MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Antarctica cruises Atlas Ocean Voyages will operate from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego celebrates

“World Navigator” is scheduled to call at Ushuaia on November 19

An Antarctica cruise company, Atlas Ocean Voyages will begin operating from Ushuaia, the capital of the extreme south Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego. According to local media reports, the first call out of fifteen will take place next November.

Ushuaia port authorities anticipated the inaugural visit with the “World Navigator” will take place on November 19, and a second call on November 28. During December the cruise vessel will be at Ushuaia on the 10th,19 and 28, while during January on the 6,15 and 24. February calls will take place on 2, 14 and 23 and finally in March on the 4th, 13, 23 and 31.

Atlas Ocean Voyages will operate under the “aircraft bubble” system meaning the travellers will fly indirectly on a private charter to and from Argentina.

Travellers will have courtesy flights from 16 main US and Canadian cities and then will converge at Orlando, Florida, from where a private aircraft will transport them directly to Ushuaia, with a three-hour stopover in Santiago de Chile.

Once in Ushuaia the Antarctic cruisers will comply with migratory requirements and be immediately transported to the “World Navigator”, while luggage will be dispatched directly to the vessel.

Tierra del Fuego tourism and port authorities have received the Atlas Ocean Voyages announcement with open arms following on the Silversea and Hurtigruten decision to move from Ushuaia to neighbouring Punta Arenas in Chile.

According to the company's website, Atlas Ocean Voyages comes from “a distinguished travel pedigree”. As a US brand of MysticInvest Holdings, they will be the first ocean cruise line to sail under the Portuguese flag. Based in Portugal, MysticInvest Holdings has more than 25 years of experience and is a business leader in the travel and tourism sector, including river cruises, tours and attractions. It is headquartered in Lauderdale, Florida and “our leadership consists of cruise industry experts with almost ten decades of combined experience”.