Cruise to Antarctica and South America

Destination Antarctica: A Rare Combination for Oceania Cruises Aficionados

Crown Cruise Collection highly recommends this sailing for Oceania Cruises aficionados and is offering spectacular savings along with complimentary travel insurance and $250 per cabin shipboard credit. With air included from the major gateways, a category B2 balcony stateroom is $8099, which includes all port charges and taxes. Regular price would be $40,396, so it is well over 75% savings for a cruise that is inclusive of all dining, including specialty restaurants, and soft drinks. Canyon Ranch Spa services are available onboard at additional costs. Brazilian visa is required.

This 22-day cruise departs Rio de Janeiro on January 14, 2011, and touches on Antarctica in addition to a collection of mesmerizing cities and unpopulated lands where nature reigns in all its glory. Bright lights and big cities capture the imagination initially, as you venture into enterprising São Paulo and bountifully beautiful Buenos Aires, where you might tour the pink Presidential Palace or the colorful La Boca neighborhood. Then Insignia eases south into the Falkland Islands, a remote British territory that is a sanctuary for endangered wildlife.

The landscape becomes even more stunning as you cruise past the unspoiled South Shetland Islands and into starkly majestic Antarctica, a rare opportunity to gaze upon ancient glaciers and perhaps see Gentoo penguins. Rounding the tip of South America, the equally gorgeous Chilean Fjords take center stage for two awe-inspiring days. The beauty inland is easily accessible from destinations such as Puerto Montt in Chile’s southern Lake District.

All of this and more can be found on Oceania Cruises Insignia

22-day South America voyage, departing from Rio de Janeiro to Valparaiso onboard the ship Insignia.

Ports of call include:
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Santos (Sao Paulo), Brazil
- Montevideo, Uruguay
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Punta del Este, Uruguay
- Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
- Ushuaia, Argentina
- Punta Arenas, Chile
- Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
- Puerto Montt, Chile
- Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile

Oceania Cruises appeals to discerning sophisticated travelers in search of world-class cuisine, unparalleled personal service, and an enriching, in-depth, destination-oriented experience. Elegant and mid-size, you’ll find the onboard atmosphere is extremely convivial, and with more than 400 staff members at your disposal, you will experience a level of personalized service that is unrivaled. Dining is open, with country club casual ambience. No formal wear or suits required.

About Antarctica

Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost continent, underlying the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctic region of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 14.0 million km2 (5.4 million sq mi), it is the fifth-largest continent in area after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice, which averages at least 1.6 kilometres (1.0 mi) in thickness.

Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Antarctica is considered a desert, with annual precipitation of only 200 mm (8 inches) along the coast and far less inland. There are no permanent human residents but anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at the research stations scattered across the continent. Only cold-adapted plants and animals survive there, including penguins, seals, nematodes, Tardigrades, mites, many types of algae and other microorganisms, and tundra vegetation.

Although myths and speculation about a Terra Australis (“Southern Land”) date back to antiquity, the first confirmed sighting of the continent is commonly accepted to have occurred in 1820 by the Russian expedition of Mikhail Lazarev and Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. The continent, however, remained largely neglected for the rest of the 19th century because of its hostile environment, lack of resources, and isolation. The first formal use of the name “Antarctica” as a continental name in the 1890s is attributed to the Scottish cartographer John George Bartholomew. The name Antarctica is the romanized version of the Greek compound word “antarktiké”, feminine of “antarktikos”, meaning “opposite to the north”.

The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 by twelve countries; to date, forty-six countries have signed the treaty. The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining, supports scientific research, and protects the continent’s ecozone. Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists of many nationalities and with various research interests.

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SOURCES:

“Destination Antarctica: A Rare Combination for Oceania Cruises Aficionados”
Friday, 4 June 2010
Travel Blackboard
http://www.etravelblackboard.com
http://www.etravelblackboard.com/showarticle.asp?id=105224&nav=5

“Antarctica”
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica