Two weeks of Antarctic adventures in the comfort of M/V Plancius. Sail to the Antarctic Peninsula and drop down to the Weddell Sea for some unique exploration of the Paulet Island, Devil Island and Vega Island with a large colony of Adelie Penguins and magnificent views for keen hikers. The protected waters around Herbert Sound at the North side of James Ross Island will become our Activity 'Basecamp' for this unique kind of Antarctic exploration.
Options for this tour include:
-Field camping
-Hiking
-Kayaking
-Mountaineering
-Photo Workshop
-Scuba Diving
The first five activities are included in the tour price and the Scuba diving is an additional AUD $400 per person.

Deckplan
Click here to view deck plan for the Plancius

Countries visited

• Antarctic Peninsula

Places visited

• Hinlopen Strait
• Ushuaia
• Weddell Sea
• The Antarctic Peninsula

Transportation

M/v Plancius was built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy, and sailed for the Navy until 2004. She was completely rebuilt as a passenger vessel in 2009. M/v Plancius accommodates 114 passengers in 53 passenger cabins with private toilet and shower. All cabins offer comfortable lower berths (except for the 4 quadruple cabins). The vessel has a restaurant/lecture room, a spacious observation lounge (with bar), large open deck space (with full walk-around possibilities), and is equipped with 10 zodiacs for off ship and shore excursions. M/v Plancius was built for ice conditions, and has a strengthened bow and stern.

Click here to see our vessels in the Antarctic

Included In Price

Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary.
*All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
*All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
*Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
*Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes on Plancius
*All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
*IAATO fees and governmental taxes.
*Comprehensive pre-departure material.

Meals Included

This tour includes 32 meals; 11 breakfasts 10 lunches 11 dinners

Not Included In Price

Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights; pre- and post land arrangements; transfers to / from the vessel outside Spitsbergen; passport and visa expenses; Government arrival and departure taxes; meals ashore; baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended); excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges; and the customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided). It is agreed that if world fuel prices will reach or exceed US Dollar 80 per Barrel Brent 90 days prior to departure Oceanwide Expeditions reserves the right to levy a fuel surcharge of EURO 18 per passenger per night, to be paid by the contracting party of Oceanwide Expeditions.

Important Information

2011/2012 Departures: Ninety days before the beginning of our first voyage (01 November 2011), the price of a barrel Brent Crude oil was 116 US $ (01 August 2011). We have been prudent about levying these surcharges, and have therefore closely monitored the fuel prices and hoped for a considerable price-decrease (*). Unfortunately the prices remained the same during this Summer and yesterday a barrel Brent Crude Oil was still 111 US $. It does not seem likely that for the coming Antarctic season, 2011-12 the fuel price will dip under 80 US $ again. Therefore we regrettably have to inform you that we will levy a non-commissionable fuel surcharge of US $ 25 per person per night for all of our coming Antarctica voyages.

Day 1: Embark in Ushuaia

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In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world located at the Beagle Channel and sail through this scenic waterway for the rest of the evening.

Accommodation

m/v Plancius

Meals Included

1 x Dinners

Day 2 & 3: Cross Drake Passage to Antarctic Peninsula

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During these two days we will sail across the Drake Passage. When we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area we may meet Wandering Albatrosses, Grey Headed Albatrosses, Black-browed Albatrosses, Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses, Cape Pigeons, Southern Fulmars, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Blue Petrels and Antarctic Petrels. If the winds are favorable we might enter Antarctic waters in the evening of the third day near the South Shetlands. These volcanic islands are windswept and often shrouded in mist and fog, but do offer subtle pleasures. There is a nice variety of flora (mosses, lichens and flowering grasses) and fauna, such as Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins and southern Giant Petrels.

Accommodation

m/v Plancius

Meals Included

2 x Breakfasts
2 x Lunches
2 x Dinners

Day 4 & 5: Antarctic Sound to Basecamp on North side of James Ross Island

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We will sail into the Weddell Sea through the ice-clogged Antarctic Sound. Huge tabular icebergs will announce our arrival to the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. We plan to visit Devil Island and Vega Island with a large colony of Adelie Penguins and a magnificent view for those hikers who can make it to the top of the hill. Melting ice sometimes provides spectacular waterfall from the cliffs close to point ‘Well-Met’. The protected waters around Herbert Sound at the North side of James Ross Island will become our “Basecamp” for all activities. This place is hardly visited by other ships and offers us a great opportunity to scout this region first time on foot, per zodiac and during kayak trips. We plan to stay two overnights at anchor in order to implement two camp nights and one full day activity from Basecamp at either Uru Pensinsula on James Ross Island or Vega Island. If we cannot follow our itinerary into Herbert Sound due to sea ice, we can continue our voyage seeking new camping grounds somewhere else. Exploring the unknown - this is true expedition!

Accommodation

m/v Plancius

Meals Included

2 x Breakfasts
2 x Lunches
2 x Dinners

Day 6: Paulet Island & Antarctic Peninsula

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In the morning, after we brought the shore campers back to the ship, we will set sail to Paulet Island. Weather and conditions permitting we will land on this remote island to see the remains of the Nordenskiöld expedition and thousands of Adelie penguins. We might also have time to visit Brown Bluff in order to make a continental landing at the Northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. During hours at sea watch out for stray Emperor penguins. There might be a chance to see one on an ice-floe. If the sea is calm at Brown Bluff there is opportunity to kayak and walk along the shore line. We continue sailing through the Antarctic Sound to the West side of the Antarctic Peninsula along the Davis Coast.

Accommodation

m/v Plancius

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts
1 x Lunches
1 x Dinners

Day 7: Roe Island

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We will sail along the Wright Ice Piedmont at the Antarctic continent, named after the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright who made the first flight with a plane in 1903. Exploration of Roe Island, an island lying in the entrance of the Curtiss Bay just about 2 miles west of Graham Land (Antarctic continent), named after the British pioneer aircraft designer Alliott Verdon-Roe, who made aircrafts since 1908. Seaplane Point is situated a few miles of Roe Island at the Antarctic continent. It was named in association with Curtiss Bay, after Glenn Curtiss, the American engineer who pioneered sea planes from 1911.

Accommodation

m/v Plancius

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts
1 x Lunches
1 x Dinners

Day 8: Neko Harbor and Paradise Bay

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We hope to sail to Neko Harbor and Paradise Bay to reach the southernmost area of our voyage, where we have again the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a magnificent landscape of huge glaciers. In this area we have good chances to see Humpback Whales and Minke Whales. Conditions permitting we will look for a place to erect our tents for a camp night ashore.

Accommodation

m/v Plancius

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts
1 x Lunches
1 x Dinners

Day 9 to 11: Melchior Island & Drake Passage

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We will sail via the Melchior Islands towards the open sea of the Drake Passage. We have again a chance of seeing many seabirds.

Accommodation

m/v Plancius

Meals Included

3 x Breakfasts
3 x Lunches
3 x Dinners

Day 12: Disembark in Ushuaia

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We arrive in the morning and disembark in Ushuaia.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts