Lindblad Adds Undersea Divers to Alaska Itineraries

Lindblad Expeditions came up with an incredibly cool addition to its 2012 Alaska voyages—an "Undersea Specialist."


Each Lindblad ship already carries three naturalists, an expedition leader, and a Lindblad-National Geographic-certified photo instructor. The Undersea Specialist will join this team to provide an additional facet to cruises in Alaska.


What will this specialist actually do on each cruise? He or she will dive 40 to 80 feet below the surface to take high-definition photos of what lies beneath the ship. The images and video will be showcased during presentations throughout the cruise.


According to Lindblad, images will range from "...the tiniest organisms on the sea floor to giant octopi, to hulking sea lions to the whales that passengers see majestically breaching the surface." This is a very cool development! I'm just glad no one's asking me to dive the chilly Alaskan waters!


Lindblad will offer 8-night (Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness) and 12-night (Alaska, British Columbia, and San Juan Islands) voyages from May–September 2012 aboard the 62-passenger ships, National Geographic Sea Bird and National Geographic Sea Lion.


Book Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness by March 31, 2012 and you'll receive free roundtrip air between Seattle and Alaska on select May and June departures. Rates for this itinerary start at $5,990 per person based on double occupancy for a Category 1 cabin, and $7,690 for the Alaska, British Columbia, and San Juan Islands cruise.


Lindblad's been sailing Alaskan waters for 30 years, so they really know what they're doing in this region. I love the addition of the Undersea Specialist to its itineraries and hope to explore with the company soon.


For more information, talk with your travel agent or contact Lindblad at 1-(800)-EXPEDITION.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for Luxury Cruise Bible

Travel + Leisure Curated Cruises Featured This Week on American Express' Daily Wish

Each week, American Express cardholders have access to special curated sales dubbed the Daily Wish. Sometimes the items on offer are high-end electronics such as digital cameras or flat-screen TVs. This week, American Express teams with Travel + Leisure magazine to present discounted travel packages, including cruises from Windstar and Lindblad Expeditions. Each of these travel companies have received high ranks in the 2010 T+L World's Best Awards.

Here's what you can expect. Cruise fares are for two people sharing a cabin. Some of the deals are fairly competitive:

Windstar Cruises On Sale Tuesday October 5, 2010

7-Night Wind Surf Holiday Voyage
Ports: Bridgetown, Barbados; Pigeon Island, St. Lucia; Iles des Saintes, Guadeloupe; St. Barts; St. Martin; St. Kitts
$2,298 all-in, cruise-only Category B for two people sharing a cabin
Available dates: December 19, 2010
Note: The total cruise fare for two people is about $950 less than prices I've seen at other online cruise discounters.

7-Night Caribbean Adventure Aboard Wind Surf
Ports: Bridgetown, Barbados; St. Kitts; St. Martin; St. Barts; Iles des Saintes, Guadeloupe; Pigeon Island, St. Lucia
$1,932 all-in, cruise-only category B for two people sharing a cabin
Available dates: November 28; December 12; January 2 & 16
Note: The total cruise fare for two people is about $825 less than prices I've seen at other online cruise discounters.

7-Night Yachtsman's Caribbean Aboard Wind Spirit
Ports: St. Martin; St. Kitts; Tortola; Jost van Dyke; Virgin Gorda; St. Barts
$2,298 all-in, cruise-only category B for two people sharing a cabin
Available dates: December 19; January 8, 15, 22, 29

7-Night Costa Rican Adventure
Ports: Puerto Caldera, San Juan Del Sur, Playas del Coco, Quepos, Bahia Drake, Curu, Tortuga Island
$2,149 all-in cruise-only category B for two people sharing a cabin
Available dates: January 15, 29; February 5, 12, 19; and March 5, 12, 19, 26

Lindblad Expeditions Cruises On Sale Wednesday, October 6, 2010

9-Night Galapagos Islands Cruise Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour
Ports: Bartolome, Santiago, Isabela, Fernandina, Floreana, Espanola, Santa Cruz
$5,690 all-in, cruise-only category 2 for two people sharing a cabin
Available dates: now through March 15, 2011

7-Night Costa Rica & Panama Canal Cruise Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
Ports: Panama Canal transit, Lake Gatun, Gulf of Panama Islets, Isla Coiba National Park, Panama; Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
$6,972 all-in, cruise-only Category 2 for two people sharing a cabin
Available dates: November 1, 2010–March 26, 2011

Be aware that a limited number of cabins are available at the prices listed above and you must pay for the trip with an American Express card.

