HIGHLIGHTS
- Sail
the legendary Drake Passage, an experience that few are ever lucky
enough to experience.
- Set
sail, to slowly drop off the bottom of the map from Cape Horn, and
voyage on an expedition down into the icy underworld of Antarctica.
- Be
one of the handful of people that will ever be lucky enough to
experience the majestic beauty of these monochrome landscapes
first-hand. The Antarctic Sound will be one of your first encounters of
this whitewash kingdom, located at the northerly tip of the Antarctic
Peninsula - which sprawls up like a tentacle towards Tierra del Fuego,
South America’s most southerly point, otherwise known as the
‘End of the World’.
- Witness
cathedral-sized icebergs up close, and blue-hued glaciers, slowly
slipping from imposing locations like Hope Bay. Blanched mountain peaks
cover the peninsula, and you’ll find thousands of adorable
Adelie penguin pairs thriving undisturbed in the Antarctic
Peninsula’s unique setting.
- Cross
the Polar Circle, an imaginary line based on the earth's axial tilt at
66° 33' 44.8" North and South.
- Visit
the South Shetland Islands that are lying close to the northwestern tip
of the Antarctic Peninsula, separated by the Bransfield
Strait.
- Watch
plump elephant seals, and crowds of Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie
Penguins also calling the islands home.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
Rates are listed per person
|
Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
ITINERARY
DAY
1: Ushuaia, Argentina
Departure
11:59 PM
A
southerly frontier - on the cusp of wild nature and extraordinary
adventures - the excitement in Ushuaia is palpable. Prepare for
memorable exploits amid the extremes of this southerly location - as
you adventure into the colossal scenery of the fractured Tierra del
Fuego and beyond. Known as the 'End of the World' Ushuaia looks out
across the Beagle Channel, and is surrounded by the Martial Mountains
to the north. Despite its remote location, Ushuaia is a surprisingly
busy and lively resort, with lots to keep its visitors entertained. For
many people, Ushuaia is their last glimpse of anything resembling a
city, before they jump off the map into the wilderness, to answer the
call of immense national parks or Antarctic expeditions. One of the
most dramatic landscapes on the planet - Argentina's land of fire,
National Park Tierra del Fuego, is a place of titanic natural forces
and limitless beauty. Snow-covered mountains poke the sky, while
glaciers spill down between peaks, and gaping fjords open up. With
incredible wildlife - from penguins to whales - the park offers some of
South America's most amazing hiking opportunities and panoramas. When
it comes to food in Ushuaia, locals cook up fierce flavours using the
freshest ingredients. King crab is one of the most popular dishes,
while sea bass - hauled freshly from the waters - and mounds of meaty
mussels - known as cholgas - are also on the menu here.
DAYS 2-3:
Drake Passage
Sailing the
legendary Drake Passage is an experience that few are ever lucky enough
to experience. The southern tip of the Americas already feels like a
wild enough environment – but the sensation of watching the
distant cliffs of the peninsular known as the ‘End of the
World’ fade into the horizon, is one that’s equal
parts epic, eerie and magical. Set sail, to slowly drop off the bottom
of the map from Cape Horn, and voyage on an expedition down into the
icy underworld of Antarctica. Drake Passage is an extraordinary voyage
of romantic ocean faring legend, as you aim for Antarctica’s
icy realm. On arrival, skyscraper sized icebergs salute you, as you
traverse the waters of this continent where snow and ice dwelling
creatures like penguins and whales roam undisturbed. Your first sight
of this most-unexplored place will most likely be the South Shetland
Islands. Walk in the footsteps of some of history’s greatest
and bravest explorers as you explore famed, snow-covered landmasses
like Elephant and Deception Island. If the journey across Drake Passage
sounds daunting, don’t worry – even in rough seas
you’re never alone, and will often be accompanied on this
spine-tingling adventure by soaring albatrosses and maybe even a
protective pod of humpbacks and hourglass dolphins or two. Converging
warm and cool ocean currents attract some spectacular animal life to
the passage.
