Quark's New Arctic Explorations

Quark Expeditions has launched the company’s Arctic 2014 line-up, with an enticing season featuring 15 voyages that include three new Canadian Arctic expedition itineraries exploring the immense territory and majestic scenery of the final frontier, its indigenous peoples, history and diverse wildlife. 

The new 'Canadian Arctic & West Greenland' voyages are also aboard a new ship in Quark’s fleet, the 114-guest Sea Explorer (formerly Corinthian II, sister ship to Quark’s Sea Spirit). This ice-strengthened small luxury expedition ship features spacious ocean-facing cabins, all-inclusive bar and beverages and optional sea-kayaking adventures.

Three New Itineraries: 

• Arctic Quest: Greenland to Churchill – This new 16-day voyage in July and August ventures into the Arctic's far reaches, home of polar bears and walrus, where Inuit communities still maintain traditional ways of life. Explore the fjords of Greenland by ship and Zodiac and navigate the eastern-most channel of Canada’s historic Northwest Passage. Prices start from £5,095 per person for 15 nights (16 days) with three meals a day, all inclusive beverages, shore landings and on-board lectures.
• In the Footsteps of Franklin: Greenland & Canada’s High Arctic – Explore the best of Greenland’s west coast on this 13-day voyage in August and September, including Illulissat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the fastest and most active glaciers in the world. Crossing into Canadian waters en route to Resolute, cruise by spectacular limestone cliffs first sighted by explorer in the 18^th Century. Explore, on foot and by Zodiac, Beechey Island, landing site of the Franklin Expedition and the most notable landmark in the history of exploration of the Canadian Arctic. Prices start from £3,865 per person, including one night's accommodation pre and post-cruise in Reykjavik and Toronto, all inclusive beverages, shore landings and on-board lectures.
• Epic High Arctic: Baffin Island Explorer via Fury & Hecla – Follow a truly epic route explored by very few on this 13-day High Arctic voyage in September that will navigate the challenging Fury and Hecla Strait between Resolute and Iqaluit. Visit with world-renowned Inuit carvers and artists at Cape Dorset, marvel at the bird cliffs and spot walrus and polar bears while Zodiac cruising around Akpatok and Monumental Islands. Prices start from £3,525 per person for 12 nights (13 days), including one night's accommodation pre and post-cruise in Toronto and Montreal, all inclusive beverages, shore landings and on-board lectures.

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

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Quark's Spitsbergen Expeditions

Quark Expeditions are renowned for their high-quality Polar explorations, and they have two notable expedition programmes this summer that journey around Spitsbergen, the largest island within the Svalbard archipelago, with Zodiac to get up close to the coastline and animals with their onboard experts. 

What is also great about these cruises are the opportunities to get to grips with wildlife photography and filming. Quark always carries experts to help spot the animals as well as advise on photography of these wonderful creatures. A photographic journal is also produced by Quark over the course of the journey and given to travellers on a DVD upon return.

The "Spitsbergen Explorer" is the classic Arctic adventure, taking in colonies of sea birds, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes, plus the animals already mentioned as the ship sets sail from Longyearbyen exploring the coastline north and south. As well as the sights, the sounds are something to behold and something that doesn’t often spring to mind, particularly that of the walrus. The slightly longer "Spitsbergen Circumnavigation" programme circles the whole of this remarkable island and, with continuous light prevailing in the summertime, wildlife can be viewed whenever adventurers are awake.

Two departures (June 14 and 24) are available for the Spitsbergen Explorer, with prices starting at £3,170 per person, based on accommodation in a triple cabin. The expedition lasts 11 days touring the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Spitsbergen and includes accommodation on the very comfortable Sea Spirit, all meals and snacks, Zodiac landings, expert presentations and guiding, photographic journal and transfers. Similarly, the Spitsbergen Circumnavigation includes the above but lasts 13 days, with prices starting at £4,120 per person based on accommodation in a triple cabin. Departures for the latter are July 4 and 16.

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

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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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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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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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Quark's New Polar 2013 Season

Quark Expeditions is pleased to announce the company’s Arctic 2013 season, featuring icebreaker adventures to the North Pole and luxury ship expeditions to Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland.

Many of the Arctic region's most sought after destinations are coming back for the 2013 season, with two North Pole voyages departing June 19 and June 30, as well as the “Three Arctic Islands: Iceland, Greenland, Spitsbergen” trip, which was named as one of the “50 Tours of a Lifetime” in 2011.

New Expedition Added

New for next year's season is the “Greenland Explorer: Valleys and Fjords” expedition, which follows the dramatic coast of the world’s largest island. Passengers will get to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Illusiat Ice Fjord, one of the largest and fastest moving glaciers. It travels approximately 100 feet per day while dropping huge icebergs into its narrow coastal inlets.

