Chile : Cruises : Antarctic Shipping Company

Antarctic Dream Cruise Expedition

This expedition offers you the ideal introduction to the Great White Continent. Departing from and finishing in the port of Ushuaia, we take in the most exciting sights of the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. Our program is orientated to the viewing of wildlife and the breathtaking scenery of narrow waterways, glaciers, icebergs and the rugged mountains. The itinerary given below is the 11 day expedition. Of course no two expeditions can be exactly the same so the itinerary outlined here is for your guidance only: the Captain and the Expedition Leader will assess conditions daily with the intention of maximizing your time ashore. This means taking full advantage of opportunities to land passengers with our zodiacs and making best use of the light of the long summer days.

Day 1: Ushuaia – Argentina
Passengers board the MV/Antarctic Dream where you will be greeted by our Expedition Leader and staff and shown to your cabin. Check-in begins at 2:30 PM at the Hotel Fuegino in Ushuaia.

Days 2 to 3: Drake Passage
Wandering albatrosses, storm petrels and other seabirds will escort the vessel as you sail south across this famous passage named after Sir Francis Drake, the 16th-century English navigator. We will continue towards the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar waters sink beneath the warmer waters of the more temperate zone. In 1819, the British explorer William Smith described the South Shetland Islands as “barren and covered with snow, with seals in abundance”.

Day 04: King George Island
King George Island will give us an early taste of what the Antarctic really is. It is the biggest island of the South Shetlands. and here we will have a chance to disembark in Potter Bay. In the afternoon we will disembark at Aitcho Island which is in between Greenwich and Robert Islands. We will continuing with the crossing of the Bransfield and Gerlache Straits to enter Andvord Bay where we find Neko Bay.

Day 5: Antarctic Peninsula & Neko Bay
Besides the magnificent scenery of mountains, snow and ice, in Antarctica you can expect to see a wide variety of the native wildlife. Other birds to look out for are blue-eyed shags, gulls, cape petrels, skuas, snowy sheathbills and Antarctic terns. Marine mammals that you are likely to see include Weddell crab-eaters and leopard seals while orcas, humpback and mink whales may be spotted at close range. The program includes your first landing on the White Continent (Neko Bay) and another on Port Lockroy (Gaudier Island). Neko Bay was discovered by Adrian de Gerlache, a Belgian explorer. Port Lockroy is close to Wiencke Island in the Antarctic Peninsula and was the principle base of the 1944 Tabarin Operation - the scientific research included the Antarctic’s first ionosphere measurements and also the first recording of an atmospheric whistle.

Day 6: Pleneau - Petermann Island
We sail south through the narrow Lemaire Channel whose high, sheer cliffs suggest that no passage could be found. Once through the channel, known as one of the most beautiful places in the world, and provided climate and ice conditions are good enough, we will be able to visit Petermann Island which is the most southern land point of our expedition. Here we will disembark and will be able to see the most southern colony of Gentoo penguins which nest near our landing spot.
On this island we will also be able to see a colony of beautiful Adelei penguins, skuas and blue-eyed shags. At Pleneau we should have the opportunity to take our zodiacs and visit impressive ice formations.

Day 7: Paradise Bay – Cuverville Island
At this point of our program we will begin our return voyage. During the morning and, stressing again that if weather permits, we will disembark or use our zodiacs in Paradise Bay. In the evening we will visit Cuverville Island. Beside its dramatic scenery it is home to one of the largest colony of Gentoo penguins and skuas. This rocky island is on the north side of the Errera Channel, between Ronge Island and the Arctowski Peninsula.

Day 8: Deception Island – Whaler’s Bay – Pendulum Cove
We continue sailing to Deception Island which is the largest active volcano in the area at the northwest side of the Peninsula. During the morning we will try to disembark in Whaler’s Bay and Pendulum Cove where you can live the unique expirience of swimming in this water. In the afternoon we will disembark at Hannah Point (Livingstone Island). This is one of the best places in the Antarctic to see fauna and we should see Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, giant petrels, Wilson petrels, skuas and blue-eyed shags. With luck we should also see sea elephants.

Days 9 to 10: Drake Passage
Today, we will leave the Antarctic and head north back across the Drake Passage. Now is the chance to compare and revise notes and dwell on the adventures of the past week, to take in the final lectures and to enjoy the delicious gastronomy on board as you return to Ushuaia.

Day 11: Ushuaia, Argentina
After and early breakfast we will land at 9:00 am and bid farewell to our guests. Thus ends an incredible and unique expedition.

