Antarctica; A dream trip by cruise ship

Description
Embark on the ultimate Antarctic adventure, exploring the world's largest floating icebergs, observing unique wildlife like penguins and whales, and hiking across polar plains. Enjoy a polar photography workshop, thrilling polar swimming, and visits to Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.
Attractions
This tour offers the most comprehensive Antarctic adventure:
- Explore the World's Largest Floating Icebergs: Sail through the icy waters of the Southern Ocean and experience the grandeur of massive icebergs up close.
- Unique Antarctic Wildlife: Observe a range of unique species, including various penguins, whales, leopard seals, sea lions, and polar birds.
- Hiking Across Polar Plains: Enjoy scenic hikes across the stunning and remote polar landscapes.
- Polar Photography Workshop: Participate in a polar photography workshop led by a professional photographer, capturing the beauty of the Antarctic environment.
- Challenging and Thrilling Polar Swimming: Experience the exhilarating challenge of swimming in the icy polar waters.
- Visit Buenos Aires: Discover the vibrant culture and attractions of Argentina's capital city.
- Explore Ushuaia: Visit the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, famously known as the "End of the World."
Special Features:
- Tour of cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, the sophisticated "Paris of South America"
- Enjoy tango lessons with professional Argentine tango dancers
- Navigate through the calm waters of the Beagle Channel in the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago
- An exciting journey takes you along the Drake Passage where the Atlantic & Pacific converge
- From the observation deck, opportunity to view various species of sea birds, whales, dolphins, seals, albatross
- Reach the spectacular wilderness of the South Shetland Islands - a haven for prolific wildlife
- Exciting explorations by zodiac with expedition leaders in the glacial wonderland of Antarctica
- Traverse Cape Horn, once of great strategic importance because of its location and trade routes
- Onboard activities while at sea: enriching lectures, discussions, and wildlife spotting
Included
- Local Transportation: Vehicle: Ship suitable for the number of participants and flights.
- Accommodation: 3 nights in a 4-star hotel & 11 nights on a cruise ship
- Meals Included: 14 breakfasts + 11 lunches + 11 dinners
- Services of English-speaking tour manager throughout
- Services of English-speaking local guides
- Entrance fees per itinerary
- Hotel taxes, fees & service charges
- Hotel & cruise porterage
- Round trip flights Miami-Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires-Miami
- All intra-flights: Buenos Aires-Ushuaia & Ushuaia-Buenos Aires
Know before you go
Getting Ready to Go
Passports and Visas
It is each traveler's responsibility to have a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the dates of travel and a visa if required. Please check the information here for the specific country/region you are visiting for more details.
IMPORTANT: Passengers who are not U.S. citizens must check with the respective consulate or a visa agency to determine what personal identification is required. Passengers who enter, leave, and then re-enter the same country on their itinerary should check if they require a double-entry visa. Passport applications are available at most U.S. Post Offices, as well as at regional Passport Agencies.
Passengers requiring visas, whether obtained in advance or locally upon arrival, should ensure that their passport has blank pages.
Climate & Clothing:
Argentina: Bring comfortable walking shoes, a sweater, clothes you can layer, and an all-weather jacket. Some religious sites may require modest dress to enter (no shorts, short skirts, or sleeveless tops).
In Argentina, the seasons are reversed compared to the United States. Spring: September – November; Summer: December – February; Fall: March-May; Winter: June – August
Argentina Average Temperatures: https://www.gate1travel.com/weather/americas/default.aspx#argentina-weather
Antarctica:It is recommended to bring clothes you can layer and that protect you from the wind. Warm and light clothes, a waterproof parka, waterproof gloves, waterproof pants, a winter hat, comfortable walking shoes, waterproof boots, sunglasses, and sunscreen lotion are recommended. Some Antarctica cruises may provide boots and/or light parkas for excursions. Please check cruise info under 'At Your Destination' for more information.
Average Temperatures: https://www.gate1travel.com/weather/americas
Trip Preparation
A little pre-planning can make your trip go a lot smoother. Several weeks before your trip, make a list of what you will need to take with you. Make sure your documents (passports, visas, driver's licenses) are in order. Make sure also that you have enough prescription medications to last through the trip and carry them with you in case your luggage is delayed. Bring a change of clothes in your carry-on bag if your luggage is delayed or lost. Lost luggage is common.
