Exploring the Poles with Fred

The absurdly-named Fred.\ has launched a new travel brand specialising in Polar Expedition cruises.  Offering a selection of  polar expedition cruise holidays from seven specialist expedition operators, Fred.\ Expeditions will act as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for intrepid travellers searching for anexpedition cruising holiday.
 
Expedition cruise lines on offer from Fred.\ Expeditions include G Adventures, Hurtigruten, Quark Expeditions, Oceanwide Expeditions, Poseidon Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions and Silversea Expeditions. In addition to the cruises themselves, passengers can take part in on-shore expedition activities including camping, fishing, helicopter tours, hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, photography workshops, polar diving, ski-trekking and exploring the coastlines via Zodiac.

Prices start from around £2,349 per person for a seven night ‘Realm of the Polar Bear’ cruise aboard MS Expedition with G Adventures, departing 1 June 2015. This includes cruise only, onboard accommodation with meals and some beverages included. This itinerary visits Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Spitsbergen:  

A 13 night ‘Journey to Antarctica: the White Continent’ cruise with Lindblad Expeditions aboard National Geographic Explorer, priced from £7,299 per person to include cruise only, onboard accommodation with meals and some beverages included. Itinerary includes Buenos Aires, Ushuaia and Antarctica.  

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Adventure Cruising blog

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Big Savings With gAdventures On Amazon

Expedition cruise specialists gAdventures have a fabulous discount on offer for their grand Amazon River cruise this July and August, with savings of 50 per cent off the regular price off this unique voyage in Peru.

The full details are as follows:

Amazon Riverboat Adventure

Was £1,549pp - now £775pp for a nine-day trip from Lima to Lima, departing July 20, 27 and August 3. It includes return flights from Lima to Iquitos, six nights aboard the Queen Violet Amazon riverboat with meals, two nights in comfort hotels with breakfast, arrival transfer, canopy walkway excursion in Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, and launches and land excursions with G Adventures’ expert naturalist team.

Highlights: G Adventures’ Amazon River cruises take guests on a trip that explores both the cultural and natural sides of this remote part of the world. The spacious Queen Violet has large open deck spaces where briefings with top naturalists take place during voyages. Each journey along the Amazon includes visits to local villages, where travellers learn about local life from schooling to handicrafts, and spend some time with a local family.

Flights are available to be purchased separately and are priced from £1,042pp flying Air Europa from London Gatwick to Lima return. 

For more info, visit http://www.gadventures.com/; for more adventure-cruise ideas, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury adventure-cruise specialists.

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G Adventures Launches New Amazon Riverboat

Expedition specialists G Adventures is increasing its capacity on the Amazon River by more than 30% with the launch of a newly refurbished, purpose-built vessel for 2013, which started sailing this month.

Carrying 32 passengers, the comfort-level Queen Violet has 16 cabins that are all outside facing and designed for viewing the wildlife, communities and villages along the river as guests cruise through the rainforest.

G Adventures’ Amazon River cruises take guests on a trip that explores both the cultural and natural sides of this remote part of the world. The spacious Queen Violet has large open deck spaces where briefings with top naturalists take place during voyages.

Each journey includes visits to local villages where travellers learn about local life from schooling to handicrafts, and spend some time with a local family. Swimming in the river is also a not-to-be-missed experience in the Amazon.

The new Amazon Riverboat sails the following itinerary:
 

A nine-day trip from Lima return is priced from £1,162pp, for departures until January 2014. It includes return flights from Lima to Iquitos, six nights aboard the Queen Violet with all meals, two nights in comfort hotels with breakfast, arrival transfer, canopy walkway excursion in Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, and launches and land excursions with G Adventures’ expert naturalist team.

For more info, visit www.gadventures.co.uk.

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G Adventures’ New Polar Expeditions

Demand for repeat expedition visits has led G Adventures to launch two new itineraries to the southernmost continent on board its expedition vessel M/S Expedition. Both itineraries are featured in G Adventures’ new 2013 Polar Expeditions brochure, which is available now. 

One of the new itineraries explores the abundant wildlife of the Falklands and South Georgia, where travellers this early in the season will be among the first to make landfall. The other itinerary heads to the Weddell Sea, retracing the journey made by Shackleton onboard Endurance and taking in views of spectacular tabular icebergs.Also featured in the new brochure is a programme of  expeditions during the Arctic summer, ensuring lovers of polar bears are also catered for.

All expedition cruise fares include a number of zodiac landings, accommodation and meals onboard, and lectures and daily recaps. Example itineraries from the new Polar Expeditions 2013 include:  

The Antarctic Peninsula and the Weddell Sea – 15 days travelling from Ushuaia, traversing the Drake Passage and exploring the Weddell Sea and South Shetland Island, priced from £5,149pp, departing December 7. 

Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Islands – 22 days travelling from Buenos Aires “the Paris of the Americas” to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica before traversing the Drake Passage to Ushuaia, priced from £5,579pp, departing October 17. 

Realm of the Polar Bear – Eight days travelling from Longyearbyen to the Svalbard Archipelgo and Spitsbergen before returning to Longyearbyen, priced from £2,299pp for departures in June and July.

For more info, look up www.gadventures.co.uk and, for more on Polar expedition cruising, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's specialist adventure-cruise agents.

