Dreaming of A White Christmas In Antarctica? One Ocean Expeditions’ Festive Family Adventure Cruise Is The Answer
One Ocean Expeditions (OOE) invites families to treat themselves to the gift of time together and an adventure of a lifetime on its special 11-day Christmas 2016 Cruise of Antarctica – one of the few places in the world where a White Christmas can be guaranteed!
Departing on 17 December 2016, the trip is especially designed for families with children and teenagers. Parents and grandparents can rest assured that, with child-led photography sessions, Young Explorers Club onshore guided tours, children’s meals, presentations and workshops, soft adventure excursions and optional complimentary inclusion in the OOE Kids’ Programme, offspring of all ages will be well catered for throughout the voyage.
And, with the possibility of seeing humpback whales, Weddell seals, plus a multitude of different species of penguins and seabirds against a pristine backdrop of stunning polar land- and seascapes, the opportunities for creating family memories to cherish forever are endless.
The journey begins in Punta Arenas, Chile with a 90-minute charter flight to Stanley, the charming capital of the Falkland Islands, from where OOE’s cruise ship Akademik Sergey Vavilov departs.
Hundreds of magnificent pelagic seabirds, including the giant wandering albatross, petrels, kelp gulls and Antarctic terns, create an amazing spectacle as they accompany the ship on its way south, crossing the Scotia Sea to Antarctica.
On reaching the vast Antarctic Peninsula, one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth, passengers have numerous chances each day to go ashore on guided hikes and photographic excursions, to observe wildlife colonies or join a Zodiac boat cruise among the stunning ice floes in the hope of seeing a whale surface alongside the craft.
Excursions take in places of interest such as an old whaling station and a working scientific base, together with the region’s many ‘hotspots’ such as the Gerlache Strait, Lemaire Channel and, weather permitting, the iceberg ‘graveyard’ on Pleneau Island where some of the Peninsula’s most gargantuan masses of ice run aground.
Highlights of the trip include getting up close to Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins – walking among colonies of these fascinating creatures as they crowd together on the beaches, watching them toboggan down snowy slopes from their hillside nests or waddling ashore, chubby from a recent fishing excursion.
For more intrepid travellers, there may even be the chance to take to the water in sea kayaks, go snowshoeing or camp overnight on the snow!
Experiencing Antarctica during the summer solstice means maximum daylight hours, enabling passengers to make the most of the viewing and photographic platform on the ship’s outer decks. It’s also the perfect spot in which to sip a seasonal glass of eggnog as the snow falls gently or to enjoy a Christmas barbecue while admiring the wild crystal landscape.
Interactive workshops, both onboard and ashore, are led by OOE’s team of professional geologists, historians, naturalists, Antarctic specialists and photographers. The in-house photographer is also available for one-on-one reviews and constructive feedback to help improve photographic skills.
The adventure draws to a close in the South Shetland Islands where travellers disembark the ship at King George Island and fly back to Punta Arenas, Chile, in just two hours – saving more than two days crossing the open waters of the Drake Passage.
Prices start from US$10,095pp based on triple share, US$12,095pp twin share, and cover return flights from Punta Arenas, accommodation and meals on board, including a traditional Christmas turkey feast with all the trimmings, guides, wet weather gear and all ship excursions. Bookings placed by December 1, 2015 will receive an additional travel credit of US$1000 on 2016/17 departures.
