Visit Antarctica and South Africa with Seabourn

Seabourn have two cruises visiting South Africa and Antarctica later on this year.

21-day Ultimate Antarctica and Patagonia sailing 

Join Seabourn Quest on a 21-day Antarctica and Patagonia cruise-only from £6,299 per person (based on two people sharing a Veranda Suite). Price includes a 21-day cruise departing from Buenos Aires and calling at Montevideo, Stanley, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, the Chilean Fjords, Castro, Puerto Montt and Valparaiso.  Price is based on 29 November departure. 

  

14-day South Africa Christmas sailing 

Join Seabourn Sojourn (above) on a 14-day South Africa Christmas cruise-only from £4,499 per person (based on two people sharing a Veranda Suite). Price includes a 14-day cruise departing from Cape Town and calling at Port Elizabeth, Durban, Richards Bay, Maputo, East London and Mossel Bay before arriving back into Cape Town.  Price is based on 21 December departure.

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One Ocean Offers Scientific Whale-Watching

Getting up close and personal with the wildlife, culture and scenery on any cruise is something we are really passionate about here at World of Cruising, hence anything that promotes these activities gets our seal of approval.

 

And this is definitely the case with the latest opportunity from One Ocean Expeditions, who will feature marine and conservation expert Dr Ari Friedlaender on board the Akademik Sergey Vavilov to discover how whales behave in the icy waters of Antarctica this spring.

Specialists in small-ship cruise adventures One Ocean is offering a truly unique opportunity to join a 10-night Antarctic trip to study humpback, minke and killer whales, departing from Ushuaia on March 16.

Participants on this special departure will learn how to document whale numbers, help to conduct photo surveys, determine movement patterns of marine mammals and identify individual animals. They will also be able to locate and document the behaviour of whales previously fitted with satellite tracking devices.

The Marine Mammals voyage will be accompanied by Dr Friedlaender, a Research Scientist at Duke University, who has been to the Antarctic nearly 20 times on scientific voyages.

Accommodation for the trip is on board the impressive ice-strengthened ship, which has been designed for Polar research, with the comfort and safety of passengers its number one priority.

It offers a separate bar and lounge area, dining room (with exceptionally fine food), and a library, plus a theatre-style presentation room, gift-shop, fitness room, massage room, hot water spa, sauna and salt water plunge pool.

The 10-night voyage includes all meals and accommodation, plus Zodiac excursions and landings, ship transfers, foul weather gear and overnight camping. Prices start from $6,290pp based on triple share, while twin accommodation begins at $8,590pp. Suites range from $10,090 to $11,190.

More Info: call 0117 9658 333 or visit www.oneoceanexpeditions.com.

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Try Camping - in Antarctica!

If our picture (above) looks a little bleak, don't let that put you off - because it represents a unique opportunity in the cruise world to go camping in one of the most pristine places on the planet.

 

We know here at World of Cruising that our readers are a pretty adventurous bunch, hence we thought the idea of spending a night with thousands of penguins would have significant appeal. This is Paulet Island in Antarctica, and it is a truly amazing place.

And, next winter, adventure cruise specialists Hurtigruten have added an extraordinary new excursion that will allow guests to pitch tents and spend a night like no other, camping in this unworldly terrain. This excursion is for true adventure seekers who want to indulge their spirit of discovery. In a small group of no more than 15, they will be taken ashore to set up camp and spend the night, equipped with outdoor equipment specially tailored to the region, including warm winter sleeping bags and expedition tents.

 

Even more importantly, Hurtigruten is now offering this 13-day “Land of the Penguins” voyage departing from Ushuaia, Argentina, on November 19, 2014, from just £5,699 per person (for an inside cabin). Flights and one night in a hotel before and after the voyage costs from £1,750 per person, while the unique camping excursion costs approximately £330 per person (payable locally).

More info: call 020 3582 6642 or visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk.

