Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego and considered the most southern city of the world, received over 70.000 cruise visitors and 251 vessel calls during this cruise season, which took off last September and was computed until the end of February, which also proved to be the most active month of austral summer.
Ushuaia, in the extreme south of Argentina is expecting 22.000 cruise visitors during the month of January to which must be added to the 17.000 that already landed in Tierra del Fuego since the current 2014/2015 season officially opened last September, according to the provincial Tourist office.
Over the weekend 1.239 visitors in six luxury cruise vessels landed in Ushuaia en route to Antarctica according to local reports from Tierra del Fuego, to which must be added another two that called in on Monday and Tuesday.
Ushuaia, the world's southern most city and gateway to Antarctica cruises expects this 2014/2015 season an estimated forty vessels and 295 calls, according to Tierra del Fuego province port authorities. As usual the first vessel to arrive was Chilean flagged Stella Australis with 210 passengers, at the end of September, which is also expected to close the season in April next year.
Hurricane strong winds on Saturday blew roofs, knocked down lamp posts and trees and left big areas of Ushuaia, Argentina and Puntas Arenas, Chile without power according to reports from both cities in the extreme south of the continent.
Ushuaia Malvinas war veterans are planning a symbolic repeat of the Falklands military invasion by Argentine forces on the night of April first 1982, although this time the landing will take place along the Beagle Channel coast, according to reports from the capital of Tierra del Fuego in the extreme south of Argentina.
The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and two IAATO Member Operators, Aurora Expeditions and Oceanwide Expeditions, took part in a live Search and Rescue Communications Exercise in collaboration with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) Ushuaia, Argentina.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry denied in a statement released on Thursday that Buenos Aires sea port authorities threatened Bermuda registered 'Queen Victoria' Cunard cruise ship with hefty fines if it did not lower its “red duster” flag, the ensign for the United Kingdom merchant vessels.
The “Gaucho Rivero” bill which bans the access of British flagged (red ensign) or convenience flagged vessels which call in the Falkland Islands remains fully in force for Ushuaia, said Marcelo Echazú, head of the Tierra del Fuego Tourism Institute, Infuetur, on announcing this year’s cruise season.
With faces covered, flags and sticks the Argentine fundamentalist group Quebracho staged a protest in front of Buenos Aires Colon Opera House where the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee took place on Friday evening and which includes among its members Princess Anne.