AT Antarctic Peninsula 9A

the easiest way to visit Antarctica

AT Antarctic Peninsula 9a is a nine night itinerary that flies from Punta Arenas in southern Chile, to join a ship at King George Island for an exploration of South Shetland, the Antarctic Peninsula and the Polar Circle, before returning to Punta Areas by air.

Flying down to Antarctica saves two days each way, crossing the infamous Drake Passage. For some people this reduces the sense of adventure, whilst for others it saves them time and the potential discomfort of this infamously unpredictable ocean crossing.

Once in Antarctica, the journey is expeditionary in nature, with lots of opportunities for exploring by motorboat, kayak and on foot.

MV Magellan Explorer hosts up to 73 guests in medium-level comfort, which is much smaller than most vessels that visit this region. The operation is renowned for the high levels of guiding and hosting.

Please note that the operator name for this itinerary is Polar Circle. We have been obliged to rename all cruises, as there are too many duplicate names across different operators.

MV Magellan Explorer is a modern expedition vessel, which was custom-built for the Antarctic.

The public areas are ranged across four decks and include the following features …

• Observation lounge
• Lecture theatre
• Dining room
• Small library
• Meeting room
• Modest gym and sauna
• Medical clinic
• Extensive viewing decks
• Motorboats : x10

Cabins

The ship has a maximum capacity of 73 guests, accommodated in seven categories of cabins.

All cabins feature a wardrobe, an individually controlled heating system, a sitting area and a private bathroom with a shower and heated floor. All but two of the cabins have two twin beds that can be configured as one queen-size bed.

Porthole Cabins
Dimensions : 18 sqm / 200 sqft
Features : Sitting area and porthole

Single Cabins
Dimensions : 19 sqm / 210 sqft
Features : Sitting area and balcony

Veranda Cabins
Dimensions : 19 sqm / 210 sqft
Features : Sitting area and balcony

Deluxe Veranda Cabins
Dimensions : 22 sqm / 240 sqft
Features : Sitting area and balcony

Triple Suites
Dimensions : 44 sqm / 480 sqft
Features : Two bedrooms, sitting area and balcony

Penthouse Suites
Dimensions : 33 sqm / 360 sqft
Features : Separate sitting room and balcony

Grand Suites
Dimensions : 44 sqm / 480 sqft
Features : Separate sitting room and balcony

Operator

Antarctica 21 is a Chilean operation, based in Punta Arenas in the south of the country.

This company pioneered the concept of flying expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula, basing their ships down on the southern continent and flying guests up and back, saving time and avoiding the potentially arduous ocean crossings.

The team at Antarctica 21 are very professional and personable. The fact that the company is owned by residents of Punta Arenas ensures the integrity and quality of its operations.

Guides

Perhaps the single most important reason to choose to travel with Antarctica 21 is the quality of the guides on board.

On Magellan Explorer there are 12 guides, one per six guests.

Being a small owner-run company means that guides tend to stick around for a long time and on every expedition there is always a core group who have done ten or more seasons in the Antarctic. They have a vast amount of experience.

Unlike most operators, Antarctica 21 only operates in Antarctica. The guides are therefore only employed for around five months per year and have other jobs in diverse other locations during the off-season. This means that they tend to be a really characterful bunch, full of knowledge and enthusiasm.

Perhaps most importantly, Antarctica 21 appears to be the only company that insists its guides dine with guests for at least two meals every day. This is a huge extra load for the guides and something that would simply not be possible on other less-focused ships.

All in all, Antarctica 21 guides are amongst the very best and almost certainly work harder than any others. When guides leave to go to another company, they do so for an easier life.

The guiding job is dominated by two main tasks …

Firstly, they are responsible for delivering the lectures and talks about locations, environments and wildlife, which are critical for heightening the anticipation and understanding amongst guests. These events typically take place during the long sea crossings between locations and are a surprisingly enjoyable and integral part of the whole experience.

Secondly, they are responsible for operating all of the activities, both on water and land, where expertise in guiding is clearly critical to both safety and enjoyment.

Most importantly, at each landing site, all guests are able to join all activities. This is often not the case on larger ships (>150 guests), where people are often obliged to land in shifts. It is commonplace for all guests to be able to join two full activities per day when close to land.

Secondly, the very low 6:1 guest-to-guide ratio ensures that guests are able to mix with a group with similar ambitions. If you land at a penguin colony, for example, you may want to take it easy and simply stroll up to the nearest birds, or you may want to hike up a nearby peak to get a broader view, or wander off on your own to find solitude or a particular camera angle. This level of flexibility is a far cry from the regimented and constrained operations of some vessels.

Guest profile

The guest profile is one of the most important aspects of a trip of this nature. It is really important that you choose a ship and an itinerary that will include lots of guests who are compatible with your expectations and desires.

The big negatives to look out for are ships that are dominated by large groups or languages that you do not speak.

