By
Rebecca Gibson |
Poseidon Expeditions’ Sea Spirit is to sail a series of 12- to 23-day voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands from October 2015 to March 2016.
The 2015 Antarctic season starts with two longer voyagers that include calls to the Falkland and South Georgia Islands, followed by a series of 12-day programmes to the Antarctic Peninsula. While most voyages will use Ushuaia, Argentina, as the turnaround port for embarkation and disembarkation, the first and last cruise of the 2015-2016 season will begin and end respectively in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“With the acquisition of Sea Spirit for Arctic and Antarctic cruises starting in 2015, we will be taking a larger role in the polar cruise marketplace,” said Nikolay Saveliev, president of Poseidon Expeditions. “Our focus is to provide an exceptional wilderness experience that is safe, comfortable and environmentally responsible. We believe in the Antarctic Treaty mandate that the entire continent is a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science. Tourism has an important role in promoting this concept, and our goal is to create ambassadors worldwide that help foster the conservation principles necessary to preserve Antarctica for future generations.”
Onboard and shorex activities will be led by an international team of seasoned polar guide and include Zodiac excursions, onshore hikes and onboard educational presentations.
“We take the international nature of Antarctica literally; it’s truly a place where all the citizens of the world can share a common treasure and source of inspiration,” said Jan Bryde, an expedition leader who has made nearly 60 voyages to Antarctica, including as a staff member on rare circumnavigation of the continent. “We believe that adventurous travellers love to share experiences with like-minded individuals from other countries, and that this ‘melting pot’ onboard and onshore fosters a unique camaraderie that makes an Antarctic expedition all the more memorable to visitors.”
Sea Spirit was originally built as Renaissance V in 1991 and sailed as Spirit of Oceanus for nearly a decade. The 114-passenger vessel was upgraded in 2010 to become Sea Spirit and also underwent ice strengthening and a number of other technical improvements to prepare her for polar environments.