Chile : Cruises : Australis Cruises

Via Australis Cruise: Ushuaia - Punta Arenas

Explore the southern most and virgin region of the world aboard the new Via Australis Expedition Cruiser. From October to May each year you can navigate through the Magellan Straits and the Beagle Canal traveling through fjords, bays, glaciers and islands between the Chilean city of Punta Arenas and the Argentine city of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. Extending your journey to the mythical Hornos Cape. The last headland before crossing the Antarctica and the place where the Atlantic and Pacific ocean unite. You will be able to participate in daily excursions to land and see Magellanic penguins, elephant seals and other species of the region up close as well as impressive glaciers.

Day 1. Ushuaia
Check in at San Martín 245, Ushuaia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cruise ship boarding from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterward, the ship departs for “the uttermost part of the earth.” Our excursion will take us through Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan to explore one of the most captivating wilderness regions in the world:  Southern Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. We have just embarked on a Great Adventure!

Day 2. Cape Horn – Wulaia Bay
We sail through Beagle and Murray channels to reach and disembark in Cape Horn National Park (weather permitting). Cape Horn, on Hornos Island, is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory at the point where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans merge. This mythical place is known as the “End of the Earth”; a visit is a singular privilege. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005.
In the afternoon, we go ashore in historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest aboriginal settlements. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coigües, Canelos, ferns and other native vegetation to reach a lookout point.

Day 3. Gunther Plüschow Glacier
In the afternoon, we view awe-inspiring Gunther Plüschow Glacier, named after the region’s pioneering German aviator. Then we sail to Chico Sound, where we disembark in Zodiacs to observe majestic Piloto and Nena glaciers.

Day 4. Magdalena Island – Punta Arenas
Early in the morning, we go ashore on Magdalena Island, the home of an immense colony of more than 120,000 Magellanic Penguins that we can watch during our walk to a lighthouse, which guides ships on their way through the Strait of Magellan. The island’s penguins migrate in April; as a replacement we visit Marta Island, to observe a sea lion colony. After our visit, we sail to Punta Arenas, disembarking at 11:30 a.m.

Included Excursions

Ushuaia.
The southernmost city in the world is located on the shores of the Beagle Channel and is surrounded by the Martial mountians. It was first a prison colony and is now the capital of the Argentinian province of Tierra del Fuego. Ushuaia is the doorway to Tierra del Fuego National Park, where people come to marvel at the beautiful landscape of sea uniting with forests and mountains. This southern Argentinian city is the Mare Australis' final destination.

Cape Horn, Wulaia Bay.
Crossing the Beagle and Murray Channels, the navigation course arrives and disembarks in Cape Horn National Park, weather permitting. The legendary and mythical Cape Horn is the last piece of South American land and the point where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet. This rocky cape is a vertical, 425 m (1,394 ft) high formation. The area was discovered on January 30, 1616 by the Dutch commercial expedition organized by Isaac Le Maire, under the command of Captain Wilhelm Schouten. The cape is named after the Hoorn Port, the place from which the expedition set sail on June 14, 1615.

Magdalena Island, Punta Arenas.
During the first light of day on a Saturday in the Magellan Strait, the M/N Mare Australis will disembark on Magdalena Island, 25 miles north of Punta Arenas, in the middle of the Strait. Magdalena Island is a natural habitat for Magellanic penguins, cormorants, and other birds that coexist peacefully with the sea lions. More than 60,000 penguin couples return year after year to nest in the same caves that they themselves have constructed. Between October and March is when they are most visible, occupying the entire island and turning it into a unique and incomparable landscape. It is also possible to tour the island by way of an established trail that leads to a lighthouse. Within the lighthouse there is a photograph gallery with texts about the marine animal life of the Magellan Strait. After the hike, the ship will make its next stop in Punta Arenas where passengers can once again disembark.

Optional Excursions

The Patagonian Circuits (Circuit 1 and 2) present us with the opportunity to visit Patagonia's best, combining Torres del Paine National Park with El Calafate and the impressive Perito Moreno Glacier, on a 3 or 4 night expedition cruise. The circuits presented here are only a suggestion since there are multiple variations of the same route, depending on the departure city (Punta Arenas or Ushuaia), arrival city, and the duration of the trip, etc.

For more information about these circuits, please consult tours@gotolatin.com.

The M/N Via Australis began construction in the shipyards of Asenav, Valdivia under the SOLAS 2001 and MARPOL 73/78 regulations for worldwide oceanic navigation, and was finished in the 2005. It has a classification certificate issued by ABS (American Bureau of Shipping), with the notation of "Passenger Vessel". In agreement with ISM (International Safety Management Code), given by IMO (International Maritime Organization), the ship possesses a SMC (Safety Management Certificate), which guarantees operation under the international standards of environmental security and protection.
In addition, it makes use of a complete navigation system (echo sounder, radar, GPS, and the modern Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, or GMDSS), emergency generator, fire stations, smoke detectors in every cabin, corridor and lounge, and a sprinkler fire suppression system installed in all areas of the ship. The machine room is also equipped with a CO2 fire extinguisher bank.

Characteristics

Via Australis Cabins

The Mare Australis has 63 cabins divided into 3 categories: AAA - AA - A - B. Cabins are equipped with low beds, private bathrooms, independent heating, a safe, closet, 110/220 v. electricity, and panoramic window to enjoy the landscape. It has a total capacity for 129 passengers.

Cabins A: Located on the ship's second deck, equipped with twin beds that are 1.2 meters (approx. 3.9 ft) wide.

Cabins AA: Located between the 2nd-3rd and 4th decks of the ship. There are some with 1.2 m wide twin beds as well as double beds.

Cabins B: Located on the first deck. They also offer twin beds 1.2 m in width.

Decks of Via Australis

The Program Includes

• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals.
• Open bar.
• Daily land excursions.
• Welcome and goodbye cocktails.
• Whisky and hot chocolate on glacier excursions.
• All activities in the ship's interior.

Note

• Single rate applies to categories B or A. Single rate in AA or AAA will be applied the rate of one and a half passengers.
• Beginning in September 2009, passengers will be charged port taxes both in Punta Arenas and in Ushuaia. This amount is paid directly to the port authorities and must be paid at the same time as the final ticket payment. Stretch Ushuaia - Punta Arenas: US$ 10
• These prices may be modified depending on the amount determined by the port authorities in both Punta Arenas and Ushuaia.

Departures

Seasons

Promotion: from October 3rd to 10th, 2009; April 3rd, 2010.
Low Season: from October 17th to 31st, 2009; December 19th, 2009; from March 20th to 27th, 2010.
High Season: from November 2009; from December 05th to16th, 2009; January 2010; from March 6th to 13th, 2010.
Special Rate : from December 22nd to 29th, 2009.

Rates

Rates per passenger.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be written, specifying the cause and assuming responsibility of the corresponding penalty. Once the reservation has been confirmed by Gotolatin, the following charges will apply for cancellations made by the passenger, according to the program departure date:

• Between 120 and 50 working days before the beginning of the cruise:
  US$ 200 per passenger.
• Between 50 and 35 working days before the beginning of the cruise:
  25% of total program value per passenger.
• Between 35 and 20 working days before the beginning of the cruise:
  50% of total program value per passenger.
• Between 20 and 0 working days before the beginning of the program: No refund.
• There are no refunds for portions of the program not used, hotel accommodations, etc.
• We recommend considering Travel Insurance for any reason.