Expedition to Antarctica

***EARLY BOOKING RATES EXTENDED THROUGH JANUARY 18, 2024***

After more than a century since Sir Ernest Shackleton’s journey to Antarctica the wonder and allure of “The White Continent” endures. Travel in the company of alumni and friends from February 13 – 26, 2024, on an expedition-style itinerary that retraces sea lanes navigated by the likes of Shackleton, Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott.

Acclaimed polar explorer Felicity Aston MBE will join the voyage and to discuss her record-breaking expeditions and share findings from her work monitoring climate change at the Rothera Research Station. In addition, a comprehensive schedule of specially arranged lectures will enhance your Antarctic adventure.

“Everything wears an aspect of unreality,” Shackleton wrote of his expedition to Antarctica. “Icebergs hang upside down in the sky; the land appears as layers of silvery or golden cloud. Cloud‑banks look like land, icebergs masquerade as islands.” Experience the wonders of Antarctica as you cruise for nine nights aboard Le Boréal, a 5‑star and ice‑class rated vessel. With all ocean-view accommodations, and 95 percent featuring private balconies. Le Boréal’s state‑of‑the‑art technology and design set high standards in environmental protection and comfort.

Shared with cosponsoring associations and with limited capacity, this luxury program is sure to fill quickly. Request a reservation today, or please contact the Georgetown Travel Society at 866-525-8664 or GeorgetownTravelSociety@Georgetown.edu for more details.

 

Dates and Rates:

Trip Dates: February 13 – 26, 2024

Trip Type: Cruise &  Land

Rates: $10,885 – $22,195 per person based on double occupancy. Taxes are an additional $655 per person.

Traveling solo? A limited number of cabins are offered with no single supplement in select categories. Once filled, any available cabin may be reserved by single travelers at 2x the per person price,  or please contact us to inquire about any possible roommate options *

Deposit: $1,000 per person (https://www.gohagantravel.com/terms for complete terms and conditions).

Request a reservation today, or please contact the Georgetown Travel Society at 866-525-8664 or GeorgetownTravelSociety@Georgetown.edu for more details.

 

Itinerary:

February 13, 2024 – Depart your home city for Buenos Aires, Argentina
Depart on independently scheduled flights to Buenos Aires.

February 14, 2024 – Arrive in Buenos Aires.
Check into the hotel and enjoy a day at leisure, with lunch and dinner on your own. Join your traveling companions for a welcome reception in the hotel this evening (r)

February 15, 2024 – Buenos Aires
The capital city of Buenos Aires is a tapestry of diverse barrios. Enjoy a half-day walking tour to see the colorful La Boca district, Monserrat’s public buildings, historical Plaza de Mayo, Palermo’s lavish parks, Puerto Madero’s riverfront community, and the charming old quarter of San Telmo. Visit the city’s historical Recoleta Cemetery, famous for its ornate vaults, sculptures, and as the final resting place of the legendary Eva Perón— the former First Lady of Argentina. (b)

February 16, 2024- Buenos Aires/Ushuaia
Fly to Ushuaia and embark the ship. This afternoon, cruise Beagle Channel, named for the ship that carried Charles Darwin on his South American voyages. Attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception this evening. (b,r,d)

February 17 – 18, 2024 – Cruising the Drake Passage
Cross the Drake Passage and, upon reaching the Antarctic Convergence, watch for breaching humpback whales and seabirds feeding on plankton and krill. Your expedition team will prepare you for your first landing in Antarctica. During the evening, enjoy the lingering golden light of the austral summer. (b,l,d)

February 19, 2024 – Port Lockroy/Jougla Point
Visit Port Lockroy, built as a British intelligence port during World War II, then converted into a whaling station and scientific base. Observe the daily activities of past researchers at the living museum known as “Base A” and mail a postcard with an Antarctica postmark from the official British Post Office. Cruise by Jougla Point on the way to Wiencke Island, which offers a rare opportunity to view the skeletal remains of an adult blue\ whale and view populous colonies of gentoo penguins and kelp gulls that inhabit the region. (b,l,d)

February 20, 2024 – Petermann Island/ Lemaire Channel
Call at Petermann Island, where French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot wintered in 1909. Watch for the island’s famous rookeries of Adélie and gentoo penguins and blue-eye shags. Flanked by towering glacial cliffs between the Antarctic Peninsula and Booth Island, cruise through the Lemaire Channel, where seven miles of mountains and interweaving patterns of floes brim with wildlife. (b,l,d)

February 21, 2024 – Neko Harbor/ Paradise Harbor
Listen for the low rumbling of Rudolf Glacier as it calves slabs of ice into Neko Harbor for a continental landing. Surrounded by soaring glaciers and snow-covered mountains, this spectacular harbor is one of the most dramatic sights on your expedition. In Paradise Harbor, crystal cliffs of ice descend from sky-bent mountains into the iceberg‑laden waters along the Antarctic Peninsula’s western coast. Named by 19th‑century whalers who sought shelter in its coves, it is an ideal sanctuary for marine wildlife including humpback whales, crabeaterseals, and Cape petrels. (b,l,d)

February 22, 2024 – Deception Island, South Shetland Islands/ Half Moon Island
Deception Island is the top of a larger volcano that is mostly submerged. Port Foster is a breached caldera that formed when the center of the volcano collapsed. The crescent-shaped Half Moon Island is known for its volcanic rock formations and tranquil lagoons. It houses Cámara Station, a base monitored by Argentine biologists studying regional wildlife. Here, observe the island’s colony of chinstrap penguins. Attend the Captain’s Farewell Reception. (b,l,r,d)

February 23, 2024 – Day at Wendell Sea
Cruise below the 60th parallel south to the outer shores of the Antarctic Peninsula, Earth’s last frontier. Witness the towering mountains of ice and volcanic rock that create precipitous coastlines and islands. An array of marine wildlife flourishes, including millions of penguins, countless seabirds, and thousands of seals and whales. An otherworldly topography of volcanoes and glaciers, populated with historic outposts, captures the nuance of Earth’s most inaccessible continent. (b,l,d)

February 24, 2024 – Cruising the Antarctic Convergence/Beagle Channel/Ushuaia, Argentina
Cross the Antarctic Convergence and the Drake Passage. The crossing is completed with the rounding of Cape Horn—the graveyard of hundreds of ships that once battled the westerly winds. Here, the ship will go east then turn north toward Beagle Channel back to Ushuaia. (b,l,d)

February 25, 2024 – Ushuaia/Buenos Aires
Disembark in Ushuaia and fly to Buenos Aires to depart for your home city. (b)

February 26, 2024 -U.S. or Canada
Arrive in home city.

B = Breakfast included    L = Lunch included    D = Dinner included     R = Reception

 

Included Features:

• Transfers and luggage handling abroad if you made your air arrangements through Gohagan & Company. (If you made your own air arrangements, transfers and luggage handling are not included.)
• Experienced, English-speaking local guides for included excursions.
• Gratuities to local guides and drivers on included excursions and transfers.
• Complimentary bottled water in your suite or stateroom and on excursions.
• Hospitality desk
• The services of an experienced team of professional travel directors throughout the program.

All program features are contingent upon final brochure pricing. Gohagan & Company reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares, fees, promotions, and surcharges at any time.

Not included:
 Airfare; Taxes; passport fees; visas and fees for obtaining visas; personal expenses such as laundry and telephone calls; accident/sickness, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance; gratuities to ship and hotel personnel; optional sightseeing excursions; excess baggage charges on aircraft; local departure air taxes; airfare and associated local taxes*, airport facility taxes and federal inspection fees not listed int he “included features” section of the program brochure; transfers and baggage handling to/from airport/hotel on day(s) of arrival and/or departure if you are arriving earlier or later and/or departing earlier or later that scheduled group transfer(s); meals and and alcoholic beverages not listed; and all other services not specifically mentioned in the “Terms & Conditions”. Complete terms and conditions are  available at https://www.gohagantravel.com/terms