E-mail a friendShip: Kapitan Khlebnikov
Itinerary: Northwest Passage: The Amundsen Route
click to enlarge
Whale breaching the Antarctic watersPhoto by: Claudio Suter
cabins & deck plans | additional itineraries | cancellation policy | Testimonials
| Days 1-3 : | Anchorage, Alaska, to Anadyr, Russia |
|---|---|
| Days 4-5 : | Chukotka Peninsula & Bering Strait |
| Days 6-7 : | Beaufort Sea |
| Days 8-10 : | Herschel Island & Franklin Bay, Canada |
| Days 11-13 : | Amundsen Gulf, Victoria Island & Cambridge Bay |
| Days 14-16 : | Victoria Strait |
| Day 17 : | Lancaster Sound & Beechey Island |
| Days 18-19 : | Resolute to Ottawa |
| Click for full itinerary |
| Days | Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | ||||
| Triple | Twin | Suite | Corner Suite | Single Twin | ||
| 19 | Jul 18, 2009 | $15,690 | $20,890 | $23,890 | $26,890 | -- |
| Destinations : Arctic, Russia Activities : Helicopter Tour, Nature Viewing, Photography, Whale Watching |
||||||
Days 1-3 : Anchorage, Alaska, to Anadyr, Russia
Arrive in Anchorage and transfer independently to the Millennium Hotel for one night in this gateway to Alaska's wilderness. Next morning, fly west to Anadyr, crossing the International Date Line and "losing" a day. You then fly by helicopter to board the Kapitan Khlebnikov anchored just offshore.
Days 4-5 : Chukotka Peninsula & Bering Strait
After an evening departure, we begin our presentations on the wildlife, geology, glaciers and human history of the High Arctic. You have chances to spot whales en route to the Chukotka Peninsula, whose rugged shores and nearby islands are home to nesting auklets, puffins, guillemots and many other seabirds. Walk the coast among ancient ceremonial grounds, the legacy of early human inhabitants. And we hope to visit centuries-old Whalebone Alley, a sacred place for native whalers on Ittygran Island. Next we sail through the Bering Strait separating Russia and the United States politically and geographically, where summers see countless migrating seabirds as well as bowhead, gray and Minke whales.
Days 6-7 : Beaufort Sea
Heading north into the Beaufort Sea, we cross the Arctic Circle and re-cross the International Date Line. As we sail past Point Barrow, the northernmost point of the United States, watch out for the bowhead whales that regularly migrate from the Bering Sea to their summer home in the Beaufort. Here we officially begin our journey through the fabled Northwest Passage: while ordinary expedition vessels are typically blocked by the thick, multi-year Arctic pack ice, we break through with relative ease.
Days 8-10 : Herschel Island & Franklin Bay, Canada
Just off the Yukon's northern coast stands Herschel Island. Park rangers at Pauline Cove guide you among vestiges of the former whaling station, once home to as many as 2,000 people and a winter refuge for 19th-century ships. Amundsen wintered at nearby King's Point before completing the first transit of the Northwest Passage in 1903-06. Immigration officers welcome you to Canada before we continue east across the shallow waters of the Mackenzie Delta. If time and conditions permit, we sail into Franklin Bay, where recent adventurers have spotted bowhead whales and seen polar bears on shore.
Days 11-13 : Amundsen Gulf, Victoria Island & Cambridge Bay
Pushing across the Amundsen Gulf, we land on Victoria Island at the village of Holman, home of the Copper Inuit, whose 300 friendly residents make their living from hunting, trapping and print-making. As we continue eastward through the Dolphin and Union Straits, watch for whales, polar bears, seals and musk ox. We plan to land in Johansen Bay as well as nearby Cambridge Bay, where you can see the remains of the Maud, the three-masted schooner Amundsen sailed across the polar basin in 1922-24.
Days 14-16 : Victoria Strait
The Kapitan Khlebnikov takes the western route through the challenging ice of the Victoria Strait, where Amundsen spent two winters learning dog-sledding skills. It is here too that Captain Leopold McClintock at last found traces in 1859 of Franklin's expedition, including letters, ship's artifacts and graves. Next we head north along the Boothia Peninsula via Larsen Sound, where we've often sighted polar bears. Watch for narwhals as we navigate the Bellot Strait separating Somerset Island from Point Zenith, the northernmost point of North America. We continue along the east or west coast of Somerset into Lancaster Sound, watching for beluga and bowhead whales, polar bears and Arctic seals.
Day 17 : Lancaster Sound & Beechey Island
We hope to sail around flat-topped Prince Leopold Island, famed for its nesting seabirds. And then - congratulations, you'll have joined the few people on the planet who have sailed the Northwest Passage! Our final stop is Beechey Island, where Franklin and his men spent a winter before tragically disappearing. At this desolate spot, you can contemplate the poignant memorial while celebrating our own successful voyage.
