A N TA RC T I C A & C L I M AT E C H A N G E Fea tu r i n g gu e s t s pea kers H E N RY FO U N TA IN , N ew Yor k Ti m e s rep or ter JA ME S G O R M A N , N ew Yor k T ime s scien ce w r iter A b o a r d t h e D e l u x e L’A u s t r a l
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D e ce m be r 8 – 2 1 , 2019
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A Quintessential Collection™ Cruise
Observing a humpback whale up close via Zodiac®
Dear Traveler, Antarctica is not a traditional travel destination, and this a not a typical Antarctic cruise. The White Continent is a powerful place, and a journey there will change your life forever. For it is in this world devoid of human sounds, where only the wild cries of birds, seals, and whales echo across a vast expanse of land and sea, that even the most seasoned traveler becomes humbled by a return to nature. Immersed in Antarctica’s primeval beauty is the perfect place to reflect on man’s relationship with the environment and how to restore its balance. That is why PONANT has invited two renowned New York Times science contributors onboard this expedition cruise to initiate a larger conversation on polar environments and climate change. Henry Fountain and James Gorman, who together have over four decades’ experience writing and reporting for the Times, will be your erudite guides to the spectacular, other-worldly landscapes you will view from the decks of L’Austral and the ice and fauna you will meet on daily Zodiac excursions and hikes ashore. Once you come face-to-face with Antarctica’s fragile environment, the peril it currently faces will no longer be abstract—it will have become personal. Just ten days spent exploring this final frontier creates a permanent shift in one’s perspective, and you are guaranteed return home with a renewed dedication to solving one of the greatest challenges of our time. Sincerely,
Navin Sawhney CEO, PONANT Americas Front cover: Venturing out for a day of exploration aboard a Zodiac® Back cover: A rare Antarctic research station is the only sign of humans on the White Continent
FEATURED GUEST SPEAKERS HENRY FOUNTAIN has been an editor and reporter at the New York Times for more than two decades, writing about science for most of that time. For 10 years he wrote “Observatory,” a weekly science column. He is currently one of a team of reporters covering climate change, and has written about declining sea ice, melting ice sheets and thawing permafrost, among many climate-related subjects. He also writes about wildfires, oil spills, earthquakes and other disasters, natural and manmade, and is the author of a book about the 1964 Alaska earthquake, The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet. This will be his second trip to Antarctica.
LECTURE TOPICS: • The State of the Cryosphere: How climate change is affecting polar ice, north and south. • The Corrosive Ocean Carbon dioxide: The impact of acidification, especially in regard to the Southern Ocean. • Fixing the Climate: Various approaches to fighting climate change.
JAMES GORMAN, a science writer at large for the New York Times, has been an editor and reporter at the Times for 25 years. He writes about the natural world and the animals that inhabit it, and is the host of “ScienceTake,” a regular video series that explores the visual side of scientific research. He has been to Antarctica twice, once on a three-month long cruise aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Sea. He has written two books on Antarctica and environs, The Total Penguin and Ocean Enough and Time: Discovering the Waters Around Antarctica. James has taught writing at Princeton, Wesleyan, New York and Fordham Universities and recently made his first trip above the Arctic Circle with scientists studying the Arctic bumblebee.
LECTURE TOPICS: • The Little Known Ocean: The Southern Ocean circles the globe and has a profound effect on the planet’s weather and ecosystems. • Boom and Bust: How New England sealers drove the Antarctic fur seal close to extinction. • Penguins: The evolution and future of the world’s most iconic flightless birds.