Explorers will also encounter indigenous communities as well as the rich animal life surrounding this beautiful country, including many varieties of seals, whales, dolphins, polar bears and sea birds. The journey takes passengers to two of the world’s most northern capitals, beginning in Ottawa and ending in Reykjavik (the reverse itinerary is also available). Prices start from £4,120 for 14 and 15-day itineraries for departures in August 2013.

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

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Hurtigruten's Line-Up For 2013/14

 

Fancy sailing around the British Isles from Greenwich on board a Hurtigruten ship? Or spending Christmas Day on South Georgia with the penguins and celebrating 100 years to the day since the Whalers Church was consecrated? All this and much more is now possible with Hurtigruten's latest programme of ‘Explorer’ voyages, with their trips to Spitsbergen, Greenland, Antarctica and Europe in 2013/14 featuring new itineraries and additional departure dates due to ever-increasing demand for these remote places in the world.

New itineraries include:

ANTARCTICA: SOUTH GEORGIA ANNIVERSARY VOYAGE, from £6,549pp

This Christmas voyage will have an extended stay in South Georgia including Christmas Day, which in 2013 marks 100 years since the Whalers Church was consecrated in Grytviken, the island's main town. This church was pre-built in separate parts in Norway and brought to South Georgia. This epic journey to Antarctica is via the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Orkneys. Departing on December 19, the 17-day itinerary includes the voyage on a full board basis, flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia and transfers in Ushuaia. Based on two sharing.

EUROPE: HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS – Norwegian Fjords and Scotland, from £1,724pp

This new itinerary travels from Bergen to Greenwich with many stops along the way. Before leaving Norway, the ship will explore Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord then cross the North Sea to Lerwick on the Shetland Islands and the northernmost town in Scotland. Then it’s on to Kirkwall on the Orkneys Islands before heading south to Greenwich with stops at Leith (Edinburgh) and Newcastle. This 10-day itinerary departs on April 22 and includes full board. Based on two sharing.

- WESTERN EUROPE, BRITISH ISLES EXPLORER: offered for the first time, this itinerary starts from Greenwich and takes in some of the very best of the UK. After sailing down the Thames, the ship visits Portsmouth and then the Isles of Scilly with their miles of white sandy beaches. Cobh and Dublin are called at in Ireland before heading to Douglas on the Isle of Man, Iona and Staffa in the Hebrides, Portree on the Isle of Skye, Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands, Leith (Edinburgh) and finally across the North Sea to Hamburg. This 12-day itinerary costs from £2,498pp including full board. Based on two sharing.

- SOUTHERN EUROPE, EASTER VOYAGE: next Easter, MS Fram will sail from Las Palmas on Gran Canaria to Lisbon in Portugal. It will visit Lanzarote on Good Friday, Agadir on Easter Saturday and Casablanca on Easter Sunday before heading off to Gibraltar, Portimao and finally Lisbon. Departing on March 28, this week-long trip costs from £832pp, including full board. Based on two sharing.

GREENLAND: An additional departure date has been added for the ‘Southern Fjords and Disko Bay – Glaciers and Ice’ itinerary that departs Reykjavik and travels the southwest tip of Greenland. The trip is now available on May 31 and July 7, 2013, and costs from £3,662pp including the voyage on a FB basis and flights between Copenhagen and Kangerlussuaq or vice versa.

SPITSBERGEN: Due to its popularity, an additional departure has been added for the Spitsbergen Circumnavigation itinerary – ‘In the realm of the Polar Bear,’ which offers the chance to travel the entire archipelago. Three nine-day trips are now available departing August 14, 21 and 28, 2013, with prices from £3,117pp, including full board. Based on two sharing.-

For bookings, follow this link to 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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Save The Albatross With Hurtigruten

Norwegian and Polar cruise specialist Hurtigruten has been an active participant in many of the remote areas it visits on its expedition voyages and often raises money for needy causes. And, from this summer, new fund-raising activities will take place on MS Fram’s Arctic and Antarctic voyages that focus on helping to raise money for the ‘Save the Albatross’ project run by the Bird Life International Foundation. The albatross, which visitors to Antarctica often see flying past from the deck of their ship, faces extinction mainly due to industrial long-line fishing.

So, to help in publicising its plight, Hurtigruten will raise funds by auctioning off items at the end of each Explorer voyage. Among the items being auctioned are the unique nautical chart of the respective voyage, signed by the captain, a Hurtigruten flag signed by all crew members, and expedition team jackets. 

Each destination MS Fram visits raises money on board for campaigns run by a range of organisations. For example, in Antarctica, funds raised go to the Save The Albatross and Antarctica South Heritage Trust. In Greenland, funds collected go to the “Association of Greenlandic Children.” Since the auctions were first launched in 2007, €140,000 has already been raised.

Hurtigruten sails to some of the most remote of destinations including Antarctica, Greenland and the Arctic’s Spitsbergen, as well as year-round along Norway's coast and Europe in the spring.

