Antarctica Express Air - Cruise

A great chance, just once each year, to experience the essence of Antarctica in a short cruise and then fly back on a 60 passenger chartered commercial jet to Punta Arenas. The ship leaves from Ushuaia, sails though the Beagle Channel to Cape Horn and then crosses to Antarctica, visiting the South Shetland Islands and King George Island.

Day 1: Embark in Ushuaia
The journey begins in Ushuaia, Argentina. We will sail along the Beagle Channel towards Puerto Williams, the southernmost town in the world, located on Navarino Island. Here, we will have the time to tour around before setting sail toward Cape Horn.

Day 2: Cape Horn 
After crossing Nassau Bay, we will wake up in front of legendary Cape Horn! Weather permitting, we will put our Zodiac boats into the water and visit its lighthouse and the Chilean station in charge of keeping it beaming. Back on board, we will get ready to set sail towards Antarctica and start the crossing of the famous waters named in honour of Sir Francis Drake, the great XVIth century British explorer.

Day 3: Drake Passage
As you sail through the Drake Passage en route to King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands, attend an engaging program of lectures and presentations. In the company of expert guides, watch for wildlife from the glass-enclosed lounge or from the outside decks. You may spot magnificent sea birds, such as albatrosses and petrels, as well as different species of whales on their way south to Antarctica.

Day 4: South Shetland Islands
After crossing the Antarctic Convergence, the environment changes noticeably. Keep your camera ready, as this is the time to watch for the first icebergs and the first sight of Antarctic land. Reaching the South Shetland Islands, sail in ice-filled bays, while enjoying the company of sea birds, penguins, seals and whales. Board a Zodiac for your first memorable shore visit to a penguin colony. Tanking advantage of the endless Antarctic daylight, exploration will continue well into the evening.

Day 5: King George Island - Punta Arenas
Upon reaching King George Island, we will disembark at Fildes Bay, where we will have the chance to enjoy the Antarctic scenery and visit some interesting places around the area, such as the Chilean Base Frei and the Russian Base Bellingshausen. We will gather at the aerodrome where we will board the flight that will take us to Punta Arenas, Chile. The programme ends upon arrival at the Airport in Punta Arenas.

Note about the Antarctica flights:
You will be flying with a 60 passenger British Aerospace BAe 146-200, designed for short take off and landings and suitable for Antarctic conditions. It is operated by Aerovias DAP, a Chilean commercial airline with over 25 years of commercial experience flying around Patagonia, to the Falklands, and to Antarctica.

Included:
-Transfer to-from airport/hotel/port according to the program
-1 complimentary overnight upon request in Punta Arenas at Hotel Rey Don Felipe on the day of return from Antarctica for Antarctic Express (day 5)
-Flight from PuntaArenas to Frei Station on King George Island and/or viceversa as indicated in the program corresponding to each voyage
-Ship cruise along the Antarctic Peninsula as indicated in the program corresponding to each voyage
-Full board including drinks and open bar during the ship cruise.
-All guided shore excursions
-Lectures and board entertainments.
-Loan of waterproof boots for landing in Antarctica

Not Included:
- Accommodation, meals and Transfers other than those included in the program.
- Visa and/or Passport expenses.
- Arrival and/or departures taxes.
- Personal expenses (Communication, laundry, souvenirs, etc).
- Gratuities (suggested $10 p/person p/day)
- Personal insurance.

Notes:
- Single travelers can choose between:
Booking a Single dedicated cabin.
Booking a Twin cabin for single used. A 85% supplement should be added to the price per person in twin cabin.
Sharing a Twin cabin with other passenger (male or female). No supplement is applied. We will look for a matching companion. In case of sharing cabin with another passenger, this also applies sharing any other hotel accommodation foreseen in the travel program corresponding to each vogaye.
- Children are admitted from the age of 8 years if accompanied by a fully responsible adult.  A 5% discount on the rate per person is offered for children up to 12 years of age.
- Medical insurance:
expedition requires participants to be adequately covered by a medical insurance, including aero-medical evacuation from Antarctica.
- Flight connexions:
A tight time-schedule connection with an Antarctic expedition is unwise. For this reason, we strongly suggest that a flexible air ticket be held for your journey home, and in any case not to book a flight on the same day of the return flight from Antarctica.
-Baggage Allowance:
The maximum weight allowed on the flights to and from Antarctica is 20 kg per passenger, including hand luggage. Excess baggage will be transferred to Punta Arenas, free of charge, and will be delivered to passengers upon return from Antarctica.

Important Notice:
Itinerary
Every effort will be made to adhere to the planned program. However, it must be realized that with this type of adventurous travel to Antarctica, changes to the itinerary may occur due to severe and unpredictable weather. We need to emphasize the fact that weather conditions are unpredictable and that safety is always the paramount concern on any Antarctic voyage. For this reason the tour operator reserves the right to change the itinerary here described due to weather conditions or other factors beyond the tour operator control without consulting the participants.

Contingency Plan
In case that the flight to or from Antarctica cannot take place due to unfavourable weather conditions either at point of origin and/or destination, the tour operator will apply the Contingency Plan corresponding to each voyage