King George Island, Antarctica November, 1995
As we look back on the many, many travel destinations we have visited
over the years, one stands out in sharp relief to all the rest: Antarctica.
It's difficult to explain the lure of this southernmost continent to those who
have not yet sailed her glass-smooth seas and marveled at her jade-green
Icebergs, but the attraction is real and lasting. Many of our Antarctic
travellers-some persuaded by enthusiastic spouses or friends to book that first,
eye-opening passage-now return again and again to experience a special "discovery
time"away from the concerns and conditions of everyday life. Literally,
Antarctica is a destination which must be seen to be believed.
As the popularity of the White Continent continues to increase, travel
options multiply. Each season, new ships are sailing to "the bottom of the
world, " each with its own claim for attention in the marketplace. The
Explorer, however, remains what it always has been: the first choice of informed
travellers who look to "the little red ship " for a cruise combining
safety, comfort and camaraderie with expert guidance, ecological sensitivity and
personal adventure.
This year Explorer continues to expand her range with a new Adventurer's
Ice Cruise including the little-visited eastern, shoreline of the Antarctic
Peninsula; two sea-going cruises in warmer climes, Through the Straits of
Gibraltar and Lost Islands of the Atlantic; and two cruise
itineraries on the mighty Amazon. Wherever you choose to sail with her, Explorer
symbolizes the spirit of discovery that pervades every itinerary between the
pages of this cyber-brochure. We hope you will go adventuring with us in 1997.
Geoffrey and Jorie Kent
"Why Should I Travel To Antarctica?"
When travellers ask us "Why should I go to Antarctica?, " we don't
have a single answer to give them. We have dozens instead. Though it may seem
unprepossessing from "outside," Antarctica is a truly magical travel
destination that stirs the imagination and fires the blood. Literally every
moment you'll spend in Antarctica is an opportunity for adventure, excitement
and discovery-an unforgettable journey into one of nature's last, most remote
and most fascinating strongholds.
Castles of Ice, Seas of Glass
Our lecturers provide the knowledge and skill necessary for a
comfortable, informed journey to Antarctica.
Antarctica simply has no equal for the traveller who appreciates unique
landscapes and unusual environments. This is a place of spectacular beauty, a
place where the seemingly limitless palette of sky, sea and ice combine to
produce breathtaking effects of color and light. Blue-green icebergs the size of
cathedrals are mirrored in a sea of glass ... clouds drift across the black cone
of an ancient volcano ... sunset spreads like a rosy veil over a snowfield that
stretches to the horizon. A slow cruise through the Lemaire Channel or Paradise
Bay, surrounded by a forest of icebergs and escorted, perhaps, by humpback
whales, is an indescribable and almost overpowering experience.
And because we schedule our visits during the austral summer, you enjoy the
power and grandeur of icebound Antarctica at its most comfortable season, warm
enough to dine and sightsee on deck.
A Wildlife Paradise
The nearly total absence of a human presence in Antarctica has fostered one
of its greatest attractions: its wildlife. View hundreds of thousands of
penguins in one of their huge, raucous rookeries, wander past bellowing elephant
seals or train your binoculars on giant petrels, terns and skuas-unique animal
species, unafraid and unperturbed by your presence, are all around you. The
Antarctic is a paradise for those who relish a chance to observe and photograph
wildlife at close range.
Discover For Yourself
Remote, pristine and little-visited, Antarctica asks her privileged guests
to visit on her own terms: as explorers and adventurers. Though great physical
exertion or feats of fitness are not required, this isn't a passive destination.
The very nature of the Antarctic experience means that you'll enjoy hands-on
exploration with a group of curious, energetic, like-minded fellow passengers,
led by veteran lecturer/guides on expeditions that bring the incredible within
reach. Antarctica speaks to the explorer in us all.
The Best Time To Visit
We visit Antarctica during the best wildlife-viewing season: the austral
summer.
Our tours operate during the four-month austral summer-November through
February. This is the most comfortable period of the Antarctic year and a time
when the continent is at its spectacular best. However, within that period each
month has its own special highlights, many of which cannot be seen at other
times of the year. Choose your departure date with these possibilities in mind:
|
November (late spring-early summer) |
We visit Antarctica during the best wildlife-viewing season: the austral
summer. |
- Spring ice begins to break up and melt, creating new landscapes of sculpted
ice with abundant pack ice and pristine icebergs.
|
- Courting season for penguins and seabirds-whole colonies in spectacular
displays of courtship rituals, including nest building and stone-stealing antics
of penguins, a particular treat.
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- Seals visible on fast ice and shorelines.
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- Spring wildflowers blooming on Falklands.
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- Beautiful sunrises and sunsets create stunning photo opportunities.
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- Research activity at its height-scientists pleased to greet first
visitors of the season.
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- Thanksgiving in Antarctica.
|
| In many ways this is the most adventurous time to visit, as the Captain
gets his first taste of the new season's pack ice. |
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| December-January (full summer) |
|
- Wildlife in full swing as temperatures warm and activity levels rise. Late
December and January are usually Antarctica's warmest months.
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- On South Georgia and Falklands, first penguin chicks emerge and fur seals
are breeding.
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- Longer days create great light conditions for fabulous photo
opportunities-read a newspaper on deck at midnight!
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- Seal pups visible on Soudi Georgia and the Falklands.
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- Earliest Antarctic chicks hatch (mid-December).
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- Whales increasingly numerous.
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- Receding ice may open new channels for exploration.
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- Christmas and New Year in Antarctica.
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February (late summer) |
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- Whale sighting at its best.
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- Penguin chicks begin to fledge
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- Receding pack ice permits forays farther south.
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- Falkland's chicks leaving the nest.
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- Fur seals increasingly common on Antarctic Peninsula.
