For expert help planning your Antarctica vacation, call a travel specialist at 1-877-306-5595
| Holiday Antarctica
An 11-Day tour starting from $8,940
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| About This Tour | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Embark on a luxurious expedition to the best far-flung destinations in the world aboard Prince Albert II operated by Silverseas. A frosted wilderness of glistening white as far as the eye can see. Natural ice sculptures like enormous works of avant-garde art. This is the modern explorer’s final frontier. Hear the cries of penguins multiplied by the thousands, watch leopard seals and sea lions perfectly at ease in the company of visitors, feel the unspeakable magnificence of a whale breaching from beneath cold ocean waters. Astounding animal encounters – opportunities found nowhere else on earth. |
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Silversea guests can now sail to all seven continents surrounded by supreme comfort and the delights of endless indulgences
All ocean-view accommodation with private bath—the largest average size accommodation of any expedition ship Superlative service and genuine hospitality Crew to guest ratio of nearly 1 to 1 Fares that include all onboard gratuities Expert naturalists and special guest lecturers Complimentary, hosted adventures ashore: Unearth fascinating dimensions of culture, adventure, history, science and the environment through a diverse collection of complimentary shoreside experiences and distinctive onboard events Travel and interact with leading explorers, notable scholars, renowned authors, photographers and destination aficionados at your side as you learn the nuances of these exotic environments. Gratuities included: All onboard gratuities are included - none are ever expected Complimentary fine wines, champagnes and spirits served throughout the ship Beverage cabinets in cabins stocked by Silverseas...besides the chilled bottle of champagne that awaits you, every accomodations includes a beverage cabinet stockets with your preferred assortment of beverages Complimentary 24-hour room service Complimentary parka (polar voyages) Complimentary backpack Open-seating dining with gourmet menus by Relais & Chateaux Complimentary 24 hour room service: a late-night snack or full breakfast, lunch or dinner delivered at your request with no charge and no tipping Open bridge policy: Weather permitting, visitors are welcome 24 hours a day except when in port Casual Resort attire: No teuxedos or formal evening dress required Ship-wide Internet access and cellular phone service (fee applies) Onboard, savour a convivial cosmopolitan ambience and many special amenities usually found only on larger ships, including a spacious Library with an Internet Café, boutique shopping, a full-service spa, beauty salon, fitness centre, sauna and two top-deck whirlpools. Prince Albert II even features live evening entertainment and The Humidor, where connoisseurs can enjoy the finest cigars and cognacs — diversions offered by no other expedition ship.
This itienrary it designed for complete flexibility with no set schedule, so the Captain can stop as often as desired to spot wildlife & explore desired areas
Weather permitting, on most days, we will make two landing accompanied by lecturers while in the Antarctic Peninsula. 22 Dec 2008 Mon Ushuaia, Argentina 5:00 PM 23 Dec 2008 Tue Drake Passage 24 Dec 2008 Wed Drake Passage 25 Dec 2008 Thu Antarctic Peninsula 7:00 AM 26 Dec 2008 Fri Antarctic Peninsula 27 Dec 2008 Sat Antarctic Peninsula 28 Dec 2008 Sun Antarctic Peninsula 29 Dec 2008 Mon Antarctic Peninsula 30 Dec 2008 Tue Antarctic Peninsula 5:00 PM Depending on weather and ice conditions, we head straight to the Antarctic Circle (66° 33'), with a chance to disembark in Zodiacs to explore this otherworldly scenery firsthand (you may even encounter whales!). Then we'll work our way back up the Antarctic Peninsula, cruising among the islands and into the bays and channels, with Zodiac shore landings as part of the experience whenever possible. Peninsula visits usually include places like the wildlife colonies at Paradise Harbor, Deception Island, and (ice conditions permitting) the fantastically scenic Lemaire Channel, a glacier-lined fjord between sheer mountains. *Deception Island Deception Island is one of the few volcanic calderas in the world that large ships may sail into and anchor. There are numerous anchorages within the caldera such as Whaler's Bay, where we can explore abandoned whaling station ruins, hike up volcanic slopes to view volcanic lakes, and even bathe in steaming thermal waters along the shore if the conditions are right. on the outside of Deception Island is Baily Head, where more than 100,000 chinstrap penguins make their home,sometimes nesting nearly to the top of the crater rim istelf. Because of the steep black sand beach, sea conditions must be just right for safe landings at Bailey Head. *Paradise Bay Its name is appropriate. Here we can make a landing on the continent itself and enjoy panoramic views from the hill and have fun sliding back down. There is also great Zodiac cruising along the cliffs to see nesting seabirds and whales are often seen in the bay. *Orne Harbor A steep climb to the summit of Orne Island, located on the east side of the Gerlache Strait, provides a 360 degree panoramic view of the strait of the surrounding islands and mountains. Some chinstrap penguins nest at the very top! *Cuverville Island A large colony of gentoo penguins is resident on Curverville (a Scott Polar Institute research group monitored the impact of tourism on the penguins for three years; the study ended in February 1995. We can also cruise by Zodiac among the large bergs; we sometimes see humpback whales feeing just offshore, and curious leopard seals check us out in the Zodiacs. *Lemaire Channel A cruise through a breathtaking narrow channel - often chocked with ice - with mountain walls rising thousands of feet straight out of the water (it's nicknamed "Kodak Alley") Minkes, humpbacks and orcas are occasionally spotted and leopard and crabeater seals sometimes frequent the ice floes. *Paulet Island Home to hundreds of thousands of Adelie penguin pairs and their chicks; the site of the remains of the hut Captain Carl Anton Larsen of the Nordenskjold expedition, constructed in 1903 when the party lost its ship, the Antarctic, 25 miltes from the island. Twenty men wintered here, surviving on penguins and seals. 31 Dec 2008 Wed Drake Passage 01 Jan 2009 Thu Drake Passage 02 Jan 2009 Fri Ushuaia, Argentina 8:00 AM
Designed specifically for navigating waters in some of the world’s most remote destinations, including both of earth’s polar regions, the 6,072-ton vessel boasts a strengthened hull with a Lloyd’s Register ice-class notation (1A) for passenger ships. With eight Zodiac boats, her 132 privileged guests can visit even the most off-the-beaten path locations. Experience the thrill of a true expedition aboard Prince Albert II. Venture deep into regions where other vessels cannot go whilst enjoying a privileged lifestyle that is simply second-to-none.
Fares are shown per person, in US Dollars based on double occupancy cruise only. Guests embarking and/or debarking in Ushuaia are requred to purchase Silversea's charter air service between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, and transfers between airport/pier on day of embark/debark
10% Venetian Society savings applies on most sailings Business & economy class airfare available. Silver SKY Air Programme include transfers and charter flight. Adventurer Class include a savings of 25% to 35% off of the published fare. Port charges, government fees and taxes between$100 to $315 per guest are additional. Categories View from $13,065 pp - early booking fare from $9,798 pp Vista Suite from $13,750 pp - early booking fare from $10,312 pp Verandah Suite from $17,190 pp - early booking fare from $12,892 pp Expedition from $22,690 pp - early booking fare from $17,017 pp Medallion Suite from $24,065 pp - early booking fare from $18,048 pp Discoverer from $25,440 pp - early booking fare from $19,080 pp Silver Suite from $28,185 pp - early booking fare from $21,138 pp Grand 1 Suite from $31,625 pp - early booking fare from $23,718 pp Owner's 1 Suite from $32,315 pp - early booking fare from $24,236 pp The savings programme is subject to change and may be withdrawn without notice. Experienced Lecturers: Dr. Brent Stephenson, Ornithologist Building a career from a lifelong passion for birding keeps Dr. Stephenson busy. As does his bird guiding business, which he co-owns. He and his business partner also teamed up and rediscovered the seemingly extinct New Zealand storm petrel, a bird, whose existence has not been documented since the 1800s. When he is not researching the ecology or mysterious birds for National Geographic, he treks across the globe, utilizing his vast birding knowledge to lecture aboard expedition ships. He has birded all over, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, the Americas, the South Pacific and Africa. Dr. Stephenson is also an active conservationist and skilled photographer. His wildlife photographs have been published in books, a variety of periodicals, as well as the web. Dr. Brad Schram, Ornithologist Ever since he was 9 years old, Schram realized his innate love for birding. Upon graduation from high school in 1961, he purchased Peterson’s A Field Guide to Western Birds. Since then, he has gone from enthusiast to career birder, making several contributions to the ornithologic world, including several discoveries in his native Southern California. Schram is an accomplished author of more than seven birding related publications, including the last two editions of the American Birding Association’s A Birder’s Guide to Southern California. He is also known to be a great storyteller, hence the nickname Master of Ceremonies. Schram has birded on all seven continents and led birding expeditions all over the world, including Mexico and an array of South American countries. Stefan Kredel, Geologist An avid cyclist, Kredel enjoys life up close. He has traveled extensively to places like Iceland, Greenland, and the North Pole. Never being an idle tourist, he has cycled throughout Europe; traversed