Antarctic Sailings on Professor Molchanov

The Antarctic: where extremity meets tranquility.

Crossing the Circle

Trip Highlights: Tierra del Fuego National Park Excursion, Travel further south than most voyages, Magnificent Wildlife, Beautiful bays and channels

Activities: Birding, Lectures, Whale Watching, Wildlife Viewing, Zodiac Tours

Departures: 12/13/2005, 2/2/2006

Rates: Triple Cabin: $6395, Twin Cabin (shared facilities): $7995, Twin Cabin (private facilities): $9395, Superior: $10995, Suite: $11695
See Deck Plan below

Single Rate: 1.5 times the regular rate

Days: 15

Ship Name: Professor Molchanov

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Itinerary:

Day 1: Ushuaia, Argentina
Arrive in the southernmost city in the world and make your way to the Hotel Los Nires or similar hotel.

Day 2: Ushuaia / Tierra del Fuego
Spend the morning with a local guide on a group excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park, then enjoy a traditional Argentine BBQ asado lunch. Settle into your cabin and get to know the ship. You will meet your Expedition Team as the ship heads through the scenic Beagle Channel.

Days 3-5: Drake Passage & South Shetland Islands
Journey across the famous Drake Passage, named after the 16th-century English navigator Sir Francis Drake. As the ship sails, your naturalists and historians offer presentations on the marvels ahead. If weather allows, you can spend time on the deck spotting for albatrosses -- including the magnificent Wandering Albatross -- and other seabirds.

Days 6-12: Antarctic Peninsula
Your exploration of the Antarctic continent may begin with a visit to the aptly named Paradise Bay, or to nearby Neko Harbor. Glaciers fill the calm waters with an amazing vista of icebergs as you set foot on the Antarctic continent itself. During the voyage, expect to see enormous rookeries of Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adélie Penguins. You may also encounter Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals, as well as orcas, humpback, and Minke whales. If pack ice and icebergs allow, the ship navigates some of the most beautiful waterways in the world. Two in particular, the Neumayer and Lemaire channels, are impressive narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers. Sailing south of the Lemaire Channel you may visit Petermann Island, where Adélie and Gentoo Penguins, skuas and Blue-eyed Shags nest close to the landing site.

The quest for the Antarctic Circle continues as the expedition pushes farther south. You will be in the vicinity of historic Stonington Island, which served briefly as a base for the
Byrd's Little America Expedition in 1940. The site also served as the base for Finn Ronne's 1947-48 Antarctic Research Expedition that mapped a great portion of the continent by air. You will mark your arrival at the southernmost location with a celebration on board.

Days 13-14: Drake Passage
You bid farewell to Antarctica as you sail north across the Drake Passage. The adventure is not over, as there are more opportunities to watch birds and whales cavorting in the open ocean.

Day 15: Ushuaia
Disembark after breakfast and transfer by bus to the Antarctic Unit office located at the entrance to the pier. If you are departing on the morning flight, the transfer continues to the airport.

Please note: Read this itinerary as a guide only. Flexibility is the key to the enjoyment of this expedition. Every effort will be made to push for the Antarctic Circle. Since ice and weather conditions can change quickly, we cannot guarantee that the vessel will reach the Antarctic Circle. Visits to research stations depend on final permission.

Notes: Prices per person, double occupancy.

Included:
Cabin accommodations; all meals aboard the vessel; one night pre-cruise hotel accommodation with breakfast; all shore excursions; program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff; transfers and baggage handling between hotel and the ship; detailed post-expedition log, and all service taxes and port charges. (For trips 11/2005 - 3/2006: Use of rubber boots for duration of voyage; detailed post-expedition CD-ROM logbook chronicling your voyage; specially designed expedition parka, which is yours to keep.)

Not Included:
Any airfare; passport and visa expenses; government arrival and departure taxes; meals ashore, unless specifically mentioned; baggage; cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended); excess baggage charges; all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar and beverage charges; telecommunication charges; customary gratuity at the end of the voyage for those who have served you aboard (guidelines will be provided).

Overview: The 235-ft, 1753 ton Professor Molchanov was built in Finland in 1983 for polar and oceanographic research. Refurbished since its conversion for passenger use, the vessel is ideally suited for expedition cruising, carrying a maximum of just 52 passengers in comfortable twin and triple cabins, all outside and each with a desk and ample storage space. Public areas include a lounge and bar, small library, infirmary (there is a doctor on board) and a sauna. Views are excellent from the large, open decks and the navigation bridge, where we are almost always welcome. The European chefs produce a varied menu and the comfortable bar is stocked with a good selection of wine. The ship is staffed by Russian officers and crew, all highly experienced in ice navigation. Russian captains are recognized as the world experts in polar operations. The atmosphere aboard the Professor Molchanov is relaxed and informal, more like a private expedition than a cruise. To explore such a region with just a small number of fellow passengers is a real luxury, and will help make your Antarctic voyage of discovery and adventure a truly unforgettable experience.

Cabin Description: Triple cabins have two lower and one upper berth, a desk, a small washbasin, ample hanging space, and portholes. Showers and toilets are very close by and are shared with other Deck 3 cabins. Twin share cabins have two lower bunks, a desk, small washbasin, ample hanging space, and portholes. Showers and toilets are very close by and are shared with other Deck 3 cabins. Twin private cabins have one upper and one lower bunk, a desk, windows, and a private bathroom with shower, toilet, and washbasin. Mini suites have a separate small bedroom with double bed, a couch bed in the main room, a desk, video player and TV, windows, and a private bathroom with shower, toilet, and washbasin. The Suite has a large lounge area, a separate small bedroom with double bed, a couch bed in the main room, a video player and TV, refrigerator, large forward- and side-facing windows, and a private bathroom with shower, toilet, and washbasin. 

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