Antarctica

C R U I S E PA S S E N G E R M A G A Z I N E – I S S U E 4 0 w in t er 2 0 1 0 AU S T R A L A S I A

Issue 40, winter 2010, AUSTRALASIA

e v er y t h ing yo u nee d to k n o w a b o u t cruising

solstice sister AUS $9.95 (inc GST)

ISSN 1445 4180

PP255003/07360

antarctic expeditions who are australia’s top operators?

extreme luxury discover the splendours of the Middle East

south pacific in FOCUS your essential guide to ships, ports & islands

INSIGHT

Gentoo penguins, Antarctic Peninsula

ANTAR CTI Further moves to keep passenger numbers in check and protect the environment mean this spectacular but vulnerable continent can be experienced only by a fortunate few. words: RODERICK EIME

32

www.cruises.com.au

J

ourneying to Antarctica, it could be argued, is the epitome of adventure travel. References to the region frequently label it the driest, windiest, coldest, most inhospitable continent on the planet. All this, far from deterring intrepid travellers, seems to attract them.

Traditionally, Antarctic cruises have consisted of a quick dash across the Drake Passage from Tierra del Fuego for a week or so among the icebergs of the Antarctic Peninsula but, as passenger numbers have increased and fascination with this frozen wilderness has become widespread, more comprehensive cruise itineraries that include the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and other remote outposts such as Elephant Island and the South Orkneys have been scheduled.

Not that long ago, voyages to the most southerly points of the ocean were restricted to scientists, explorers and adventurers of the most committed kind. Nowadays, several operators are setting out from Tasmania and New Zealand bound for the Ross Sea and Commonwealth Bay to trace the history of these ‘Golden Age’ pioneers.

The first paying passengers to Antarctica travelled with Chilean and Argentinean naval ships in the late 1950s, before Lars-Eric Lindblad led the first dedicated expedition in 1966. From a base of between 1,000 and 2,000 annually in the mid-1980s, passenger numbers have increased by at least 1,000 per year – to the point where more than 40,000

www.cruises.com.au

33

insight

Unfortunately, this preoccupation with heroic adventure is placing stress on Antarctica...

Who’s cruising?

The number of cruise operators now sailing in Antarctic waters is so great that we cannot mention all of them here. Below, a summary of operators popular with Australian travellers.

Adventure Associates

“Overall patterns for the 2010-11 season are very positive, with better than expected bookings to date. In particular, major interest in the last of the [Kapitan] Khlebnikov sailings for 2011-2012 has resulted in heavy bookings, with many categories fully booked. Beyond that, we are particularly excited about our 36th-anniversary, 10-night charter to the Peninsula aboard MV Ushuaia this January. Just released to the public, this cruise represents savings for our loyal past passengers and new cruisers alike.”

Davyyd Bressington, marketing manager www.adventureassociates.com; (02) 8916 3000

LAN LAN Airlines Airlines takes takes you you closer closer to to Antarctica Antarctica

Connecting Australia to South America, LAN will take you to all the wonders of the Connecting Australia to South LAN will take you to to Santiago, all the wonders of the region. LAN Airlines operates sixAmerica, weekly flights from Sydney Chile offering region.

LAN Airlines operates weekly flights from Sydney Chile offering you award-winning* onboardsix service.

LAN brings you closerto toSantiago, Antarctica, flying from you award-winning* onboard service.

LAN brings you closer to Antarctica, flying from Santiago to Punta Arenas and Ushuaia via Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Santiago to Punta Arenas and Ushuaia via Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Aurora Expeditions

E4-rated MS Hanseatic

people visited in the 2008/09 cruise season, though not all of them landed.

Unfortunately, this preoccupation with heroic adventure is placing stress on Antarctica and threatening the pristine environment that makes it so alluring. It seems that just about every season, one or more vessels run aground or worse. Critics believe that an environmental disaster is looming.

“I am greatly concerned that unless we take action, there will be a serious maritime casualty involving a tourist vessel in Antarctica and we will be faced with a humanitarian and environmental disaster,” New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said at an Antarctic Treaty meeting last year.

In response, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented a ban on vessels burning or carrying heavy fuel oil when travelling in Antarctic waters.

This ban becomes absolute on August 21 next year, so the coming season will be the last hurrah for big ships that cruise these southern waters but don’t make landings.

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) was founded in 1991 by representatives of seven tour companies that had run some of the first trips to Antarctica. One of its first guidelines was to limit and control shore parties. Ships carrying more than 500 passengers are not permitted to land on Antarctic soil (or ice) at all and member vessels are capped at 200 passengers with no more than 100 passengers ashore at any one time at a single location.

The general mood among conscientious operators is that the oil ban plus IAATO’s existing passenger caps will soften the exponential growth of Antarctic tourism and work to preserve this unique environment.

34

www.cruises.com.au

“Aurora Expeditions will start its 2011-2012 Antarctic program with an exciting new fly and sail itinerary: a 14-day Falkland Islands and South Georgia voyage departing November 2011.

Passengers will fly directly in and out of the Falkland Islands’ British capital, Stanley, where they will be met by Aurora’s small expedition ship Polar Pioneer. The trip will explore the Falklands in search of penguins, elephant seals, sea lions and waterbirds. Aurora will also introduce a fly and sail option on three new voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula, departing or returning from King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. Flights between Punta Arenas and King George Island take only two hours and cut out the Drake Passage crossing, so passengers have seven days’ in-depth exploration of the Peninsula.”

Lisa Bolton, chief executive www.auroraexpeditions.com.au; 1800 637 688 Hapag-Lloyd cruises

“We support all changes to current regulations if they are geared towards protecting and conserving Antarctica. The secret of an unforgettable cruise to Antarctica is to have a small-ship operator that offers trips off the beaten paths. And this is exactly what our expeditions are about – all under the premise of leaving the environment intact. Hapag-Lloyd will be offering two international (German/ English) Antarctica cruises in early 2011 on MS Hanseatic and MS Bremen. Both ships are well equipped for travel in difficult waters and hold the highest ice-class ranking for passenger vessels (E4).”

Sebastian Ahrens, managing director www.landmarktravel.com.au; (02) 9977 7100

lan.com lan.com * LAN Airlines winner of the prestigious 2008 & 2009 Skytrax award for best Cabin Staff South America & Best Airline .South * LAN America.

Airlines winner of the prestigious 2008 & 2009 Skytrax award for best Cabin Staff South America & Best Airline .South America.

For more information contact LAN Airlines on 1800 558 129, visit lan.com or contact your preferred Agent.

For more information contact LAN Airlines on 1800 558 129, visit lan.com or contact your preferred Agent.

insight Who’s cruising? (continued) Heritage Expeditions

36

www.cruises.com.au

Antarctic Peninsula Voyages (departing Argentina)

courtesy aurora expeditions

“We head into the next Antarctic season with another extensive refit of Spirit of Enderby and with a great Antarctic season behind us, with all voyages running at full capacity.

The 2010-11 Antarctic season is filling fast and our waitlist has now cleared, so those who were patiently waiting will have the opportunity to travel to the Ross Sea with the most experienced operator (16 years in a row) and at by far the lowest prices.

2011-2012 prices are just released and there are still berths remaining on the early 2011 Ross Sea voyages, along with most cabin type availability on December’s 2010 East Antarctica voyage. We are now also taking bookings for the much-anticipated Mawson Centennial departing Hobart December 2011 and sponsored by Australian Geographic.”