Nepal’s Annapurna Circle; hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, Peru; and explored copper, gold and diamond mines in Austria, Italy, South Africa, and his native Germany. His zealous spirit also led him to a bachelor’s degree in geology/paleontology from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich. Later he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, which today serves as his jumping off point. Kredel continues to pursue his dream via expeditions, where he shares his knowledge and experiences with others along the way. Dr. Susan Langley, Historian As the State Underwater Archeologist, Dr. Langley has spent the past 14 years directing the Maryland Maritime Archaeology Program, where her experience as a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer is quite the asset. Previous to this position, the Canadian spent some time in Thailand teaching underwater archeology. Dr. Langley designed and teaches the pilot Maritime Archaeology online course for Goucher College and teaches traditional archeology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Always the over-achiever, she earned a doctorate, master’s and undergraduate degree in archeology; an additional bachelor’s for fine arts; and a second master’s for law. She is also certified in Heritage Resource Management through the Faculty of Environmental Design at Calgary Dr. Tony Huntley, Biologist What makes terrestrial and marine animals tick? How do they control their breathing while sleeping? What makes up the diving physiology of pinnipeds and marine birds? These are the very types of questions that have fascinated Dr. Huntley for the past three decades. Always the academic, Dr. Huntley earned undergraduate degrees in both biology and chemistry from the University of California, Irvine; a master’s in zoology from California State University at Fullerton; and his doctorate in biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. The 30-year veteran teacher now serves as Co-Chair of Biological Sciences at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, where he was voted distinguished teacher of the year in 1996 Christian Walter, Historian Mr. Walter’s expertise in anthropology, archaeology, art and history, has enabled him to traverse the globe extensively. He has lectured aboard expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as throughout the Pacific. Prior to his expeditionary work, his main interests revolved around Chile, where he conducted field research to compare Easter Island’s petroglyphs with the islands ancient writing system, Rongorongo. Still a passion of his, the Easter Island resident has since 1976, worked to improve the use of the Rapa Nui National Park. Additionally, restoring archaeological sites and artifacts while improving the island’s infrastructure and concepts of tourism are also top of mind for Mr. Walter. In this endeavour, he serves as consultant to Easter Island’s mayor and is vice president of the Easter Island Development Corporation. This Swiss native was raised in Germany where he studied at the Insituto Alemán. He continued his studies in Chile at the Universidad Austral. He has authored several articles, which have been published in Flemish, French, German, Spanish and English. He is a member of the European Society for Oceanists (ESfO). Jón Vidar Sigurdsson — Special Guest Lecturer Mr. Sigurdsson is the Chairman of the editorial board of the Touring Club of Iceland; member of the environmental committee of the Icelandic Alpine Club; and former president of the Icelandic-Greenlandic Association (1998-2002). Since first visiting Greenland in 1982, Mr. Sigurdsson has lead 20 summer and winter expeditions and field tours to the island. He has also led numerous travellers through both Greenland and Iceland. The Greenland enthusiast also organized an open-university course about the island for the University of Iceland. In 2000, Mr. Sigurdsson’s Greenland photo collection was featured in a solo exhibition at the Nordic House Gallery in Reykjavik, Iceland. His work has also been published in magazines, books, and on the Internet. His zeal for the outdoors also fuels his mountain climbing hobby. He has reached the highest peaks on two continents including Russia’s Mt. Elbrus and Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Other climbs were in Iceland, Greenland and Spain. Nancy Mann, Ecologist Getting out of the classroom and into the real world, while still being able to share her considerable knowledge is a passion and a lifestyle for this intrepid explorer. The 27-year veteran biology teacher has taught college courses in biology, ecology, natural history and marine mammal biology. Not the type to sit idly by and get set in her ways, Ms. Mann is always up for a new challenge or adventure. She has worked as a park naturalist, museum curator, and cruise naturalists in the Arctic, Russian Far East, Aleutians, Antarctica, and Polynesia. Plus, she utilized her expertise and experience to consult on the subject of marine mammals for the Kaufman Field Guide to North American Mammals. Ms. Mann has trekked across all seven continents sharing, with