Cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula sail from December through early March, with the peak season in January and early February.
GETTING THERE
Most programs start with a few days in Buenos Aires. Then passengers fly to Ushuaia, Argentina, to sail to Antarctica. The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), a voluntary association, sets guidelines to ensure environmentally appropriate tourism. Check www.iaato.org.
The author traveled with Discovery World Cruises. The company offers packages with Antarctica landings in 2007 (1-866-623-2689; www.discoveryworldcruises.com).
Types of ships sailing to the Antarctic Peninsula:
• Expedition ships have 45 to 150 passengers and make the most frequent landings via Zodiacs.
• Cruise ships with 400 to 600 passengers have limited landings. Discovery World Cruises' MV Discovery and Orient Lines' Marco Polo are in this category and do not belong to the IAATO, which sets lower passenger limits -- 500 -- for ships that can land. But these two ships allow only 100 ashore at any one time.
• Big ships cruise only, with no landings. Lines in this category have included Holland America and Crystal.
• The few ships sailing around continental Antarctica tend to depart from Australia/New Zealand, are much more expensive and have longer itineraries.
What To Do When You're There:
- Freeze your fanny off
- Look at penguins
- Freeze your cajones off
- Look at penguins
- Freeze your ears off
- Look at penguins
- Freeze any remaining body parts off
- Watch penguins get eaten by walruses
Go home
2 comments:
There are some things in the world that I'd never do no matter how exciting or exotic it may sound. Being frozen nearly to death is not one of them, that being in the coldest continent or on the top of the highest mountain on earth, Everest.
Well yeah, if your getting paid to go there I bet it might be nice. I don't know that I'd fork out money myself; Hawaii or Antarctica, hmmm.
I'll just rent "March of the Penguins" again and get my fix.
Do a blog on your experience down there, that would be interesting.
Post a Comment