Dave Bowen , general manager immersed in the unique and rare experiences heritage-expeditions.com; (03) 365 3500 on offer. The 2010-11 season is off to a good start, with the booking pace ahead of the One Ocean Expeditions same time last year. We will be operating “This year, we are excited to be using the one Commonwealth Bay (Mawson’s Hut) 88-passenger Marina Svetaeva. This ship itinerary, one Ross Sea voyage and two belongs to another industry veteran, Greg sub-Antarctic voyages. With the very limited Mortimer [founder of Aurora Expeditions]. number of travellers and permits available We’ve negotiated the long-term lease on for the New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands this vessel for this season and into the future. (up to 500 persons), this has become one Svetaeva has one of the highest ice ratings of the in-demand itineraries on the Orion of any ship cruising to Antarctica – she is in Expeditions calendar.” fact classified as an ice breaker. Only Polar Sarina Bratton, founder & managing director Star and Kapitan Khlebnikov have similar or www.orionexpeditions.com; 1300 361 012 higher ice capability. We are operating nine voyages for the coming season including Peregrine Adventures the Peninsula, Falklands, South Georgia and “Peregrine had a very successful Antarctic Antarctic trips, one into the Weddell Sea 2009/10 season with approximately 97 per and another below the Antarctic Circle. Sea cent fill for the season. Our 24-night Falkland kayaking always sells out and mountaineer Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica Andrew Lock will be aboard for hikers.”

Peninsula voyages added a few firsts for Richard Cunningham, us: Steeple Jason Island in the Falklands sales & marketing manager and King Haakon Bay on South Georgia. www.activetravel.com.au; (02) 6249 6122 This voyage focused on wildlife, art and photography, headed up by Peter Eastway.

Next season, we offer more of the same very Orion Expedition Cruises “Orion Expedition Cruises has just completed high-quality expedition voyages, and sales to date have been strong and above [what they an exceptional season of Antarctic and were at the same time] last year.” sub-Antarctic voyages. The weather was the Alex Burridge, polar manager best encountered in five years of Antarctic www.peregrineadventures.com; 1300 143 119 operation out of Australia and/or NZ. Access to Mawson’s Hut in Commonwealth Bay was achieved every time this was attempted, Silversea Expeditions with the katabatic winds holding off for other “Prince Albert II completed a hugely days. The Ross Sea voyagers were also able successful 2009 season of 25 sell-out to access the remote Scott and Shackleton’s voyages, with Australia exceeding our huts. Excitement levels were high, with expectations and emerging as our prolific wildlife and expert guest lecturers second-largest market. Travellers in this ensuring all Orion travellers became fully region have really embraced the luxury

November 2010 – March 2011 Prices from US$6090

Expedition ship Polar Pioneer

expedition product; they seem to have a thirst for adventure and a curiosity that lends itself perfectly to this style of cruising. The polar itineraries continue to be extremely popular and Prince Albert II’s 2010/2011 Antarctic voyages are almost sold out. We are encouraging travellers to book early to secure their places for the 2011/2012 season! As an expedition leader, I am always seeking new adventures, and I am very excited by some of the new itineraries we are offering – such as the Cape to Cape Adventure in March 2011 that follows in the footsteps of explorers to Cape Horn, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, volcanic Tristan Da Cunha – the most remote inhabited archipelago – and finishes in my hometown, Cape Town.”

Conrad Combrink, director of expeditions www.silversea.com; 1300 306 872

Imagine waking up to the shimmer of glaciated mountains, listening to a humpback’s blow as it feeds nearby, or having a line of penguins inquisitively follow you along the shoreline. Aurora Expeditions have been taking adventurous souls to Antarctica for over 14 years, so you will be travelling with the experts. Aurora’s ice-strengthened ship Polar Pioneer carries just 54 passengers, allowing you to make as many landings as possible, enjoying the icy continent first hand.

Falkland Islands South Georgia

King George Island

South Shetland Islands

Contact Aurora Expeditions for a brochure Phone: +61 2 9252 1033 | Email: auroraex@auroraexpeditions.com.au | www.auroraexpeditions.com.au ANTARCTICA

Antarctica | High Arctic | Kimberley Coast | Papua New Guinea | Russian Far East