November 18, 2005

Tahoe City, CA > Eco-tourism specialist AdventureSmith Explorations is offering a new 15-day journey that explores two continents, combining the White Continent of Antarctica with the fjords and glaciers of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego aboard the 84-passenger ice cutter Antarctic Dream. These unique cruises are the only cruises to depart round trip from Punta Arenas, Chile.

The cruise features some of the most spectacular attractions along the southern tip of South America in Patagonia including Tierra del Fuego as well as the infamous Cape Horn, the southern Shetland Islands and of course, the Antarctic Peninsula. Each voyage incorporates daily opportunities for cruising breathtaking waterways to view towering glaciers, rugged mountains and a diverse array of flora and fauna. Guests will also enjoy the rare opportunity to explore the Antarctic Peninsula on two separate helicopter flight seeing tours included in the price of the cruise.

Guests cruise aboard the Antarctic Dream, a Dutch-built, ice-reinforced vessel. The ship accommodates 84 passengers in all-outside cabins with private baths and features two observation decks, a lecture room, open bridge, spa, sauna, massage, gym, library, and panoramic view dining room as well as its own heliport and helicopter.

At the start of the journey, guests arrive Punta Arenas, Chile and overnight at the Punta Arenas Hotel before boarding the Antarctic Dream. The next two weeks are spent aboard the ship, exploring the fjords of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, cruising through the Beagle Channel and Drake Passage along the infamous Cape Horn, visiting the South Shetland Islands and explorations ashore at the Antarctic Peninsula. More specifically, guests will go ashore via Zodiac to observe a plethora of wildlife including five species of penguin, whales, seals and numerous aquatic birds. At the Antarctic Peninsula, passengers go ashore at Neko Bay, to take in even more amazing scenery and wildlife, and at Deception Island (considered an active volcano), passengers can bathe in natural warm springs, where outdoor temperatures typically range below 0 degrees.

Each evening, noted geologists, historians and naturalists share their deep knowledge of the region during onboard lectures.

Cruises depart between November and March, with prices starting at $5,509 per person based on double occupancy, for one of the best values in Antarctica. Price includes a pre-cruise hotel overnight, shipboard meals, accommodations, shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage, plus two helicopter flights to the Antarctic Peninsula.

For reservations or more information, visit www.AdventureSmithExplorations.com, call 1-800-728-2875 or email travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com.

AdventureSmith Explorations is an ecotourism company specializing in small ship cruises and adventure tours founded on the ideal of utilizing travel to create connections with the world's exotic natural environments and native cultures. The company's founder, Todd Smith, utilizes his years of experience in the adventure travel industry as well as his expertise as a professional naturalist to distinguish AdventureSmith Explorations by combining fun and exciting activities such as sea kayaking, hiking, small ship cruising and rafting in places not found on more conventional itineraries; extraordinary places in such destinations as Alaska, Costa Rica, Belize, Ecuador and the Galapagos, Guatemala, Antarctica and New Zealand.

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