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Discounted Antarctic Cruising Options with Aurora Expeditions & our Price-Beat Guarantee!

Our Antarctic Cruise Price-beat Guarantee - With Aurora Expeditions.

Member, International Cruise Council Australasia

ARCTIC CRUISING ANTARCTIC CRUISING 1 ANTARCTIC CRUISING 2 ANTARCTIC CRUISING 3 ANTARCTIC CRUISING 4

Check out all our Arctic and Antarctic information - whether discount  or luxury, the choice is yours. When you book through us 100% of our company profits go to developing countries like Fiji, Colombia, Zambia, Burundi and Malawi and also to other worthy projects throughout the world. So make a difference when you book your discount cruise with Australian Discount Travel & Tours, your not-for-profit international travel agent.

 

Our Price-Beat Guarantee means if you find a cheaper Arctic cruise quote elsewhere & come to us to make your booking and provided that the same cruise tickets are available then we'll undercut the cruising prices you've been quoted when you book your Antarctic cruise through us.  It's that simple.*
Our Aurora Antarctic cruising packages sell out very quickly so book your Aurora Antarctica cruise now before you miss out. Just phone us on 03 6231 3844 to discuss with us the joy and wonder of cruising to the most pristine continent in the world.


DISCOUNT AURORA ANTARCTIC CRUISES

Are you one of those they that has dreamt of going to Antarctica? Have you finally decided now is the time for you to go before Global Warming wreaks havoc on Antarctica? If you one of those, then read on.

We can provide you with the cruise of a life time to Antarctica. We represent all cruises that operate both from Australia, New Zealand and South America to Antarctica. We also have access to great value airfares to make your trip truly remarkable. This means we are you one-stop Antarctica shop. Not only this, but one of our experienced Antarctica Travel Consultants can share with you his personal insights into this amazing isolated and mysterious continent of wonder. When choosing your Antarctic cruise you need to take the best advice from an independent source. This is exactly what we provide you - an independent agent that will make sure that your every need to cruise Antarctica is met. Not only this, but our consultants have already travelled to Antarctica and the photos shown below prove it! We know the Antarctic and we want you to enjoy the best that Antarctic cruises can offer you. Just call us today and speak to our Antarctic specialists. We won't disappoint you!

So we reiterate, unlike most other travel agents, we have staff who have experienced first hand Antarctica and they know the difference between the plethora of ships & cruise options the they also know what will be best suited to make your adventure better than you could have ever hoped for. Tap into our personal memories of Antarctica and we'll build for you the Antarctic trip of a lifetime.

Antarctic Cruises with Aurora on board the Marina Svetaeva

The Antarctic provides the unique place to expand your horizons and understanding about our planet and its amazing eco-system. Antarctica is one of the most forbidding yet stunningly beautiful continents. Owned by no country, Antarctica is accessible only during the warmer months as the continent is shrouded in thick ice and almost total darkness during the late autumn and winter months. But in the warmer seasons, the sights are simply amazingly breathtaking.

As a Hobart-based travel agency we specialise in providing you the very best

Departing Australia & New Zealand


Icebergs & Emperors Antarctic Cruise – Mawson’s Antarctica
Antarctic Cruise Ship: Marina Svetaeva (Operated by Aurora Expeditions).
(Helicopter excursions included).
(11 Dec 2009 - 6 Jan 2010)
(Hobart – Hobart)

 

 

It's Antarctic cruise ships similar to this that will take you on the cruise of a life time. Secure, safe and comfortable they are specifically designed to do the job and do it well!

The Ship: Antarctic-Specific Cruise Ship the Marina Svetaeva

Built in 1989 in Poland’s famous Gdynia Shipyards, The Marina Svetaeva is named after one of Russian’s most famous 20th Century poets. Especially ice-strengthened for polar ice expeditions the ship was refurbished in 2005. Now a comfortable (as opposed to “luxurious”) and very stable & manoeuvrable ship she carries up to 100 passengers and 41 Russian Crew. Importantly, she is a very fuel-efficient ship, leaving the minimum “carbon footprint” as she sails through the pristine Antarctic passages. She carries two helicopters and a small fleet of inflatable Zodiac dinghies.

