Starting in November of 2013 the ultra-luxury cruise ship Seabourn Quest will begin a series of four 21- to 24-day voyages sailing between Valparaíso, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Guests on board will experience five days in Antarctica, including scenic cruise highlights such as the breathtaking Lemaire Channel, picturesque Paradise Bay and the Gerlache Strait.
“Antarctica was the only continent Seabourn did not feature in our itineraries. This expands our global reach to all seven continents and builds on our already impressive list of exotic destinations. Seabourn is very proud to be bringing our highly rated ultra-luxury cruise experience to Antarctica,” said Seabourn President Richard Meadows in a recent statement.
The all-suite Seabourn Quest, which we sailed last December, will cruise the Chilean coast, including visits to Puerto Montt for the Chilean Lakes District, Castro on the huge island of Chiloé, and Puerto Chacabuco for the Rio Simpson Valley and Coyhaique, as well as Punta Arenas, from where guests can tour the magnificent Torres del Paine National Park.
Seabourn Quest will cruise 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.
Coming along on the Seabourn Quest cruise, experienced Antarctic expedition staff will ensure that guests enjoy the best of the numerous 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 the cruise and accompany guests ashore to add insights to their once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
During the South Atlantic portion of the voyage, guests on Seabourn Quest 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 Seabourn Quest Holiday version cruise 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.
Flickr photo by Martha de Jong-Lantink
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