ITINERARY ARGENTINA
Flights to and from Buenos Aires
USHUAIA Drake Passage
South Shetlands
Weddell Sea
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
Sunday, December 8, 2019 FLY FROM THE USA Monday, December 9 BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA | USHUAIA Meet fellow travelers at the Buenos Aires airport check-in desk for your included flight to Ushuaia. On arrival in Ushuaia, transfer to the Arakur Resort & Spa, overlooking the Beagle Channel and one of the newest and most elegant hotels in the city. Join fellow travelers and our lecturers for dinner this evening. (D) Tuesday, December 10 USHUAIA | EMBARK After breakfast at the hotel, join an excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park. Created in 1960, the park is famous for its mountainous landscapes, lagoons, bogs, and rivers. If we are lucky we may encounter beaver dams, birds, wild orchids, and more. Lunch will be served in a restaurant within the Park. Return to Ushuaia and the port to embark L’Austral in the afternoon. (B,D) Wednesday, December 11 & Thursday, December 12 AT SEA | DRAKE PASSAGE Attend lectures as we sail through the Drake Passage. Look for Albatross, Cape Petrels, and whales that may accompany the ship. Our second day brings us into the realm of the Antarctic, where we might spot our first icebergs, penguins, and the ice sheets of the South Shetland Islands. (B,L,D) Friday, December 13-Tuesday, December 17 ANTARCTIC PENINSULA Explore the pristine wilderness of the Antarctic Peninsula, a narrow finger of land that separates the ice-choked waters of the
Weddell Sea and surrounding islands. Witness a breathtaking panorama of icebergs, blue glaciers, and jagged, snow-capped mountains. Aboard the ship’s fleet of Zodiacs®, cruise among ice floes; explore penguin rookeries; and, if conditions permit, visit with scientists at research stations. Although the itinerary will vary according to local ice and wind conditions, we hope to visit such places as Paradise Bay, a habitat of Gentoo and Adelie penguins; Pleneau Island, offering stunning views of mountains and glaciers; and Deception Island, known for its volcanicallyheated hot springs. (B,L,D) Wednesday, December 18 & Thurday, December 19 AT SEA | DRAKE PASSAGE (B,L,D) Friday, December 20 USHUAIA, ARGENTINA | DISEMBARK | BUENOS AIRES Disembark in Ushuaia and transfer to the airport for the return flight to Buenos Aires, selected by PONANT, with connecting flights to home cities. (B) Saturday, December 21 ARRIVE IN THE USA IAATO membership PONANT is an executive member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). IAATO’s mission is to promote safe and environmentally responsible tourism in Antarctica. PONANT fully complies with all IAATO guidelines concerning human interaction with the flora and fauna of Antarctica, education of staff, crew and passengers on the unique geography and ecology of the continent, and robust precautions to protect bio-security. We also participate in IAATO’s system of emergency planning and joint agreements concerning medical evacuation. PONANT Quintessential Collection™ voyages are designed for travelers who want to engage with the world in order to better understand it. With themes ranging from food & wine, music, and art, these cruises delve deeper into local cultures to inspire the spirit and awaken the senses. See the entire Quintessential Collection at us.ponant .com/quintessentialcollection-preview
FOR RESERVATIONS OR INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL 1 888 400 1082 OR YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR.
PROGRAM INCLUSIONS Included • One night at our hotel in Ushuaia • Roundtrip flights between Buenos Aires
and Ushuaia • 10-night cruise aboard the deluxe L’Austral • Complete program of expedition
excursions via Zodiac®, led by naturalists • Lectures and briefings by Expedition
Leader, naturalists, and featured guests
The everlasting daylight of Antarctica’s austral summer
• All meals aboard ship including early riser’s coffee & pastry, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner • Open bar aboard ship, including select wines with lunch and dinner • Physician aboard ship • Comprehensive pre-departure materials • Baggage handling and airport transfers abroad on the designated program arrival and departure dates • Port taxes and charges
Adélie penguins, the unofficial ambassadors of Antarctica
L’Austral navigates a narrow channel
• Gratuities to shipboard personnel, porters, guides, and drivers Not included Airfare to/from the USA; visa and passport fees (if applicable); luggage, cancellation, and accident insurance; personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls, internet, spa services and beverages other than those specified above
HIGHLIGHTS • Outings and shore visits in a Zodiac® with a team of experienced naturalist guides. • Possibility of hikes. • Visits to scientific research stations and former whaling stations. • Landscapes: a multitude of drifting icebergs, ice floe, imposing glaciers and tall, snow-covered mountains. • Wildlife: a multitude of gentoo, Adélie and chinstrap penguins, Antarctic minke whales, humpback whales, Weddell and leopard seals, and numerous sea birds. Playful leopard seals frolic on the ice WWW.PONANT.COM
L’AUSTRAL
The deluxe, five-star L’Austral is one of the most beautifully conceived and technologically sophisticated small ships afloat. Designed in France and built in Italy, L’Austral boasts an elegantly understated aesthetic that one associates with European sensibility and craftsmanship, with room for no more than 264 guests. It is one of four sister ships of the PONANT cruise line, selected as Best Luxury Cruise Line by Cruise Critic’s editors in 2014. All sister ships areSUNrecognized as eco-friendly DECK “Clean Ships” by Bureau Veritas.
