Antarctic Express: Fly the Drake
Overview
Highlights
- The fastest, most direct way to Antarctica
- Enjoy all the Antarctic Peninsula highlights
- Enjoy on-board lectures and educational presentations from polar specialists
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Itinerary
Your adventure begins in Punta Arenas, Chile, the most populated city in Patagonia. If you arrive early, there are many museums, restaurants and shops to keep you busy for days. By early afternoon, a Quark Expeditions representative will bring everyone together to you...
There are few places in the world as evocative as Antarctica. As we approach the white continent, don’t be surprised if you are overcome by feelings of excitement and awe. Much of Antarctica is indescribable and can only be fully appreciated through the human eye.
...After your four days of exploration, you’ll say goodbye to the Expedition Team and disembark at King George Island. Your three-hour flight across the Drake Passage to Punta Arenas, Chile brings your journey to an end. After we transfer you from the airport to the hotel, you can enjoy one final dinner (not included) to reminisce about all the sights and sounds of Antarctica.
After breakfast, you are free to continue on your own travels or make your way to the Punta Arenas airport for your homeward flights.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Quark Expeditions.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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Tour Operator
Since 1991, Quark Expeditions has specialized in expedition cruising to the Arctic and Antarctica, in ships with ice-strengthened hulls or in icebreakers. Polar travelers will enjoy unparalleled technical expertise, leadership and passion for expedition trips to the Arctic and Antarctica.
Our first voyage - The Transpolar Bridge Cruise - began July 27, 1991, in Murmansk, Russia. The ship was the nuclear powered icebreaker Sovetskiy Soyuz, an older sister of 50 Years of Victory. She sailed across the top of the world via Franz Josef Land, the North Pole, the New Siberian Islands, the Wrangel Island area and the Chukotka Peninsula. That first group of adventurers disembarked in Provideniya. Our second adventure began in that same city on August 18, 1991.
Our Ships: Polar Adventure Ships and Icebreakers
We have the largest and most diverse fleet of adventure ships in the Antarctic and Arctic. Travelers choose from more departures and a greater variety of itineraries than is available anywhere else. Within the fleet is the only nuclear-powered icebreaker - 50 Years of Victory - sailing to the North Pole. Every ship is equipped with Zodiacs - inflatable landing craft - for shore transfers and ocean-level cruising.
Our Polar Adventure Ships are platforms for optional sea-kayaking, camping, mountaineering and cross-country skiing. Their small size enables them to sail channels and bays through which our icebreakers cannot sail. The ability to get close to landscapes and wildlife make these vessels extraordinary base camps for photographers.
None of our vessels carries more than 199 travelers from around the world - Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America and Africa. All share a preference for travel to remote wilderness areas accompanied by Expedition Team members eager to share their knowledge and love for the Arctic and Antarctica.
Our People: Technical Expertise, Leadership and Passion
Our Expedition Team members understand ice conditions and the impact of weather on ships and helicopters. Some are experts in polar history, marine biology and glaciology. All are experienced and understand the rigors of expedition travel. They drive Zodiacs for ocean-level cruising. They lead hikes to unnamed ridges. They tell stories about polar research station assignments and wildlife encounters. The Captains and their officers and crews are skilled at navigating through pack ice under extreme conditions. The Hospitality Teams prepare meals and pour beverages during gale force winds. There isn’t a more capable team of professionals.
Our talented people behind the scenes in IT, Finance, Operations, Administration and Management are equally passionate about the polar regions. Our team of Sales and Client Service people are who you meet before you travel.
From inception, the people who are Quark Expeditions have combined a spirit of adventure with a deep sense of environmental responsibility and a strong desire to educate others about the wonders of the Arctic and Antarctica. Making these remote regions accessible to travelers is our pleasure and passion.
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Logistics
Designed to carry travelers in comfort to the most remote corners of the world, Sea Adventurer was built in Yugoslavia in 1976, refurbished in 1999 and had further upgrades in 2002. You will be impressed by this ice-strengthened ship, which carries up to 117 passengers and features a spacious forward lounge and bar, window-lined dining room and promenades. The nimble, ice-strengthened Sea Adventurer is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. Take a look at what to expect for 2017: A new look and feel throughout Renovations to the interior of the ship including outside cabins with ensuites, spacious forward lounge and bar, and other amenities The addition of new passenger cabins New bathrooms in every cabin, and upgrades to the Main Lounge and Main Dining Room, gym, and select suites Significant technical enhancements – including two new engines, generators, gear boxes, drive systems, and re-bladed propellers Increased fuel efficiency, and a minimized carbon footprint.
Staff and Crew: 83 Guests: 117 Lifeboats: 4 partially enclosed Length: 101.1 meters Breadth: 16.2 meters Draft: 4.5 meters Propulsion: Diesel Twin Engines - 5,200 horsepower. Ice Class: 1A Cruising Speed: 12 knots in open water Registration: Bahamas
All requests for cancellation must be received in writing. Cancellations received 180 days or more prior to departure, are refunded less an administrative fee of minimum US$1250, AU$1000, £650, €800 per person. If cancellation is received between 179 days and 120 days, the deposit is forfeited. If cancellation occurs less than 120 days prior to departure, all payments are forfeited. If full payment has not yet been received, the full penalty will still apply and any unpaid balance is due immediately. To protect the traveler’s investment, we recommend that you obtain adequate trip cancellation insurance.
Cancellations cannot be made online.
Add an Extra Rush of Adrenaline to Your Expedition
Every Quark Antarctic voyage includes great daily outdoor activities including Zodiac cruises, hiking and some also offer snowshoeing. The more discerning adrenaline junkie can also choose from a range of optional adventure activities, with varying exertion levels, to experience the 7th continent in a more personal way. Contact a Quark Polar Travel Adviser to learn more about adventure options, including physical requirements.
- Kayaking
- Snowshoeing
- Walking/Hiking
$950 per person
Kayaking in Antarctica is probably one of the most intimate and inspiring ways you can explore this incredible region. Glide through the quiet waters and take in the beauty of Antarctica. Paddle through astounding icebergs, watch penguins, seals and possibly whales swim around your kayak.
Kayaking in the Polar Regions is highly weather-dependent, however we guarantee at least one outing during your voyage. Your kayak guides will always attempts to take you out as many times as possible throughout your voyage.
Offered on most Antarctic voyages, spaces are limited and require some kayaking experience. All equipment, guides and instructions are provided by Quark. Please contact a Quark Polar Travel Adviser for more information.
Extend Your Stay
Getting to the Antarctic can be just as much fun as being there. Quark offers multiple travel packages that enable you to see more of the world before and after your Antarctic adventure.
- Easter Island
- Santiago
Travel to the world’s most remote inhabited island
Take a five-hour flight from Santiago to Easter Island, one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands. A single massive (extinct) volcano rising over 10,000 feet from the Pacific Ocean floor, Easter Island is famous for its enormous statues carved from the tough stone of the Rano Raraku, the island’s volcano. Your package includes tours of the statues, tombs and volcanoes of the island. This luxurious package offers guests three nights’ accommodation at Explora Rapa Nui, where all meals, daily explorations and drinks are included.
Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy – and excitement – of expedition travel. There are no guarantees that we can achieve everything we set out to accomplish. A measure of flexibility is something all of us must bring to a voyage. There are nearly 200 recognized sites in the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetlands and the places mentioned above may be changed to others equally as interesting.
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