Crossing the Circle

• Rates Include

• Inclusions for departures between November 2008 and March 2009:
• Hotel accommodation, with continental breakfast, the night prior to embarkation
• Shipboard accommodation from day of embarkation to disembarkation
• All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on board throughout your voyage
• Zodiac transfers and sightseeing while aboard
• Education program
• Group transfer between hotel and vessel upon embarkation
• Group transfer between vessel and airport following disembarkation
• Rubber boots loan service
• Complimentary parka on Akademik Shokalskiy and Ocean Nova
• Photographic Journal on DVD
• All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program
• Inclusions for departures between November 2009 and March 2010:
• One night pre-expedition hotel accommodation with breakfast as indicated in the itinerary. (The number of guests per room is the same as cabin occupancy on the ship. Due to limited availability, travelers who reserve a suite on board are accommodated in standard rooms at the hotel.)
• Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping.
•  All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on board throughout your voyage. (Please inform us of any dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare kosher meals.).
•  All shore landings and Zodiac excursions per the daily program.
•  Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities.
•  Formal and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled.
•  Photographic Album on DVD.
•  A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for shore landings
•  Hair dryer in every cabin.
•  A Quark Expeditions parka
•  Coffee, tea, cocoa and bottled water available around the clock.
•  Comprehensive pre-departure materials, including a map and an informative Antarctic Reader.
•  Group transfers from the hotel to the ship at the embarkation port, and from the ship to the local airport on disembarkation – plus all baggage handling aboard ship.
•  All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
•  Emergency Evacuation Insurance for all passengers to a maximum of $100,000 per person.

Day-By-Day Itinerary.

Day   1

Ushuaia, Argentina

Antarctica is everything south of the Antarctic convergence, a biological boundary that fluctuates between 50 and 60 degrees South. For some, an expedition to the Southern Continent is not complete unless the Antarctic Circle is crossed. South of that invisible boundary daylight lasts for 24 hours from mid-December to late February. Overnight in Ushuaia.

Day   2

Embarkation Day

Crossing the Circle is the goal of this expedition. So, on some departures, the ship will push south rapidly, from Ushuaia.

Day   3-4

Crossing the Drake Passage

The Drake is legendary for its high winds and rolling seas, but you may be lucky and get calm weather. If so, we'll keep you busy on deck, on the Bridge and in the presentation room. We prepare you for boarding Zodiacs, shore landings and, if you dare, polar dips.

Day   5-8

Exploring the Peninsula

The Expedition Team launch the Zodiacs to skim across the water to go ashore, or drift silently while you watch whales fed or penguins jump aboard ice floes.

Kayaking and Camping

Day   9-10

The Antarctic Circle

Crossing the Antarctic Circle is an impressive achievement, as most expeditions to the Peninsula do not reach 66 degrees 33'S. Celebrate with a well-earned glass of champagne. Toast to the intrepid explorers who have gone before.

Day   11-12

Northbound Along the Peninsula

There's a story behind every name on the map of Antarctica. Many of the French names that appear are the legacy of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, physician, yachtsman, and explorer. He, like you, lived for adventure.

Day   13-15

 Drake Passage to Ushuaia

  As you cross the Drake once again, you'll have time to adjust to a world where day and night are distinct.