fellow travellers, her enthusiasm, passion, and talent for understanding the natural world. And she’s enjoyed every minute of it. Ms. Mann holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in biology and zoology. Richard Harker, Photography Professor Exploring the world and photographing it has become a life’s work and joy for photography professor Richard Harker. For the past three decades, he has photographed everything from emperor penguins to imperial palaces. In the last five years he has spent austral summers documenting the splendour of Antarctica from the peninsula to the Ross Ice Shelf. As for the remainder of the year, he skips around through South America, the South Pacific and the Mediterranean, shooting everything from urban landscapes to wildlife. From large format 19th Century-type cameras to state-of-the-art digital media technology of today, Mr. Harker exemplifies extraordinary talent. His underwater work alone has appeared in more than 100 articles and books about Indo-Pacific and Caribbean coral reefs. He began teaching photography to college students, but his restless spirit could not be harnessed to a college campus. The perfect outlet, he quickly discovered, was teaching photography aboard expedition ships. From uncultivated natural terrain to breathtaking landscapes, Mr. Harker explains the nuances of photographic challenges in a myriad of diverse environments. Claudia Holgate, Environmental Lecturer Dr. Holgate has an uncanny knack to view the world, and all that is in it, as her personal project grounds. She is dedicated, to the point of what can only be explained as an inherent moral commitment, toward making our planet the best it can be. As an environmental management professional with a background in project management, she runs a consultancy in South Africa. She also teaches a myriad of courses on the subject and serves as an honorary research associate in geosciences at Monash University in Australia. Dr. Holgate holds a master’s degree in environmental science and is completing her doctorate on climate change. The South African resident is also pursuing a second master’s degree in wildlife management. Additional credentials include: work at all levels of government; a variety of environmental projects for the United Nations and the World Conservation Union of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Always finding time for life’s most important activities, Dr. Holgate trains underprivileged children as bird field guides; works as a volunteer paramedic; and is actively involved in Soroptimists International (an international philanthropic organization of successful women who provide guidance and support to other women and girls). Jon Bowermaster — Special Guest Lecturer Adventurer extraordinaire, author, and filmmaker, Mr. Bowermaster seems to find the most remote and exotic areas to descend upon, many in South America. An ardent kayaker, Bowermaster has spent more than 20 years exploring, researching, and documenting regions all over the world, including a concentration in South America, via his relationship with National Geographic’s Expeditions Council and the New York Times. In 1999 Mr. Bowermaster embarked on his Oceans 8 project, which is designed to explore, via kayak, fascinating places of the world that are rarely seen. To date, this project has taken him to the Aleutian Islands, Vietnam, French Polynesia, South America’s Altiplano, the Antarctic Peninsula and the wild coasts of Gabon, Croatia and Tasmania. His avid interests in history and indigenous cultures means his research is mostly to show how the world works and what the early 21st Century map actually looks like. Although, he admits, adventure travel simply for the sake of the adventure is a perfectly rewarding and satisfying goal! Dr. Toby Musgrave, Naturalist A leading British authority on garden history and design, Dr. Musgrave lectures far and wide to students of garden history and design at Oxford University, the Royal Horticultural Society, aboard expedition cruises and throughout the United States. With a degree in horticulture and a doctorate in garden history, Dr. Musgrave has worked as a freelance television and radio presenter, consultant, author, journalist, photographer, designer, and lecturer for the past 13 years. He has served as a horticultural consultant for the award-winning BBC landmark series, How to be a Gardener. He also wrote the horticultural web content for that series, which was later nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) educational award. Other credentials include: working as an on-screen presenter for numerous British television shows; creating and contributing to a six-part radio series, The British Garden; and hosting a DVD series, Your First Garden Made Easy. Dr. Musgrave regularly contributes to a number of popular Danish and British periodicals, including a weekly syndicated gardening column. He has also penned six gardening books in English, and his first Danish book was just published last year. His worldwide horticultural design projects range from a spiritual retreat in upstate New York, to pioneering town garden in London, to a seaside