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Chimu's Antarctic Adventures

Specialist Antarctica and Latin America tour operator Chimu Adventures have released their new dedicated Antarctica brochure, including sailings from Ushuaia, Hobart and Bluff, as well as fly-cruise departures from Punta Arenas. These wonderful voyages take in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the South Shetland Islands, the Antarctic Peninsula, mainland Antarctica and East Antarctica.

The brochure contains numerous trips from South America including Classic Antarctica,Quest for the Antarctic Circle, Falklands and South Georgia and the Weddell Sea Quest, along with Mawson’s Antarctica and Southern Ocean Safari from New Zealand.  

To add to the experience of the white continent, there are numerous excursions available. Clients can take excursions ashore, sea kayak, ski, dive, mountaineer and even camp. Additionally, there are a host of alternative adventure options available, including discovering the South Pole on a ski craft, exploring an Emperor Penguin rookery and expeditions from the remote Union Glacier Camp.

A 9-night Classic Antarctica cruise with Chimu Adventures costs from £2,800 per person.

More info: visit http://www.chimuadventures.com/country/antarctica

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Head For The 'Land Of The Penguins'

Captivated by BBC1’s Spy In The Huddle documentary following penguins and their incredible journeys? Want to see penguins for yourself in Antarctica? A voyage with Hurtigruten to the planet’s last untouched continent allows just that, as the destination is home to millions of penguins. 

There are landings at penguin colonies and the chance to get up close and personal with these interesting creatures. A 10-day ‘Land of the Penguins’ voyage on January 4 or 13, 2014, costs from £4,089pp, including nine nights full board on specialist expedition ship MS Fram, return flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, all transfers and landings. 

International flights and hotels in Buenos Aires are extra and packages cost from £1,692pp. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists.

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Cruise Cowards?

Silversea Cruises is the latest line to pull out of cruise calls to the Falkland Islands following threats of intimidation at Argentine ports.

They join a list of companies, including Holland America, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania Cruises and German Aida Cruises who have all cancelled Falklands visits after being told their "safety" couldn't be guaranteed at the likes of Ushuaia and Buenos Aires if they also called at Port Stanley.

Excuse me? The safety of ships visiting Argentinean ports can't be guaranteed, so you cancel calls to the Falklands?

Doesn't that sound totally twisted in terms of logic? Moral cowardice, even?

If Argentina can't guarantee ship safety at their ports (and somehow makes it a Falklands issue), isn't the answer not to go to Argentina? Exactly like P&O Cruises announced, by cancelling their visits to Argentina.

It's perfectly feasible for ships to miss the likes of Ushuaia and Buenos Aires and instead call at Punta Arenas (Chile), Montevideo (Uruguay), South Georgia and Port Stanley. If they want to.

Why in the name of all that's sane would you go to the "unsafe" ports and cut out the ones that still welcome cruise ships and go out of their way to accommodate them? Isn't that just giving in to a bully?

Silversea's UK general manager, Mike Bonner, in the ultimate example of Orwellian double-speak, insisted: "Due to ongoing political uncertainty, Silversea has taken the decision to cancel scheduled calls at Port Stanley for voyages departing in the coming weeks. These voyages will now include alternate ports of call and, where possible, guests will be notified prior to embarkation. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by these schedule changes. The safety of our crew and passengers remains our foremost concern.”

So, "political uncertainty" in Argentina means you still go there? Really? In the same way that, for example, political uncertainty in Egypt means cruise lines cancelling calls to Alexandria. Do you see a difference?

Come on, Mike. That is absolute baloney and you know it. The cruise lines may think they need Argentina, but that is definitely not the case. And, if you tell your customers the real story, I'm sure the majority will back you up.

Boycott Argentina - NOT the Falklands.

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Hurtigruten Launches Camping In Antarctica.