Day 1

You’ll awake in your Hobart Hotel room and after breakfast you’ll be transferred down the Hobart docks to meet the Marina Svetaeva. You’ll be warmly greeted by Aurora Staff and the Russian crew of the ship. Once on board you’ll be taken to your cabin and relax as you realise the quality of the vessel you’ve boarded for the trip of your lifetime.

Leaving Hobart’s Derwent River, under the shadow of the majestic Mt Wellington, you’ll cruise down one of the largest and deepest natural harbours in the world to the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. The D’Entrecasteaux Channel is deep, wide and sheltered. One of the most remarkable channels in the world is afforded ample protection from the winds of the Southern Ocean by the protective cover of Bruny Island (to its east) and the South Eastern shores of Tasmania on its west. This channel teams with wild life, dolphins, porpoises and even whales. Albatrosses can be seen soaring near the cliffs of Bruny Island while seals delight to frolic in the clear, unpolluted temperate waters.

Days 2-3

Your cruise ship makes its way on a southern course down to Macquarie Island, some 850 nautical miles south of Tasmania. Macquarie Island abounds in ornithological delights including albatrosses, shearwater (Tasmanian Aborigines refer to the young Shearwaters as “mutton birds” and are prized as a delicacy by the native inhabitants of Tasmania).

You’ll be thoroughly entertained by the on-board experts who will answer your inevitable questions and fill you in on the fascinating environment that you’ll observe. They’ll cover topics on flora, fauna, and oceanography, including a history of the great Southern Ocean and its exploration.

Days 4-5

Macquarie Island is where famous Antarctic explorer Mawson set up his communication base late in the summer of 1911. This World Heritage area is the home for some 3,000,000 Royal Penguins, thousands of cute and highly inquisitive King Penguins and albatrosses. Elephant seals may also be encountered by you, alongside the more sanguine fur seal species.

Days 6-8

Traditionally a time of reflection on the outstanding sights you’ve already been digesting, these two days are spent indulging yourself absorbing the experiences you’ve encountered with the assistance of experts who will talk on a range of fascinating subjects pertinent to your Antarctic voyage.
Just south of Macquarie Island you’ll cross the “Antarctic Convergence” and at this point you may encounter your first icebergs.

Days 9-11

With a reputation as one of the windiest places on the planet, Cape Denison can be a forbidding location to visit. Weather permitting you’ll be transported there to visit Mawson’s Hut which served Mawson and his team throughout his 1911-1914 Australasian Expedition. Expect to see Weddell Seals, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Skuas and Adelie Penguins too.

Day 12

Overnight, the ship will cruise through the iceberg satiated Southern Ocean to Petrel Island or to the sea ice edge, on which remains the French research station Dumont D’Urville. In this area you’ll encounter snow petrels & Wilson’s storm Petrels. Weather permitting you’ll visit the French station, partake in walks along the ice-laden inland shores and even be treated to a Zodiac ride out to some of the nearby ice front of the mighty Astrolabe Glacier.

Days 13-15

Your ship will follow the route taken by the famous Captain John King Davis in 1912 as he forged ahead in his ship the SY Aurora through the pack ice in search of a location for Mawson’s Western Party to survive the freezing winters. With weather on your side, you’ll reach the Dibble iceberg tongue as you cruise along the Wilkes and Sabrina Coasts.

Day 16

Your ship turns east in the hope of a short sojourn at Port Martin, which is nothing more (nor less!) than a small rocky outcrop tenaciously holding onto the Antarctic Plateau. Here you’ll delight in reaching the abandoned French base (destroyed by fire in the 1950’s) and you’ll experience the wonder of sanguine and playful Adelie Penguins.


Day 17

Your ship will pass the absolutely outstanding spectacle of the ice tongue of Mertz Glacier. This amazing structure is a magnet to a plethora of Antarctic Species including the larger whale species. Conditions and weather permitting, the Zodiacs will be at your disposal to guarantee a close-up view of some of these leviathans of the deep.