Antarctica 21 only operates English-speaking expeditions. This may seem rather unfair to speakers of other languages, but they have found that running trips where everything needs to be translated into multiple languages, or where guests have to be split up by language can be very negative to the overall experience.

As a result, the guest profile is dominated by English-speaking countries …

• USA and Canada : 80%
• UK : 10%
• Australia and New Zealand : 5%
• Other countries : 5%

The shorter duration of these expeditions leads to a younger than usual guest profile compared with other operators (since working people tend to be short on time) …

• 15-30 years : 5%
• 30-50 years : 15%
• 50-65 years : 55%
• 65-75 years : 25%

Antarctica 21 guests tend to be very appreciative of the environment and focused on the wildlife. A high proportion are also active and adventurous.

Since these trips are considered to be expeditions, there are no dress codes and no formal occasions. Some guests may choose to dress for dinner, but others will wear their outdoorsy clothes throughout the trip.

a relatively simple expedition ship

a range of unusually serious activities

Here is a quick day-to-day summary …

Day 1 : Punta Arenas

Arriving in Punta Arenas Airport before 2pm, you are welcomed by a member of the Antarctica 21 team and transferred to your hotel.

During the afternoon, you will visit the Explorers House, a special venue created by Antarctica 21 specifically for pre-expedition meetings, with a mandatory briefing with important trip information. In the evening, before enjoying a dinner of typical Chilean food with your fellow passengers.

Day 2 : Flight south and embarkation

After a transfer to Punta Arenas Airport, we take a two hour flight south, to land on King George Island in South Shetland.

From the airstrip we walk 2 km (1.25 miles), passing Chile’s Frei Station and Russia’s Bellingshausen Station, to reach the shore and board a motorboat, to travel out to the waiting ship, where we settle into our cabins.

The ship will most likely get underway during the late afternoon, heading to our first landing place.

Days 3-8 : South Shetland and the Antarctic Peninsula

We spend the days sailing among the spectacular landscapes of Antarctica, usually stopping twice each day at key locations, where we can usually get off the ship and explore.

The exact route and combination of landing places varies considerably from week-to-week, depending on availability, seasonality and weather conditions. The Captain will always do their best to include all the key elements into every trip.

Slots at these landing locations have to be booked in advance, in order to avoid clustering of vessels. At most stops, you should be the only ship in the immediate vicinity, although occasionally two or three ships may be in the same greater area.

When traveling between landing locations, the guides offer a range of educational programs and presentations, which certainly enhance the experience. They also provide any training or instruction that might be needed for specialist activities like snowshoeing and kayaking.

This longer itinerary includes a two day diversion during which the ship heads south in an attempt to cross the Antarctic Circle at 66 degrees South, which is widely considered to be a significant milestone.

Day 7 : Flight back to Punta Arenas

On our final day in Antarctica, we return to King George Island and hike back to the airstrip for the return flight to Punta Arenas. On landing, we are transferred back to our hotel.

Day 8 : Depart

If you are flying out of Punta Arenas this morning, a member of the team at Antarctica 21 will arrange for a transfer to the airport at an appropriate time.

Activities

It is important to realise that landing sites in Antarctica are subject to strict regulations. Most importantly, a ship is only permitted to land up to 100 passengers at any one time. On larger ships this can be extremely restrictive, as guests are obliged to wait their turn, or may not be able to join activities at every location.

Since this vessel is so small, all guests are able to join in activities on all landings for the whole duration of the stop.

Landings

There are no pre-booking requirements or additional fees associated with landings and associated explorations on foot, all of which are usually open to all guests.

Hiking and snowshoeing

Guests who are physically fit can join a shore group with a specialist guide, who will teach them how to use snowshoes and lead them on hikes into the interior.

This activity cannot be booked in advance of a trip, but should be booked once onboard. Unlike kayaking, this activity can be booked per outing, at a relatively modest cost. We recommend making enquiries as soon as you get on board, in case places are in high demand.

Motorboat safaris

There are no pre-booking requirements or additional fees associated with joining motorboat safaris. The boats are often referred to as ‘Zodiacs’, which is a brand name for the type of rigid inflatable boats that are used.

Kayaking

On MV Magellan Explorer kayaking activities are strictly limited to only 10 guests. The activity is booked in advance, for the duration of the voyage, at considerable additional cost.

Those guests who have subscribed are provided with suitable preparatory briefings and are invited to join all kayaking outings for the duration of the trip, usually every day when close to land.

The experience of approaching icebergs and various wildlife such as penguins, seals and whales can be very dramatic.

The minimum age is 16 years. Participants do not need to be advanced kayak users, but some modest paddling experience is strongly recommended, even if this only amounts to a few practice sessions in a swimming pool.

The following equipment is provided …

• Kayaks (tandems and singles)
• Paddles
• Dry-suits
• Spray skirts
• Personal floatation devices
• Booties, pogies (neoprene gloves)

Guests should bring the following items …

Warm hat and neck gaiter

Thermal under-layers

Two pairs of waterproof gloves

Thermal socks