Quark adds fly/cruise to Falklands & South Georgia to expedition Line-Up

Quark Expeditions  2015/16 Antarctic voyages line-up has expeditions tailored to accommodate travellers of all fitness levels, interest groups and even those with time constraints.

Returning passengers will find an additional fly-cruise itinerary enabling those with limited schedules to see the Antarctic as well as the Falklands and South Georgia in less time. Quark Expeditions® is a provider of the fly-cruise program, a popular choice with those who wish to visit the remote region but don’t have the luxury of time required for a longer expedition. Those in search of a classic Antarctic expedition experience will still find many options available to them, from the 21-day Epic Antarctica, to Quark's most popular expedition, Antarctic Explorer, with 11 or 12-day itineraries.

As an added value, passengers who make reservations by 15  November 2014 will receive an early booking incentive of 25 percent off premium cabins and 15 percent off non premium cabins on select voyages. 

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Falkland Islands set for a Great 2012

A Royal visit, the 30th anniversary and popular BBC series Frozen Planet will put the Falklands firmly on many intrepid travellers' wish lists for 2012.

 

Commemorate the 30th anniversary since the '82 British Argentine conflict with a 12 day trip to the Falkland Islands. Discover the battlefields in Port Howard, Pebble Island, Stanley, San Carlos, Goose Green and Darwin. Highlights include: attending the ceremony for Liberation Day, capturing sightings of aircraft wreckage, visiting museums and paying tribute to veterans at the British & Argentine War cemeteries.

 Why not explore four of the archipelago's outer islands: Sea Lion, Bleaker, and Carcass plus a boat trip to West Point Island to see the black-browed albatross?  Or Sea Lion Island as it boasts a wealth of wildlife from sea lions and pods of whales to magnificent bird life  or enjoy a day trip to Volunteer Point home to most accessible king penguin colony in the world?

Carcass Island boasts astounding wildlife from gentoo and Magellanic penguins to gulls, geese and elephant seals. Free of cats and mice, small bird species such as the Cobb's Wren can flourish. While New Island is home to rockhopper penguin rookeries, black -browed albatross and blue -eyed Shags. The cruise also stops in South Georgia and Antarctica, terminating back in Ushuaia

You might even want to combine your trip to the Falkland Islands with a visit to Patagonia to unite awe inspiring glaciers and icebergs in Chile and Argentina and the amazing Alps of South Georgia.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's adventure cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

All at sea - Buoyant cruise arrivals for the Falklands

 The Falklands welcomed a total of 40,542 passengers to its shores in the recent season (October 2010 – April 2011). An increase of 6% is expected for the 2011/12 season, taking totals to 43,000 arrivals, dovetailing the industry wide upward trend of this sector (a record 1.7 million holidaymakers are forecast to sail in 2011 – source: Passenger Shipping Association).

Five new ships will make their maiden visits to the Falklands in the upcoming season:- the luxurious Seabourn Sojourn (450 passengers), Island Sky (118 passengers), MS Artania (1,200 passengers), Adonia (710 passengers) and mega yacht L’Austral (264 passengers).

In total 30 vessels are scheduled to visit the Falklands in the season ahead.

A perfect add on to South America or Antarctic itineraries, cruising is an ideal way to discover the Falklands archipelago made up of over 700 islands, allowing passengers to visit many sites that remain largely inaccessible to land-based tourists.

For further information on the Falklands Islands please visit www.falklandislands.com. or The Cruise Line

One Ocean Expeditions - Stunning Once in a lifetime Opportunity

Leading Polar cruise operator, One Ocean Expeditions is proud to sponsor an extraordinary expedition in which the last wish of world-renowned polar adventurer, Frank Wild, to be buried alongside his ‘boss’ and loyal friend, notorious fellow explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, will be carried out at the whalers’ graveyard in Grytviken, South Georgia, a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean.

The special 18-night commemorative voyage to transport Wild's ashes to South Georgia, takes place exactly 90 years after his last voyage with Shackleton in 1921*, and is only possible following a seven-year-long research journey by South African author and polar expert, Angie Butler, who discovered Wild's ashes in Johannesburg. Wild’s wish to be buried bedside Shackleton never materialised due to the outbreak of WWII a week after his death.

Among the confirmed guests on the Frank Wild Expedition to South Georgia, is the Honorable Alexandra Shackleton, Sir Ernest's grand-daughter, and six members of Wild's family.

Angie Butler, whose recently released book, The Quest For Frank Wild, features exclusive publication of his original memoirs covering four expeditions including those on the Nimrod and Endurance, will also be joining the cruise as a guest speaker.

Passengers on the once-in-a-lifetime voyage will depart Ushuaia, the world’s southern-most city in Argentina on 20 November 2011 on board One Ocean Expeditions’ impressive ice-strengthened ship, Akademik Ioffe.

Designed for Polar Research and combining modern comforts and superb amenities with first-class safety features, the ship will chart a course through the Beagle Channel towards the Falkland Islands, where the first planned shore excursion aims to reveal a profusion of seabirds and migratory birds, including the black-browed albatross.

Other highlights of the West Falkland Archipelago may also include bustling rookeries of rare rockhopper penguins, nesting Magellanic penguins, oystercatchers and the flightless steamer duck, followed by a stop in the islands’ charming capital, Stanley, with its brightly painted houses and fascinating history.