For more information, visit the Daily Wish website sponsored by The American Express Network.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Scattered Across the Globe: Where Are My Favorite Ships Today?

I was lucky enough to sail quite a bit this summer but as we approach the end of the season, I've still been wishing I was back at sea. That got me to thinking about where my favorite ships are right now...

American Safari's Safari Spirit is in... Juneau, Alaska

Azamara's Journey is in... La Rochelle, France

Crystal Cruises' Crystal Symphony is in... Invergordon, Scotland

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is in... Brooklyn (New York), NY

Lindblad Expeditions' National Geographic Endeavour is in... Guayaquil, Galapagos Islands

Oceania's Regatta is in... Stockholm, Sweden

Regent Seven Seas Mariner is in... Cruising Tracy Arm in Alaska

Seabourn's Odyssey is in... Venice, Italy

SeaDream's SeaDream I is in... Monte Carlo, Monaco

Silversea's Silver Cloud is in... London, England

Windstar's Wind Surf is... at sea between Dubrovnik, Croatia and Venice, Italy

Where in the world is your favorite ship? Have a terrific Labor Day weekend!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Lindblad's Nat'l Geographic Explorer Charts European Adventures This Summer

Sven-Olof Lindblad, president of Lindblad Expeditions, writes compelling letters. Like many of you, I'm on Lindblad's mailing list and every so often I receive a brochure with a letter penned by Mr. Lindblad himself. His missives are always persuasive and he crafts the letter to dovetail with a special offer that makes it really difficult to say "no" to an upcoming expedition adventure.

His May 15th letter introduces us to the 148-passenger National Geographic Explorer and her summertime European itineraries. He talks about visiting Europe "through the front door" from the sea. I agree when he says that it's a magical way to see Europe.

"It's different sailing into a harbor, watching a city's skyline unfold in front of you, than entering by bus from the airport."

That is so true!

Lindblad goes on to say that "at the end of the day, what's perhaps most important is the camaraderie that so naturally develops on the National Geographic Explorer between, frankly, the most intersting guests on the planet, a most engaging staff of historians, naturalists, and just plan raconteurs, and a crew that is really enjoying their new ship and would love to have you join them."

If only I had some more time to devote to vacations this year! Lindblad is promoting two excellent European itineraries right now that include free air and $2,000 in cruise fare savings.

European Odyssey: A Passage Through Centuries of Culture & History
September 27, 2009 aboard the National Geographic Explorer

• 9/27: depart the U.S. for Copenhagen, Denmark
• 9/28: arrive in Copenhagen
• 9/29: Lubeck, Germany
• 9/30: Transit the Kiel Canal
• 10/1: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 10/2: Oostende, Belgium (Bruges)
• 10/3: Bayeux, France
• 10/4: Cherbourg, France (Normandy D-Day Beaches)
• 10/5: St. Malo and Mont-St. Michel, France
• 10/6: at sea
• 10/7: Ile D'Aix and La Rochelle, France
• 10/8: La Cote Basque, France
• 10/9: Bilbao, Spain
• 10/10: La Coruna/Santiago De Compostela
• 10/11: Islas Cies and Bayona
• 10/12: Oporto, Portugal
• 10/13: Lisbon, Portugal

Exploring the Baltic's Historic Waterways
September 5 and 13*, 2009 aboard the National Geographic Explorer
*travels from St. Petersburg to Copenhagen

• Day 1: fly to Copenhagen, Denmark
• Day 2: Copenhagen
• Day 3: Lubeck, Germany
• Day 4: Christianso & Bornholm Islands, Denmark
• Day 5: Gdansk, Poland
• Day 6: at sea
• Day 7: Riga, Latvia
• Day 8: Visby, Gotland, Sweden
• Day 9: Stockholm, Sweden
• Day 10: Stockholm Archipelago
• Day 11: Tallinn, Estonia
• Day 12: Helsinki, Finland
• Day 13–15: St. Petersburg, Russia
• Optional Moscow extension is available

If you book the September 5th Baltic voyage, you'll sail with Gil Grosvenor, chairman of the National Geographic Society, and his wife Wiley.

For more information about these voyages, talk with your travel agent or contact Lindblad Expeditions at 1-(800) 397-3348.

