Patagonia cruises
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We are fully committed to preserving and protecting the pristine environment of Patagonia. In order to prevent any potentially adverse impact of our operations, we use specialised processes and installations, such as: segregating oil and other waste fluids, which are later deposited at port; compacting and removing garbage at port; and a sewage and solid waste treatment facility.
Our ships were built according to SOLAS 2001 and MARPOL 73/78 standards for worldwide oceanic navigation and construction was completed in in 2002 and 2005 respectively. Both motor vessels have a Safety Management Certificate in accordance with the requirements of the International Safety Management Code of the International Maritime Organisation. This guarantees the safe operation under international safety standards as well as the protection of the environment. The new vessel, Stella Australis, which will operate on the same itinerary in late 2010, is being built according to the same standards.
The ships are both small cruise ships and as a result, are able to access and land at remote, untouched areas that are impossible for larger cruise ships to approach. As each ship carries a maximum of 136 passengers, the cruise experience is intimate and impact on the environment kept to a minimum. Expedition leaders and crew on board the ships are expected to follow strict environmental regulations.
During the welcome lecture, guides will speak about the national parks you are about to visit and expedition leaders will offer expert advice about how passengers should act on shore in order to minimise their impact. During landings we require passengers to respect the trails, to keep safe distance from animals, not to cut any branch or flower, not to collect rocks, or any other object they might find, among other things. There will also be lectures about the natural history of the local area during landings.
During the cruise there will be interesting and informative lectures about the wildlife, history and geography of Patagonia (with audio-visual support), navigation routes, flora and fauna of the Magellan region, birds in Patagonia, Canal Beagle, Magellan Strait, glaciology, marine mammals, native inhabitants of Patagonia, Magellan Penguins and Cape Horn.
During navigation passengers are invited to visit the engine room where we explain how the vessel operates and show the equipment we have to minimise our environmental impact, such as water treatment facilities. We also offer printed material in English, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. In each cabin there is an informative green-coloured card with environmental protection instructions listed on it as a reminder.
ResponsibleTravel policy
We have a full Responsible Travel policy available on our website, which our reservations team will give you a link to when you book. It’s packed with information about how travellers can reduce their social and environmental impact as they travel, and details all the measures our company has put in place in the office and on the road to reduce our impact.
Community
Our main port is Punta Arenas and we also call at Ushuaia. 70% of our crew comes from Punta Arenas in Chile and speak several languages including English. They are trained in marine biology or similar to offer the most complete and educational information to make your voyage not only interesting but enlightening. Because the crew are primarily Chilean, more of the economic benefit of your cruise remains in the local community. Our supplies are purchased in both cities and we also give tourist information to passengers about both cities to encourage them to get out and explore the area, go sightseeing, go souvenir shopping and put money back into the local economy. Our cruises to some extent increase the traffic of people coming to Punta Arenas and Ushuaia. These visitors need services and the services are provided by local workers who might otherwise be involved in activities which damage the environment.
Patagonia is a pristine environment which requires scientific monitoring. We help local universities to develop their research about fauna and wildlife migrations, flora, glaciers and many other topics, by allowing professors and researchers to embark and visit in a regular basis channels and fjords that otherwise would be unreachable for them. Our guides are very environmentally conscious and they also collaborate with the universities. Our guides’ main contribution to university research is their in-depth, constant observation of how the natural environment of Patagonia changes over time.
All of our travellers are encouraged to learn a few words and phrases of the local language and interact with the locals as much as possible to enhance their social experiences on tour. In addition to the Spanish phrase sheets which are available on our website, we encourage travellers to be courageous enough to test out their language skills with the bilingual naturalist guides during the cruise, as well as with the local people visited, at restaurants in Ushuaia and Puntas Arenas. It’s as simple as starting a friendly conversation - even using a combination of pidgin Portuguese and body language you’ll have a richer experience than you would if you didn’t try.
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