Antarctic Express: Fly The Drake, Operated By Quark

Guide

The Exodus group forms part of the ship’s complement (approx. 100 passengers), enjoying the relaxed, intimate and informal atmosphere, which breaks into smaller groups to facilitate the frequent excursions. We offer these cruises in conjunction with our partner, Quark Expeditions, and Exodus participants will join an international group, not all of whom have booked through Exodus. Occasionally some of these may be younger than 12 years old, the Exodus' stated minimum age for this trip. We work with many fine Expedition Leaders and Polar Experts, bringing a diversity of interests including zoology, Polar history, geology, ornithology and ocean sciences. The ship’s operating crew have many years of experience in Polar Regions and are committed to ensuring a safe and memorable journey. Each day your cabin will be serviced by the housekeeping crew, and your meals served by the friendly and attentive restaurant staff. There is also a resident medical officer.

Meals

All meals while on the ship included. Typical Meals The ships galley offers good quality service and cuisine throughout, with excellent chefs preparing international menus including vegetarian dishes, accompanied by a wide variety of drinks on sale from around the world. Breakfast: Buffet style – unlimited tea and coffee, a selection of fruit juices, hot options including bacon and eggs or omelettes, a selection of bread and toast and jam/honey/marmalade, fruit and cereal. Lunch: Three course set meal, or the occasional buffet or BBQ. Dinner: Three or four courses with a starter of soup and/or salad, a choice of mains with at least one vegetarian option and a dessert, with tea and coffee. Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this holiday - please do inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so that our local team can be well prepared.

Others

All Zodiac transfers and cruising as per the daily program. All shore landings as per the daily program. Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping. Formal and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled. A photographic journal documenting the expedition. A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for landings and Zodiac cruising excursions. An official Quark Expeditions® parka to keep Hair dryer and bathrobes in every cabin. All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program. All luggage handling aboard the ship. Emergency Evacuation insurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of USD $500,000 per person. A group arrival transfer in Punta Arenas from airport to pre-expedition hotel on Day 1. One night’s pre-expedition hotel accommodation in Punta Arenas with breakfast (Note: The number of guests per room is the same as cabin occupancy on the ship. Due to limited availability, travelers who reserve a suite on board are accommodated in standard rooms at the hotel. Triple rooms may not be available). A briefing dinner on Day 1 in Punta Arenas. A pre-expedition group transfer in Punta Arenas from the hotel to the airport. Intra-flights to and from King George Island. A post-expedition group transfer in Punta Arenas from the airport to the hotel. One night’s post-expedition hotel accommodation in Punta Arenas with breakfast.

Flights

Return intra-flights from Punta Arenas to King George Island. Please note that the intra-flights for this tour are mandatory and are included in your tour price. As we have travellers from all over the world, flights before and after the tour are not included in the tour price and you need to arrange these separately by yourself once your tour is guaranteed. As we specialise in organising the best tours around the world for you, we are unable to advise on flight prices or book flights on your behalf. We recommend that you do not book your flights until your place on the tour has been confirmed. Check out the following link which is powered by Skyscanner to book your flight - https://flights.tourradar.com

Transport

During the expedition, you will visit remote and isolated sites that are accessible only by Zodiac landing craft. Designed for expedition work, these large and heavy-duty inflatable vessels are extremely safe.

Accommodation

The Antarctic Fly & Cruise is offered on the Ocean Adventurer and the World Explorer which are Polar Adventure Ships. Two nighs in a standard hotel in Punta Arenas included. Full board accommodation on the ship, generally on a twin share basis in a variety of cabin types, all with en suite facilities. Please visit the Polar Fleet page for Ship Information and Deck Plans. Polar Adventure Ships These are small ice rated vessels well qualified for Polar waters. Intimate adventures are always more enjoyable with like-minded passengers and staff, so these voyages are for people who like flexible itineraries and plenty to keep them busy. Activities include frequent Zodiac excursions, trekking, kayaking and many hours on deck in areas that other ships only dream about accessing. Food and staff are excellent and every guest benefits from the technical advances of this superb fleet. Rest assured our Polar Adventure Ships enable any traveller to maximize their experience sensitively in the Poles.

Others

— Travel insurance — Single accommodation (available on request) — Visas or vaccinations

Insurance

We strongly recommend that all expedition guests purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy, including trip delay, cancellation and interruption insurance, in addition to the required medical coverage. TourRadar has partnered up with World Nomads to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (http://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).

Optional

For all paid activities pre-booking is required. We recommend booking early as spaces fill quickly. Please see your pre-departure book for a list of provided gear for each Adventure Option. SEA KAYAKING Imagine gliding across the surface of a bay in the presence of icebergs and glaciers. Our Sea Kayaking program is a great way to intimately explore your surroundings. A small group of kayakers will plan to go out multiple times per voyage as an alternative to shore landings or Zodiac cruises. The number of opportunities to kayak is weather dependent and will be conducted only during calm conditions. Prior kayaking experience is required, and you must be able to do a wet exit to participate. Beginners interested in kayaking should consider participating in the Paddling Excursion. PADDLING EXCURSION If you’re interested in kayaking but would like to try something a bit less demanding than Sea Kayaking, you’re the perfect candidate to sign up for a one-time paddle on our stable sit-ontop kayaks—perfect for anyone with minimal or no kayaking experience. Rotating groups of passengers will be taken out on calm days, with our expert guides always present to provide instruction and help connect you with the polar sea. STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING (on WORLD EXPLORER only) Combining surfing with kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding will give you a very personal and unique perspective on Antarctica. Conducted in small groups— in calm bays and harbors, in good weather conditions—and accompanied by a safety Zodiac, one-time standup paddleboarding excursions can be pre-booked in two consecutive priority groups. After the first two successful outings, this activity will be offered via sign-up on board the ship on a first-come, first-served basis for any subsequent outings.