Product Description
Join me, Mike Wood, on this amazing 14 day adventure to Cross the Antarctic Circle – 07-20 Feb 2025.
This adventure has been designed based on year’s of experience in travelling in this region. We will start our voyage in Ushuaia on the most southern tip of South America in Tierra de Fuego, after a unique Patagonian experience (click here for more information on the 14 day Patagonian experience which can be added to the Crossing the Circle voyage, or purchased separately).
Our ship will be the purpose designed and built “Ultramarine” operated by the Polar experts, Quark Expeditions.
We have 20 berths reserved for us on the 07 Feb 2025 Crossing the Circle expedition, starting from AUD$28,649 per person in an Explorer Suite, that’s a saving of $9,351 per person. Deposit 30% to secure your place on this adventure of a life time.
Price schedule of cabins below, 30% deposit required to secure your cabin.
Plus each person who books through the Peregrine Travel Centre WA receives an extra USD$150 On-board ship credit to be spent at the bar or the Polar Boutique.
For travellers who can’t fit Patagonia in beforehand there is a Transfer Package available ex-Buenos Aires for $1,500.
Ask us about other tour options in Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, the Galapagos Islands or Peru that can be fitted around the voyage and especially designed to suit you.
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Cabin Category ULTRAMARINE |
Number of Cabins | Number of Berths being held | Published rate per person based on shared/double occupancy (AUD) |
Special Group Rate with Peregrine Travel Centre WA per person based on shared occupancy (AUD) |
| Cabins | Berths | |||
| Explorer Suite | 4 | 8 | 33,900 | AUD$28,649 |
| Balcony Suite | 4 | 8 | 37,500 | AUD$29,995 |
| Deluxe Suite | 1 | 2 | 44,100 | AUD$34,895 |
| Terrace Suite | 1 | 2 | 45,600 | AUD$36,995 |
Ultramarine Specifications:
- 199 guests maximum
- 140 expedition staff and crew
- Ice Class 1A+, PC6
- Cruising speed of 16 knots in open water
- 128m in length
- 4 fully enclosed lifeboats
- 2 twin-engine Airbus H145 Helicopters
- 2 ready rooms for storing expedition gear
- water-level internal zodiac hanger storing 20 zodiacs
- unique design allows guests to leave in half the time
- wrap around deck on deck 5 for outside viewing
- state-of-the-art theatre for expedition presentations
- bridge access during the voyage (subject to conditions)
- in-door, out-door Bistro
- variety of table sizes in Balena restaurant, no need to book
- Tundra Spa and sauna
- fitness centre
- Panorama Lounge and bar
I have deliberately chosen this later time of year as any earlier and the fast ice – that is ice sheets held ‘fast’ against the shore – will stop any zodiac landing. Rather than just Crossing the Antarctic Circle, the aim is to also land and explore. Now, this is NOT guaranteed, nothing is guaranteed on a Polar Expedition, but it is certainly more possible later on in the season.
This is a wonderful time of the season to immerse yourself in the huge penguin rookeries and watch the antics of ‘teenage’ penguins learning to swim, harassing returning parents for food and sky larking around. This is a chance to find a good sitting rock and enjoy the unafraid wildlife. You are not supposed to get within 5 metres of a penguin, but no-one told them that!
This is also a good time of year for whale interactions, mostly with feeding humpbacks as by February they are getting full from all the feasting on krill and are now more likely to have time to interact with a zodiac. Before that they are very much in a ‘can’t talk, eating’ mode. This is a great chance to see ‘bubble netting’.
Every day is taken up with being surrounded by, and immersed in, the Antarctic experience. Whether that’s from the decks of the Ultramarine, or an impromptu zodiac cruise to follow a pod of Orcas you won’t believe that any holiday will be as good as this again.
Want to ramp the adventure up just a notch? Try some sea kayaking in Antarctica. These ‘safe as houses’ plastic sea kayaks are a perfect way of getting very close to Antarctica. Go off exploring the coast line, or an ice berg alley, and then land to wander through a penguin rookery or an old, abandoned Antarctic base. My favourite way to travel. Please be aware that the kayaking costs AUD$1,430 extra. And in case you’re wondering, in my 7 kayaking trips down here I’ve never seen anyone fall in!
You will be amazed at the interesting shapes that ice can take. Whether that be archways, or tabular icebergs, or ice floating with seals or penguins taking a rest.
There is an endless fascination with watching this frozen world.
And for those wanting to really taste the cold and adventure of Antarctica there is nothing like a Polar Plunge.
It may look crazy, but it’s very safe with plungers wearing a harness and secured with a rope! The decks are lined with passengers of all ages waiting to take their turn to do the Plunge.
