Antarctic Peninsula with South Shetland Islands

11 days
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4.8/5 Excellent
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Small Ship Cruise
During this tour explore Antarctica and top this off with a visit to the South Shetland Islands by a ship called m/v Ortelius.
From$7,200
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Overview

Trip type
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Enjoy sail across the Drake Passage and see different kinds of Albatrosses
    • See Humpback Whales and Minke Whales
    • Explore South Shetland Islands
    • Watch seabirds while crossing the Drake Passage

What's this trip about?

    During this tour explore Antarctica and top this off with a visit to the South Shetland Islands by a ship called m/v Ortelius.

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Details

Itinerary focusOff the Beaten Path
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityUshuaia
End CityUshuaia

Travel Themes

  • Nature & Wildlife
  • National Parks
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

Activities

Trip includes

    • Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary
    • All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
    • All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
    • Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
    • Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
    • Luggage transfer from pick-up point to the vessel on the day of embarkation, in Ushuaia.
    • Pre-scheduled group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly after disembarkation).
    • All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
    • Comprehensive pre-departure material.

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Itinerary

Day 1: End of the World, Start of a Journey

Your voyage begins where the world drops off: Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego – nicknamed “The End of the World” – and sail the scenic, mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the rest of the evening.

Day 2 - 3: Path of the Polar Explorers

Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you catch a taste of life from the perspective of the polar explorers who first braved these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale blasting up sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – ...

Day 4 - 7: Enter the Antarctic

Gray stone peaks sketched with snow, towers of broken blue-white ice, and dramatically different wildlife below and above. You first pass the snow-capped Melchior Islands and Schollaert Channel, sailing between Brabant and Anvers Islands. Sites you may visit include: ...

Day 8: Scenes of South Shetland

The volcanic islands of the South Shetlands are windswept and often cloaked in mist, but they do offer subtle pleasures: There’s a wide variety of flora (mosses, lichens, flowering grasses) and no small amount of fauna (gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern gi...

Day 9 - 10: Familiar Seas, Familiar Friends

Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

Day 11: There and Back Again

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $7,200
Price per day$655
Last Updated: 7/13/2023

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Oceanwide Expeditions.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Oceanwide Expeditions Reviews & Ratings

4.8/5  Excellent
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Other Oceanwide Expeditions Reviews

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ZGDV

Oct 2024

Written on

A company ghosting customers who have paid tens of thousands of Euros! AVOID!

Horrible horrible customer service! Or should I say non-existent?! As a world traveller, I have encountered all types of crappy, parroting, cookie-cutter, idiotic a...

C

Collin

Jan 2022

Written on

Terrible Customer Service for Cancellations

I booked an Antarctic Peninsula trip two years ago through Oceanwide Expeditions that I have been looking forward to for a long time. My goal is to scuba dive on eve...

B

Bob

Sep 2020

Oceanwide Expeditions Company Reviewsby Oceanwide Expeditions

Seeing Antarctica the Right Way

We dreamed of this trip for 26 years before finally pulling the plug and spending the money. For us it would be a once in a lifetime experience. And it turned out to...

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights
    • Pre- and post- land arrangements.
    • Passport and visa expenses.
    • Government arrival and departure taxes.
    • Meals ashore.
    • Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is mandatory).
    • Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges.
    • The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).

Accommodation

Ship & cabin information
m/v Ortelius
History of Ortelius “Ortelius” was built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989, was named “Marina Svetaeva”, and served as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. The vessel is re-flagged and renamed “Ortelius”. “Ortelius” is classed by Lloyd’s Register in London and flies the Cyprus flag. As Plancius, Ortelius was a Dutch / Flemish cartographer. Abraham Ortelius (1527 – 1598) published the first modern world atlas, theTheatrum Orbis Terrarum or Theatre of the World in 1570. At that time, the atlas was the most expensive book ever printed. Perfect for any expedition The vessel has the highest ice-class notation (UL1 equivalent to 1A) and is therefore very suitable to navigate in solid one-year sea ice and loose multi-year pack ice. “Ortelius” is a great expedition vessel for 116 passengers with lots of open-deck spaces. The vessel is manned by 22 highly experienced international nautical crew, 19 international hotel crew, 8 expedition staff (1 expedition leader, 1 assistant expedition leader and 6 guides/lecturers), and 1 doctor. Ortelius: a vessel with comfort and character ”Ortelius” offers a comfortable hotel standard, with a u-shaped, a bar and a lecture room. Our voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 116 on the “Ortelius”, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities. “Ortelius” carries 10 zodiacs. The zodiac engines are 60hp Yamaha.
Passengers:116 in 53 cabins Staff & crew:50 Length:90.95 meters Breadth:17.20 meters Draft:5.4 meters Ice class:UL1 (Equivalent to 1A) Displacement:4090 tonnes Propulsion:6 ZL 40/48 SULZER Speed:14.5 knots maximum
Cancellation policy

In the case of cancellation by the contracting party, OE is entitled to charge the following cancellation fees to the contracting party:

  • up to and including 90 days prior to departure: 20 % of the total price;
  • from 89 days up to and including 60 days prior to departure: 50 % of the total price;
  • from 59 days up to and including the day of departure: 100 % of the total price .

Other (deviating) cancellation policies / fees (for example in the case of group charters, block charters or whole boat charters) may be applicable; these are valid only if confirmed by OE in writing (in e.g. the original offer made, travel confirmation, (block) charter agreements or in communication sent later) and these cancellation policies shall prevail over those of the cancellation policy

In the case of flight and hotel reservations, a 100 % cancellation fee will apply for those involved costs unless this is a non-refundable ticket / hotel accommodation; in that case the terms and conditions of the related airline company / hotel will apply.

If the contracting party after booking wishes to introduce changes into the booked trip, this is considered a cancellation and the cancellation costs. In case of minor changes, OE is entitled to charge reservation costs of at least 50 EURO per alteration.

OE STRONGLY RECOMMENDS the contracting party in the case of a (travel) organisation: the client(s) of the (travel) organiser to take out a cancellation insurance to cover the costs of any cancellation of the trip

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
[object Object]
Trip ID
oceanw-OTL24-16

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