—Andrea M. Rotondo

Photo courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions and copyright Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson

Want to Learn Italian?
Enter to Win a Rosetta Stone Language Program

Rosetta Stone offers programs to help you learn 31 languages, including Italian, French, German, Japanese, Turkish, Thai, Arabic, and many others. Rosetta Stone is giving away one language program, Italian Level 1, to one lucky blog reader. Enter to win here.

Book a Mother's Day Cruise for 2010

The gift of travel is one of the most thoughtful ways to show Mom how much you love, respect, and admire her. Family travel allows for downtime to reminisce about the past while creating new memories to share. From relaxing transatlantic voyages to active treks to the Galapagos, consider booking a cruise for Mother's Day 2010 and surprising Mom with the good news today. (Mother's Day falls on May 9 in 2010.)

Here are some luxury cruise itineraries that would be a perfect Mother's Day gift:

Crystal Cruises
Crystal Symphony
April 26–May 12, 2010
Singapore • Cruising the Strait of Malacca • Phuket (Thailand) • Cruising the Andaman Sea • Yangon/Rangoon (Myanmar) • Cruising the Andaman Sea • Cruising the Bay of Bengal • Cruising the Indian Ocean • Cochin • Cruising the Arabian Sea • Mumbai/Bombay (India) • Cruising the Arabian Sea • Dubai (United Arab Emirates)

Lindblad Expeditions
National Geographic Endeavour
May 7–16, 2010
Guayaquil (Ecuador) • Floreana • Isabela • Fernandina • Santa Cruz • Bartolome • Santiago • Espanola • Baltra (Galapogos) • Guayaquil (Ecuador)

Paul Gauguin Cruises
m/s Paul Gauguin
May 8–16, 2010
Papeete, Tahiti • Moorea • Bora Bora • at sea • Aitutaki • Rarotonga (Cook Islands) • at sea • Vava'u (Tonga) • at sea • Savusavu • Savu • Malolo Island • Lauotoka (Fiji)

Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Seven Seas Mariner
May 4–14, 2010
Istanbul (Turkey) • Mykonos (Greece) • Kusadasi (Turkey) • Santorini • Katakolon • Corfu (Greece) • Dubrovnik • Korcula (Croatia) • Koper (Solvenia) • Venice (Italy)

SeaDream Yacht Club
SeaDream II
May 7–15, 2010
Malaga • Valencia • Barcelona (Spain) • Sete • Cassis • St. Tropez • Antibes (France) • Monte Carlo (Monaco)

Silversea
Silver Shadow
April 28–May 13, 2010
Fort Lauderdale • at sea (two days) • Santa Marta • Cartagena (Colombia) • Panama Canal (Panama) • at sea • Puntarenas (Costa Rica) • at sea (two days) • Acapulco • at sea • Cabo San Lucas (Mexico) • at sea (two days) • Los Angeles

Yachts of Seabourn
Seabourn Odyssey
May 8–15, 2010
Piraeus (Athens) • Mylos • Rhodes • Patmos • Khylos (Greece) • Kusadasi (Euphesus) • Cruising the Dardandelles • Istanbul (Turkey)

For more information, visit each cruise line's website or talk with your travel agent. Happy Mother's Day!

—Andrea M. Rotondo

Video: Active Cruises for Nature Lovers

When I think back on my favorite vacations, most tend to be the ones that focused on viewing animals or enjoying the great outdoors. Yet, if you know me, you know I'm a "princess" type that—when traveling—requires fairly spacious accommodations and excellent meals that end with a slice of chocolate cake.

It's lucky for me then that so many luxury cruise lines offer adventures that get up-close to wild animals—safely and comfortably.

Here are some videos that show off just a few luxury cruise options with a focus on nature:

American Safari Cruises
Sailing Alaska's Inside Passage and Mexico's Sea of Cortez

Lindblad Expeditions with National Geographic
Sailing Alaska, Antarctica, Artic, Baja California, Egypt's Nile River, Europe, Galapagos, and the Mediterranean

Orion Expedition Cruises
Sailing Antarctica, Australia's Kimberley Region, Melanesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Southeast Asia

If any of these cruises piqued your interest, talk with your travel agent or call the cruise line. Do not be afraid to go out there and experience nature and far-flung destinations. You will not be disappointed!