Ever wonder what it’s like to camp in an expedition tent on the frozen landscapes of Antarctica? Dreamed of following in the footsteps of great explorers such as Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott and sleeping on the ice? This winter, Hurtigruten has made possible with an extraordinary new excursion that allows guests on its Antarctica voyages to pitch tents and spend a night like no other.
 

The excursion is for true adventure seekers who want to indulge their spirit of discovery. In a small group of no more than 15, guests leave the ship behind and are taken ashore where they will set up camp and spend the night, equipped with outdoor equipment specially tailored to the  region, including warm winter sleeping bags and expedition tents. Each tent sleeps two people, making this a once-in-a-lifetime experience for couples and friends alike.
 

The special trip was developed in collaboration with the Norwegian Polar Institute, in order to guarantee the safety of the guests and the protection of the sensitive local environment. All guests will receive a full briefing before going ashore for the night and all the necessary equipment for the excursion is provided on board Hurtigruten’s expedition ship MS Fram, with two members of the ship's expedition team escorting the group.
 

After spending the night on the white continent, the group will head back to the ship for a leisurely breakfast. The exact location and day of the camping adventure during the voyage will be determined by the expedition team, depending on the weather and land conditions. This excursion can only be booked on board during an Antarctica voyage and costs from £330pp.

CLASSIC EXPEDITION VOYAGE – from £3,295pp:

Explore the planet’s last untouched continent on one of the most advanced expedition ships ever built. The voyage through the Drake Passage is during Antarctica’s summer, with its incredible wildlife, including seals, penguins and whales, on full view. The10-day itinerary includes full board on the ship, local charter flights to Ushuaia and lectures. Flight packages from the UK to Buenos Aires are extra and cost from £1,392pp, including transfers and two night’s B&B accommodation in Buenos Aires pre and post-voyage. Departs Ushuaia February 13.

A voyage on November 22, as per above, costs from £3,898pp, with flight packages from £1,692pp.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists.

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Hapag-Lloyd's Antarctica

Antarctica is classed among the most sensitive ecosystems in the world and is under special ecological protection. The Hapag-Lloyd Cruises expedition ships Hanseatic and Bremen have been using the more environmentally compatible diesel oil in the polar regions for years and long before a corresponding law entered into force in the year 2011. 

Beyond this, a code of conduct for Antarctica stipulates behavioural guidelines for visitors. These include that visitors are required to protect sensitive mosses, lichens and grasses and respect a safe distance to animals, for instance five metres in the case of penguins. These rules are communicated by experienced lecturers on board and in the context of time spent ashore.

Expedition Highlights in Antarctica:

• Zodiac tour in Paradise Bay and setting foot on the Antarctic mainland
• Landings in colonies with hundreds of thousands of penguins on South Georgia
• Bathing in the hot springs of Deception Island
• Whale watching
• Cruising through the pack ice and to huge table icebergs
• Sailing though the Lemaire and the Neumayer Channel
• Visit to a scientific station
• Landing at Cape Horn

Cruise Example: Expedition Semi Circumnavigation Antarctica with the Hanseatic from Ushuaia/Argentina to Bluff/New Zealand, 25.1.2014 – 21.2.2014, 26 days, from $20,550 per person cruise-only, including charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists. 

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Meet Shackleton & Scott With Quark Expeditions

Quark Expeditions, the leader in polar adventures, has announced Jonathan Shackleton (cousin of Sir Ernest Shackleton) and Falcon Scott (grandson of Robert Falcon Scott) will be guest lecturers aboard their 11-day Antarctic Explorer voyage, departing February 9 from Ushuaia, Argentina.

Shackleton and Scott will join the voyage as part of a unique Expert-in-Residence programme available exclusively aboard the Ocean Diamond featuring noted scientists, photographers and historians, renowned for their expertise in the Polar Regions. Their lectures will add additional insight to the voyage and will afford passengers the opportunity to experience the expedition with them in an intimate and conversational environment as well as within the context of the lecture theatre.

