The Russian cruise company Poseidon Expeditions restarts passenger shipping to Antarctica with MV Sea Spirit with a 10-day roundtrip from Ushuaia Argentina (December 20-30, 2021/Christmas Holiday-themed).
A total of 7 voyages are planned for the upcoming cruise season following the COVID-related shutdown of the entire 2020-2021 Antarctic season and the suspension of the first 4 Sea Spirit sailings that had been scheduled to operate earlier.
Nikolay Saveliev, president of Poseidon Expeditions, said he joined their crew, expedition staff, and office personnel "in expressing both enthusiasm and joy at once again getting started" with what they did best – "exploring the earth’s polar realm with small groups of adventurous and curious travelers.”
“The loyalty and determination of our guests to travel with us to Antarctica is gratifying, with nearly a 90% retention rate of those Poseidon passengers who were booked for the non-existent 2020-21 season. Travelers are clearly resolute about visiting this unique, remote destination. It took a concerted effort on the part of our ship management team – along with other outside organizations and authorities tasked with getting Argentina’s borders open for tourism – to establish safety standards for our travelers joining the Sea Spirit.”
Poseidon’s COVID Safety Protocols for Antarctica factor in recently released requirements from Argentina, including presenting proof of a valid COVID vaccination and negative results of a PCR test administered within 72 hours of entering the country.
With Argentina opening borders for tourism on November 1, Sea Spirit guests will be able to book commercial flights into Poseidon’s homeport Ushuaia, as they would during a normal season.
Passengers can enjoy a pre-cruise night at Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa prior to transferring to the vessel. An additional antigen test is to be administered at Arakur by Poseidon Expeditions before the transfer to help ensure a secure onboard environment. Testing regimens aboard Sea Spirit will also be offered in order to fulfill Argentina's disembarkation requirements and for those guests whose home countries have re-entry requirements.