Set sail to the Falkland Islands - Expert guides, celebrity-led voyages and fantastic cruise deals on offer!

Travellers seeking the trip-of-a-lifetime to a natural paradise abound with wildlife should take advantage of one of the great deals on offer to mark the start of the 2009/10 cruise season (September to April) in the Falkland Islands. From leading field experts, fantastic discounts and themed voyages on offer – there’s something to suit every intrepid traveller.

Visiting the Falklands via cruise ship or expedition vessel allows passengers unrivalled access to penguins, the rare black-browed albatross and elephant seals, among hundreds of other species that reside on the 770-plus islands that make up the Falklands archipelago.

The Falklands is becoming an increasingly popular port of call, particularly as part of a wider South America or Antarctica voyage.

Fantastic savings and complimentary value adds!

Save £1,000 and follow ‘In The Wake Of Shackleton’ with Noble Caledonia (020 7752 0000, www.noble-caledonia.co.uk) on its 22-day voyage onboard MS Expedition. Prices (before discount) start from £5,995 per person, based on double occupancy, departs on 9 February 2010 from the Argentinean port of Ushuaia. This exceptional expedition voyage includes two days in the Falkland Islands exploring white sandy beaches and privately owned islands via zodiac followed by eight days in South Georgia plus an additional day in the West Falklands on return to Ushuaia. Book now - discount is only valid on bookings made by 30 November 2009.

Book any Exodus Polar Expedition to the Falklands before 31 December 2009 and receive a FREE pair of Opticron Countryman Binoculars worth £250! Exodus (0845 863 9601, www.exodus.co.uk) offers twenty itineraries featuring the Falklands in its new 2010/2011 Polar Expeditions brochure out this September, in association with Quark Expeditions. Enjoy the antics of the rockhopper and Magellanic penguins on a 20-day Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia voyage from £6,549 per person (land only) departing from Ushuaia on 30 November 2009.

The Falklands has real ‘Star’ quality

Visitors can take a giant leap to the Falklands with legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong who leads a 26-day voyage of discovery to the Falklands and Antarctica with Titan Travel’s ‘National Geographic Journeys By Sea’ (0800 988 5175, www.ngjourneys.co.uk), departing 15 November.  Prices start from £8,998 per person, based on double occupancy.

Join world renowned sea bird expert Graham Roberton (Australian Antarctic Division) and a team of expert photographers on a special voyage visiting the Falklands this November with Peregrine (0844 736 0170, www.peregrineadventures.com). Departing 6 November 2009, the 24-night voyage visits Steeple Jason, Sea Lion and Bleaker Islands as well as Carcass Island, Saunders Island and the capital Stanley. Prices start from £6,250 per person.  Passengers booking before the end of September also have the chance to win Leica equipment!

West Point Island and Saunders Island are the most popular islands in the Falklands archipelago visited by cruise ship passengers outside Stanley, while the most popular trips from the capital are to Gypsy Cove and Bluff Cove, where a brand NEW Museum is about to open providing a fascinating insight into Falklands heritage and local ship wrecks.

Also NEW for the 2009-2010 cruise season is the installation of a wave barrier on the jetty, a new pontoon, a new ramp giving access to the pontoon, plus a shelter for awaiting cruise passengers.

Over 35 cruise operators feature the Falkland Islands. A full list of operators is available on the tourist board website at www.falklandislands.com.

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For further information on the Falklands Islands, please visit www.falklandislands.com. Media enquiries should be directed to Suzanne Holiday and Katie Liddell at Keene on 0207 839 2140 or falklandstourism@keenepa.co.uk.

Become a Falklands fan! Click below to join the NEW Falkland Islands Facebook page. xxxxx

Notes to Editors:

·         The recent season (October 2008 – April 2009) welcomed 62,600 cruise passengers arriving on 105 ships, compared to 62,200 in 2007-2008.

·         A new record was set in the 2008-09 season when 4,053 visitors arrived on board three cruise ships in one day earlier this year on 6 February.

·         Despite the current economic climate, the Falkland Islands Tourist Board is anticipating a continued growth in cruise arrivals in the 2009/10 season.

·         The Falkland Islands have a raw, unspoilt quality that entices locals and tourists back time and again.  Visitors to the Islands are spoilt for choice with more than 227 species of identified birds (including several of the world’s largest endangered breeding colonies), as well as whales, dolphins, elephant seals, sea lions, delicate flora and rugged geographical formations.

·         The best time to visit the Islands and experience the local culture and wildlife is October to April. The average summer temperature (December to March) is 15º Celsius (59º Fahrenheit) and the Falklands has more sunshine hours than the UK.

·         During the recent season (October 2008 – April 2009), the Falkland Islands welcomed a total of 68,942 visitors.