Classic Antarctica Cruise To The Antarctic Peninsula

• 1

  Arrive Ushuaia

  Arrive into Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, at any time. Make your own way to the hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure. Sitting on the shores of the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia actually means 'the bay facing westward' in the language of the original Yamna inhabitants. Once a penal colony (the presidio was disbanded in the 1940s) for political prisoners as well as hardened criminals,Ushuaia is now a major tourist attraction, particularly for people such as ourselves cruising to Antarctica. The town of 40,000 is also a major ski resort area for both alpine and cross-country skiers and offers magnificent hiking in Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, the only coastal national park in Argentina.

  Overnight: Standard Hotel

• 2

  Embark on the M/S Expedition

  Today we will embark on the expedition ship. Embarkation time is set for 4:00 pm. The morning is free to do any last minute shopping, an optional excursion to Tierra Del Fuego National Park or a good hike up to the Marshall Glacier. The evening is spent on board the ship watching the sunset over the Beagle Channel.
  
  On the first day onboard, your Expedition Leader will give you an expedition overview. Due to ice and weather conditions, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion, it may be necessary or desirable to make alterations.

  Overnight: Comfortable Boat

• 3

  The Drake Passage

  Our adventure begins with a 400 mile crossing of the passage that bears the name of the 16th century English explorer Sir Francis Drake. The M/S Expedition is at home in this part of the Southern Ocean, known for the unimpeded fetch of the winds that encircle the Antarctic. At some point on the second day we cross the Antarctic Convergence, a meeting of cold polar water flowing north and warmer equatorial water moving in the opposite direction. This mixing pushes nutrient rich waters to the surface attracting a variety of seabirds, whales and other species.

  Overnight: Comfortable Boat

• 4

  The Drake Passage

  As we make the passage, you have time to become acquainted with the ship and frequent the common areas that include the lounge, dining hall, library and lecture hall where we meet our guides, ship's crew and expedition staff. We also begin the lecture and information sessions to learn the extraordinary human and natural history of the Antarctic region.

  Overnight: Comfortable Boat

• 5

  Antarctic Peninsula & the South Shetland Islands

  This is what we've all been waiting for - a chance to step foot on the Great White Continent! Over the next four days we will navigate southwards making stops in the South Shetland Islands then through the Bransfield Strait and to the Antarctic Peninsula. Our goal is to attempt two excursions per day, while we navigate through the area, but our itinerary and daily schedule will be based on the local weather and ice conditions that we encounter.

  Overnight: Comfortable Boat

• 6

  Antarctic Peninsula & the South Shetland Islands

  The Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands abound with wildlife activity. Penguins gather with their fast-growing chicks, whales are seen in great numbers, seals haul out onto ice floes and beaches, and numerous albatross and other seabirds trail in our wake.

  Overnight: Comfortable Boat

• 7

  Antarctic Peninsula

  There is plenty of time to enjoy the sheer beauty and the breathtaking scenery of ice-choked waterways, blue and white icebergs, impressive glaciers and rugged snow-capped mountains.

  Overnight: Comfortable Boat

• 8

  Antarctic Peninsula

  The Peninsula also has a remarkable history and, during the voyage, we will learn about some of the most important and dramatic expeditions to this remote corner of the world. Keeping a lookout from the Bridge or the deck of the ship, as we thread our way along the continent, you'll feel the same sense of excitement as many of those early Explorers. The continent itself is roughly circular with a spindly arm, called the Antarctic Peninsula, reaching northwards towards Tierra del Fuego. South America is the nearest landmass, some 600 miles away. Antarctica is a continent of superlatives. It is the coldest, windiest, iciest and highest of all the major landmasses in the world. It is the continent with the longest nights and the longest days and it is home to the world's greatest concentration of wildlife. It is also one of the last true wilderness areas left on earth - largely unchanged since the early Explorers and Whalers first landed on its inhospitable shores less than two centuries ago.

  Overnight: Comfortable Boat

• 9

  The Drake Passage

  Today we leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage.

  Overnight: Comfortable Boat

• 10

  The Drake Passage

  In between bird watching and whale watching and enjoying some final lectures by our expedition staff, this is a chance to relax and review the adventures of the past week before returning to Ushuaia.

  Overnight: Comfortable Boat

• 11

  Ushuaia

  And so our adventure comes to a close. We'll say our goodbyes as we disembark in Ushuaia in the morning, after breakfast on board the ship.