Excursions

Antarctic Peninsula
Aside from the magnificent mountain scenery of ice and snow, you will see a large variety of animal wildlife in the Peninsula, including thousands of Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Adelie penguins. A variety of birds such as: gulls, Cape petrels and other endemic species inhabit the area. Among the marine
mammals that are easily visible are the leopard seals, whales, and killer whales. This area boasts an interesting history, given that people began to explore it more intensively in the 19th century. It's quite possible that you will feel the same excitement of past explorers as you marvel from on deck at the
dramatic landscapes and pristine waters. You may also get to see the research and work that scientists on different international bases are carrying out. Sailing along the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula, we may be able to get to the Antarctic Strait, more commonly known as "Iceberg Alley". We guarantee an unforgettable experience as we dodge colossal masses of ices that come within inches of the ship, sailing from the Antarctic Continent to this narrow passage. The program also includes disembarking and visiting Paradise Port, where glaciers hurl themselves towards the sea, disrupting the silence and forming
strangely shaped icebergs. Here you will be able to set foot on the White Continent!

Cuverville and Rongé Islands
The Cuverville and Rongé Islands, apart from their incredible landscape, allow you the opportunity to see and enjoy one of the largest Gentoo penguin colonies. Approximately 5,000 pairs of penguins live here together with other species. Many explorers consider the sight of wildlife in all its splendor as pleasant as the magnificent natural landscapes of the Antarctic; surely you will also be awestruck as you visit these precious places. Sailing and exploring these channels are the peak moments of this expedition, however, because of the changing weather conditions, there may be times during some of the expeditions that the passages are blocked by ice or icebergs.

The "Antarctic Dream”, was built by Dutch shipyards for the Chilean Navy as an Antarctic passenger ship. It has been completely conditioned and remodeled in 2003 for elegant and comfortable exploration of the Southern Oceans in any weather conditions. There is a dining hall with a panoramic view, a dining recess, bar, lounge, library, cinema, sauna and gym service, and a tourist travel office.
Uniquely among all the ships that take tours to the Antarctic, the “Antarctic Dream” carries a turbine helicopter on every expedition. The helicopter is used not only for safety but also to make special expeditions to see places inaccessible by other means. We also carry zodiacs (rubber boats) to explore the accessible shores.
The ship is built and decorated along traditional lines to give you a sense of history combined with tremendous comfort.

Deck of the Antarctic Dream	Tower of the Antarctic Dream

Characteristics

Antarctic Dream Cabins
The “Antarctic Dream” is equipped with 42 double cabins with capacity for 84 passengers. All our cabins are fully equipped. All of them have a private bathroom, beautiful bronze port-holes or windows and lower twin or queen size beds.

Suite in Shackleton Deck	Big Suite

The Program Includes:

• Accomodations in selected cabin
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner and appetizers according to the menu
• Wines and cocktails
• Library Use
• Gym and sauna use
• Seminars and expositions on board
• Reference material about the zone
• Expeditions in zodiac
• Transfers*
• Energency medical attention

*Transfer is included in the cost and includes the following:

Before Setting Sail
- Pick up passengers at the airport with the sign “Arctic Dream”
- Airport-Hotel or Airport – Check-in (If the arival is the same day as the set sail date)
- Hotel – Check-in
- Check-in – Port

After the Trip
- Port – Downtown Ushuaia
- Port – Airport, only applies to those passengers who have a flight on the same day as the arrival (the bus will make only one trip in the morning to the airport for all passengers with flights on this day).

The administration of the company "Antarctic Shipping S.A." advises that it is not convenient for adults to travel with children under 14. If a passenger insists or decides to travel with a child under 14 years, they must take full responsibility for the safety and behaviour of the child.

The Program DOES NOT Include:

• Transfers not included in the program
• Laundry, internet use
• Telephone calls
• Food or beverages not included in the menu
• Travel or health insurance
• Tips

Suggestions:

• We recommend you bring appropriate clothing for the region's temperatures.
• For disembarking, our staff will give passengers a special type of clothing to use (jackets and boots).
• Casual clothing is worn inside the ship. We suggest wearing thermal wear, not synthetic.
  Comfortable walking shoes.

Notes:

• This itinerary is only a reference guide; our exact route and the travel program will vary according to weather and ice conditions and wildlife that we find. Flexibility is key in order for this expedition to be a successful one.

Departures

Season

Low Season : from November 7th to December 18th, 2010; and from February 28th to March 20th, 2011.
High Season: from December 28th, 2010 to February 28, 2011.

Rates

Rates per passenger in American Dollars.

Notes: Rate does not include fuel. This value will depend on the fluctuation of oil prices.

Validity

Validity rates from November 2010 to March 2011.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be written, specifying the cause and assuming responsibility of the corresponding penalty. Once the reservation has been confirmed by Gotolatin, the following charges will apply for cancellations made by the passenger, according to the program departure date:

• 100 days before the beginning of the cruise
  US$ 500 per passenger.
• Between 100 and 0 days before the beginning of the cruise
  No refund applies.
• There are no refunds for portions of the program not used, hotel accommodations, etc.
• We recommend considering Travel Insurance for any reason