South Georgia Explorer – Polar Pioneer, Feb. 2024

South Georgia Explorer – Polar Pioneer, Feb. 2024

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Trip Summary

Dates: Feb 24, 2024 – Mar 9, 2024
Duration: 15 Days
Starting at $13,995.00View Prices

About the South Georgia Explorer Itinerary

South Georgia has been called ‘the most staggering wildlife show on earth’. After our in-depth exploration, we are certain you will agree. This seldom-visited corner of the planet is a place we know intimately and cherish sharing with our guests every season. Each season offers amazing opportunities for encountering South Georgia’s wildlife. Our later season […]

Itinerary Map

Pricing Information

$13,995 - Triple Shared
$15,795 - Twin Shared
$16,995 - Twin Private
$17,995 - Mini Suite
$18,995 - Owners Suite

About the South Georgia Explorer Itinerary

South Georgia has been called ‘the most staggering wildlife show on earth’. After our in-depth exploration, we are certain you will agree. This seldom-visited corner of the planet is a place we know intimately and cherish sharing with our guests every season.

Each season offers amazing opportunities for encountering South Georgia’s wildlife. Our later season voyage offers a wondrous spectacle of nature that is ideal or photographers and wildlife lovers looking to see the newly born animals.

Expect an abundance of baby fur seals which cover South Georgia’s beaches at this time of year which makes an excellent photographic subject that you will not find during other months.

February offers the unique opportunity to land on Prion Island, which is closed to visitors for most of the season and off limits to larger ships year round, to witness the spectacle of Wandering Albatross’s feeding their newborn chicks at their nests.

Young king penguins are starting to test the cold waters for the first time at the rookeries in Saint Andrews Bay and Salisbury plain. Gentoo, Macaroni and Chinstrap penguins gather in large creches as they start to fledge.

This season is the most active for marine life and offers the best opportunities for whale watching in South Georgia and species such as minke, humpback, fin and orcas are at their most numerous.

For lovers of remote, small-ship expedition cruising, this voyage ticks every box you could possibly imagine.

Detailed Itinerary

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Day 1: Embarkation in Port Stanley

LATAM flight landing at Mount Pleasant Airport, Falkland Islands (flight not included). Transfer bus to the harbour for embarkation at 16:00 Local Time.


Days 2-3: At sea

En route to South Georgia, you cross the Antarctic Convergence. The temperature cools considerably within the space of a few hours, and nutritious water rises to the surface of the sea due to colliding water columns. This phenomenon attracts a multitude of seabirds near the ship, including several species of albatross, shearwaters, petrels, prions, and skuas.


Day 4: Shag Rocks

This small group of 6 islands on the South Georgia Ridge in shallower waters. The nutrient-rich waters in this area offers a lot of food for birds and whales. The islands are named after the South Georgian Shags, known for their bright blue eyes and yellow patch on their beak.


Day 5 – 10: South Georgia journey


Majestic snow-covered mountains greet us on arrival in South Georgia. We hope to navigate the ship into the historic location of King Haakon Bay. It was here that, 100 years ago, Shackleton and his men made landfall in their small lifeboat, the James Caird, after completing the perilous ocean crossing from Elephant Island. This dramatic location is visited by just a handful of ships each season. One of the most anticipated sites in South Georgia is Salisbury Plain. The black sand beaches and tussock covered dunes are home to a staggering 100,000 ing penguin adults and their young. This is just one of several such king penguin rookeries on South Georgia. Fur seals can also be seen poking their heads above the water; the elephant seals will enjoy lazing about the beach, while the skuas and giant petrels fill the skies above. Meanwhile, the albatross – our constant companion on this journey – is never far away.


Day 11 – 14: At sea


There may be sea ice on this route, south polar skuas and snow petrels could join the other seabirds such as albatrosses and petrels trailing the vessel. Eventually we reach the Drake Passage and you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south.


Day 15: Disembarkation in Port Stanley


Arrive Port Stanley, disembarkation set at 09:00 Local Time. Transfer bus to Mount Pleasant Airport (flight not included).


Welcome Aboard the Polar Pioneer


Polar Pioneer was reborn in 2022 with a refurbishment and will be coming back to Antarctica for the 2023-24 season. Built in Finland in 1982 as an ice-strengthened research ship, for many years she plied the treacherous waters of the USSR’s northern coast. In 2000 she was refurbished in St Petersburg to provide comfortable accommodation for 54 passengers.A combined bar/lounge/library area (stocked with a good collection of polar books) was also created by simple internal restructuring.

This is one of the smallest ships traveling to Antarctica, and this class of vessel has a fine reputation for polar expedition cruising, due to its strength, maneuverability and small number of cabins. All cabins have outside portholes plus ample storage space.

The spacious bridge is always open to us and the decks are ideal for viewing. The chefs are European, and the dining room is attended by Russian stewardesses.

Polar Pioneer is not a luxury vessel as such, but the accommodation is simple yet comfortable, and the meals are wholesome and uncomplicated. A small fleet of inflatable Zodiacs with outboard motors enable us to travel from ship to shore.

Technical Specs

  • Maximum Passengers: 54
  • Staff & Crew: 25
  • Place built: Finland
  • Displacement: 2 140 tons
  • Length: 71.6 meters
  • Width: 12.8 meters
  • Draft: 4.5 meters
  • ISM and SOLAS certified as Ice Strengthened vessel
  • Speed: 12.5 knots
  • Refurbished: 2000

Cabins & Amenities

  • All cabins are exterior, with porthole windows
  • The public areas include a dining room which also act as lecture room.
  • Cozy bar with reference books and fresh coffee and tea available at all times.
  • Sauna that holds up to five passengers.
  • Open bridge policy
  • Email facilities available
  • 220 volts power
  • Laundry service available

Notes

  • International Airfare Not Included.
  • Flights included for Fly/Cruise itineraries.
  • Rates are per person, based on twin-share. Single costs are 1.7 times the twin rate.
  • Mandatory Emergency Evacuation Insurance Required.
  • All trips subject to possible fuel surcharge.

Adventure options

  • Must be pre-booked and paid for prior to start of the trip. Space is subject to availability. Some activities require experience.
  • Kayaking : from $1050
  • Camping  Free
  • Photography Free
  • Snowshoeing $250
  • Ski Touring $900
  • Climbing $900
  • South Georgia Alpine Crossing $2,150

 

Book now for early bird discounts on the 2024-25 season

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