The MV Ushuaia is a steel hulled, ice-strengthened vessel built originally for oceanographic research. She was recently converted to passenger voyages. Navigation and communication equipment has been newly upgraded and cabins were refurbished to provide comfortable accommodations for Antarctic expedition cruises.
MV Ushuaia
The Ushuaia holds 80 passengers which places her well amongst other expedition ships. Small enough to land all passengers on shore at any one time, she is also larger than the 50 passenger vessels allowing her to carry passengers at a lower cost. The Ushuaia has more than ample deck space for all passengers to view the passing scenery, as well as a large bridge where passengers can watch the ships captain and crew in action. She carries a sufficient fleet of zodiacs to allow passengers to get ashore quickly.
Unlike many other expedition ships the Ushuaia has a dining room large enough to seat all passengers in one sitting, as well as a lecture theatre with capacity for all guests. Cabins are basic, but neat and tidy. Lower deck C cabins are the most economical and have a shared bathroom between two cabins. The next cabin category is a B cabin which benefits from a porthole also with shared facilities. A cabins have a porthole and private facilities. These 3 cabin types all are bunk bed style. Superior cabins and suites are located on the upper deck and benefit from large windows, and double or twin beds (some of these cabins can take 3 passengers comfortably). The Ushuaia is not a luxury ship but she is very comfortable and well built for Antarctic conditions. The crew onboard the Ushuaia have served on her for many seasons, and the expedition leader and captain have around 500 voyages to the white continent between them. With the boom in Antarctic tourism, it is difficult to find these days a more experienced crew, with first hand knowledge of sea and ice conditions, as well as having the intimate knowledge on where to go and when. All cruises depart from the city with the same name – Ushuaia, on the southern tip of the South American continent.
Chimu Adventures sells the Ushuaia on the Images of Antarctica 11 day Peninsula cruise. Prices start from $AUD 4,795 and we do have availability for the coming season in 2010/11.
She is deservedly one of our preferred ships for Antarctic Peninsula cruises, and one of our most favoured for Chimu Adventures Antarctica passengers.
The research vessel “Ushuaia” was built as an oceanographic research vessel for the NOAA (National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration), a United States of America government agency. The NOAA operated the vessel for more than 20 years, performing during that period many of the most important NOAA oceanographic research operations. After the NOAA period, the vessel was sold and reoriented to private oceanographic and antarctic research and logistic operations. The vessel was upgraded on navigation and communication equipment, and cabins and rooms were refurbished to accommodate a maximum of 84 passengers in 41 comfortable cabins. The vessel is very well appointed and provides ample deck space and an open bridge policy which gives a facsinating insight into how the ship operates, and the captain will only be to happy to show you around. 