Zodiac
Bar Zodiac
Open-air Bar
Bar
Zodiac Zodiac
Open-air Bar
Open-air Bar
Bar
Open-air Bar
GRILL RESTAURANT Open-air Bar
POOL
GRILL RESTAURANT
POOL
6
Bar
POOL
BALNEO
539 623 621 611 610 609 607 626 625 624 622 620 619 618 617 616 615 614 612 608 539 625 623 621 619 617 615 611 609 607
GRILL RESTAURANT
626 624 622 620 618 616 614 612 610 608 536 625 534 532 524 522 539 623 530 621 528 619 526 617 615 611 520 609 518 607
GRILL RESTAURANT IMAGE & PHOTO DESK
POOL BALNEO
BALNEO BALNEO
5
BALNEO BALNEO THEATER
539 625 623 621 619 617 615 611 609 607 536 534 532 530 528 526 524 522 520 518 539 537 535 533 531 529 527 525 523 521
IMAGE & PHOTO DESK
IMAGE & PHOTO DESK
SUN DECK PANORAMIC LOUNGE
602 INTERNET 601 Deluxe Suite Deluxe Suite LIBRARY PANORAMIC 602 LOUNGE INTERNET Deluxe 601 602 Suite Deluxe Deluxe PANORAMIC Suite LIBRARY LOUNGE Suite INTERNET PANORAMIC 605 603 601 602 Owner’s LOUNGE Deluxe Deluxe INTERNET 605Suite 603 601 Suite Suite LIBRARY Deluxe Deluxe PANORAMIC 602 Owner’s Suite Suite LIBRARY LOUNGE INTERNET Deluxe 508 506 504 502 516 514 510 605Suite 603 512Suite 601 Deluxe Deluxe PANORAMIC Suite Suite INTERNET LIBRARY LOUNGE 605 603 601 516 514 512 510 509 508 506 504 502 519 Deluxe 517 515Deluxe 511 507 505 503 501 Suite Suite LIBRARY
IMAGE & PHOTO DESK
539 537 535 533 531 529 527 525 523 521 519 517 515 511 434 432 430 428 426 424 422 420 418 416 414 412 410 408 536 534 532 530 528 526 524 522 520 518 516 514 512 510
IMAGE & PHOTO DESK
539 537 535 533 531 529 527 525 523 521 519 517 515 511
509
509 509 509
508 506 504 502 507 505 503 501 508 506 504 502
PANORAMIC TERRACE PANORAMIC TERRACE PANORAMIC TERRACE PANORAMIC TERRACE PANORAMIC TERRACE PANORAMIC TERRACE BRIDGE
BRIDGE
BRIDGE
507 506 505 504 503 502 501 508
BRIDGE
507 505 503 501 406 404 402 508 506 504 502
BRIDGE
507 505 503 501
434 432 430 428 426 424 422 420 418 416 414 412 410 408 406 404 402 407 405 403 401 437 435 433 431 429 427 425 423 421 419 417 415 411 409 509 539 537 535 533 531 529 527 525 523 521 519 517 515 511 507 505 503 501
BRIDGE
434 432 430 428 426 424 422 420 418 416 414 412 410 408 406 404 402 437 431 426 429 424 427 425 423 418 421 416 419 414 417 412 415 410 411 408 409 407 405 434 435 432 433 430 428 422 420 406 403 404 401 402
THEATER 437 431 426 429 424 427 425 423 418 421 416 419 414 417 412 415 410 411 408 409 407 405 434 435 432 433 430 428 422 420 406 403 404 401 402 437 435 433 431 429 427 425 423 421 419 417 415 411 409 407 405 403 401
THEATER
434 432 430 428 426 424 422 420 418 416 414 412 410 408 406 404 402 334 332 330 328 326 324 322 320 318 316 314 312 310 308 306 304 302 437 435 433 431 429 427 425 423 421 419 417 415 411 409 407 405 403 401
EXCURSION DESK
THEATER MAIN LOUNGE
3
MAIN LOUNGE
MAIN LOUNGE MAIN LOUNGE MAIN LOUNGE
MARINA
MARINA
FARES
SUN DECK
602 Deluxe Suite
539 537 529 527 525 520 523 518 521 516 519 514 517 515 536 534 535 532 533 530 531 528 526 524 522 512 511 510
THEATER
2
Owner’s Suite
536 534 532 530 528 526 524 522 520 518 516 514 512 510 539 537 535 533 531 529 527 525 523 521 519 517 515 511 536 534 532 530 528 526 524 522 520 518 516 514 512 510
IMAGE & PHOTO DESK
THEATER
4
SUN DECK