—Andrea M. Rotondo

Should We Ban Antarctica "Cruise-Bys"?

Should scenic "cruise-bys" be banned in Antarctica? That's what Sven Lindblad, CEO of Lindblad Expeditions—one of several cruise operators in the region—thinks. He'd like to see more regulations when it comes to tourism policies in Antarctica.

As you may imagine, limiting access to other cruise lines would ultimately help his business, but there's more to it than that according to the company. That's why this week Lindblad threw his staunch support behind the call from the Obama Administration for stricter enforcement and limits on tourism. (You'll recall that last week I wrote about the suggested amendments to the Antarctica Treaty.)

In essence the amendments will make a formal policy out of the voluntary practices that members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operations (IAATO) follow now.

For example:

• Limit landings to no more than 100 people at a time
  
  
• Provide at least one guide for every 20 travelers
  
  
• Ships with more than 500 passengers are not allowed to land tourists

Lindblad argues that ships with a capacity of more than 500 passengers shouldn't even be allowed access to Antarctica for scenic cruise-bys. Why? It's a simple matter of safety. Those ships don't often sail the region and are less familiar with the poorly charted region and they are usually non ice-class vessels without special reinforced hulls. An accident with a ship like that could lead to the loss of lives as well as negatively impacting the environment.

Lindblad Travel, parent company of Lindblad Expeditions, was one of the first tour operators to offer travel packages to Antarctica. That was back in 1966 and the company has spent decades intimately acquainted with the area and respecting its unique topography and ecology. In fact, Sven Lindblad himself spent 1973/1974 in Antarctica working with his father on the Lindblad Explorer, the first purpose-built expedition ship. "It was exciting, to be sure, but not without danger," says Lindblad. "We were hit twice by storms so intense and without warning that it's still a surprise to me that no serious accidents occurred."

Lindblad went on to explain that today "our ship expeditions are much safer than they were in the 1970s, as we have better weather and ice prediction services, improved emergency communications, and new technology that allows us to navigate our ships more safely. But clearly the most important difference is how much more experience we have now, and our captains and expedition leaders are—without a doubt—the most experienced and knowledgeable in the industry, with many of them having over 100 expeditions in the ice of Antarctica."

"Lindblad Expeditions believes it is important for the entire industry, and not just a segment of it, to operate at the highest standards possible, with well equipped, well built ships and knowledgeable, experienced crews," maintains Lindblad. "I am confident in our ability and experience to test limits and give our guests an exciting expedition by taking them into the real teeth of Antarctica, and also to get them back safely. It makes sense for everyone operating down there to be similarly confident, and we hope these guidelines are formalized."

For more information, visit the…

• Secretariat of the Antarctica Treaty
  
  
• National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs
  
  
• Association of Antarctic Tour Operations
  
  
• Lindblad Expeditions

Interested in luxury cruise news and unbiased reviews? Visit LuxuryCruiseBible.com.

Limits on Antarctica Cruises Possible Soon

Did you visit Antarctica by cruise ship in 2008? If so, you may have crossed this dream trip off your to-do list at the right moment in time. Cruise cabin capacity to this region may become much tighter soon if the fifty-year-old Antarctica Treaty is amended.

Several years ago, very few people traveled to Antarctica. It was too far away, too expensive, and too risky. But as more cruise lines and expedition travel companies beefed up their itineraries, the number of visitors to the area has grown:

Antarctica Cruise Tourism Growth

• 6,700 passengers cruised there during 1992
  
  
• 29,500 visited in 2006
  
  
• 45,213 sailed Antarctica in 2008

The sheer number of people interested in seeing Antarctica is a testament to how important our natural earth and its inhabitants are to many of us. That interest though, brings danger to the very ecosystem we all so desperately wish to preserve. Just last season two ships were grounded on the continent and, in 2007, a ship sank. All three incidences adversely affected the local ecosystem.

Today, President Obama and many in his administration including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are pushing to strengthen protections placed on this area. They are suggesting amendments to the Antarctica Treaty (printed in its entirety below).

Suggested terms include:

• Cruise ship size (limited to 500 passengers)
  
  
• One ship calling on a "landing site" at one time
  
  
• No more than 100 passengers allowed on shore at a time
  
  
• One guide per 20 tourists while on land
  

While the treaty terms are upheld voluntarily by all parties, everyone seems to be in agreement when it comes to tougher restrictions. Diplomats are meeting this week in Baltimore, Maryland, to discuss possible amendments to the Antarctica Treaty. —Andrea M. Rotondo

For more information, visit the...

