities, including the spa,
sauna and fitness room. The emperor
penguin colony at Snow Hill is the
goal of this expedition. However, if
weather or ice conditions prevent us
from visiting the colony or shorten the
duration of our visit, we may explore
some other sites. Your possible landings in
Antarctica will take place on the eastern
side of the Peninsula, which is an
extension of the Transantarctic Mountains
and is the most northern stretch of
Antarctic land.
DAYS
11–13 | CRUISING
The
journey back across the Drake Passage
provides a final opportunity to enjoy the
invigorating Southern Ocean air. Spend
time on the deck watching for seabirds
and scouting for whales, enjoy presentations
by your Expedition Team, and
celebrate the experiences you've shared
getting off the beaten track in the remarkable
world of Antarctica.
DAYS 14 | DISEMBARK IN
USHUAIA AND
FLY TO BUENOS AIRES
You
will arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and
disembark after breakfast. The
mandatory transfer package includes a tour of
Tierra del Fuego National Park for a taste
of Patagonia, after which you’ll transfer to
the airport for the return group
charter flight to Buenos Aires.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Leadership
throughout your voyage by our experienced Expedition Team, including
shore landings and other activities
- All
Zodiac transfers and cruising as per the daily program
- All
shore landings as per the daily program
- Shipboard
accommodation with daily housekeeping
- All
meals, snacks, soft drinks and juices on board throughout your voyage
(Please inform us of any dietary requirements as far in advance as
possible. Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare
kosher meals.)
- Select
beer and wine during dinner; and coffee, tea and cocoa available around
the clock
- Formal
and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers as
scheduled
- A
photographic journal documenting the expedition
- A
pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for landings and Zodiac
cruising excursions
- An
official Quark Expeditions parka to keep
- Hair
dryer and bathrobes in every cabin
- All
miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program
- All
luggage handling aboard the ship
- Emergency
Evacuation insurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of USD
$500,000 per person
- One
10- to 15-minute helicopter flightseeing excursion (weather and
logistics permitting)
RATES SPECIFICALLY DO NOT INCLUDE:
- Mandatory
Transfer Package*
- International
airfare
- Passport
and applicable visa expenses
- Government
arrival and departure taxes not mentioned
- Meals
unless otherwise specified
- Baggage,
cancellation, interruption and medical travel
insurance—strongly recommended
- Excess-baggage
fees on international and domestic flights
- Mandatory
waterproof pants for Zodiac landing and cruising excursions, or any
other gear not mentioned
- Laundry,
bar, spa services and other personal charges, unless specified
- Phone
and Internet charges (connectivity may vary by location)
- Voluntary
gratuity at the end of the voyage for expedition staff and shipboard
crew
- Additional
overnight accommodation
- Arrival
and departure transfers, except where explicitly stated
- Adventure
Options not listed in Included Activities
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Paddling
Excursion: USD 295
- Stand-up
Paddleboarding: USD 295
Included Activities
- Flightseeing
- Zodiac
Cruising
- Hiking
- Polar
Plunge
- Photography
- Presentations