During the journey southeast towards South Georgia, passengers will be able to fill their time by scanning the horizon in search of whales and other marine mammals, as well as seabirds. There will also be the opportunity to hear more about the heroic expeditions of the earliest daredevil explorers and to learn about polar conservation, a subject close to the hearts of One Ocean Expeditions.

Majestic glacier-covered mountains herald the Ioffe’s arrival at the rugged island of South Georgia, where visitors are greeted by the staggering sight of hundreds of thousands of king penguins covering every inch of the shoreline.

It is here that the two friends, adventurers and polar explorers, Wild and Shackleton, will finally be reunited during a ceremony at the whalers’ graveyard in Grytviken.

Crossing the Scotia Sea towards Antarctica, ice and weather conditions permitting, passengers will visit the South Orkney Islands, often shrouded in mist and protected by large icebergs and sea ice, and later Elephant Island, which was a place of refuge in 1916 for Shackleton, Wild and crew after their ship was destroyed by pack ice.

Finally, the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic mainland reward visitors with a plethora of wildlife and awe-inspiring scenery from Adélie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins torpedoing through the water, predatory leopard seals and gentle humpback whales, to thousands of colossal icebergs and seemingly endless ice sheets.

The 18-night Frank Wild Commemorative Expedition includes all meals and accommodation plus Zodiac excursions and landings. The One Ocean Expeditions team includes hospitality staff, guides, historians, naturalists, kayak expedition leaders and experts in the Antarctic, all of who bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and fun to the voyage. Prices start from US $12990 per person based on twin share, from $10290pp for triple share and from $16200pp in a One Ocean Suite. For further information, visit www.oneoceanexpeditions.com. or The Cruise Line

Save up to £2460 ($4000) per couple on a journey to the Falkland Islands with National Geographic Explorer

Enjoy the unspoiled landscapes and myriad wildlife of the Falkland Islands with Lindblad Expeditions as part of their 24 day journey aboard the National Geographic Explorer. Passengers booking the 24 day journey will receive a £1230 ($2,000) * discount per person on their expedition and a complimentary charter flight between Ushuaia and Buenos Aires. To top it all off the package also includes two free nights in Buenos Aires.

The expedition starts in Buenos Aires on October 18 and includes a two-day stop in the Falkland Islands. An archipelago comprised of more than 700 individual islands, the Falklands are home to the largest Black browed albatross colony in the world, thousands of gentoo, rockhopper and Magellanic penguins and herds of sea lions and elephant seals. In addition to getting up close with the wildlife, passengers will also have the opportunity to go ashore and experience the capital of the Falklands – Stanley – within easy reach of white sandy beaches, relax in one of the local pubs, or learn about the history of this port city.

The itinerary also includes a stop at South Georgia Island as well as Peninsula Valdes, which is the main breeding site for the endangered southern right whales that are concentrated in the area to give birth and find mates.

The National Geographic Explorer is one of the most technologically advanced expedition ships in the world. Her reinforced ice belt makes it possible to navigate polar passages while also providing exceptional comfort. It also carries 36 kayaks and a fleet of Zodiac landing craft that allow passengers to get up close and experience the region firsthand. While aboard the ship, guests will enjoy international cuisine with a local flair as well as a host of amenities including a fitness centre and spa. There are also numerous lectures led by specialists so that passengers can learn about the region and its unique wildlife, and every voyage aboard National Geographic Explorer is accompanied by a National Geographic photographer. This voyage will include award-winning filmmaker Keenan Smart, Executive Producer of National Geographic’s “Great Migration” series.

The 24-day journey starts from £8375 ($13,780) per person based on two adults sharing.* For more information or to make reservations, visit www.expeditions.com , e-mail: explore@expeditions.com or call: + 001 212-261-9000. The package does not include international flights.

P-P-Pack Your Bags For The 'Penguinoliday' Of A Lifetime To The Falkland Islands

There has never been a better time to splash out and combine a home and abroad ‘penguinoliday’ of a lifetime. Visit London Zoo to see the penguins once they have settled into their new home and then take the ultimate penguin trip to one of the great penguin capitals of the world - the Falkland Islands - to see these much loved creatures in their natural habitats.

The Falkland Islands, situated 400 miles off South America, are home to 770,000 penguins including rockhoppers and macaronis (as found in London Zoo) as well as king, gentoo and Magellanic penguins. Here are some tips for spotting the BIG FIVE of the penguin world in this stunning South Atlantic archipelago:

Kings: Tall, elegant and the biggest of the Falkland Islands penguins. Take a day trip to Volunteer Point – the largest king penguin colony in the Falklands and most accessible in the world – three hours by vehicle north of Stanley, where they reside year round.

Gentoos: The largest gentoo population in the world is found in the Falklands. The gentoo penguins live on the islands throughout the year and can be seen on the mainland and many Outer Islands.

Magellanics: Known to Islanders as jackasses, because of the loud call they make (resembling the braying of a donkey) when standing at the entrance to their underground nests. The Magellanics can be seen on the Falkland Islands during the summer months (September – April).

Rockhoppers: The smallest Falkland penguin and particularly noisy and feisty, making good entertainment for visitors as they literally hop from rock to rock up steep cliff faces. The Falkland Islands hold a significant proportion of the world’s rockhopper population with their distinctive red eyes, yellow brows and vivid plumes. Rockhoppers reside on the Falklands to breed between October and April often in mixed colonies with other seabirds.

Macaronis – fiery golden crested penguins who live in the Falklands in very small numbers, usually mixing with the larger rockhopper penguin rookeries.

For further information on the Falklands Islands, visit www.falklandislands.com.