Days 18-20

Your captain will expertly guide your ship through the maze of Mertz-born icebergs, sometimes assisted with navigation by the on-board helicopters. Ice conditions and weather permitting you’ll reach the rarely seen Oates Land coast.


Days 21-23

Your ship turns north and during this period you’ll dine, observe, digest and absorb the magnificence of what you’ve been experiencing.

Day 24

You finally reach a more northern destination: New Zealand’s Auckland Islands. You’ll be utterly enchanted by the rata forests where you’ll seek out views of the rare yellow-eyed penguins, teal duck and the Hooker Sea Lions. Zodiacs are at the ready to transport you for close up views of the nesting grounds of the wandering and shy albatross.

Days 25-26

You’ll spend two days further exploring New Zealand’s Sub Antarctic islands before cruising across the Southern Ocean back to the southernmost state of Australia – Hobart Tasmania.

Day 27

You’ll dock in Hobart Tasmania and prepare to disembark. The wonders of Hobart city will no doubt attract you and you can chose to spend time here soaking up the sights for a day, a week or more. For those who don’t wish to tarry transfers to Hobart Airport complete your magnificent Antarctic cruise. In 27 days your life is forever changed. You’ll have visited & observed one of the most fragile and hostile environments on the planet. This is a trip you simply can’t afford to miss.

 

Icebergs & Emperors Antarctic Cruise – Mawson’s Antarctica
27 Day Voyage
Antarctic Cruise Ship: Marina Svetaeva (Operated by Aurora Expeditions).
(Helicopter excursions included).
(11 Dec 2009 - 6 Jan 2010)
(Hobart – Hobart)
DECK CABIN TYPE ANTARCTIC CRUISE COST*
DECK 3 QUAD, SHARED FACILITIES US $12,499
DECK 3 TRIPLE, SHARED FACILITIES US $13,699
DECK 3&4 TWIN, SHARED FACILITIES US $16,599
DECK 4&5 TWIN, PRIVATE FACILITIES US $19,899
DECK 4&5 MINI SUITE, PRIVATE FACILITIES US $21,799
DECK 5 SUITE, PRIVATE FACILITIES US $23,399

* The prices are per person. Prices include one night accommodation in Hobart before the cruise & return transfers to and from the ship. Single occupancy is 1.7x twin prices quoted.
Costs are ex Hobart. Note: Prices in US Dollars, and are subject to change without notice.

Ross Sea Explorer Antarctic Cruise (Helicopter excursions included).
 (7 Jan 2010 - 1 Feb 2010 [Hobart – Bluff, New Zealand])
(2 - 27 Feb 2010 – [Bluff, New Zealand – Hobart])


The Ship: Marina Svetaeva
Built in 1989 in Poland’s famous Gdynia Shipyards, The Marina Svetaeva is named after one of Russian’s most famous 20th Century poets. Especially ice-strengthened for polar ice expeditions the ship was refurbished in 2005. Now a comfortable (as opposed to “luxurious”) and very stable & manoeuvrable ship she carries up to 100 passengers and 41 Russian Crew. Importantly, she is a very fuel-efficient ship, leaving the minimum “carbon footprint” as she sails through the pristine Antarctic passages. She carries two helicopters and a small fleet of inflatable zodiac dinghies.

NB Ex-Hobart – Bluff Itinerary shown below.

Day 1

You’ll awake in your Hobart Hotel room and after breakfast you’ll be transferred down the Hobart docks to meet the Marina Svetaeva. You’ll be warmly greeted by Aurora Staff and the Russian crew of the ship. Once on board you’ll be taken to your cabin and relax as you realise the quality of the vessel you’ve boarded for the trip of your lifetime.

