Voyage to Antarctica

11 nights from £9,238pp commencing Wednesday 20th Jan 2021

Get up close to incredible numbers of penguins, seals and whales, stunning mountain scenery and gigantic icebergs on a trip of a lifetime to the Great White Continent. Aboard our strong, ice-class expedition vessel, the four-star MV Ocean Atlantic, we’ll get as close as possible to the dramatic coastline, full of rocky mountain peaks and immense glaciers breaking off into iceberg-filled bays and fjords. Our shore landings and cruises in sturdy Zodiac dinghies are a highlight and an integral part of the itinerary, enabling all our expedition guests to set foot several times on the Antarctic ...

Itinerary

Map

					Arrive	Depart
	20th20	JanJan	202121	1 night accommodation before your cruise, staying in Ushuaia
	21st21	JanJan	202121	Ushuaia, Argentina, embark on the MV Ocean Atlantic
At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia. It is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southernmost tip of Argentina.Although its stark physical beauty is striking, Tierra del Fuego's historical allure is based more on its mythical past than on rugged reality. The island was inhabited for 6,000 years by Yámana, Haush, Selk'nam, and Alakaluf Indians. But in 1902 Argentina, eager to populate Patagonia to bolster its territorial claims, moved to initiate an Ushuaian penal colony, establishing the permanent settlement of its most southern territories and, by implication, everything in between.When the prison closed in 1947, Ushuaia had a population of about 3,000, made up mainly of former inmates and prison staff. Today the Indians of Darwin's "missing link" theory are long gone—wiped out by diseases brought by settlers and by indifference to their plight—and the 60,000 residents of Ushuaia are hitching their star to tourism.The city rightly (if perhaps too loudly) promotes itself as the southernmost city in the world (Puerto Williams, a few miles south on the Chilean side of the Beagle Channel, is a small town). You can make your way to the tourism office to get your clichéd, but oh-so-necessary, "Southernmost City in the World" passport stamp. Ushuaia feels like a frontier boomtown, at heart still a rugged, weather-beaten fishing village, but exhibiting the frayed edges of a city that quadrupled in size in the '70s and '80s and just keeps growing. Unpaved portions of Ruta 3, the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway, which connects Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, are finally being paved. The summer months (December through March) draw more than 120,000 visitors, and dozens of cruise ships. The city is trying to extend those visits with events like March's Marathon at the End of the World and by increasing the gamut of winter activities buoyed by the excellent snow conditions.A terrific trail winds through the town up to the Martial Glacier, where a ski lift can help cut down a steep kilometer of your journey. The chaotic and contradictory urban landscape includes a handful of luxury hotels amid the concrete of public housing projects. Scores of "sled houses" (wooden shacks) sit precariously on upright piers, ready for speedy displacement to a different site. But there are also many small, picturesque homes with tiny, carefully tended gardens. Many of the newer homes are built in a Swiss-chalet style, reinforcing the idea that this is a town into which tourism has breathed new life. At the same time, the weather-worn pastel colors that dominate the town's landscape remind you that Ushuaia was once just a tiny fishing village, snuggled at the end of the Earth.As you stand on the banks of the Canal Beagle (Beagle Channel) near Ushuaia, the spirit of the farthest corner of the world takes hold. What stands out is the light: at sundown the landscape is cast in a subdued, sensual tone; everything feels closer, softer, and more human in dimension despite the vastness of the setting. The snowcapped mountains reflect the setting sun back onto a stream rolling into the channel, as nearby peaks echo their image—on a windless day—in the still waters.Above the city rise the last mountains of the Andean Cordillera, and just south and west of Ushuaia they finally vanish into the often-stormy sea. Snow whitens the peaks well into summer. Nature is the principal attraction here, with trekking, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife spotting, and sailing among the most rewarding activities, especially in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del Fuego National Park). Wake early and enjoy some magical views over Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel from our hotel, located in a peaceful position on a forested hill above the town. After breakfast, we set off to explore the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Covered in beech forests, lakes and mountains, this is the southernmost National Park in the world and the terminus of the famed Pan-American Highway. In the afternoon, we board our ship, the MV Ocean Atlantic and settle into our cabins. Our journey begins this evening as we navigate through the calm waters of the famous Beagle Channel, with the coastline and mountains of Argentina on one side and Chile on the other.
	22nd22	JanJan	202121	At Sea
	23rd23	JanJan	202121	At Sea
	24th24	JanJan	202121	At Sea
	25th25	JanJan	202121	At Sea
	26th26	JanJan	202121	At Sea
	27th27	JanJan	202121	At Sea
	28th28	JanJan	202121	At Sea
	29th29	JanJan	202121	At Sea
	30th30	JanJan	202121	Ushuaia, Argentina, disembark the MV Ocean Atlantic
At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia. It is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southernmost tip of Argentina.Although its stark physical beauty is striking, Tierra del Fuego's historical allure is based more on its mythical past than on rugged reality. The island was inhabited for 6,000 years by Yámana, Haush, Selk'nam, and Alakaluf Indians. But in 1902 Argentina, eager to populate Patagonia to bolster its territorial claims, moved to initiate an Ushuaian penal colony, establishing the permanent settlement of its most southern territories and, by implication, everything in between.When the prison closed in 1947, Ushuaia had a population of about 3,000, made up mainly of former inmates and prison staff. Today the Indians of Darwin's "missing link" theory are long gone—wiped out by diseases brought by settlers and by indifference to their plight—and the 60,000 residents of Ushuaia are hitching their star to tourism.The city rightly (if perhaps too loudly) promotes itself as the southernmost city in the world (Puerto Williams, a few miles south on the Chilean side of the Beagle Channel, is a small town). You can make your way to the tourism office to get your clichéd, but oh-so-necessary, "Southernmost City in the World" passport stamp. Ushuaia feels like a frontier boomtown, at heart still a rugged, weather-beaten fishing village, but exhibiting the frayed edges of a city that quadrupled in size in the '70s and '80s and just keeps growing. Unpaved portions of Ruta 3, the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway, which connects Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, are finally being paved. The summer months (December through March) draw more than 120,000 visitors, and dozens of cruise ships. The city is trying to extend those visits with events like March's Marathon at the End of the World and by increasing the gamut of winter activities buoyed by the excellent snow conditions.A terrific trail winds through the town up to the Martial Glacier, where a ski lift can help cut down a steep kilometer of your journey. The chaotic and contradictory urban landscape includes a handful of luxury hotels amid the concrete of public housing projects. Scores of "sled houses" (wooden shacks) sit precariously on upright piers, ready for speedy displacement to a different site. But there are also many small, picturesque homes with tiny, carefully tended gardens. Many of the newer homes are built in a Swiss-chalet style, reinforcing the idea that this is a town into which tourism has breathed new life. At the same time, the weather-worn pastel colors that dominate the town's landscape remind you that Ushuaia was once just a tiny fishing village, snuggled at the end of the Earth.As you stand on the banks of the Canal Beagle (Beagle Channel) near Ushuaia, the spirit of the farthest corner of the world takes hold. What stands out is the light: at sundown the landscape is cast in a subdued, sensual tone; everything feels closer, softer, and more human in dimension despite the vastness of the setting. The snowcapped mountains reflect the setting sun back onto a stream rolling into the channel, as nearby peaks echo their image—on a windless day—in the still waters.Above the city rise the last mountains of the Andean Cordillera, and just south and west of Ushuaia they finally vanish into the often-stormy sea. Snow whitens the peaks well into summer. Nature is the principal attraction here, with trekking, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife spotting, and sailing among the most rewarding activities, especially in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del Fuego National Park). This morning we disembark and catch our flight back to Buenos Aires where we stay for one night at the centrally-located four-star 725 Continental Hotel, with breakfast. This evening you may wish to round off your trip with a visit to one of the city’s famed tango shows.
	30th30	JanJan	202121	1 night accommodation following your cruise, staying in Buenos Aires
	31st31	JanJan	202121	Check out of accommodation