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

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Hurtigruten Celebrate Amundsen and Nansen

This year marks the centenary of Roald Amundsen’s trek to the South Pole and the 150^th Anniversary of the birth of Fridtjof Nansen. The original slides taken on their journeys were seen on a helioscopic projector at the Royal Geographical Society in April in an evening organised by polar specialsists Hurtigruten, the first time since they were shown by the explorers themselves nearly 100 years ago.

Sadly, the slides and artifacts are not available for public viewing but there are still plenty of ways to follow in their footsteps today. You can take part in adventure cruising and actually walk where these men walked or sip a gin and tonic from the observation lounge as the icebergs and snow capped mountains slip slowly by.

Like the old explorers, you will have to cross the Drake Passage, the unpredictable stretch of water from Tierra del Fuego to the White Continent and, like them, you can marvel at the albatrosses as they soar around the ship with majestic ease.

Both Amundsen and Nansen were Norwegian and, indeed, the company’s polar cruise ship holding around 200 people on an average trip is named the Fram, the same as the original ship that was used by both men between 1893 and 1912 (Nansen had originally planned to get her stuck in the ice and drift across the North Pole).

Hurtigruten visit both the Arctic and Antarctic plus Greenland, Spitsbergen and operate their famous Norwegian coastal cruise, the Hurtigruten itself.

Our picture shows, from left to right, Alasdair McLeod, Head of Enterprises and Resources at the Royal Geographical Society; Ian Nash and Kathryn Beadle, Hurtigruten UK; Amja Erdmann Antarctic and Arctic Expedition leader onboard Fram; and Olav Fjell, Chief Executive of Hurtigruten.

For more info, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Great Arctic Early Booking Deal!

By guest blogger Steve Newman

If it’s your dream to see polar bears, walrus, reindeer and whales in their natural habitat, then look no further than Gap Adventures M/S Expedition. Gap Adventures is offering an early booking bonus of 25% off expeditions to Norway and Spitsbergen in May, June and July 2011.

Terms & Conditions: Promo code is ArcticEBB. Discount is 25% off Arctic expeditions for 2011. Excludes Arctic Highlights (XVAHNX) tour. Valid for new bookings only in a category 2 and higher cabin only. Cannot be combined with any other offer, promotion or discount. Does not apply to air fare, hotels, transfers or other in-country services or on-board ship charges.

The offer is available until January 31.

Realm of the Polar Bear is just one of the amazing deals Gap Adventures has on offer for travellers.

Now: £2339 pp (was £3119 – save 25%) Departs: July 10.

Highlights: Svalbard Islands and Longyearbyen, Isfjorden, whales, Spitsbergen, Hinlopen Strait, polar bears, incredible scenery, Arctic swimming, Ny-Ålesund, birdlife and glaciers.

Enjoy an eight day trip from just £2339 per person. Price includes seven nights aboard the M/S Expedition, all meals onboard, Zodiac excursions with expert expedition team, lecture and educational programmes, Longyearbyen airport transfers depending on passengers flight details, live evening entertainment, waterproof boots supplied and Arctic destination guide.

For full details, visit: http://www.gapadventures.com/. For more great ideas on adventure cruising and the Arctic North, look up the Adventure Cruise Collection.

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Sail In The Wake of Norwegian Explorer!

In 2011, Norway will celebrate 150 years since the birth of one of their most famous polar explorer, Fridtjof Nansen.

And, to mark the occasion, Hurtigruten has launched a unique sailing from Spitsbergen to Bergen following a similar route to that travelled by Nansen in 1896 on his return journey to mainland Norway after three years in the polar ice and reaching the northernmost point any human had ever been. The voyage in September is onboard MS Fram, Hurtigruten’s explorer ship which was named after Nansen’s polar ship which sailed the original journey.

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 ‘Polar Bears, Islands and Fjords’ voyage starts by sailing into Northwest Spitsbergen National Park and the Magdalenafjord (above) before heading further north to latitude 80 degrees and the Moffen nature reserve, an important resting place for walrus. Then the ship heads southwards via Ny Alesund and the remote region around Bjornoya (Bear Island). After crossing the Barents Sea, the ship reaches the world’s most northerly town, Honningsvag, and the gateway to the North Cape.

From here, MS Fram will travel down the coast of Norway calling at a selection of ports, including several that do not usually form part of the traditional coastal voyage route but were visited by Nansen on his return journey. Highlights will include stops at Tromso, sailing through Trollfjord and the Lofoten Islands plus Alstahaug, a community of some 7,000 spread across no fewer than 917 islands and the UNESCO protected islands of Vega which encompass a staggering 6,000 islands, inlets and skerries with remote fishing villages.

The Polar Bears, Islands and Fjords voyage - from £3,196pp - departs on September 7, 2011, and includes 11 nights full board on the ship, flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen. one night’s pre-cruise accommodation in Longyearbyen with breakfast and sightseeing, Based on two sharing. Flights are extra.

For more information call Hurtigruten – 0844 448 7601 http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/ or look up the adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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