Leaving Hobart’s Derwent River, under the shadow of the majestic Mt Wellington, you’ll cruise down one of the largest and deepest natural harbours in the world to the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. The D’Entrecasteaux Channel is deep, wide and sheltered. One of the most remarkable channels in the world is afforded ample protection from the winds of the Southern Ocean by the protective cover of Bruny Island (to its east) and the South Eastern shores of Tasmania on its west. This channel teams with wild life, dolphins, porpoises and even whales. Albatrosses can be seen soaring near the cliffs of Bruny Island while seals delight to frolic in the clear, unpolluted temperate waters.


Days 2-3

Your cruise ship makes its way on a southern course down to Macquarie Island, some 850 nautical miles south of Tasmania. Macquarie Island abounds in ornithological delights including albatrosses, shearwater (Tasmanian Aborigines refer to the young Shearwaters as “mutton birds” and are prized as a delicacy by the native inhabitants of Tasmania).

You’ll be thoroughly entertained by the on-board experts who will answer your inevitable questions and fill you in on the fascinating environment that you’ll observe. They’ll cover topics on flora, fauna, and oceanography, including a history of the great Southern Ocean and its exploration.

During this period you’ll learn about safety procedures for Zodiacs and importantly, be briefed about the environmental guidelines impinging on your cruise.


Days 4-5

You’ll reach the wondrous Macquarie Island where famous Antarctic explorer Mawson set up his communication base late in the summer of 1911. This World Heritage area is the home for some 3,000,000 Royal Penguins, thousands of cute and highly inquisitive King Penguins and albatrosses. Elephant seals may also be encountered by you, alongside the more sanguine fur seal species which frolic amongst the giant bull kelp, feeding on the feast of natural fish species that permeate the cold waters of the deep south.


Days 6-8

Traditionally a time of reflection on the outstanding sights you’ve already encountered, these two days are spent indulging yourself absorbing the experiences you’ve encountered with the assistance of experts who will talk on a range of fascinating subjects pertinent to your Antarctic voyage. Just south of Macquarie Island you’ll cross the “Antarctic Convergence” and at this point you may encounter your first icebergs.


Day 9

Your ship will cruise through the heavily glaciated 190Km volcanic chain of the Bellamy Islands (Bellamy Islands were named by the famous sealer, John Bellamy in 1839). Conditions permitting you might be afforded a landing on nearby Sturge Island via Zodiac dinghy.


Day 10

For safety reasons your cruise ship will slip north in order to avoid the dense and unforgiving ice pack but you’ll relax and enjoy the array of parade of animals that come to the edge of the ice pack to feed and relax, resting on the ice shelf.


Days 11-13

The plan (again weather permitting) is to take you by helicopter from the “parked” ship that waits in the fast ice “berth” of New Harbour and you’ll be fascinated by the aerial views of the absolutely spectacular Royal Society Range, hopefully landing in Dry Valleys. This amazing area is punctuated by hypersaline lakes, hanging glaciers and magnificent wind-sculptured granite outcrops.


Day 14

Leaving Ross Island, the cruise takes you along “The Barrier” of the Ross Ice Shelf for some time during which you’ll soak up the vastness of this isolated and forbidding natural landscape. Turning west, you’ll pass the rugged & utterly dramatic Franklin Island.

Days 15-16

McMurdo Sound is your next destination which lies between Ross Island and the Trans-Antarctic Mountains. McMurdo Sound reveals historical delights including Shackleton’s Hut on Cape Royds, Scott’s Hut at Cape Evans and Discovery Hut at Hut Point. This is the place where you’ll find the infamous Mt Erebus, the mountain that famously became the structure that caused the crash of an Air New Zealand plane – killing all on board. In this historian’s smorgasbord you’ll find the American McMurdo Station and New Zealand’s Scott’s Base.

Day 17

You’ll next cruise through Terra Nova Bay off Cape Washington, which is home to the Italian summer station and the dramatic Drygalski Ice Tongue.

Day 18

You’ll cruise by the utterly spectacular 3,500 metre (12,000 ft) Admiralty Mountains and into Cape Hallett which provides shelter to some Ľ of a million delightful Adelie Penguins which even take cover around the now abandoned US/New Zealand scientific station.