We strongly urge you to consider carry-ons instead of checked bags when possible, and when checking a bag is necessary, choose a bag color and identification that stands out. We suggest that you make photocopies of passports, visas, personal IDs, and any other important travel documents and pack them separately from the originals. You may also make a digital copy of your passport to keep a clear picture of the important details in your cell phone or digital camera photos. If you lose the originals while traveling, you'll have copies for easier reporting and replacement.
Pack a list of medications including dosage and generic names. You may consider bringing a small supply of over-the-counter medications for headaches and/or anti-diarrhea pills (especially when traveling outside of the USA and Western Europe). We recommend that you pack a portable alarm clock. Due to security reasons, many museums have restrictions on the size of bags that can be taken inside, and backpacks, carry-on bags, or large purses may not be permitted. It is recommended to bring a small shoulder bag or purse to use in these situations instead. Avoid placing valuables such as cameras in your checked luggage. Airplane pressure can cause similar pressure in your body, most notably in the ears, as well as in liquid tubes and bottles. Your physician can suggest medication for decongestion. We suggest that you place liquid containers into Ziploc bags to catch any leaks.
Hurtigruten Cruises Terms & Conditions: Hurtigruten Cruises Terms & Conditions governing the cruise component of a Tour & Cruise package apply to all customers sailing with Hurtigruten Cruises. Carriage by Sea is subject to the Carriers Conditions of Carriage which are expressly incorporated into the following document: Hurtigruten Passage Contract
Travel Safety Advice:
The safety of our guests is Gate 1’s #1 concern. Before deciding to reserve your vacation, we want you to be aware of potential situations which may impact your holiday. While most of the time our programs run precisely according to plans, on rare occasions force majeure events including weather, transportation mechanical issues, uninhabitable accommodation, civil unrest, and even criminal or terrorist activities will present themselves unexpectedly and with little or no notice. Gate 1 will decide to cancel a tour only after receiving verifiable government-issued information. We are otherwise obliged to comply with contractual airline and vendor agreements and carry out the tour until or unless we are advised otherwise. In the event of such an occurrence anytime after your date of departure, Gate 1 and the local destination ground staff, in coordination with government advisories, airlines, hotels, cruise ships, and other vendors, will make decisions about your safety first. We strongly recommend that tour participants review the destination country's specific information here.
Travel Protection:
Even the best-planned trips can be impacted by the unexpected. And that is why we recommend that you help protect yourself and your investment by purchasing Travel Protection for your Gate 1 trip. Travel Protection can help with medical coverage for illness or injury, trip cancellation and/or interruption, baggage loss, medical evacuation, and more. At any time before you complete Final Payment, you may choose to purchase Travel Protection. The protection plan premium is non-refundable after a 10-day review period. In addition, you must be medically able to travel at the time the premium is paid. For a summary of the plan details on coverages, benefits, limitations, and exclusions, please refer to the Description of Coverage by visiting here.
Mobile Phones:
Mobile networks differ from country to country. We recommend you check with your provider to see if your wireless plan will work in the destination(s) you are visiting. To avoid possible roaming charges, you may want to consider purchasing an international plan. With most major phone companies, for a modest fee, you will be able to use your domestic plan's talk, text, and data allowances just like you do at home. If you can access the internet while you travel, you can also take advantage of services such as WhatsApp or Skype.
Making Telephone Calls from One Country to Another:
When dialing a number from one country to another, you should proceed as follows: dial your country's Exit Code (often indicated with a “+” sign), then the destination Country Code, and then the Phone Number. For most countries, the exit code is 00. Exceptions include the USA and Canada (011), Hong Kong and Cambodia (001), Australia (0011), and Russia (8 Pause 10*). For Brazil, please consult with the local telephone company. If you are dialing from a mobile phone, you can enter a “+” instead of the international Exit Code (011, 001, 0011, or 00) by pressing and holding the 0 key. For most countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and the South Pacific, if you are calling from a local phone to a number within the same country, you should drop both the exit and country codes and then add a leading 0 (zero). Exceptions include Spain, Italy, Hungary, and Malta (no additional zero is needed to dial locally).
Example:
To dial the following number in Germany (as listed on your voucher): +(49) 0555-555
From the USA or your US cell phone: 011-49-555-555
From another country in Europe: 00-49-555-555
From a German phone within Germany: 0555-555
Wi-Fi Access:
Wi-Fi is available in most airports, hotels, and cruise lines, as well as on some flights, trains, and buses. There may be a fee for access and service quality and speed may vary greatly especially while on moving vehicles. Availability on cruises is also dependent upon its location while sailing through multiple countries. Please note that Wi-Fi can be extremely slow, unreliable, and sometimes nonexistent in developing countries.