Days 18-19 : Resolute to Ottawa
We disembark the Kapitan Khlebnikov at Resolute Bay for our flight back to Ottawa and a final night at the Fairmont Ch?teau Laurier, then continue home independently after breakfast on August 4.
Price Includes:
* Air transportation from the staging point to the port of embarkation, as well as your return flight from the port of disembarkation.
* Hotel accommodations: 1 night pre-expedition and 1 night post-expedition lodging with breakfast at the hotel named in the itinerary. The number of guests per hotel room is the same as the cabin occupancy you have booked on board the ship. Travelers who reserve a suite on board the ship are accommodated in standard rooms at the hotel.
* All meals onboard the ship, including a complimentary glass of house wine with every dinner.
* All shore landings and excursions by Zodiac according to the daily onboard program.
* All helicopter transfers and aerial sightseeing according to each day's onboard program.
* Formal and informal educational presentations by our Expedition Team and guest lecturers as scheduled during the voyage.
* An onboard multimedia artist who, in the tradition of early expeditions, will chronicle the voyage and produce for each traveler a remarkable memento of the experience - a digital work on CD combining narrative, photography and video in the artist's individual style.
* A specially designed expedition parka that is yours to keep. Comprehensive pre-departure materials, including a map and an informative Arctic book.
* Round-trip transfers between the host hotel and the airport for your flights out of and back to the staging point, and between the ship and the local airport at the port(s) of embarkation and disembarkation - plus all baggage handling aboard ship.
* All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
Not Included:
Airfares to or from the gateway city, whether on scheduled or charter flights; passport and visa expenses; government arrival and departure taxes; any meals ashore with the exception of breakfast at the host hotel; baggage, cancellation and travel insurance (please note that emergency medical insurance is mandatory); excess baggage charges; laundry, bar, beverage and other charges of a personal nature; telecommunications charges; and the customary gratuity at the end of the voyage for stewards and other service personnel aboard. Any possible helicopter flying time in excess of that offered for the group will be charged at an hourly rate to be announced on board.
- Additional fuel surcharge of $58/night on ship, per person, for Antarctic departures between Oct 2008 - Mar 2009.
-Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double or triple occupancy.
-Request the Twin or Triple Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
-Single supplement of 1.7 times the twin rate for travelers who want to guarantee single room.
-Emergency medical evacuation coverage for a minimum of US$100,000 per person is required. Contact us for details on arranging travel insurance.
Prices are based on a 3% cash discount.
Ship Description: Kapitan Khlebnikov
click to enlarge
Kapitan Khlebnikov breaking ice
The KAPITAN KHLEBNIKOV was built in Finland in 1981 and is a powerful polar class icebreaker, which has sailed to extremely remote corners of the globe with adventurous travelers since 1992. No other expedition vessel has navigated more polar waters. It was the first ship ever to circumnavigate Antarctica with passengers in 1996-97.
The ship's interior provides passenger facilities necessary for excellent comfort, with accommodations in 54 first class outside cabin and suites. The vessel carries a maximum of 112 passengers.
All cabins are outside, with windows that can be opened for fresh or cooler air. In addition, passengers may control the flow of air into the cabin by adjusting the vent. Each cabin has a private bathroom with shower, toilet and wash-basin. Cabin floors are carpeted. The cabins have ample cupboard and drawer space, and a large desk. The second bed in each cabin is a convertible sofa bed, which is made up each night by the stewardess and converted back into a sofa during the day. Triple cabins have two lower berths and one upper berth. Each cabin is equipped with an 'in-cabin' music system. All cabins have robes for use while on board, which will be collected on the last day of the voyage. These are available for purchase if passengers wish to take one home.
There is ample storage space under the beds to store most luggage. If not, passengers should alert the cabin stewardess who can store it for the duration of the voyage. Hair dryers, quality soap and shower gel are available in each cabin.
|
Triple 135 sq. ft. Cabins include twin bunk beds and a convertible sofa, writing desk, chair, bookshelves, storage box, telephone, and porthole or window |
Twin135 sq. ft. Cabins include one twin bed and a convertible sofa, writing desk, chair, bookshelves, 2 wardrobes, storage box, telephone, and porthole or window |
|
Suite 193 sq. ft. Cabin includes separate living area, TV/VCR, refrigerator, convertible sofa, double bed 2 desks, 2 chairs, bookshelves, storage box, telephone, 2 wardrobes, and picture window |
Corner Suite 285 sq. ft. Cabin includes separate living area, TV/VCR, refrigerator, convertible sofa, double bed 2 desks, 2 chairs, bookshelves, storage box, telephone, 2 wardrobes, and picture window |
|
Single Twin 135 sq. ft. Cabins include one twin bed and a convertible sofa, writing desk, chair, bookshelves, 2 wardrobes, storage box, telephone, and porthole or window |