garden in Denmark, and to a roof garden in Bombay. Juan Jose Apéstegui, Naturalist JJ, as he is better known, began his career in the hotel industry after receiving his bachelor’s degree in business administration from UACA (Universidad Autónoma De Centroamerica) in San José, Costa Rica. However, it wasn’t long before his love of nature took over and he began training at the University of Costa Rica and later the National Apprenticeship Institute, San José, where he earned a natural history guide license. JJ speaks five languages (Spanish, English, French, Italian, and Portuguese). With 20 years of experience under his belt, he is now well versed in rainforest ecology, camouflaging of tropical insects, reptile and amphibian activity, birding, coral reef ecosystems, as well as climate, natural history and animal study of the Arctic/Antarctic regions. Ignacio Rojas, General Naturalist Bringing awareness about some of the planet’s last untamed and remote regions is a lifelong passion of this Brazilian. Soon after earning his bachelor’s in biology from the University of Saõ Paulo, Brazil, he began sharing with other enthusiasts his knowledge and travel experiences to the far reaches of the world. Mr. Rojas is quite skilled in the ecology field through his work with INPA (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia), the Brazilian National Institute for Research in the Amazon. The renowned tropical expert has served as naturalist, Zodiac driver and Expedition Leader on multiple excursions for the past 16 years. His voyages have taken him to the Amazon, Antarctica, South Georgia, the Falklands, and the remote sub-Antarctic islands of Australia and New Zealand. Andrew Marshall This Kiwi has skippered dolphin swimming and whale watching vessels in New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest and has expedition cruise experience in Greenland, Antarctica, and the South Pacific. Mr. Marshall’s extensive education includes a bachelor’s degree in zoology and ecology, a postgraduate diploma in tourism management and marine mammals, as well as natural history filmmaking and communications. He is also in the process of completing his master’s thesis. He currently serves as a member of the Royal New Zealand Navy Reserves. The internationally acclaimed wildlife filmmaker has had a strong connection with the ocean since he was a child. His other interests include diving, surfing, sailing, and snowboarding. Mr. Marshall is keen to share both his acquired and practical knowledge, the latter of which can be anything from how to place an eye splice in the jackstay to getting the best shots out of your digital camera. Dr. Howard Falcon-Lang, Geologists and Climatologist A professor of palaeontology at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, Dr. Howard teaches both graduate and undergraduate-level classes in geology, earth history, palaeontology and climatology. He is a specialist in the history of life and the evolution of plants, in particular. The author of more than 70 scientific papers, Howard’s main research interests concern the first rainforests to appear on our planet in the Carboniferous “Coal Age” some 300 million years ago. He is regularly interviewed on TV and radio in Europe and North America and is currently making a documentary with Discovery Channel. He holds a BS degree in geological sciences from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom; a PhD from the University of London; and earned his post-doctorate degree with the British Antarctic Survey. Juan Carlos Restrepo, Geologist & General Naturalist Spending half of the year in Antarctic and the other in the Arctic might make Mr. Restrepo seem a little “bi-polar”, but only in the most literal sense. With a geology degree from the Universidad de Caldas in Columbia, and a thesis relating to coastal geomorphology (the study of land and rock characteristics, configurations and their evolution), it is no wonder he is an avid traveller. As a matter of fact, traversing the globe is pretty much a lifestyle for this Columbian native. Once he left the coffee-growing town of Manizales in the Columbian Andes, he was initiated into the boating world and never looked back. In addition to his polar expeditions, his travels via sailing vessels and motorcycle have transported him to the West Indies, the Mayan Caribbean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. |
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| Note: All prices are per person, double occupancy, subject to availability. These pages are not endorsed or supported by the tour operator in any way. All information presented is based on promotional material provided by the tour operator. All prices, itineraries, accommodations and dates are subject to change without notice and at any time by the tour operators. Availability is limited and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. The prices on this website are not guaranteed. We are not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes in pricing. Please call us toll free at 1-800-942-3301 to confirm availability and pricing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||