Zodiac 626 624 622 620 618 616 614 612 610 608 Owner’s 539 625 623 621 619 617 615 611 609 607 605Suite 603 Deluxe Zodiac Suite 626 624 622 620 618 616 614 612 610 608 Owner’s 539 625 623 621 619 617 615 611 609 607 605Suite 603 626 624 622 620 618 616 614 612 610 608 Owner’s Deluxe Suite Suite
GRILL RESTAURANT GRILL RESTAURANT
POOL
SUN DECK
Zodiac
Zodiac 626 624 622 620 618 616 614 612 610 608
Open-air Bar POOL
Zodiac Zodiac
Zodiac
Bar
7
SUN DECK
DECK PLAN
Bar
MARINA
334 332 437 435 330 433 328 431 326 429 324 427 322 425 320 423 318 421 316 419 314 417 312 415310 411308 409 407 306 405304 403302 401 337 335 333 331 329 327 325 323 321 319 317 315 311 309 307 305 303 301 300
SHOP
EXCURSION RECEPTION DESK DESK
SHOP
EXCURSION DESK RECEPTION EXCURSION DESK DESK
334 332 330 328 326 324 322 320 318 316 314 312 310 308 306 304 302 337 335 333 331 329 327 325 323 321 319 317 315 311 309 307 305 303 301 300 334 332 330 328 326 324 322 320 318 316 314 312 310 308 306 304 302
SHOP
RECEPTION EXCURSION DESK DESK RECEPTION DESK
307 305 303 301 300 337 335 330 333 328 331 326 329 324 327 322 325 320 323 318 321 319 317 315 311 309 334 332 316 314 312 310 308 306 304 302 337 335 333 331 329 327 325 323 321 319 317 315 311 309 307 305 303 301 300
SHOP
EXCURSION DESK RECEPTION DESK
334 332 330 328 326 324 322 320 318 316 314 312 310 308 306 304 302 337 335 333 331 329 327 325 323 321 319 317 315 311 309 307 305 303 301 300
RECEPTION DESK
337 335 333 331 329 327 325 323 321 319 317 315 311 309 307 305 303 301 300
SHOP
GASTRONOMIC MAIN LOUNGE RESTAURANTSHOP GASTRONOMIC RESTAURANT GASTRONOMIC RESTAURANT GASTRONOMIC
RESTAURANT PER PERSON, DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
MARINA
GASTRONOMIC
PON
Up to
S NU
RESTAURANT MARINA All accommodations aboard L’Austral face outside affording sea views, GASTRONOMIC and, other than the eight superior staterooms, all feature a private balcony. RESTAURANT MARINA All staterooms include a bedroom with either two twin-size beds or a king-size bed, sitting area (separate living room for the Prestige Suites), mini-bar, safe, spacious closets, climate control, telephone, WiFi access, TV with movies on demand, iPod player, and bathroom with marble vanity, ANT BO shower, and fine amenities.
-30%
SUPERIOR STATEROOMS
$13,910
$10,570
DELUXE STATEROOMS
$14,840
$11,220
PRESTIGE STATEROOMS, DECK 4
$16,370
$12,290
PRESTIGE STATEROOMS, DECK 5
$17,070
$12,780
PRESTIGE STATEROOMS, DECK 6
$17,820
$13,300
DELUXE SUITES
$24,080
$17,680
PRESTIGE SUITES, DECK 5
$27,820
$20,300
PRESTIGE SUITES, DECK 6
$29,090
$21,190
OWNER’S SUITE $33,140
$33,140
Owner’s Suite—Deck 6 Prestige Suites—Decks 5 - 6 Deluxe Suites—Deck 6 Prestige Staterooms—Decks 4 - 5 - 6 Deluxe Staterooms—Deck 3 Superior Staterooms—Deck 3
Single occupancy staterooms, subject to availability. Contact PONANT for more information.
Prestige Stateroom
TERMS & CONDITIONS Compagnie du PONANT, PONANT Group USA, LLC, and PONANT USA, LLC are hereinafter collectively referred to as “PONANT GROUP”. Please read carefully the following terms and conditions, which constitute the sole, legally enforceable agreements between the passenger and PONANT GROUP and the tour’s sponsoring organization.
