Aurora Expeditions Expand Antartica Season

Expedition cruise company, Aurora Expeditions has released their exciting new 2012/13 Antarctica programme, with a 10 per cent early-booking discount.

With 20 voyages encompassing the highlights of the Antarctic Peninsula, the Weddell Sea, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, this season is set to be their biggest ever as the programme has a variety of new features, including a choice of two ships, with the addition of Akademik Shokalskiy.

The increased capacity also allows for a greater variety of voyage lengths (8 to 20 days), and more opportunities for adventure activities, with kayaking offered on 16 voyages.

With the successful uptake of the Fly & Sail options, Aurora have increased these in 2012/13, allowing passengers to see more in a shorter amount of time, and cutting out one sea crossing. These voyages will include either a flight in from Santiago or Punta Arenas in Chile, or a flight out from King George Island or Stanley in the Falkland Islands. Prices for the 2012/13 Antarctic season start from $6,365 per person, based on a triple cabin for an 8-day cruise.

Bookings made before December 31 will receive the 10% early bird offer (valid on the first 15 bookings on each voyage only; direct bookings only and not valid in conjunction with any other offer).

For more info, visit www.auroraexpeditions.com.au or the UK's adventure cruise experts of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Falklands Boost From Cruise Visitors

The Falklands (and their penguins!) welcomed a total of 40,542 passengers to its shores in the recent season (October 2010-April 2011), and an increase of 6% is expected for the forthcoming 2011/12 season, showing the islands continue to be a growing magnet for cruise lines.

The forecast rise would take 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), MS Artania (1,200), P&O's Adonia (710) and mega yacht L’Austral (264).

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, which is made up of more than 700 islands, allowing passengers to visit many sites that remain largely inaccessible to land-based tourists.

For further information, visit www.falklandislands.com or, for cruises, contact the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Sail to the Falklands - And Save With Lindblad Expeditions

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 - and save money.

Passengers booking the cruise will now receive a £1,230 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 includes a stop at South Georgia Island as well as Peninsula Valdes, which is the main breeding site for the endangered southern wright whales that concentrate in the area to give birth and find mates.

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 passengers can learn about the region and its unique wildlife, and every voyage 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 £8,375 per person, based on two adults sharing, but does not include international flights. For more info, visit www.expeditions.com or contact he UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Explore The Falklands & South Georgia

Here's a great offer from Noble Caledonia this week, with a chance to save on a wonderful 22-night cruise to Antarctica that also takes in the Falklands and South Georgia. Book by April 30 and save £400 per person on a 2011 departure (£300 per person on 2012), with prices now from £6,995.

In today’s highly accessible world, there are few places that still hold the power to enthrall and enchant. Antarctica is certainly one of these.

Antarctic Peninsula

Explore both sides of the Peninsula, taking in such memorable sights as the Antarctic Sound, often referred to as Iceberg Alley. Explore with Zodiacs, cruising among ice floes, land at penguin rookeries and visit research stations. Most Antarctic Peninsula cruises will include Deception Island. A highlight of any voyage comes as you navigate through the narrow entrance and sail inside the volcanic caldera. Hot, geothermal springs bubbling up close to shore allow those more hardy souls to experience a very hot and very cold bath almost simultaneously!

Other highights include - Paulet Island (above): Ice conditions permitting, this is a fascinating place and home to hundreds of thousands of Adelie penguins. Unconcerned by our presence they carry on about their business as do the blue-eyed cormorants and Weddell seals. Petermann Island: Visit the bridge as you deftly nudge aside ice floes and navigate the Lemaire channel to Petermann Island where Gentoo penguins have formed their southernmost nesting colony. Humpback and minke whales are often sighted offshore here.

The Falkland Islands

Combining the Peninsula with a few days on the Falkland Islands makes for an interesting contrast. The wildlife on these 420 rocky islands is staggering and it is a truly enchanting place, a true outpost with a unique character and particularly fascinating for the British.

South Georgia

Although South Georgia is a couple of days extra steaming from Antarctica, it is well worth the effort. Here you will experience one of the world’s natural wonders, the ‘Alps in mid-ocean’.

For more info, visit www.noble-caledonia.co.uk or contact the UK's leading adventure cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Falkland Islands celebrate record-breaking cruise arrivals

A new record was set on 2 February when 5,409 visitors arrived on board cruise ships in one day, making it the busiest day ever in Stanley’s cruise ship visitor history.

Passengers enjoyed local tours and walks, with the Museum and Gypsy Cove - home to a colony of gentoo penguins - proving popular attractions. Outside the capital, sought-after trips include Bluff Cove Lagoon and Volunteer Point – home to the largest colony of king penguins in the Falklands.