MV Ocean Atlantic

Launch Year

1986

Refit Year

2016

Tonnage

12,798

Capacity

198

Cabins

103

Accessible

Magellan Deck

Hudson Deck

Erickson Deck

Marco Polo Deck

Columbus Deck

The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.

Category A

19-24 square metres with a window, a sitting area with sofa bed, bath/shower and twin beds which can be joined together as a double.

All cabins have been recently refurbished with light, colourful carpets and fabrics, and have compact en-suite bathrooms with shampoo dispensers, razor-sockets and hairdryer. There’s a cupboard with hanging and shelf space, a personal safe, TV (onboard channels only) and bedside table.

Category C

Price guides

Grade Code		From	To
C	Outside	£9,738	£9,738

Category D

Price guides

Grade Code		From	To
D	Outside	£9,238	£9,238

Premium Suites

The largest accommodations onboard, with windows, a separate elegant sitting room with sofa bed, larger bathroom and twin beds which can be joined together as a double.

The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.

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Holiday Summary

	Return flights including luggage allowance
	Overseas Transfers
	9 nights aboard the MV Ocean Atlantic
	Return Flights
	Return Overseas Transfers
	Tours with expert guides included
	Services of an experienced tour manager throughout
	Complimentary tea and coffee
	Complimentary Wi-Fi
	Port Taxes and Fees
	ABTA and ATOL Protection*