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A & K's Explorer
"The Ship That 'Invented' Antarctic Cruising"
When planning a trip to Antarctica, no choice is more important than the
choice of the ship on which you sail. Recently, as Antarctica has grown in
popularity, new ships and new cruise options have entered the marketplace.
However, we firmly believe-and our travellers repeatedly confirm-that no other
ship sailing polar waters today offers an Antarctic experience equal in history,
quality, safety and sheer pleasure to our Explorer's.
Built Expressly For Antarctic Cruising |
| Built in 1969, the Explorer was the world's first expedition cruise ship
built expressly for exploring Antarctic waters. In these seas your ship must be
a self-contained and self-sufficient world, a safe and dependable provider of
all the comforts and necessities of life. Ice-strengthened and shallow-drafted
for agility, Explorer was designed and built to take small groups of adventurous
passengers to Antarctica-and has proven her aptitude for the job in more than
150 successful voyages to the Deep South. She is emphatically not a converted
cruise ship or cramped former scientific-research vessel, like other so-called "adventurer
cruisers." The first and best of her kind, Explorer has, literally and
figuratively, charted the course for today's expedition cruising industry. |
A buffet lunch on deck displays chefs' skills and a co-operative
climate. |
|
The Most Exlperienced Captains, Crew and Staff |
| The Explorer |
| Simply the Best in Antarctica" |
| Registry: |
Monrovia, Liberia |
| Capacity: |
100 Passengers |
| Length: |
238 feet |
| Tonnage: |
2,398 grt |
| Electricity: |
220 A.C. 60 hz. |
| Cruising Range: |
8,000 nautical miles | |
Good ships attract good crews, and the seamen who man the Explorer share
her depth of experience in the Antarctic. Her captains can each boast more
than ten seasons of experience among the ice floes and "bergy bits"
of the White Continent, and many crew and expedition staff members return year
after year. Working smoothly together as a team, backed by years of experience
with each other, their ship and their destination, the Explorer team can show
their passengers an Antarctica that simply doesn't exist for less-experienced
mariners.
As an important aside, all Explorer crew members are fluent English
speakers-a significant safety consideration in situations when prompt, clear
communication with passengers may be critical. |
The "Explorer's Explorer" A Favorite Among
Antarctic Professionals
The Explorer is a frequent and friendly visitor to Antarctic waters, and "the
little red ship" is a long-time favorite with those whose professional
activities take them to "The Ice." She often ferries supplies for
research stations, or brings scientists and their equipment in as their research
season begins. When you sail on her, you become part of this community of
researchers and explorers-many of whom have also chosen to sail with the ship
as expert lecturers. Renowned polar explorer Wally Herbert calls her the "Explorer's
Explorer."
Shaare the Experts'Antarctica
The quality of the expedition staff and lecturers who accompany each
Explorer departure is a real point of pride. Their expertise and experience are
instrumental in creating the unique atmosphere of relaxed, friendly, intimate
adventure that sets Explorer apart from all other Antarctic cruisers. Travel
with geologists, zoologists, polar explorers, historians, ecologists,
oceanographers, photographers and mountaineers,,and through them you share the
Antarctic experience scientists and adventurers have been enjoying for years.
Built expressly for polar waters, the Explorer has set the standard for
travel in a fragile and sensitive enviroment.
A Zodiac Excursion Whenever Possible
Explorer carries a fleet of versatile Zodiacs: stable, speedy, easy to
launch and to land. Though each day's excursions are determined by weather, ice
conditions and location, we take every opportunity possible to whisk you out
into the wilderness on a Zodiac excursion, under the care of a driver with years
of experience in polar waters. Our fleet is large enough to carry every
passenger at once, so everyone departs without delay.
Just The Right Size-And The Right Atmosphere
Carrying a maximum of 100 passengers, Explorer strikes just the right
balance between large and small. Larger, less maneuverable ships are restricted
in their choice of routes and destinations, and by statute can land only 100
passengers ashore at any one time. Great crowds of passengers not only dilute
the Antarctic experience, but reduce the number of Zodiac and shore excursions
possible, and make it difficult for lecturers and passengers to interact.
Conversely, ships with very small numbers of passengers find it difficult to
provide staff in numbers sufficient to create a rich and well-rounded
educational experience.
We've also had many favorable comments from passengers about Explorer's
special "non-cruise ship" atmosphere: informal, flexible, and with a
great sense of camaraderie among all aboard. Cabins and suites are cozy,
comfortable and recently refurbished, meals are delicious (with a single seating
so everyone can eat together) and her crew is eager to help make your stay on
board a pleasure.
Unique and Wide-Ranging Itineraries
With the advice of our experienced captains and expedition staff, we've
developed a diverse series of itineraries in Antarctica and her neighboring
islands, all designed to show you the best this spectacular destination has to
offer. These tours are carefully planned-and at the same time they remain
extremely flexible, able to take advantage of changing conditions and special
sightings as they occur. No two departures are ever the same. One note: when you
reserve a berth on the Explorer, you will sail on the Explorer. We never shift
passengers to other vessels.
Safe and Ecologically Sound
Explorer operates under two equally important guidelines: to ensure the
comfort and safety of our passengers at all times, and to do all that is
possible to protect the integrity of the fragile Antarctic environment. The
ship's ice-strengthened hull has one of the highest ratings attainable (lA) and
takes her through pack ice without risk of damage, guided by her captains' years
of experience. Crew and expedition staff also operate under the highest
standards of environmental conduct to ensure that the presence of the Erplorer
and her passengers does not compromise the Antarctic landscape or animal
population in any way. We tread lightly "at the bottom of the world."
Itineraries
Call Now To Book Your Antarctica Adventure
215-483-3080