A total of 29 ships are scheduled to call at the Falkland Islands this season as an integral part of wider South America or Antarctica itineraries, comprising both expedition vessels and large cruise lines. The Falklands cruise season runs from October to April – the optimum time for wildlife viewing. The 740-island archipelago is situated in the South Atlantic, about 300 miles from South America.

For more information, visit www.falklandislands.com or The Cruise Line

World of Cruising - Winter edition now out!

The Winter edition of World of Cruising magazine is now out, and is chock-full of great feature, reviews and news on our favourite subject.

The headline story takes us to the Canadian Arctic with Inuit Indian operation Cruise North Expeditions, while we also visit the Falklands, South Africa, the wonderful Danube - and the Trans-Siberia Railroad!

Among our ship features are the new Queen Elizabeth and Le Boreal, the classic Athena and Sea Cloud and the modern cuisine style of Holland America's Noordam, plus a look at wine-themed cruising and Winter fashion. We also have our essential and original (often imitated but never equalled) Cruise Planner - a gazetteer of all the main cruise liens and their ships.

It all adds up to the best read on the wide world of cruising anywhere, with the best writers, the most eye-catching design and the most accurate and up-to-date info. Happy reading!

Oh, and a very Merry Christmas to all Time Spent at Sea readers - you are a growing bunch these days, and we look forward to seeing even more of you in 2011!!

- Simon Veness, Editor

Falkland Islands Cruising on the Increase

By guest blogger Steve Newman.

The future’s bright for The Falkland Islands Tourist Board, which has just announced its latest tourism forecast for the 2010/11 season.

And the rise in cruise ship visits continues apace. The Falklands are anticipating a growth of 1.3% in cruise passenger arrivals for the current season (October to April), with 49,011 expected to visit. These statistics dovetail with the global upswing in cruising - 1.77 million people are expected to take a cruise next year, according to the latest figures released by the Passenger Shipping Association.

A total of 29 ships are scheduled to call at the Falkland Islands this season as an integral part of wider South America or Antarctica itineraries, comprising both expedition vessels and large cruise lines. The Falklands also welcomes four new vessels to its shores this season, including Le Boreal and Marina Svetaeva.

“Today’s cruise passengers are seeking authentic experiences in relatively undiscovered locations. The Falklands offers just this, plus wildlife in abundance and our latest tourism forecast demonstrates the increasing popularity of this destination,” commented Paul Trowell, General Manager for the Falkland Islands Tourist Board.

For more information on the Falklands, visit http://www.falklandislands.com/ or, if you want to cruise there, have a look at cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Wildlife Sculptor in Antarctica

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Top British wildlife sculptor Hamish Mackie will be traveliling to Antarctica with One Ocean Expeditions on a spectacular 18-night/19-day trip via the Falkland Islands and South Georgia on the Russian ice-strengthened ship Marina Svetaeva on February 16. Taking his own materials, including his modelling tools and a particular clay able to withstand the cold, he will be working directly from life, capturing penguins, albatross and elephant seals.

These works of art will then be brought back to the UK in special containers to be cast into bronze for his one-man exhibition in New York later in the year. Hamish, 36, will also be giving talks on his work on board and, uniquely, offering workshops where passengers, both professional and amateur, will have the opportunity to make their own sculptures.

“The way I handle clay draws you into the anatomy of the subject and leaves a history as to how the sculpture was made,” says Mackie, who is looking forward to sculpting the unique wildlife of the seventh continent.

The price for the 18-night voyage starts at $13,490 per person sharing a twin cabin, including accommodation, food and excursions during the voyage. Flights to/from Ushuaia, Argentina, where passengers embark the Marina Svetaeva are not included. There is no additional charge for the sculpting workshops with Hamish Mackie.

For more details, visit http://www.oneoceanexpeditions.com/ or contact the adventure cruise specialists of the Cruise Line Ltd.

New Fly/Sail options to the Antarctic Peninsula

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Aurora Expeditions have launched their Antarctica brochure for 2011/2012, showcasing their brand-new Fly/Sail options to the Antarctic Peninsula and their celebratory voyages to East Antarctica and Commonwealth Bay to celebrate the centenary of Sir Douglas Mawson's Australian Antarctic Expeditions.

These 26-day voyages are Aurora Expeditions' most adventurous in scope, with extended sea crossings and the chance to explore the pack ice edge, where much of Antarctica's marine life, including whales, seals and penguins, can be found. The voyages will visit Mawson's Hut and the abandoned French base at Port Martin, and the working research station of Dumont d'Urville. Prices start from $17,475 per person, twin share.

The voyage, "Emeralds of the Subantarctic," is a 13-day expedition focusing entirely on the stunning islands south of Australia and New Zealand. This one-off voyage takes in Macquarie Island and Campbell Island, the Auckland Islands and, depending on sea conditions, a rare Zodiac cruise of the Snares Islands. This region contains the greatest diversity of seabirds in the world, often in astounding numbers. It's a tremendous opportunity to visit a wildlife wonderland. Prices for this voyage start from $7,325 per person, twin share.