DAY 4:
Antarctic
Sound, Antarctica
Few
voyages ignite the imagination like a journey down to one of the
planet’s most remote, extreme and enchanting wilderness,
Antarctica. An
adventure in its purest form, only a handful of people will ever be
lucky enough to experience the majestic beauty of these monochrome
landscapes first-hand. The Antarctic Sound will be one of your first
encounters of this whitewash kingdom, located at the northerly tip of
the Antarctic Peninsula - which sprawls up like a tentacle towards
Tierra del Fuego, South America’s most southerly point,
otherwise known
as the ‘End of the World’. Taking its name from the
first ship to brave
the passageway between the peninsular and the Joinville Island groups
back in 1902, the Sound is a raw, sensory assault of imposing iceberg
slabs, broken away from the disintegrating Larsen Ice Shelf. Come
face-to-face with stadium-sized islands of ice and meet the
extraordinary birdlife that call this whitewash kingdom home. Watch on,
as colonies of Gentoo penguins hop around, and cape petrels sweep
overhead, as the continent’s unique wildlife thrives around
you. If
you’re planning your first venture into Antarctica,
you’ll want to
brush up on your photography skills in advance, to capture this
unforgiving continent in all of its unrestrained glory.
DAYS 5-6:
Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
The
Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America, reaching
out a beckoning finger to the adventurous, who dare to explore this
untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s
southernmost
continent, the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del
Fuego and, for many, offers a spectacular first taste of the
snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures, which make up
Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820
- a blink
of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make
your hairs stand on end, as you experience the thrill of the truly
unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with
research bases, which are at the frontline of human scientific
endeavour, pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its
exceptional wildlife, and the impact that humans are having on this
pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close, and
blue-hued glaciers, slowly slipping from imposing locations like Hope
Bay. Blanched mountain peaks cover the peninsula, and you’ll
find
thousands of adorable Adelie penguin pairs thriving undisturbed in this
peninsula’s unique setting.
DAYS 7-8:
South Of The Polar Circle, Antarctica
The Polar
Circle is an imaginary line based on the earth’s axial tilt
at 66° 33’ 44.8” North and South. By
definition everything below the southern Polar Circle (i.e. further
south) is Antarctica. In the case of the Antarctic Peninsula ships will
try to go past the Biscoe Islands, heading for Marguerite Bay. There
are very few scientific stations or bases south of the Antarctic Circle
as the ice conditions can make it difficult to bring in personnel,
material and provisions by ship. Argentina and the UK both maintain
permanent stations in Marguerite Bay, while Chile has a summer station
at the entrance to the bay. The main attraction here is what makes it
so difficult to reach: a land and sea scape covered in snow and ice.
DAY 9:
Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
DAY 10:
South
Shetland Islands, Antarctica
The
ice-coated Antarctic Peninsula forms perhaps the most accessible region
of mainland Antarctica, lying a mere 480-miles away from South America,
across the fabled waters of Drakes Passage. Lying close to the
northwestern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, separated by the
Bransfield Strait, the South Shetland Islands fall under the
jurisdiction of the Antarctic Treaty, suspending claims on their
sovereignty. Several countries maintain research bases here, and with
plump elephant seals, and crowds of Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie
Penguins also calling the islands home, it can even feel a little
crowded at times. King George Island is the largest and most hospitable
island, hosting the majority of the research stations - some of which
are populated all-year-round by tiny, hardy crews. Don’t be
fooled though, these islands offer extraordinary adventure in one of
the most remote locations on earth. The triple peaks of Mount Foster
tower above the archipelago, and you’ll feel your heart
pumping a little quicker, as you sail into the core of Deception
Island’s magnificent collapsed volcano caldera. Hike the luna
landscapes within, and even dip into the improbably warm,
geothermally-heated waters of Pendulum Cove. Elephant Island,
meanwhile, is written deep into the annals of Antarctic expedition
legend, as the site where Ernest Shackleton and the stricken crew of
the Endurance miraculously survived a harsh Antarctic winter, in 1916.
DAY 11:
Drake Passage
DAY 12:
Ushuaia, Argentina
Arrive 10:00 PM
DAY 13: Ushuaia,
Argentina
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- 1
night pre-cruise and 1 day-use post-cruise
- Transfers
(between airport/hotel and ship)
- In-country
flights when required by itinerary
- Guided
Zodiac, land and sea tours, and shoreside activities led by the
Expeditions Team
- Parka
- Enrichment
lectures by a highly qualified Expeditions Team
- Spacious
suites
- Butler
service in every suite
- Unlimited
Free Wifi
- Personalised
service – nearly one crew member for every guest
- Choice
of restaurants, diverse cuisine, open-seating dining
- Beverages
in-suite and throughout the ship, including champagne, select wines and
spirits
- In-suite
dining and room service
- Onboard
entertainment
- Onboard
gratuities