Library
Panoramic lounge
On deck
Gastronomic restaurant
PAYMENT SCHEDULE: In order to secure a booking, the guest is required to pay 25% of total cruise price upon confirmation. The final 75% is due no later than 60 days prior to departure. CANCELLATION, MODIFICATION PENALTIES & REFUNDS: Ports and excursions are subject to change. All cancellations or modifications must be in writing. Any and all guests not reporting for departure or prevented from reporting for departure or waiving for any reason whatsoever the benefit of services included in the program cannot claim any refund. PONANT GROUP shall not be required to refund any monies to any guests who must leave the cruise prematurely for any reason, nor shall PONANT GROUP be held responsible for any costs, fees, damages or causes of action which result from the transportation expenses incurred by guest’s early departure. For any deposited or fully paid booking, cancellation penalties will be assessed as noted below. These cancellation penalties are applicable on all services booked with PONANT GROUP. • From confirmation of booking date up to 91 days prior departure: 10% of full fare • 90-61 days prior departure: 25% of full fare • 60-46 days prior departure: 50% of full fare • 45-31 days prior departure: 75% of full fare • Less than 30 days prior departure: 100% of full fare. TRAVEL INSURANCE: Passengers shall be responsible for subscribing to cancellation/luggage/assistance repatriation/medical insurance(s). ITINERARY: PONANT GROUP reserves the right to withdraw and/or cancel a sailing to make changes in the itinerary whenever, in its sole judgment, or in the judgment of the vessel owner or operator, conditions warrant it. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS/LIMIT OF LIABILITY: The passenger agrees that PONANT GROUP acts as agent and/or trustee for any person, ground and maritime agents and subcontractors, who provide any service forming, or in connection with, any part of the cruise. Transportation services to the port of departure, transfers to the ship, including, as applicable, hotel room and restaurant bookings or guided tours, are performed by independent suppliers who are not employees of PONANT GROUP. In this respect, PONANT GROUP acts only as an agent and shall not be held liable for said services or for the acts or omissions of sub-contractors or other contractors. PONANT GROUP shall not be held liable for bodily injury to, or death of passengers, or for loss of, or damage to luggage or other personal belongings, unless it is proved that the carrier has infringed statutory obligations or that it or one of its employees or agents has committed gross negligence. However, in the event the liability of PONANT GROUP is incurred, such liability is limited (details available upon request). PONANT GROUP shall in any case not be liable for failure of an improper performance when the same is due to or caused by the fault of the passenger; the unforeseeable or unavoidable fault of a third party unconnected with the provision of any services to be provided under the contract; unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond the control of PONANT GROUP; an event of “Force Majeure” such as a war, threat of war, riots, civil commotion, acts of God, terrorist activities, natural and nuclear disaster, fire, technical problems with transport, closure of ports, strikes and any industrial action, or any other event beyond the control of PONANT GROUP. RATES: The prices given at the time of booking are based on economic conditions known on March 1, 2018 and are subject to change. These conditions are, amongst others, the cost of transport and fuel, relevant dues and taxes for the proposed operation (port taxes, embarkation and disembarkation taxes, entrance costs to tourist sites), currency exchange rates relevant to the pricing of these programs. PONANT GROUP reserves the right within the legal limits of applicable laws to vary the prices if necessary. All variation of the cost of transport, fuel, taxes, dues and visa costs will be passed on within the voyage cost. Additionally, any surcharge levied will be increased to include an amount to cover agent’s commission. Any change in fare cannot be imposed less than 60 days prior to departure. For the cruiseonly rate, daily surcharge, if any, will be calculated based on: S= fuel variation* x daily consumption** SHIP CAPACITY *** (*): MGO FOB Rotterdam 0,1% in US$ (**): L’AUSTRAL, LE BOREAL, LE LYRIAL, LE SOLEAL: 20t. LE LAPEROUSE: 10t. (***): L’AUSTRAL, LE BOREAL, LE SOLEAL, LE LYRIAL: 244 passengers. LE LAPEROUSE: 173 passengers JURISDICTION: These terms & conditions are subject to and interpreted according to International regulations and concern the transportation of passengers and their luggage from the time of boarding the ship to the moment of disembarking, as well as at ports of departure, destination, or stopover. PONANT GROUP shall incur no liability outside this period of time. Without prejudice to required legal regulations, any actions related either to the interpretation, or execution of this agreement shall be brought before the competent courts of Marseille-France. PONANT GROUP is not responsible for omissions, printing and/or presentation errors and reserves the right to make corrections as required. SHIPS’ REGISTRY: France FL Seller of Travel Ref No ST37706 CA Seller of Travel Ref No 2120712-40 Photographs, all rights reserved: PONANT - Olivier Blaud - François Lefebvre Nathalie Michel - Emmi Touffle - Lorraine Turci Non-contractual document and photos. The photos used in this brochure are only possible experiences and therefore cannot be guaranteed.
Fitness center
F o r i n f o r m a t i o n a n d r e s e r va t i o n s p l e a s e c o n ta c t y o u r t ra v e l a d v i s o r o r P O N A N T a t 8 8 8 - 4 0 0 - 1 0 8 2 www.ponant .com
A b o a r d t h e D e l u x e L’A u s t r a l December 8–21, 2019
A N TA R C T I C A & C L I M AT E C H A N G E
420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2838 New York, NY 10170
PYCE A101219
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