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G Adventures’ Galapagos Upgrades (And Savings)

G Adventures has upgraded its fleet of vessels in the wonderful Galapagos islands for 2013 to meet an increase in demand to visit the remote islands - and also has 15% off a selection of trips on its new vessels with durations of six, seven and 10 days when booking by January 31 for travel commencing before March 31.

Each of the new vessels caters to a slightly different market. The Daphne ‘G3’ is the most affordable option, the San Jose ‘G5’ is a comfort-level vessel and the Queen of Galapagos ‘G8’ provides a top-of-the-line deluxe experience.

To book, travellers should quote G12GALAPAGOS15. Here are some price examples:

• A six-day Voyage Galapagos – South Islands standard-level trip on board the Daphne ‘G3’ was priced from £1,249pp, now from £1,062pp.
• A seven-day Voyage Galapagos – South Islands comfort-level trip on board the San Jose ‘G5’ was priced from £1,649pp now from £1,402pp.
• A 10-day Deluxe Galapagos – Northern Islands deluxe-level trip on board the Queen of Galapagos ‘G8’ was priced from £2,599pp now from £2,210pp. 

For more info, visit www.gadventures.com; for more on Galapagos adventure cruising, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury adventure cruise specialists. 

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Free Flight Incentive For Galapagos With G Adventures

G Adventures has announced it will cover one-way flight costs between Lima and Quito for any of its travellers combining an itinerary in Peru with a trip to the Galapagos archipelago in 2013. The offer is valid for all trips departing in 2013 and gives travellers a great opportunity to get the most out of their South American experience, while saving money at the same time. 

The company runs a number of tours in both Peru and in the Galapagos Islands, and by offering a free flight between the two, travellers can see both of these amazing destinations in one hit without breaking the bank. 

One-way tickets are available between Lima and Quito (in Ecuador) for up to 30 days between the two tour dates, allowing travellers the flexibility to spend a few extra days seeing the highlights of the area either at the end or start of either of their trips. 

For more details, see www.Gadventures.com or contact the adventure-cruise specialists of the Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

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G Adventures Upgrades Galapagos Fleet

G Adventures has one of the highest quality operations in the Galapagos and is upgrading its fleet for 2013 with the acquisition of three 16-passenger motor yachts, the Daphne, the San Jose and the Queen of Galapagos. The company will be adding additional vessels in the coming months as it makes room for further growth.

Each of the new vessels caters to a slightly different market; the Daphne is the most affordable standard-level option, the San Jose is a comfort-level vessel and the Queen of the Galapagos provides an even more deluxe experience. G Adventures will continue to use its Javier comfort-level vessel, a firm customer favourite, meaning the fleet will be made up of four vessels in 2013. 

The company's’ operation in the Galapagos is truly unique as it only books customers on its own vessels. This means they travel with other G Adventures’ travellers and have a complete G Adventures experience. The company operates and staffs the vessels and employs its own naturalist guides, all of whom understand the line's core values and  customers’ expectations.

Current vessels will maintain operations as per the normal G Adventures high quality service until the end of the year when the new trio will take over operations.

Itineraries for the three new vessels include: 

A six-day Voyage Galapagos – South Islands standard-level trip onboard the Daphne, priced from £1,249pp from Quito return for departures from September to November 2012 and January to April 2013. 

A seven-day Voyage Galapagos – South Islands comfort-level trip onboard the San Jose, priced from £1,649pp from Quito return for departures from January 2013 year-round. 

A 10-day Deluxe Galapagos – Northern Islands deluxe-level trip onboard Queen of Galapagos, priced from £2,599pp from Quito return for departures from January 2013 year-round. 

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

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G Adventures Announces First West Africa Programme

Exploring multiple countries in West Africa has become easier as G Adventures announces its first sailing programme in the region aboard the M/S Expedition. 

The cruises enable travellers to discover this under-explored area of the continent with ease, while uncovering West Africa’s unique and varied historical, cultural and natural landscapes in comfort and style. Passengers can choose from three itineraries that visit more than 10 African nations in April 2013. All itineraries are now on sale and are priced from £3,495pp:

• Accra to Dakar – 12-day
• Cape Town to Accra – 18-day
• Cape Town to Dakar – 27-day

G Adventures is recognised for trail-blazing up-and-coming destinations and the new expeditions are among the first of their kind in the region, with ports of call including Ghana, Senegal, Benin, Cameroon and Togo.

All itineraries boast a solid combination of activity and leisure. Passengers have ample time to spot rare birds and endemic wildlife with skilled naturalists, mingle in local markets, visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the birthplace of voodoo, trace the roots of slavery, and learn about the region from the experienced expedition staff, including historians, anthropologists and ornithologists. 

Passengers will also explore unreachable coastlines, and visit uninhabited islands and traditional villages via a fleet of zodiacs. A notable highlight is the opportunity to discover the Bijagos Archipelego off the coast of Guinea-Bissau – a rare experience offered by very few operators. The island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, one of the most unexplored places on earth, and its inhabitants are descendants of an ancient culture that practices an animist religion.

The 140-passenger M/S Expedition features large cabins equipped with en-suite bathrooms and windows, providing an exceptionally spacious and comfortable experience for all guests. Demonstrating innovative travel in West Africa, G Adventures’ land-based Voodoo Trail trip was selected as one of National Geographic Traveler Magazine’s Top Tours of a Lifetime for 2009.

For more on adventure cruises, contact the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

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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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