Southamerican Cruises
Antarctica Air-cruises: Combine travel by ship & airplane
This expedition is different from all others because it combines a ship and an airplane. You can start taking the flight and coming back on a ship or the other way round, embarking first on the ship and coming back by air. The purpose of this option is saving the extra days needed to cross the Drake Passage or Sea of Drake. Typically, the ship travels into this area by night when the crew is sleeping, in order to avoid seasickness and headaches due to the roughness of the sea in this area. However, this is not always the case.
These Antarctic air-cruises can depart either from Ushuaia and Punta Arenas, although most of them depart from Chile. Cruise ships connecting with airplanes are M/V Ocean Nova and MV Hebridean Sky. One of the aircrafts is the BAE-146 built in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace. This aircraft has high wings and the ability to land on short runways. It has 4 Honeywell turbo reactors model ALF 502R-5. Cruise speed is 466 mph and maximum altitude is 30,000 ft. It seats 60 people.
Expeditions
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Classic Antarctica Air Cruise 8 days / 7 nights
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Polar Antarctica Air Cruise 10 days / 9 nights
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Express Antarctica Air Cruise 6 days / 5 nights
Vessels
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M/V Ocean Nova
Ocean Nova is a modern and comfortable expedition vessel. She was built in Denmark in 1992 to sail the ice-choked waters of Greenland. She was fully refurbished in 2006 and has since benefitted from annual upgrades and improvements. Her ice-strengthened hull is ideally suited for expedition travel in Antarctica.
In addition to a glass-enclosed observation lounge and presentation room, Ocean Nova also has a spacious dining room, a bar, a library, a small gym, and an infirmary. The ship has a fleet of seven Zodiac boats that are well suited for disembarking and wildlife watching.
All guests aboard Ocean Nova are accommodated in comfortable outside cabins, with three cabin categories: dedicated single, twin and triple cabins. All cabins feature a picture window, a writing desk with chair, a wardrobe, individually controlled heating system, and a private bathroom with shower.
Accommodation Details
CategoryAverage sizeDetailsSingle Cabins87 ft2 /8 mt2One lower single bedTwin Cabins106 ft2 / 10 mt2Two lower bedsTriple Cabins150 ft2 / 14 mt2Two lower beds and one upper bedTechnical Details
Passengers:72 maximumExpedition Staff & Crew:46Lifeboats:2 fully enclosed capacity of 110 (in addition to 4 life rafts, capacity 100)Length:70.0 mBreadth:11.0 mPropulsion:Diesel engines 2,000 horsepowerIce Class:1B, EO (Hull Ice 1A)Draft:3.7 mCruising Speed:12.5 knots in open water
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M/V Hebridean Sky
M/V Hebridean Sky (formerly Sea Explorer)
Hebridean Sky, formerly called Sea Explorer, is a small, all-suite expedition vessel. She was built in 1992 and refurbished in 2005. In 2016 the ship underwent an extensive, multimillion-dollar renovation that transformed her into one of the finest small-ships in the world.Hebridean Sky offers an exclusive and stylish base for adventurous exploration in Antarctica. Public areas include “The Club” lounge, a Library, a presentation lounge with audio-visual facilities, a dining room, an outdoor cafe, an exercise room, a medical clinic, a wraparound deck, and an elevator serving all passenger decks. The ship has a fleet of 10 Zodiac boats.
Suites in all eight categories are spacious, with premium appointments throughout. Each Suite features a sitting area, a private bathroom, a picture window and two twin beds that, upon request, can be joined to form a queen-size bed. A number of suites also include private balconies. Triple cabins feature a sofa bed.
Cabin Configurations
CategoryAverage sizeDetailsOwner’s suite370 ft2 /34 mt2Two-room suite with sitting room, balcony and bedroomSingle suite240 ft2 / 22 mt2Suites with window and sitting areaPenthouse suite325 ft2 / 30 mt2Suites with private balcony and sitting areaVeranda suite260 ft2 / 24 mt2Suites with private balcony and sitting areaDeluxe suite240 ft2 / 22 mt2Suites with bow and side windows, and sitting areaPromenade suite220 ft2 / 20 mt2Suites with window and sitting areaWindow suite225 ft2 / 21 mt2Suites with window and sitting areaTriple suite225 ft2 / 21 mt2Suites with window and sitting areaTechnical Details
Passengers:100 maximumExpedition Staff & Crew:85Lifeboats:4 partially enclosed capacity of 192Length:90.6 mBreadth:15.3 mPropulsion:2 main engines - 3,520 kWIce Class:1CDraft:5.14 mCruising Speed:12.5 knots in open water
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BAE-146 Aircraft
The BAE-146 aircraft was manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace (which later became part of BAE Systems). It is a high-wing aircraft with very short runway requirements, which makes it particularly suited for landing and take-off in Antarctica. The aircraft is expertly operated by Aerovias DAP, which has more than 20 years of experience flying in Patagonia and Antarctica.
Hebridean Sky offers an exclusive and stylish base for adventurous exploration in Antarctica. Public areas include “The Club” lounge, a Library, a presentation lounge with audio-visual facilities, a dining room, an outdoor cafe, an exercise room, a medical clinic, a wraparound deck, and an elevator serving all passenger decks. The ship has a fleet of 10 Zodiac boats.
Suites in all eight categories are spacious, with premium appointments throughout. Each Suite features a sitting area, a private bathroom, a picture window and two twin beds that, upon request, can be joined to form a queen-size bed. A number of suites also include private balconies. Triple cabins feature a sofa bed.
Technical Details
Model:BAE 146-200Engines:4 turbofans Honeywell ALF 502R-5Capacity:71 passengers (16 in Preferred Seats)Wingspan:86 ft. 5 in (26,34m)Cruise Speed:465 mph (750 km/h)Service Ceiling:31,200 ft. (9,500 m)