More than 20 years after pioneering an entirely new style of small-ship, ultra-luxury cruising, Seabourn today announced plans to extend its repertoire of highly desirable cruising destinations in 2013 to include Antarctica for the first time.
The newest ship in Seabourn’s award-winning fleet, Seabourn Quest will begin a series of four 21- to 24-day voyages sailing between Valparaíso, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina starting in November 2013.
The new Ultimate Antarctica & Patagonia sailings will open for sale in Australia on Wednesday, September 5, 2012.
Seabourn President Richard Meadows said Seabourn was already renowned for its extensive portfolio of worldwide itineraries, with Antarctica the only continent that did not feature in the cruise line’s itineraries.
“This move expands Seabourn’s global reach to all seven continents and builds on our already impressive list of exotic destinations,” Mr Meadows said.
“We are very proud to be bringing our highly rated ultra-luxury cruise experience to Antarctica.”
The all-suite Seabourn Quest will cruise the Chilean coast, including visits to Puerto Montt, Castro and Puerto Chacabuco as well as Punta Arenas, from where guests can tour the magnificent Torres del Paine National Park. Then the intimate ship will thread the glaciers, peaks and channels of the Chilean Fjords, culminating in a transit of the Beagle Channel and its spectacular Glacier Alley. Weather permitting, following a call at Ushuaia in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego, Seabourn Quest will cruise by Cape Horn bound for the Southern Ocean.
Guests onboard will experience five days in Antarctica, including scenic cruising of highlights such as the breathtaking Lemaire Channel, picturesque Paradise Bay and the Gerlache Strait.
An experienced Antarctic expedition staff will ensure that guests enjoy the best of the hundreds of available sites for landings and cruising in smaller inflatable boats, based on real-time weather and wildlife reports during their Antarctic adventures. Scientists, naturalists and other lecturers in a number of disciplines will speak on board and accompany guests ashore to add insights to their once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
During the South Atlantic portion of the voyage, guests will enjoy visits to Port Stanley, in the Falkland Islands, and Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital, en route to or from Buenos Aires.
A 24-day holiday version will include two days exploring the sub-Antarctic wildlife Eden of South Georgia Island, renowned for its beauty and its vast, teeming rookeries of king penguins and other seabirds, as well as breeding elephant and fur seals.
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