Jonathan Shackleton is a leading expert on the life and achievements of Ernest Shackleton and is author of Shackleton: An Irishman in Antarctica and The Shackletons of Ballitore (1580-1987). Falcon Scott maintains a long-time interest in the Antarctic and his grandfather's expeditions, and recently spent more than a month in Antarctica working with New Zealand’s Antarctic Heritage Trust as a restoration carpenter to weather-proof his grandfather’s famous expedition base hut.

Antarctic Explorer: Discovering the 7th Continent – 11 days from £5,370 for a twin cabin. Quark is currently offering a special promotion on this voyage: book one passenger and the second saves 50% on this voyage or any Quark 2012/13 Antarctic voyage if reserved by November 30. 

For more info on Antarctica cruises, follow this link The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists.

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Cruise To Save The Albatross

BirdLife International has joined forces with artist, writer and printmaker Bruce Pearson in a bid to Save The Albatross in the Southern Ocean, which is under serious threat of extinction. As part of their collaboration, The Troubled Waters art exhibition, which follows Pearson’s journey trailing the albatross Across Antarctica, will be held from November 26 to December 1 at the Artspace Galleries in Maddox Street, London.

Sponsored by One Ocean Expeditions, a specialist in nature-based adventure cruises with a strong sense of ecological preservation and conservation, the event aims to bring these magnificent birds into the reach of visitors through powerful visual works of art that depict life at sea.

The Troubled Waters exhibition aims to facilitate the work of Birdlife International alongside fishermen onboard long-line and trawl vessels in a bid to reduce the damage done to the albatross at the hands of the fishing industry. According to the conservation organisation, an estimated 100,000 albatrosses are being killed each year due to long-line fishing – that’s one every five minutes.

For those interested in the opportunity to visit one of the world’s last remote wildernesses, and to witness first hand the wandering, black browed, grey headed and light mantled sooty albatross, One Ocean Expeditions is offering an extensive 18-night wildlife expedition on November 22.

Bruce Pearson will be the ‘artist in residence’ on this voyage to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, during which he will give presentations and hold drawing and painting workshops both on board and ashore.

Accommodation is on the impressive ice-strengthened ship, Akademik Sergey Vavilov, which has been designed for Polar research and has the comfort and safety of passengers as its first priority. Features include a massage room, hot water spa, sauna, salt water plunge pool, plus bar, lounge, dining room, library and theatre-style presentation room.

The adventure cruise departs from Ushuaia in Argentina, and prices start from $12,190 per person on a twin share basis and from $10,900pp for a triple share cabin. This includes all meals and accommodation plus Zodiac excursions and landings, special hiking programmes, ship transfers, foul weather gear and overnight camping.

For more adventure-cruise ideas, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, and for more on BirdLife International, visit www.birdlife.org.

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Voyages Of Discovery's Latin American Odyssey

Discover Latin America’s diverse mix of culture, history and stunning landscapes with Voyages of Discovery’s New Year sailings on their boutique ship Voyager.

The 21-day 'Tapestry of Central America' voyage visits the white sands of Montego Bay (Jamaica), the Mexican Mayan ruins at Progreso (Mexico) and the tropical Costa Rican jungle.

The cruise costs from £2,499 per person and departs from Montego Bay on January 4, also calling at Belize City (Belize), Puerto Cortes (Honduras), Puerto Limon (Costa Rica), Cartagena (Colombia), San Blas Islands (Panama), a transit of the Panama Canal, Balboa (Panama) and then Manta and Quito (Ecuador).

Alternatively, guests can join the 22-day 'Natural Wonders of Latin America' cruise, from £2,399 per person, to marvel at the glacier-capped mountains of the Chilean Fjords and take in the historic past of Port Stanley (Falkland Islands) before arriving in the world famous cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires (Argentina).

The voyage departs from Valparaiso (Chile) on February 5 and also calls at Puerto Montt and Puerto Chacabuco (Chile), Ushuaia (Argentina), and  Puerto Madryn (Argentina) and Buenos Aires (Argentina)-overnight.

Prices include return flights from a major UK airport, transfers, all on board gratuities, service charges and relevant port/airport taxes, a comprehensive Guest Speaker programme and all meals and entertainment on board. Cabins will not be allocated at the time of booking with the fares quoted above.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists.

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Silversea's Expedition Adventures

Adventure-seeking travellers with discerning tastes will be thrilled to discover that Silversea's Expeditions programme offers a range of cruises that are just as exhilarating as they are luxurious, taking in the wonders of Antarctica and the lure of Africa alike. 

Take a look at this small selection for their winter 2012/13 season:

USHUAIA-USHUAIA : Marvel at spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, set foot on the continent of Antarctica and encounter gentoo, chinstrap and Adelie penguins. Watch for whales (humpback, Minke, orca, pilot and beaked) and identify seabirds, including Antarctic cormorant, kelp gull, Antarctic tern and cape petrels.

Silversea’s Silver Explorer sets sail December 3 on a 10-day round-trip voyage from Ushuaia in Argentina. Prices start at £5,399 per person, based on double occupancy in adventurer class. It is also available on voyages departing Jan 21 and 31 and Feb 10 and 20.

USHUAIA-CAPE TOWN: Follow in the footsteps of great Antarctic explorers, see snow-covered mountains, mighty glaciers and spectacular icebergs. Watch for sea lions, seals, dolphins and whales and identify seabirds including albatross, shearwaters and petrels. Visit the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world and marvel at the dramatic views from South Africa’s Cape Point.

Silver Explorer sets sail on March 2 on a 22-day voyage from Ushuaia, Argentine, to Cape Town, South Africa. Prices start at £6,399 per person, based on double occupancy in adventurer class. 

ACCRA TO DAKAR : Visit a traditional Ewa village and school, Learn of the voodoo culture and contemplate the solemn history of slave trade sites. Admire the fishing skills of the Tofinu people, explore the seldom-visited Bijagos Archipelago and identify rare endemic bird species and wild monkeys.

Silver Explorer sets sail on April 11 on a 12-day voyage from Accra, Ghana, to Dakar in Senegal. Prices start from £4,299, based on double occupancy in adventurer class. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists.

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Antarctic Whale Watching

One Ocean Expeditions has developed a new marine mammals itinerary for this coming season that offers a unique opportunity to join an Antarctic expedition to study humpback, Minke and killer whales.

The 10-day trip, embarking in Ushuaia on the March 16, will be accompanied by Dr Ari Friedlaender, a research scientist at Duke University, who has been to the Antarctic nearly 20 times on scientific voyages and whose work focuses on the feeding behaviour and movement patterns of marine mammals around the world.

Dr Friedlander, who is actively studying how climate change and global warming are affecting whales and other krill predators, is currently leading a project to track the long-term movement patterns of humpback whales around the Antarctic Peninsula to understand how they are being affected by changes to their environment.

Humpbacks are the most abundant whales around the Peninsula and there is growing evidence that, while many migrate to tropical breeding grounds, some remain in ice-free areas for longer periods due to warming climates. One Ocean will survey several bays that are the focus of long-term research projects to determine how the abundance of humpbacks changes throughout the course of the Antarctic summer.

Participants will learn how to record whale numbers, help to conduct photo surveys, determine movement patterns and identify individual animals. They will also locate and document behaviour of whales that have previously been fitted with satellite tracking devices.

Els Vermeulen, international marine consultant and founder of the Marybio Foundation, which aims to contribute to the conservation of marine mammals in Argentinean Patagonia, will also join the voyage. He is scientific advisor to the Belgian delegation in the International Whaling Commissio, and is the perfect companion to have on board during this special interest expedition.    

NB: Photo, Marius Coetzee.

For more on adventure cruising, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's cruise specialists. For One Ocean, see www.oneoceanexpeditions.com.

