Antarctica and Weddell Sea Adventure

Day 1 - Dec 6, 2012: Welcome to Buenos Aires
Check in to the luxury, city-center Sofitel Hotel. Your afternoon tour includes the impressive Plaza de Mayo and colorful La Boca, where the tango was born

Day 2 - Dec 7, 2012: Buenos Aires... as you please
Step out from your hotel and create your own magic in the friendly and sophisticated Argentine capital. Your hotel’s terrific location on charming Arroyo Street offers easy access to some of the city’s finest antique shops, art galleries and restaurants. Meals B

Day 3 - Dec 8, 2012: To the end of the Continent!
Fly to Ushuaia where you’ll be escorted to the deluxe Los Cauquenes Hotel, set on the Beagle Channel with fine views of the mountains and sea. Meals B

Day 4 - Dec 9, 2012: Into Tierra del Fuego and on to your ship
Explore magnificent Tierra del Fuego National Park on a guided tour before boarding the MV Ushuaia. Settle in to your cabin, meet your expedition staff of leaders, guides and lecturers, and get acquainted with this intimate Polar vessel as you set sail along the Beagle Channel. Meals B,L,D

Day 5 - Dec 10, 2012: Crossing the Drake Passage
Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Francis Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region. The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds. As we sail across the passage, your expedition lecturers will be out with you on deck to help with the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in our wake. The Ushuaia’s unique open bridge policy allows you to join the ship’s officers on the bridge and to learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures will be offered as well. Meals B,L,D [Note: The daily cruise program outlined here for Dec 10 through 19 is a sample itinerary only - to give you a general sense of the highlights that will unfold on this cruise. The exact course of your sea voyage will be determined by the ship’s Captain and Expedition Leader on a day-by-day basis based upon local conditions. Likewise, the waters you explore and the islands you will actually visit depend upon these same weather and sea conditions. Although we can assure you of a once-in-a-lifetime voyage filled with unforgettable sightings, experiences and encounters, your safety is the paramount concern of the captain and the entire ship’s staff.]

Day 6 - Dec 11, 2012: Continue through the Drake Passage
The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of twenty islands and islets first sighted in February 1819 by Capt. William Smith. With favorable conditions during our crossing of the Drake Passage, our lecturers and naturalists will accompany you ashore as you experience your first encounter with Antarctic penguins and seals today. Meals B,L,D

Day 7 - Dec 12, 2012: Rounding the Peninsula into the Remote Weddell Sea
This is where huge tabular icebergs roam. In some years, the Erebus & Terror Gulf and Weddell Sea are chock-a-block full with ice, making for exciting ice navigation. Get up early and go out on deck. It may be 3:30 h in the morning, but the sunrises will be unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Huge tabular bergs break from the Larsen, Ronne, and Filchner ice shelves and combine with one-year-old and multi-year sea ice to produce a floating, undulating panorama of rugged ice scenery. All-white Snow Petrels are likely to be coursing over the floes, often joined by Pintado Petrels. Meals B,L,D

Day 8 - Dec 13, 2012: The Antarctic Peninsula’s Remote Eastern Coast
The usual passage to the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula traverses the Antarctic Sound, which is 30 miles (48 km) long and 7-12 miles (11-19 km) wide and runs northwest-to-southeast. Hope Bay and the Argentine Station Esperanza, are located on the western side of the Sound. Brown Bluff, a promontory on the Tabarin Peninsula, is located south of Hope Bay. Both of them might be possible landing sites. The Weddell Sea represents the center of the Peninsula’s Adélie Penguin population. Devil Island, Paulet Island and the already mentioned sites, might give us ample proof of this. The numbers of penguins are breathtaking. Sometimes juvenile Emperor Penguins have been sighted, riding ice floes but are by no means regular in the area. Meals B,L,D

Day 9 - Dec 14, 2012: Through the Weddell Sea
This region also teems with vibrant exploration history. The most bizarre of these tales involves the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901-03 under the command of geologist Otto Nordenskjöld. Four visitor sites have links to this expedition: Hope Bay, Paulet Island, Snow Hill Island, and Cape Well-Met on Vega Island. Our expedition staff will be pleased to share their exciting story with you. Nordenskjöld´s expedition was the first to overwinter in the Peninsula. His ship the Antarctic, under the command of the famous Norwegian whaling captain Carl Anton Larsen, was trapped in the ice and sank, but the men survived on different locations and even managed to carry out significant scientific research in the area. Meals B,L,D

Day 10 - Dec 15, 2012: Exploring the Antarctic Peninsula
As we continue along the Antarctic Peninsula’s western coast, you’ll likely experience the thrill and excitement that we imagine the early explorers felt. You will have plenty of time to explore the region’s amazing scenery - a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways and a wide variety of wildlife. Apart from Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins and other seabirds, you are likely to encounter Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals - as well as Minke whales and orcas at close range! Meals B,L,D

Day 11 - Dec 16, 2012: Further along the Peninsula
Depending upon sea and ice conditions, we navigate some of the most beautiful waterways of the Southern Hemisphere: the Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel and the Lemaire Channel – a narrow passage between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers. With good conditions, you’ll make at least two landings per day, always joined by our experienced naturalist staff. Possible landing sites include Paradise Bay, on the Continent itself and one of the most aptly named places on earth, Cuverville Island (home to the biggest Gentoo penguin colony in the region) and the British Museum and Post Office at Port Lockroy. Meals B,L,D

Day 12 - Dec 17, 2012: The South Shetland Islands
Further exploration will lead us to the South Shetland Islands. This volcanic island group is a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries and seals hauling out on the shorelines make our time spent here unforgettable. Sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island is truly amazing - as is visiting the crescent-shaped Half Moon Island, home to Chinstrap Penguins in breathtaking surroundings. There might also be a chance to visit the infamous Elephant Island. Sir Ernest Shackleton fans will need no introduction to this historic windswept island. In 1916 Shackleton was forced to leave 22 of his men stranded on these shores, while he and five others embarked on an unbelievable last-ditch rescue attempt. What followed is one of the greatest rescue stories of all time. Every passenger will return with a greater knowledge of this gripping tale of adventure in a truly remarkable part of the world. Meals B,L,D

Day 13 - Dec 18, 2012: Northward across the Drake Passage
The MV Ushuaia leaves Antarctica and heads north across the Drake Passage. Over the next two days, you can join our naturalists on deck or head up to the bridge with the officers; either way, be sure to keep your senses tuned for seabirds and whales. You can also enjoy our final lectures, a wonderful summary and recap of all that you’ve encountered and learned on this once-in-lifetime voyage. Meals B,L,D

Day 14 - Dec 19, 2012: Cruising toward South America
Lectures, briefings and visits to the bridge continue on this second day navigating northward through the Drake Passage. Meals B,L,D

Day 15 - Dec 20, 2012: Explore Ushuaia and fly to Buenos Aires
Disembark in Ushuaia for a city tour before your included flight to Buenos Aires, where our program ends at the airport. Meals B

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
12/6/2012 - 12/21/2012	$7,999
12/6/2012 - 12/21/2012	$9,399
12/6/2012 - 12/21/2012	$10,599
12/6/2012 - 12/21/2012	$11,099
12/6/2012 - 12/21/2012	$11,699
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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