Day 19

You’ll be staggered by the sights and sounds of Cape Adare - home to the world’s largest Adelie Penguin population of over 300,000 birds.

Days 20-22

This will be for you a time of reflection as you cruise towards the Southern Ocean. You’ll be entertained and have your imagination stimulated by the enthralling information provided by your on-board expert naturalists.

Day 23

Campbell Island, home to the world’s largest population of Royal Albatross will fascinate you with its rich history as a “stepping stone base” to the Antarctic. You will be utterly astounded by the abundant bird life and your natural instincts to embrace ornithology will undoubtedly emerge whilst on this amazing structure and ecological wonder.

Day 24

You the more northern destination of New Zealand’s Auckland Islands you’ll be amazed by the outstanding array of fauna. Likewise you’ll be utterly enchanted by the rata forests where you’ll seek out views of the rare yellow-eyed penguins, teal duck and the Hooker Sea Lions. Zodiacs are at the ready to transport you for close up views of the nesting grounds of the wandering and shy albatross (weather permitting).


Day 25

Snares Island awaits you next and with Zodiacs at the ready it’s time to explore on land (if possible) hoping to catch a glimpse of the endemic Snares Crested Penguin and other gorgeous species.

Day 26

Bluff wharf awaits you for a morning docking. After mandatory clearing through New Zealand Customs you’ll disembark with your new found friends and farewell your crew ready for transfer to the airport for your flight home.

 

Ross Sea Explorer
26 Day Voyage
Antarctic Cruise Ship: Marina Svetaeva (Operated by Aurora Expeditions).
(Helicopter excursions included).
(11 Dec 2009 - 6 Jan 2010)
(Hobart – Hobart)
DECK CABIN TYPE ARCTIC CRUISE COST*
DECK 3 QUAD, SHARED FACILITIES US $12,499
DECK 3 TRIPLE, SHARED FACILITIES US $13,699
DECK 3&4 TWIN, SHARED FACILITIES US $16,599
DECK 4&5 TWIN, PRIVATE FACILITIES US $18,899
DECK 4&5 MINI SUITE, PRIVATE FACILITIES US $21,799
DECK 5 SUITE, PRIVATE FACILITIES US $23,399
* The prices are per person. Prices include one night accommodation in Hobart or Bluff before the cruise & return transfers to and from the ship. Single occupancy is 1.7x twin prices quoted.
Costs are ex Hobart/Bluff. Note: Prices in US Dollars, and are subject to change without notice.

 

 

 

Are you a keen photographer, climber, kayaker, adventure seeker, wilderness lover or just want to see lots of ice? If you fit into one of these categories then Antarctica is the place for you.

Not every cruise to the White Continent is suited to all types of traveller or all age groups. Come and experience the largest (albeit ice-bound) desert on the planet.

Antarctica is a place that you have to experience, but if you don't book through a unbiased & independent Antarctic travel expert you may regret booking the cruise you did.

If you want to speak to an expert in Antarctic tourism, please call 1300 122 873 or (03) 62 313 844 and we can book the cruise that is suited to your most exacting requirements.

 

 

It's the amazing sight of wildlife like this that will steal your heart. Join us on a tour and breath in the pure crisp air, take in the amazing sights and experience Antarctica.

NOTE: You might be interested in our fabulous Arctic Cruises instead - see the Northern Frozen Ocean and cruise in luxury nearby the North Pole.

** conditions apply - click for details

Make a Difference when you book any travel! Our company is a not-for-profit travel agent. By law, 100% of company profits go to OECD-approved Developing Countries. So just by booking any travel through us you'll make a difference to someone, somewhere in one of the most needy nations of the world.


Important Notice:

Due to the constant changes in circumstances in various countries of the world we highly recommend that before you consider travelling to check out free information at the Australian Government's Smartraveller site http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/.

Smartraveller phone service

  • Call 1300 139 281 (local call cost within Australia) and receive free spoken advice.

Travel Advice Fax-back service

  • Call +61 2 6261 1299, and follow the instructions

Contacts for help

  • 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre: +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555135 (local call cost within Australia)

 

 

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