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Hurtigruten's Weddell Sea Savings

Hurtigruten is offering savings of more than £1,400 per person for a very special departure to Antarctica this January, following in the footsteps of polar explorer James Weddell, the first man to reach 74 degrees south, on the aptly named 'Weddell Sea Expedition.'

This amazing 13-day voyage around the spectacular Antarctic Peninsular departs on January 20 with prices leading in at just £4,285pp, based on two sharing an unspecified inside cabin allocated on arrival, and full board on the ship.

Captain James Weddell discovered the Weddell Sea in 1823 and it was also here that Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance, became icebound and was crushed in 1915. Guests will sail in comfort on board MS Fram, Hurtigruten’s newest ship built specifically to sail through polar waters. The voyage promises unforgettable viewings of tabular icebergs through the Antarctic Sound, and guests can get closer to the fascinating penguin colonies and ice formations on shore in a series of landings by Polarcirkel boats.

Prices include full board on the ship, flights between Ushuaia and Buenos Aires, transfers in Ushuaia, an excursion to Ushuaia National Park, landings in Polarcirkel boats and lectures by the expedition team. International flights are extra and can be added from £1,392pp.

For bookings, follow this link to the The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's adventure cruise specialists.

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Antarctic Savings With Hurtigruten

Home to some of the world’s most spectacular scenery and incredible wildlife, a visit to the White Continent is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Now destination specialist Hurtigruten has made it even easier to follow in the footsteps of the famous explorers who have roamed this land, with savings of over £1,000pp on selected departures to Antarctica this winter.  

The offer is available on the ‘Classic Expedition’ voyage on selected dates in November 2012 through to February 2013, with prices starting at just £3,295pp. Bookings can be made any time from now until departure. 

All voyages take place on board MS Fram, Hurtigruten’s newest expedition ship built specifically to sail in polar waters. Guests can sit back and relax as the ship glides through this amazing white landscape or enjoy a series of onboard lectures by experts on the region. Polarcirkel boats are used to take guests ashore and closer to penguin colonies, ice formations and the wonders of Antarctica.

The Classic Expedition – from £3,295pp (was £4,304pp):

Available on 29 November, 8 December and 13 February, 2013, this spectacular 10-day voyage offers a real insight into the planet’s last untouched continent. Prices start from £3,295pp for an inside cabin and include full board on the ship, flights between Ushuaia and Buenos Aires, transfers in Ushuaia, landings in Polarcirkel boats and lectures by the expedition team (based on two sharing).

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's leading luxury adventure-cruise cruise specialists.

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Historic Day For Silver Explorer

Silversea Cruises are proud to announce their Silver Explorer and its Expedition Team accomplished a first in the ship’s history late last month, landing guests at Point Wild, Elephant Island – the location where survivors of the Shackleton Expedition lived under two lifeboats for more than four months while hoping for rescue.

After attempting to take guests to Elephant Island for nearly 10 years, Silver Explorer’s Captain Alexander Golubev was able to tuck the ship into a small and slightly sheltered bay just to the West of Point Wild, due to good weather conditions. Explorer’s unstructured itinerary to ‘Cruise and Explore the Antarctic Peninsula’ allows the Captain and the Silversea team to determine the exact itinerary as the voyage progresses, as conditions can vary so much in the Polar regions. 

Both guests and crew can take full advantage of the available conditions to explore as many sights and make as many zodiac excursions and landings as possible, and this was especially true in the case of Point Wild.

Guests can also combine true expedition cruising with an elegant onboard lifestyle with Silversea Expeditions. Offering two 10-day trips from £6,339 per person, on an all-inclusive basis, voyage 7226 departs December 3 and voyage 7227 departs December 13 from Ushuaia. Silver Explorer departs from the Argentine port and cruises through the Drake Passage and then the Antarctic Peninsula, before returning to Ushuaia. Price is per person, based on two people sharing a View Suite and includes all shore excursions, port charges, government fees and taxes. Economy flights are available from £2,299 per person.