Aurora Expeditions have also announced new Fly/Sail and Sail/Fly options, associated with their South Georgia & Antarctica Peninsula voyages. The Fly/Sail options have been designed to reduce sea time on these journeys. On two of the South Georgia voyages, participants will fly from Santiago in Chile to join the ship in The Falkland Islands, and on a third, the trip finishes in Stanley and participants fly to Santiago, reducing travel time by two days. The Fly/Sail voyages are 17 days in duration, with the first taking place from the 12th-28th November 2011, with kayaking and photography options, the second fom 5th-21st January 2012 with kayaking options, and the third from the 21st January-6th February 2012, again with kayaking options. Prices start from $11,685 per person based on twin share.

For the Antarctic Peninsula region, Aurora Expeditions are also offering Fly/Sail voyages for Christmas and New Year 2011/2012. The trips will travel south to the Antarctic Circle to visit remote regions such as The Gullet and Crystal Sound. The Christmas 10-day Sail/Fly voyage takes place from the 19th-28th December 2011 with prices starting at $7,340 per person, twin share, while the New Year Fly/Sail 9-day voyage takes place from the 28th December 2011-5th January 2012. Prices start from $6,525 per person, twin share.

For more information on Aurora Expeditions, visit http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/

Cruising to The Falklands

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Each year, thousands of tourists make the journey to the Falkland Islands onboard a cruise ship or expedition vessel. This increasingly popular method of travel allows people to visit many sites that remain largely inaccessible to land-based tourists in the Falklands, all from the comfort and safety of a world-class vessel. Ships have the opportunity to land on the outlying islands of the Falklands archipelago, including Carcass, Saunders and Sea Lion Island.

A wide variety of shore excursions and tours are available for passengers to experience the unique wildlife and fascinating history of the Islands. From the capital, Stanley, join the award-winning Bluff Cove Lagoon Tour, where you can stroll along the white sandy beach, home to 1,000 breeding pairs of gentoo penguins and a growing colony of king penguins and chicks, or watch the sea lions and dolphins often seen swimming in the surf.

Visitors can also take part in tours to Volunteer Point, a cornucopia of bird activity and home to king, gentoo and Magellanic penguins – as well as waterfowl and endemic sub-species like the dark-faced ground tyrant, Falkland pipit and thrush. Or enjoy the acrobatic antics of rockhopper penguins as they navigate and hop over the rocks on the Murrell tour.

New activities and tours for cruise passengers for this season are the Lorenzo Penguin & Nature Tour and the North Pond Penguin Tour. Both take guests on an adventurous 4 x 4 trip with a local guide and close experience of the penguins for which the Falklands are famous. Also recently added is a 2.5 hour guided historical walking tour of Stanley to convey the capital’s pioneering history and its British roots.

For more information, visit http://www.falklandislands.com/. For cruising, day tours and a list of operators who visit the Falklands, visit the Cruise Line Ltd or call 0800 008 6677.

World of Cruising magazine has a special feature on the Falklands in the next (Winter) issue, publishing December 28. Why not get yourself a copy by subscribing online on this link.

(Image of Rockhopper Penguins running by Alan White)

Christmas in the Antarctic

By guest blogger Steve Newman

For the ultimate Christmas escape, it doesn’t get much more remote than a voyage to Antarctica. This Christmas, why not leave the turkey behind and take advantage of a great new offer from Hurtigruten to spend the festive period on the White Continent?

Follow in the footsteps of famous explorers and join ‘Shackleton’s Christmas Adventure,’ a 17-day journey to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. The voyage now costs from £4125pp for an outside cabin (allocated on arrival), offering savings of up to £3379 per person.

Christmas and New Year will, of course, be celebrated, but guests can relax and focus on enjoying their surroundings. Treats include decorating the ship’s Christmas tree together, traditional Christmas dinner on 24 December in accordance with Norwegian traditions, carol singing and much more, plus a New Year’s Eve Party. All this, against some of the most awe-inspiring backdrops in the world and shared with the local penguins, seals and whales!

The trip departs on December 17, on board MS Fram, a ship specifically designed for polar exploration. Onboard lecturers and talks led by experts on Antarctica will ensure guests learn as much as possible whilst they are in these unique surroundings. Polar Circle boats are used to take passengers ashore and closer to penguin colonies, ice formations and all the other once-in-a-lifetime sights.

Shackleton’s Christmas Adventure – now from £4125pp; price includes 16 nights full board on the ship, return domestic charter flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, transfers and various landings. International flights to Buenos Aires are extra and can be booked by Hurtigruten (price based on two sharing and offer must be booked by November 15).

For more information, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or check with the Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

And don't miss them if you are going to The Cruise Show at the NEC in Birmingham (October 16-17) or at Olympia in London (March 26-27).