E-mail a friendShip: National Geographic Endeavour
Itinerary: Antarctica: The White Continent
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Seal relaxing on shore
cabins & deck plans | additional itineraries | cancellation policy | Testimonials
| Day 1 : | Santiago, Chile |
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| Day 2 : | Santiago/Ushuaia/Embark Ship |
| Days 3-4 : | Drake Passage/At Sea |
| Days 5-10 : | Antarctica |
| Day 11 : | At Sea |
| Day 12 : | Cape Horn |
| Day 13 : | Ushuaia/Disembark/Santiago/Return Home |
| Click for full itinerary |
| Days | Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | |||||||
| Cat 1 | Cat 1 Single | Cat 2 | Cat 2 Single | Cat 3 | Cat 4 | Cat 4 Single | Suites | ||
| 13 | Jan 6, 2009 Jan 17, 2009 Jan 28, 2009 |
$10,250 | $12,810 | $11,590 | $14,490 | $12,860 | $13,690 | $17,110 | $17,590 |
| Destinations : Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica Activities : Nature Viewing, Photography, Scuba Diving, Sea Kayaking, Whale Watching |
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Day 1 : Santiago, Chile
We arrive in Santiago this morning. With the soaring Andes as a backdrop, Santiago, makes a spectacular and welcoming first impression - as does our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Santiago, located in a gracious residential neighborhood. The morning is free for resting up or exploring on your own. Santiago offers an intriguing blend of European, Spanish Colonial and innovative modern architecture. Its sun-mellowed facades and stately palms invite leisure walks. After lunch, join a guided excursion of Santiago, including the Presidential Palace and historic cathedral area. We'll head up into the San Cristobal hills for a panoramic city view, sure to inspire photographers. We return to the Hyatt for a relaxing dinner.
Day 2 : Santiago/Ushuaia/Embark Ship
The morning's flight offers some fascinating and rare views as we fly over the vividly rugged terrain of Patagonia before landing in Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. This windy and desolate outpost is awe inspiring in its starkness. As our luggage is transferred to Endeavour, we'll head to the nearby El Restaurante Relincho for a lunch that includes Argentina's traditional barbecue.
Tierra del Fuego National Park at Lapataia Bay is our afternoon destination. Bordering the Beagle Channel, it is home to an array of plants and animals that are rarely seen anywhere else in the world, including the Tierra del Fuego red fox and the chungungo otter. After our walk, return to town and board the Endeavour, your seafaring home for the next several days. As you step aboard, surrounded by Ushuaia's soaring mountains, you'll be aware, in an exciting way, of the fact that you're a long way from home. Settle into your cabing before joining your first dinner onboard. It's time to start our voyage toward Antarctica.
Days 3-4 : Drake Passage/At Sea
We leave Ushuaia with Argentina and Chile behind us, and head to the Drake Passage. Lying between Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula, the Drake holds a unique place in maritime lore and legend. From the Endeavour's bridge, observe expert navigation at work as our skilled Captain and officers sail these historic waters. Sometimes misty and gray, other times calm and clear, crossing the legendary Drake Passage is unforgettable ? a milestone in any adventurer's personal travel history.
Endeavour's library, gym and guest e-mail station become welcoming haunts. Watching for seabirds on deck in the fresh air, socializing in the Lounge, as well as attending informal lecturers given by the naturalists onboard, are among the opportunities that make your time at sea an active and engaging preparation for the adventure ahead.
Days 5-10 : Antarctica
With nearly 24 hours of daylight at this time of year, we are able to luxuriate in our six days exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and its surrounding islands. And what a light it is - ranging from brilliantly blue-skied to the famous "golden hour" light prized by photographers, and the shades of gray, from pearly to pewter.
Our expedition style of travel means that our schedule is completely flexible, adapting to give you the best experience during your time with us. Out there, amid the splendor of the ice, surrounded by penguins and snow-capped mountains, our ship will freely roam in the most spectacular environment on earth. Our expedition team is a veteran one, and their knowledge of Antarctica's waters enables us to take advantage of prime conditions as we find them. Perhaps to explore an inlet this year that was blocked by ice last season, or drop kayaks in a small cove for a more personal, "penguin level" expedition. Sometimes we're even able to take you places where no one has ever been before - places for which our Captain and Ice Master might make a "mud map" that will eventually be published by maritime authorities as a guide for other mariners. We may also be able to enter Lindblad Cove, named in memory of Lars-Eric Lindblad, a pioneer in Antarctic tourism.
Sail through the incomparable Lemaire Channel, also known as Iceberg Alley, where a hush falls over onlookers as bergs of beauty and scale drift by. Cruise in Zodiacs to make landfall on Deception Island, where we'll walk along the beach, in the shadow of high black hills, through the spectral ruins of an abandoned whaling factory which once employed 100 men. And visiting historical such as Elephant Island, a name known to anyone familiar with the story of Ernest Shackleton, and his legendary feat - bringing every member of his crew safely back home after the wreck of his expedition ship Endurance and a two-year ordeal.
As we voyage, we'll see all the creatures that thirve in this polar habitat. Seabirds - from pintado petrels to albatross with their magnificent wingspans. We may see orcas and minke whales, Weddell seals and fearsome leopard seals. And we will see penguins. We'll see gentoos, Adelies and chinstraps in unimaginably large numbers, visiting their colonies and observing their antic hunting, gathering and parenting behavior firsthand.