Fares for voyages embarking/disembarking Ushuaia include economy class charter air service between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, plus transfers between Ushuaia airport and pier, on day of embarkation and disembarkation.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

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G Adventures New Antarctic Cruises

Marking 100 years since Captain Scott voyaged to the Antarctic, 2012 is the perfect year to take a G Adventures cruise aboard the M/S Expedition to celebrate one of the world’s greatest historic expeditions.

G Adventures is offering 10% discounts on a range of Antarctic expeditions for bold travellers looking to explore this region during the cruise season (November to March). Tours must be booked by 30 November 2011 for the 2012/13 Antarctic tours departing between 7 November 2012 and 9 March 2013.

For travellers who don’t want to wait, there are still places available on selected 2011/12 departures, including the Spirit of Shackleton tour. Suitable for history fans, the voyage focuses on the adventurers and legends formed out of the ‘Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration’. The tour’s namesake, Sir Edmund Shackleton, was actually a third officer on Captain Scott’s first quest to Antarctica in 1901, making this journey a pilgrimage for travellers enticed to Antarctica by the dramatic history of its discovery.

Spirit of Shackleton. Trip code: XVSHSX; Price: From £7,189 per person; Duration: 20 days. Next available departure: 11 January, 2012

This journey takes intrepid travellers to some of the world’s most remote wilderness including the South Georgia Islands, Falkland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. Visiting historic sites of past explorers, including Sir Ernest Shackleton’s final resting place, this adventure illuminates many of the courageous legends from what is known as the ‘Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration’. There is extraordinary scenery and an abundance of diverse wildlife, including vast penguin rookeries, seal colonies and whale pods.

The 20-day adventure includes 18 nights aboard the Expedition with all meals, one night hotel accommodation in Ushuaia and Ushuaia airport transfer (depending on flight departure details), Zodiac cruises and shore landings with expert expedition team, lecture and educational programs, waterproof boots and Antarctica destination guidebook, Canada Goose expedition jacket for each guest who pays for a Category 5 Suite and expert G Adventures Expedition Guide throughout.

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Sail to the Falklands - And Save With Lindblad Expeditions

Enjoy the unspoiled landscapes and myriad wildlife of the Falkland Islands with Lindblad Expeditions as part of their 24-day journey aboard the National Geographic Explorer - and save money.

Passengers booking the cruise will now receive a £1,230 discount per person on their expedition and a complimentary charter flight between Ushuaia and Buenos Aires. To top it all off, the package also includes two free nights in Buenos Aires.

The expedition starts in Buenos Aires on October 18 and includes a two-day stop in the Falkland Islands. An archipelago comprised of more than 700 individual islands, the Falklands are home to the largest Black-browed albatross colony in the world, thousands of gentoo, rockhopper and Magellanic penguins and herds of sea lions and elephant seals.

In addition to getting up close with the wildlife, passengers will also have the opportunity to go ashore and experience the capital of the Falklands – Stanley – within easy reach of white sandy beaches, relax in one of the local pubs, or learn about the history of this port city.

The itinerary includes a stop at South Georgia Island as well as Peninsula Valdes, which is the main breeding site for the endangered southern wright whales that concentrate in the area to give birth and find mates.

National Geographic Explorer is one of the most technologically advanced expedition ships in the world. Her reinforced ice belt makes it possible to navigate polar passages while also providing exceptional comfort. It also carries 36 kayaks and a fleet of Zodiac landing craft that allow passengers to get up close and experience the region firsthand.

While aboard the ship, guests will enjoy international cuisine with a local flair as well as a host of amenities, including a fitness centre and spa. There are also numerous lectures led by specialists so passengers can learn about the region and its unique wildlife, and every voyage is accompanied by a National Geographic photographer. This voyage will include award-winning filmmaker Keenan Smart, Executive Producer of National Geographic’s “Great Migration” series.

