Tour 629-14 Days, Departing November 9, 1996, Returning November 22, 1996 (reverse itinerary)
Tour 630-15 Days, Departing November 19, 1996, Returning December 3, 1996 (Thanksgiving Cruise)
Tour 703-15 Days, Departing January 20, 1997, Returning February 3, 1997
Tour 704-17 Days (reverse itinerary), Departing January 31, 1997, Returning February 16, 1997 (Ice Cruise)
Deception Island
Early explorers called the Falkland Islands "the very end of the world, and they remain among the most remote outposts of human habitation in the South Atlantic. Here a few hardy communities share their stark landscape of rolling moors and wind-swept cliffs with a fascinating collection of pengitins, seabirds, sea lions and seals. As in Antarctica, our principal destination on this itinerary, explorations in the Falklands combine adventure with sublime scenery and teeming wildlife. Tour 704, the "Ice Cruise, " offers two extra days in Antarctica.
| Day 1 Miami | |
| We depart on our Lan Chile flight to Santiago, Chile. | |
| Day 2 Santiago | |
| We arrive in the morning and transfer to the Hyatt Regency Hotel to spend the rest of the day at leisure with dinner on our own this evening. | |
| Day 3 SantiagolUsbuaia | |
| Fly to Ushuaia where, after an afternoon sightseeing tour of this southern-most city in the world, we board our expedition ship. | |
| Days 4-5 Drake Passage | |
| A trip "around the Horn" was once a feature of every trans-oceanic sea voyage before the opening of the Panama Canal, so as we set sail across the Drake Passage toward Antarctica we follow in the wake of nearly four centuries of master mariners, including Sir Francis Drake. This is an opportunity to find our sea legs and to prepare for the wonders of the Antarctic at a continuing series of presentations by our lecturers. As we continue south, guided by our naturalists, we'll also begin to spot Antarctic birds or, with luck, whales from the deck. | |
| Days 6-10 Antarctica | |
| As the Antarctic Peninsula and its off-shore islands appear on the horizon, a sense of excitement and expectation fills the ship. Our first Zodiac expedition is swiftly followed by others, each carefully planned by the Captain and Expedition Leader to take full advantage of each day's possibilities. On most days we make two landings, heading out in our swift and versatile Zodiacs, guided by our expert drivers and accompanied by lecturers, to explore islands filled with thousands of penguins, to photograph nesting grounds of seabirds, and to cruise iceberg-strewn passageways of breathtaking beauty. | |
| As conditions permit, we plan to stop on the Peninsula and at a number of islands which may include Livingston, Deception and King George, as well as sail through breathtaking Paradise Bay and the Lemaire Channel. We may also visit a scientific research station, view the remains of early-century whaling and sealing industries, and perhaps see whale bones on the beach. After each evening's leisurely dinner, there's time to stroll the deck to gaze at the seascapes in the light of the austral summer. | |
| Days 11-12 Cruising the South Atlantic | |
| As the ship's bow turns northward, our lecturers review the unforgettable experiences of the last few days and prepare us for the sights of the Falklands, yet to come. | |
| Day 13 New Island Nature Reserve and Carcass Island, Falklands | |
| We land at New Island to explore a natural amphitheater filled with bounding rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatross, in a reserve also known for its population of rare Johnny Rook, "the most mischievous of all the feathered creation." On nearby Carcass Island, one of the Falklands' foremost sheep farms co-exists with a wildlife sanctuary crowned by a gentoo penguin colony. Here we're invited to the island owner's home to partake in a traditional Falkland Islands tea, including a sumptuous array of home-baked delights. | |
| Day 14 Stanley, Falkland Islands | |
| This morning Explorer docks at Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands, where we disembark to explore a charming town that feels "more English than England." Shop for handicrafts or unique postage stamps, sample the ales at a local pub, and view the countryside before we board our flight to Miami via Santiago. | |
| Day 15 Miami | |
| Arriving in the morning, we connect to homebound flights. | |
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| Antarctic ice, sculpted by the wind and sea, is an ever-changing panorama of shapes and colors. |
