Penguins take center stage with up to 35% savings on selected fall and winter Hurtigruten Antarctica voyages

 

Hurtigruten’s Antarctica Cabin Guarantee Offers Savings of up to 35% for   Fall and Winter Voyages to Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands   Book a Suite by July 30 and Receive a 3,000NOK (@$400) Onboard Credit           Seattle, July 2015 â€" Penguins are center stage on Hurtigruten’s fall/winter lineup of MS Fram Antarctica sailings â€" and the company has just announced the addition of prime departures to its Antarctica Cabin Guarantee â€" saving guests up to 35% off regular fares. The Guarantee is being applied to selected 2015/2016 season departures of the 20-day “Realm of the Great Explorers” and the 14-day “Land of the Penguins,” allowing for fares that start at $7,334 and $7,600 per person, double occupancy, respectively. The guest books the cabin category they prefer (Inside, Outside or Suite) and leaves the actual cabin assignment to Hurtigruten. The only thing left for the guest to do is enjoy a world of natural beauty and unique wildlife during the Austral summer while Expedition leaders offer insight into how the polar seas carved dramatic habitats for breeding birds and sea mammals; and discuss why frigid temperatures create towering icebergs and carpets of pristine snow. Hurtigruten is also offering a 3,000NOK (@$400) onboard credit as an added bonus for guests booking a suite by July 30 on the “Land of the Penguins” Nov. 17 or Jan. 4 sailing.           “Realm of the Great Explorers” is value-priced from $7,334 to $12,574 and begins with a day and night in Buenos Aires, the “Paris of South America,” on Oct. 30, 2015. Guests are then transported to Ushuaia, Argentina to board the deluxe expedition ship, MS Fram, and head out to the remote waters of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. The “Land of the Penguins” itinerary, departing Nov. 17 2015, Jan. 4 and 16, 2016, and priced from $7,600 to $11,659, starts the same way but heads directly to Antarctica on the MS Fram. Optional excursions are offered in both Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost town.           Both itineraries take place during the Austral summer, which is the southern hemisphere’s equivalency to the more famous Midnight Sun, and when densely populated penguin rookeries come alive with courtship and mating rituals that include elaborate nest building and sometimes comical stone stealing. The near 24-hour light allows for stellar viewing of the estimated half million Adélie penguins, as well as Gentoo penguins, Leopard seals, and Killer whales. As conditions permit, Polarcirkel boats will transport guests ashore to walk among thousands of these vociferous, distinguished-looking birds who live in territory virtually undisturbed over the centuries. Possible landing sites include Yankee Harbor, where a terraced Gentoo penguin colony holds an estimated 4,000 breeding pairs; Petermann Island with its thousands of squatty tobogganing Adelie penguins â€" and a prime spot for viewing thousands of seals and whales along the picturesque Penola Strait; and the British base in Port Lockroy, where a peek can be had into life at an Antarctic base in the 1950s.           Exclusive to the “Realm of the Great Explorers” itinerary, the Falkland Islands offers guests the possibility of seeing up to five species of penguins â€" including the second-largest of the species King penguin, which averages three feet tall and weighs about 35 pounds; while in South Georgia the focus is more varied â€" Ernst Shakleton’s grave and the whaling station museum, bird species including the Cape petrel and Antarctic whale bird, and Fur and Elephant seals.           A staple of Norwegian culture since 1893, Hurtigruten’s fleet of modern ships offer a unique glimpse into Nordic culture. Guests aboard the MS Fram experience a ship specifically designed to ensure safe, comfortable travel through rugged Arctic and Antarctic waters. Built in 2007, the MS Fram offers modern accommodations, casual dining and array of amenities in an intimate ship setting. Guests can relax in lounges, stretch after a hike in a well-outfitted gym or sit in an on-deck Jacuzzi while passing extensive glaciers, miles of sea ice and frozen desert.