• Secretariat of the Antarctica Treaty
  
  
• National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs

Luxury cruise options in Antarctica...

• Lindblad Expeditions with National Geographic
  
  
• Silversea
  
  
• Abercrombie & Kent
  
  
• Hurtigruten

Full Text of the Original Treaty, Signed in 1959

Antarctica Treaty

Preamble

The Governments of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, the French Republic, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Union of South Africa, The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America,

Recognizing that it is in the interest of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord;

Acknowledging the substantial contributions to scientific knowledge resulting from international cooperation in scientific investigation in Antarctica;

Convinced that the establishment of a firm foundation for the continuation and development of such cooperation on the basis of freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica as applied during the International Geophysical Year accords with the interests of science and the progress of all mankind;

Convinced also that a treaty ensuring the use of Antarctica for peaceful purposes only and the continuance of international harmony in Antarctica will further the purposes and principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations;

Have agreed as follows:

Article I Antarctica for peaceful purposes only

1. Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only. There shall be prohibited, inter alia, any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, as well as the testing of any type of weapons.

2. The present Treaty shall not prevent the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes.

Article II Freedom of scientific investigation to continue

Freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end, as applied during the International Geophysical Year, shall continue, subject to the provisions of the present Treaty.

Article III Plans and results to be exchanged

1. In order to promote international cooperation in scientific investigation in Antarctica, as provided for in Article II of the present Treaty, the Contracting Parties agree that, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable:

(a) information regarding plans for scientific programs in Antarctica shall be exchanged to permit maximum economy and efficiency of operations;

(b) scientific personnel shall be exchanged in Antarctica between expeditions and stations;

(c) scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available.

2. In implementing this Article, every encouragement shall be given to the establishment of cooperative working relations with those Specialized Agencies of the United Nations and other international organizations having a scientific or technical interest in Antarctica.

Article IV Territorial claims

1. Nothing contained in the present Treaty shall be interpreted as:

(a) a renunciation by any Contracting Party of previously asserted rights of or claims to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica;

(b) a renunciation or diminution by any Contracting Party of any basis of claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica which it may have whether as a result of its activities or those of its nationals in Antarctica, or otherwise;

(c) prejudicing the position of any Contracting Party as regards its recognition or nonrecognition of any other State's right of or claim or basis of claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica.

2. No acts or activities taking place while the present Treaty is in force shall constitute a basis for asserting, supporting or denying a claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica. No new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim, to territorial sovereignty shall be asserted while the present Treaty is in force.

Article V Nuclear explosions prohibited

1. Any nuclear explosions in Antarctica and the disposal there of radioactive waste material shall be prohibited.

2. In the event of the conclusion of international agreements concerning the use of nuclear energy, including nuclear explosions and the disposal of radioactive waste material, to which all of the Contracting Parties whose representatives are entitled to participate in the meetings provided for under Article IX are parties, the rules established under such agreements shall apply in Antarctica.

Article VI Area covered by Treaty

The provisions of the present Treaty shall apply to the area south of 60o South latitude, including all ice shelves, but nothing in the present Treaty shall prejudice or in any way affect the rights, or the exercise of the rights, of any State under international law with regard to the high seas within that area.

Article VII Free access for observation and inspection

1. In order to promote the objectives and ensure the observation of the provisions of the present Treaty, each Contracting Party whose representatives are entitled to participate in the meetings referred to in Article IX of the Treaty shall have the right to designate observers to carry out any inspection provided for by the present Article. Observers shall be nationals of the Contracting Parties which designate them. The names of the observers shall be communicated to every other Contracting Party having the right to designate observers, and like notice shall be given of the termination of their appointment.

2. Each observer designated in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article shall have complete freedom of access at any time to any or all areas of Antarctica.

3. All areas of Antarctica, including all stations, installations and equipment within those areas, and all ships and aircraft at points of discharging or embarking cargoes or personnel in Antarctica, shall be open at all times to inspection by any observers designated in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article.

4. Aerial observation may be carried out at any time over any or all areas of Antarctica by any of the Contracting Parties having the right to designate observers.

