Camping, hiking, kayaking and small boat excursions are available on Hurtigruten’s Antarctica Explorer sailings. These excursions are combined with the numerous landings, thousands of penguin hosts and the scenery of the White Continent on any of Hurtigruten's five 2014-2015 season Antarctica itineraries. Current fares (best prices are for earliest bookings) range from $7,299 for an inside cabin to $18,217 for a Grand Suite, per person, double, depending on itinerary.
The "Antarctica Circle Expedition" is a 15-day voyage sets out to cross into the Polar Circle - 66 degrees 33’ and make landings in some of the rarely visited area of the Antarctica Peninsula. Highlights include the former research Station W on Detaille Island; the British scientific research station from the 50s, known as Station Y Horseshoe Island; as well as several other more established sites. Departures are on Jan. 28 and Feb 11, 2015.
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Celebrate Christmas and New Years with penguins and seals and crew on Hurtigruten’s “Christmas Expedition,” sailing from Ushuaia on Dec. 19, 2014. The voyage combines the Falklands and its capital town of Stanley; South Georgia, where a Norwegian Christmas is celebrated; the near deserted South Orkney Islands; and Antarctica, into a 17-day adventure. The “Great Antarctica Expedition” has the same itinerary but adds two days and sails on Dec. 1, 2014. “In the Realm of the Great Explorers” sailing on Nov. 1, 2014 and Feb. 25, 2015, is also a 19-day voyage and follows a similar route as the early 20th-century explorers, focusing on the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica. The 14-day “Land of the Penguins” is the shortest itinerary but still spends seven days in the White Continent mixing landings and penguin visits with lectures on history, the environment and the wildlife. The three sailings are on Nov. 19, 2014 and Jan 4 and 16, 2015.
All of the Explorer Voyages are aboard the deluxe expedition ship MS Fram. The 318-guest vessel was purpose-built in 2007 and has Polarcirkel boats that are built for extreme conditions with a hard-floor hull design and step-bow railings for greater comfort and safety, and a mid-level deployment deck for easier on/off by avoiding ladders or steps. Hurtigruten trains the Pilots who are required to escort vessels in sensitive polar waters, and that the MS Fram is the only ship, along with its captains and crew, to offer an unmatchable level of experience by operating 100 percent of the year on Polar itineraries.
Just as important as the focus on the experience, is Hurtigruten’s focus on safety and safeguarding these remote destinations seriously giving the company a true leadership position in the world of sustainable travel. Hurtigruten belongs to numerous environmental organizations including AECO, IAATO and Clean Up Svalbard, all of which demand that members maintain responsible travel safeguards for future generations.
For more information, visit www.hurtigruten.us.