We'll be out daily - experiencing Antarctica with all our senses as we walk, cruise in Zodiacs, and paddle kayaks through berg fields, hearing the Antarctic seltzer (gases escaping from dissolving icebergs) around us, the cries of the penguins, and the huge, nurturing silence of this perfectly pristine place.
Day 11 : At Sea
As we sail back to Ushuaia, an albatross or two may join the avian escort of fulmars, petrels and other seabirds that cross our bow in a mesmerizing, balletic display. There'll be plenty of time to enjoy a massage, log some time in the gym, or catch up on the book you haven't had a minute to read. If you did manage to finish it, you'll find hundreds of others to peruse in Endeavour's extensive library. During our time at sea, our Expedition Leader and naturalists offer talks and presentations that add depth and dimension to your experiences. And our Undersea Specialist will show rare footage of the seldom-seen creatures that inhabit these icey waters.
Day 12 : Cape Horn
Today, we round Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America. This legendary seafaring spot marks the point where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet. Standing on deck, marking our passage through and marveling at this historic, even infamous, locale, the mind plays over what we've seen and where we've been. How comfortably and with what apparent ease we traveled to a place legendary for its hardships and danger. And perhaps, even think: How easy it would be to simply stay put in one's ordinary routine. How enlivening not to do so and to continue to live adventurously - putting oneself in the right place to experience exceptional moments.
Day 13 : Ushuaia/Disembark/Santiago/Return Home
As we disembark in Ushuaia, a location that mere days ago seemed wild and remote, is now, in contrast to the "farness" of Antarctica, cozily familiar. After our time at sea, our visit to the Maritime Museum in Ushuaia will have a richer context. We then proceed to the airport for the flight to Santiago, and subsequent flights home.
-Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double. Request the Twin Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender for the Category 1 and 2 cabins. Even if a cabinmate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
-50% off standard double rate for third traveler in Category 3 cabins
-Kids under age 18 save $500 per person
- FUEL SURCHARGE of $10/day
Ship Description: National Geographic Endeavour
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MS Endeavor
Don’t let her accommodating public and private spaces, the posh quiet and rich collection of books in her Library, or the lavish observation space on her decks fool you — the National Geographic Endeavour is an expedition ship, designed for discovery and active exploration, not just passive passing-by. The Endeavour heads out equipped with a fleet of Zodiacs, enabling us to make landfall in all the remote and riveting locations that beckon — and to make a somewhat dashing "entrance" in a host of coastal towns and cities! We offer kayaking opportunities wherever possible and frequent walks or hikes. We can set a pace for more demanding walkers and simultaneously provide a rewarding experience for strollers, too. There’s no age limit to our adventurous opportunities — anyone who feels fit and is interested is welcome to participate. And because navigation is an underlying theme, our "Open Bridge" policy will provide you with one of the more gratifying memories of the many you’ll make. It is simply magical to stand on the bridge during your Antarctica travels, watching your highly skilled Captain guide his crack crew up to a bird wall of astonishing proportions for a no-binoculars-necessary view, or navigate a narrow and charming river The spontaneity and flexibility that characterizes our expedition style means there is literally something new to experience and enjoy daily on our Antarctica cruises.
Public Areas: Lounge with bar and facilities for films, slide shows and lectures; Library; Swimming Pool; Fitness Center; Sauna; Hair Salon; Gift Shop; Bridge.
Meals: Served in one seating with unassigned tables for an informal atmosphere and easy mingling.
Cabins: All cabins are above the waterline and face outside with windows or portholes. Each has private facilities, radio and climate controls.
Special Features: Zodiac landing craft, sea kayaks, snorkeling gear, Undersea Specialist, high-tech underwater equipment, on board Video Chronicler, guest e-mail station, certified massage therapist, laundry service and the services of a full-time doctor.
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Cat 1 Main Deck: #221, 224 A Deck: #309-311, 314-316, 352, 353, 355, 357 All cabins feature lower beds, a writing desk and a porthole. |
Cat 1 Single Sole Occupancy: A Deck #312, 318, 354, 356 All cabins have a writing desk and a porthole. Single cabins have one lower bed. |
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Cat 2 Upper Deck: #122, 125 (both with large view window) Main Deck: #201-204, 206, 208, 210-212, 214-218, 220 Double cabins have two lower beds and two portholes. All cabins have a writing desk. Note: Cabins #208, 210 - Two twin beds can covert to one double |
Cat 2 Single Sole Occupancy: #205, 219, 222 All cabins have a writing desk. Single cabins have one lower bed. |
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Cat 3 Main Deck: #209 A Deck: #300, 350, 351 These spacious cabins comfortably accommodate two or three people if desired, all with at least two lower beds and two portholes. Each has a separate sleeping and sitting area. |
Cat 4Upper Deck: #102, 104-112, 114-116, 118, 120, 121, 123 Convenient Upper Deck cabins feature two lower beds and a writing desk. Most have two large windows. Note: Cabins #111, 114, 117, 118 - Two twin beds can covert to one double bed. |
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Cat 4 Single Sole Occupancy: #124, 126, 127 Convenient Upper Deck cabins feature one lower bed and a writing desk. Most have two large windows. |
Suites Upper Deck: #117, 129 These are the finest accommodations on board. Suites have separate sleeping and sitting areas, convertible sofa to accommodate a third person and large view windows. |