5. Each Contracting Party shall, at the time when the present Treaty enters into force for it, inform the other Contracting Parties, and thereafter shall give them notice in advance, of

(a) all expeditions to and within Antarctica, on the part of its ships of nationals, and all expeditions to Antarctica organized in or proceeding from its territory;

(b) all stations in Antarctica occupied by its nationals; and

(c) any military personnel or equipment intended to be introduced by it into Antarctica subject to the conditions prescribed in paragraph 2 of Article I of the present Treaty.

Article VIII Personnel under jurisdiction of their own states

1. In order to facilitate the exercise of their functions under the present Treaty, and without prejudice to the respective positions of the Contracting Parties relating to jurisdiction over all other persons in Antarctica, observers designated under paragraph 1 of Article VII and scientific personnel exchanged under subparagraph 1(b) of Article III of the Treaty, and members of the staffs accompanying any such persons, shall be subject only to the jurisdiction of the Contracting Party of which they are nationals in respect to all acts or omissions occurring while they are in Antarctica for the purpose of exercising their functions.

2. Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article, and pending the adoption of measures in pursuance of subparagraph 1(e) of Article IX, the Contracting Parties concerned in any case of dispute with regard to the exercise of jurisdiction in Antarctica shall immediately consult together with a view to reaching a mutually acceptable solution.

Article IX Treaty states to meet periodically

1. Representatives of the Contracting Parties named in the preamble to the present Treaty shall meet at the City of Canberra within two months after date of entry into force of the Treaty, and thereafter at suitable intervals and places, for the purpose of exchanging information, consulting together on matters of common interest pertaining to Antarctica, and formulating and considering, and recommending to their Governments, measures in furtherance of the principles and objectives of the Treaty including measures regarding:

(a) use of Antarctica for peaceful purposes only;

(b) facilitation of scientific research in Antarctica;

(c) facilitation of international scientific cooperation in Antarctica;

(d) facilitation of the exercise of the rights of inspection provided for in Article VII of the Treaty;

(e) questions relating to the exercise of jurisdiction in Antarctica;

(f) preservation and conservation of living resources in Antarctica.

2. Each Contracting Party which has become a party to the present Treaty by accession under Article XIII shall be entitled to appoint representatives to participate in the meetings referred to in paragraph 1 of the present Article, during such time as the Contracting Party demonstrates its interest in Antarctica by conducting substantial scientific research activity there, such as the establishment of a scientific station or the dispatch of a scientific expedition.

3. Reports from the observers referred to in Article VII of the present Treaty shall be transmitted to the representatives of the Contracting Parties participating in the meetings referred to in paragraph 1 of the present Article.

4. The measures referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall become effective when approved by all the Contracting Parties whose representatives were entitled to participate in the meetings held to consider those measures.

5. Any or all of the rights established in the present Treaty may be exercised as from the date of entry into force of the Treaty whether or not any measures facilitating the exercise of such rights have been proposed, considered or approved as provided in this Article.

Article X Discourages activities contrary to Treaty

Each of the Contracting Parties undertakes to exert appropriate efforts, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, to the end that no one engages in any activity in Antarctica contrary to the principles or purposes of the present Treaty.

Article XI Settlement of disputes

1. If any dispute arises between two or more of the Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or application of the present Treaty, those Contracting Parties shall consult among themselves with a view to having the dispute resolved by negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement or other peaceful means of their own choice.

2. Any dispute of this character not so resolved shall, with the consent, in each case, of all parties to the dispute, be referred to the International Court of Justice for settlement; but failure to reach agreement on reference to the International Court shall not absolve parties to the dispute from the responsibility of continuing to seek to resolve it by any of the various peaceful means referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article.

Article XII Review of Treaty possible after 30 years

1. (a) The present Treaty may be modified or amended at any time by unanimous agreement of the Contracting Parties whose representatives are entitled to participate in the meetings provided for under Article IX. Any such modification or amendment shall enter into force when the depositary Government has received notice from all such Contracting Parties that they have ratified it.

(b) Such modification or amendment shall thereafter enter into force as to any other Contracting Party when notice of ratification by it has been received by the depositary Government. Any such Contracting Party from which no notice of ratification is received within a period of two years from the date of entry into force of the modification or amendment in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph 1(a) of this Article shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the present Treaty on the date of the expiration of such period.