The 24-day journey starts from £8,375 per person, based on two adults sharing, but does not include international flights. For more info, visit www.expeditions.com or contact he UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Flying to Antarctica

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Here's a rare opportunity for an Antarctica fly-cruise - the boutique little Antarctic Dream will operate for some high-season dates in 2011-12 with passengers flying across Drake's Passage once and navigating it the other way. Flights are to or from Punta Arenas in Chile while the sailing is between Ushuaia, the world's southern-most city, and the Antarctic peninsula.

Their carefully planned itineraries offer an entirely different type of adventure cruise (you can even kayak, if you like); one where you’ll be introduced to the Great White Continent and its seldom-seen wildlife whilst travelling on a luxury expedition cruise vessel guided by one of the most experienced teams sailing the region.

Check out Antarctic Dream or www.cruiseline.co.uk/Antarctic-Dream-Cruises for more information.

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2011 the ‘Year of Nansen and Amundsen’

The Norwegian Government has declared 2011 the ‘Year of Nansen and Amundsen’ to mark two major anniversaries and specialist cruise company Hurtigruten will play its own role in the celebrations. This year is 150 years since polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen was born and 100 years since polar hero Roald Amundsen and his four men were the first people in history to reach the South Pole. Special voyages themed around the anniversaries have been created, plus onboard celebrations in Antarctica on the day of Amundsen’s centenary.

There is no better expedition voyage operator to lead the celebrations than Hurtigruten. Named after Nansen’s vessel which sailed the original journey, Hurtigruten’s explorer ship MS Fram (above) will be embarking on many of the celebratory voyages in 2011.

‘Climate Voyage’ on the MS Fram 21 July, Reykjavik-Longyearbyen – from £2333pp

This year’s Climate Voyage celebrates the 150th anniversary of Nansen’s birth with an eight-day voyage from Reykjavik to Svalbard. As well as making an inaugural visit to Jan Mayen, one of the most isolated islands on the planet, the voyage includes fascinating climate-related lectures and discussions on topics such as the work of Nansen. The voyage departs July 21 and is priced from £2333pp to include seven nights full board on the ship and flights from Longyearbyen to Oslo, based on two sharing. International flights are extra.

The Polar Bears, Islands and Fjords voyage on MS Fram 7 September - from £3196pp

This new itinerary has been created especially for the year of celebrations, sailing in the wake of Fridtjof Nansen. This unique sailing from Spitsbergen to Bergen follows a similar route to that travelled by Nansen in 1896 on his return journey to mainland Norway after three years in the polar ice, during which he reached the northern-most point any human had ever been. Nansen sailed with Captain Otto Sverdrup and they received honour and glory in every port they visited on the way down the Norwegian coast. These ports form the backbone of the Hurtigruten service, which launched in 1897 with Captain Sverdrup at the helm. The voyage departs on September 7 and costs from £3196pp, including 11 nights full board on the ship, flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen and one night’s pre-cruise accommodation in Longyearbyen, with breakfast and sightseeing, Price is based on two sharing. International flights are extra.

Centenary of Amundsen reaching the South Pole, MS Fram 4 December – from £4904pp

On December 14, 1911, Roald Amundsen and his men reached the South Pole, having set off from Fridtjof Nansen’s polar ship Fram and the Framheim camp. The expedition captured the imagination of the world. On the day of the centenary, Hurtigruten’s explorer ship MS Fram will be in Antarctica, where the anniversary will be marked with on board celebrations. Be part of this memorable day and join a 17-day ‘Chilean Fjords and Antarctica’ voyage departing on December 4. The 14-night full board voyage costs from £4904pp and includes a variety of landings, one night’s B&B in Buenos Aires before and after the voyage, return flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, and transfers. Based on two sharing. International flights are extra.

For more information on these and other crusies, visit http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/ or visit the UK's adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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