Two special premiere voyages are scheduled for the expedition ship Hanseatic in the 2014 season, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has announced.
Carrying just 184 guests, the Hanseatic will set out to explore Siberia, cruising to the region of Primorye in unspoilt South-East Siberia; and at the end of July 2014, the Hanseatic will be heading towards the scarcely accessible Wrangel Island and the rarely visited Chukchi Peninsula.
Siberia – May 2014:
Until 1991, Primorye was inaccessible to foreigners and offers an expedition region untouched by tourism, with hidden lakes, nature reserves, small islands, unique native flora or insights into the culture. Guests of the Hanseatic can experience the wildlife and landscapes during this adventurous journey, between Vladivostok and the Ternei Bay or heading upstream on a Zodiac tour up the Samarga River.
Expedition Siberia from Shanghai/China to Otaru/Japan, May 10– 27, 2014, 17 days, via Pusan (South Korea), Siberia (including Zarubino, Rimsky Islands, Vladivostok, Petrov Island, Prosiolochnaya, Neprimentnaya, Olga, Udobnaya Bay, Ternei Bay, Samarga River, Kholmsk) and Rishiri (Japan), from $9,360 per person, cruise only.
Wrangel Island and Chukchi Peninsula – July 2014
Also for the first time in 2014, the Hanseatic will be setting course for the scarcely accessible Wrangel Island in the remote Chukchi Sea – for decades, a Russian prohibited zone. The island is the northernmost UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and an untouched refuge for polar bears. Walruses, seals and countless smaller plant and animal species that exist nowhere other than on the island also inhabit the 7,500 square kilometers of this tundra wilderness. With a bit of luck, guests of the Hanseatic will discover a variety of whale species.
The Chukchi Peninsula in the north of the Bering Strait, on the most north-easterly tip of Russian Siberia, is an ideal destination for birdwatching. The Hanseatic is one of the few ships in the world to visit not only the east coast but also the north coast of the peninsula. While cruising in Kolyuchinskaya Bay, it will be possible to admire the many seabirds, including the rare yellow-billed loon.
Expedition Wrangel Island and Chukchi Peninsula from Nome/Alaska to Nome/Alaska, July 28 – 15 August 2014, 18 days, via Chukchi Peninsula/Russia (including Provideniya, Lorino, Kolyuchinskaya Bay, Kolyuchin Island, Cape Vankarem), Wrangel Island/Chukchi Sea, Chukchi Peninsula (Cape Deschnyow, cruising off Big Diomede, Yittigran Island), from $11,280 per person, cruise-only.