2. (a) If after the expiration of thirty years from the date of entry into force of the present Treaty, any of the Contracting Parties whose representatives are entitled to participate in the meetings provided for under Article IX so requests by a communication addressed to the depositary Government, a Conference of all the Contracting Parties shall be held as soon as practicable to review the operation of the Treaty.

(b) Any modification or amendment to the present Treaty which is approved at such a Conference by a majority of the Contracting Parties there represented, including a majority of those whose representatives are entitled to participate in the meetings provided for under Article IX, shall be communicated by the depositary Government to all the Contracting Parties immediately after the termination of the Conference and shall enter into force in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1 of the present Article.

(c) If any such modification or amendment has not entered into force in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph 1(a) of this Article within a period of two years after the date of its communication to all the Contracting Parties, any Contracting Party may at any time after the expiration of that period give notice to the depositary Government of its withdrawal from the present Treaty; and such withdrawal shall take effect two years after the receipt of the notice by the depositary Government.

Article XIII Ratification and accession

1. The present Treaty shall be subject to ratification by the signatory States. It shall be open for accession by any State which is a Member of the United Nations, or by any other State which may be invited to accede to the Treaty with the consent of all the Contracting Parties whose representatives are entitled to participate in the meetings provided for under Article IX of the Treaty.

2. Ratification of or accession to the present Treaty shall be effected by each State in accordance with its constitutional processes.

3. Instruments of ratification and instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Government of the United States of America, hereby designated as the depositary Government.

4. The depositary Government shall inform all signatory and acceding States of the date of each deposit of an instrument of ratification or accession, and the date of entry into force of the Treaty and of any modification or amendment thereto.

5. Upon the deposit of instruments of ratification by all the signatory States, the present Treaty shall enter into force for those States and for States which have deposited instruments of accession. Thereafter the Treaty shall enter into force for any acceding State upon the deposit of its instrument of accession.

6. The present Treaty shall be registered by the depositary Government pursuant to Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Article XIV United States is repository

The present Treaty, done in the English, French, Russian, and Spanish languages, each version being equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the Government of the United States of America, which shall transmit duly certified copies thereof to the Governments of the signatory and acceding States.

In witness whereof, the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, duly authorized, have signed the present Treaty.

Done at Washington the first day of December, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-nine.

For Argentina:
Adolfo Seilingo
F. Bello

For Australia:
Howard Beale

For Belgium:
Obert de Thieusies

For Chile:
Marcial Mora M.
L. Gajardo V.
Julio Escudero

For the French Republic:
Pierre Charpentier

For Japan:
Koichiro Asakai
T. Shimoda

For New Zealand:
G.D.L. White

For Norway:
Paul Koht

For the Union of South Africa:
Wentzel C. du Plessis

For the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics:
V. Kuznetsov

For the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
Harold Caccia

For the United States of America:
Herman Phleger
Paul C. Daniels

Photo courtesy of iStockPhoto.com

For more luxury cruise news and unbiased reviews, please visit LuxuryCruiseBible.com.

Alaska Cruise Webinar Tonight @ 7 pm EST

Just a reminder that Lindblad Expeditions is presenting a free webinar focusing on Alaska cruises this evening at 7:00 pm EST.

The featured speaker will be naturalist Liz Bradfield and she'll tell you about Lindblad's 8- and 12-day cruise tours. Itineraries are available from April through September.

The 8-day cruise begins in Juneau, Alaska and visits Tracy Arm; Petersberg; Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait; Glacier Bay National Park; Point Adolphus and Inian Pass; several Southeast Alaska islands, bays, and fjords; and disembarks in Sitka, Alaska.

The 12-day itinerary covers everything in the shorter 8-day excursion but starts in Seattle and adds Washington's San Juan Island's, Alert Bay and Johnstone Strait, the Inside Passage of British Columbia, and Misty Fjords (disembarkation in Juneau, Alaska).

Register for the Alaska webinar now.

Photo courtesy Lindblad Expeditions and © Ralph Lee Hopkins

Which Cruise Promos Pique Your Interest?

Some of you have probably noticed that I've added a poll feature to the Luxury Cruise Bible blog. You'll find this week's question—What type of cruise fare specials do you prefer?—at the upper right side of the blog's homepage.

