ANTARCTICA XXI

Antarctica XXI: Our View

Going with Antarctica XXI is one of the quickest and calmest ways to see the white continent.  The formula is that you fly from Punta Arenas (Chile) to Antarctica, board your boat and spend 5 nights cruising around Antarctica before flying back to Punta Arenas! The whole trip lasts 7 days, 6 nights allowing you see what all the other vessels do without crossing the Drake Passage!  Please note that the first and last departures are flying out and returning by boat or vice versa.

Antarctica XXI: The Detail

The plane
The aircraft BAE-146 was manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace. It is a high-wing aircraft with very short runaway requirements which make it particularly suited for these kinds of destinations. It is operated by Aerovías DAP, which has more than 20 years of experience of flying in Patagonia and Antarctica.
 
The boat
The M/V Ocean Nova is a modern and comfortable vessel. She was built in Denmark in 1992 to sail the ice-choked waters of Greenland, and her ice-strengthened hull is ideally suited for expedition travel in Antarctica. The M/V Ocean Nova has capacity for 68 passengers accommodated in comfortable outside cabins, all with private facilities, including dedicated single, twin and triple cabins. In addition to a glass-enclosed observation lounge and presentation room, a spacious dining room, a bar and library, she also has an infirmary and an exercise room. The ship has Zodiac boats that are well suited for disembarking and wildlife watching.
 
The itinerary
 
Jumping over Cape Horn and the mythical waters of the Drake Passage, ANTARCTICA XXI invites you to a unique experience that will take you to one of the most remote places on earth, the coldest, highest, windiest, driest, and most inhospitable continent - Antarctica.
 
Day 1. Arrive Punta Arenas
Arrive in Punta Arenas where you will be met by Antarctica XXI staff, to be transferred to Hotel Rey Don Felipe. During the afternoon, you will meet your expedition mates and receive instructions concerning the guidelines that should be followed in Antarctica and the procedures for Zodiac boat embarkation and disembarkation. Later, you will enjoy our welcome dinner at the José Nogueira Hotel, a French-style mansion that is over one hundred years old.
N.B. Passengers should be in Punta Arenas at 15:00 hours, at the latest.
 
Day 2.  Fly to Antarctica, board boat
Our Antarctic adventure will begin with the flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island (South Shetland Islands). The flight takes a little over one and half hour. Upon arrival, we will be able to tour around the area where the Frei Chilean Base and the Bellingshausen Russian Base are located. We will gather at the beach on Fildes Bay for embarkation by
Zodiac boats on board our expedition vessel.
 
Days 3 to 6. In Antarctica
While cruising between the South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic
Peninsula, sailing along ice-filled fjords and between spectacular icebergs, we will enjoy the company of sea birds, penguins, seals and whales. Our journey southwards will include visits to some of the most magnificent spots in the white continent, such as: Livingston Island, Port Lockroy, Petermann Island, Paradise Bay, Cuverville and Deception Islands amongst others. Our target will be the crossing of the Lemaire Channel and latitude 65° South. Our adventure will be very active, with several daily landings and cruises in Zodiac boats, lectures and a very enjoyable time on board.
 
Day 7. Fly Punta Arenas
Return to King George Island where we will disembark, in Zodiac boats, at the Frei Chilean Base, and head to the aerodrome to take the flight back to Punta Arenas. The program ends upon arrival at the Airport in Punta Arenas.
Transfer to the city will be available for passengers staying overnight in Punta Arenas. One complimentary night at Hotel Rey Don Felipe in Punta Arenas is offered upon request on Day 7 of the Travel Program.
 
It is important to note that until present no air-cruise has ever been cancelled due to the impossibility to fly to Antarctica, and that the longest delay ever suffered has been 2 days. Consequently, ANTARCTICA XXI is able to estimate that the chances that an Antarctic flight suffers 1 day delay are very low, about 5%-10%. However, in the light of these considerations, in the unlikely event that the flight to Antarctica cannot take place due to unfavourable conditions either at point of origin and/or destination, ANTARCTICA XXI has established a contingency Plan, applying from day 2 the Travel Program corresponding to each voyage.