Your choices, and you can select more than one, include:

• 2-for-1 pricing
  
• free economy airfare
  
• low-cost biz airfare add-on
  
• cabin category upgrade
  
• shipboard credit
  
• free shore excursions
  
• pre-/post-cruise hotel stay
  

I'm posing this question because I'm curious which cruise line promotions catch your interest and which don't. I'll admit that 2-for-1 ads usually make me look twice, but I sometimes think that the per person rack rate is so inflated that the special may not be much of a bargain. Of course, recently there have been some amazing 2-for-1 deals, especially from Oceania Cruises.

Free economy air doesn't do a thing for me, probably because I'm a frequent flyer airmiles junkie. I can usually either find a great deal on airfare on my own or book an award ticket using the miles I've amassed on several airlines.

Low-cost biz airfare add-ons are attractive, however. If it's a long-haul flight, I try to figure out a cost-effective way to book business- or first-class airline tickets. Some add-on specials are definitely worth taking advantage of.

Cabin category upgrades are only enticing to me on certain types of sailings. If there are a lot of sea days or the scenery is especially gorgeous—French Polynesia, Caribbean, some of the Mediterranean ports—then I'd be more interested in a better category stateroom with a veranda. Otherwise, we spend most of our time outside of our cabin so we're fine with just about any category.

Shipboard credits can be useful if you're using them to pay a bar tab, visit the spa, or book shore excursions. But so many luxury cruise lines are all-inclusive, that it can be tough to spend the onboard credit in some cases.

I believe that Regent Seven Seas Cruises is one of the few luxury cruise lines offering free shore excursions. (Of course, this isn't a new concept. Small ship cruising has been packaging complimentary shore excursions for years, a la American Safari Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, and others.)

While I haven't seen this offer that frequently, complimentary pre- and post-cruise hotel stays can make certain cruise fares very attractive.

So which pricing specials catch your interest? Vote in our poll today.

For more luxury cruise news and unbiased luxury cruise reviews, please visit LuxuryCruiseBible.com.

Lindblad Webinars: Galapagos & Alaska

Have you ever attended a "webinar"? It's an interactive online conference where you can see photos and/or video and hear audio. You can often ask questions of the moderator and panelists via a dialogue panel on your computer screen.

On Wednesday night I attended just such a webinar presented by Lindblad Expeditions. Elizabeth Crabill aptly hosted the evening that focused on the company's Galapagos Islands cruise packages and Peru land journeys.

Elizabeth kicked off the 30-minute webinar by introducing expedition leader Lynn Fowler. (Yes, she is related to zoologist Jim Fowler who hosted Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Jim is her uncle.)

Lynn has been with Lindlad for decades and has spent over 30 years in the Galapagos Islands. It was refreshing to hear her enthusiasm for this very special archipelago at the Equator. Lynn's credentials speak for themselves:

• B.A. in Biology from Earlham College, Richmond, VA
  
• M.A. in Zoology from the University of Florida
  
• In 1978, she was one of the first female naturalist guides in the Galapagos National Park
  
• Doctorate from the University of Florida, based on giant tortoise research
  
• Elected to the Charles Darwin Foundation's General Assembly

Lynn took webinar viewers on a virtual journey to the year-round destination of the Galapagos Islands, explaining what visitors can expect to see on these volcanic islands—sea lions, seals, giant tortoises, sea turtles, crabs, stingrays, iguanas, penguins, comorants, the waved albatros, frigatebirds, red- and blue-footed boobies, and finches.

Lindblad's two Galapagos ships—the 48-passenger National Geographic Islander and the 110-passenger National Geographic Endeavour—were also discussed. Itineraries are 10 days; 16 if you also book the Peru land add-on.

After Lynn's slideshow, participants were introduced to Lynda Prono. Lynda is a reservations specialist for Lindblad and she discussed the Galapagos options as well as the add-on land package to Peru and Machu Pico.

In addition to Lindblad's current 25% off cruise fares for certain dates in 2009, webinar guests were also offered $250 off per person if they booked within a week.

If you're thinking of traveling with Lindblad, definitely invest the time and attend one of their webinars. Check Lindblad's website for the full webinar schedule. The next event, focusing on Alaska vacations, takes place on March 25 at 7 pm EST. Sign up for the Alaska webinar now!

For more information about Lindblad Expeditions and their partnership with National Geographic, talk with your travel agent or visit Lindblad's website.

Photo courtesy of photographer Michael S. Nolan and Lindblad Expeditions.

For the latest cruise news and unbiased reviews, please visit LuxuryCruiseBible.com.