HIGHLIGHTS
- Attempt
a landing on an island where there’s a chance to encounter a
colony of around one million chinstrap penguins
- Celebrate
Christmas and New Year on this epic Antarctic voyage, visiting some of
the world’s wildest and most remote places with like-minded
adventurers
- Become
one of the very few to reach the South Sandwich Islands – a
corner of the world so rarely visited
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Dec 02, 2024 | Dec 22, 2024 | 25,153 |
26,795 |
| Jan 02, 2025 | Jan 21, 2025 | 27,124 |
28,895 |
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Dec 02, 2024 | Dec 22, 2024 | 25,153 |
26,795 |
| Jan 02, 2025 | Jan 21, 2025 | 27,124 |
28,895 |
ITINERARY
Please
Note: The Jan 2,
2025 voyage is a day shorter and ends in Punta Arenas
Day
1 Arrive Ushuaia
Arrive
in Ushuaia, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora
Expeditions and transferred with your fellow expeditioners to your
assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Ushuaia, we ask you to
make your way to your hotel. Check-in is from 3.00 pm. This afternoon,
visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby at Las Hayas
Ushuaia Resort, Luis Fernando Martial 1650, between 8.00 am and 12.00
pm, or 3.00 pm and 7.00 pm, to collect your luggage tags, and confirm
if you wish to join our Beagle Channel and Isla de Los Lobos Cruise
(sea lion island) tomorrow. Our team will confirm details regarding
your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with
information on where to dine or purchase last minute items.
Expeditioners
arriving after 7.00 pm will find a welcome pack waiting for them at
check-in. We ask you to visit our hospitality desk tomorrow between
8.00 am – 10.00 am. The remainder of your time is at leisure.
All meals today are at your own expense.
Assigned
accommodation: Las Hayas Ushuaia Resort or Los Acebos Ushuaia Hotel
Day
2 Embarkation
This
morning, enjoy breakfast and check-out. Please ensure your cabin
luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and
cabin number. Take your cabin luggage to hotel reception, prior to, or
at check-out. Your luggage will be stored and transferred directly to
the port for clearance, to be placed in your cabin ahead of your
arrival on board. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you
throughout the day. Your morning is at leisure to explore Ushuaia.
Those wishing to join our afternoon catamaran cruise, meet back at the
hotel lobby at 12.45 pm ready to transfer to the port at 1.00 pm. Here
we board our catamaran and sail the Beagle Channel, towards the
city’s iconic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. Crossing the Bridges
Archipelago we’ll slow down to watch colonies of sea lions
and imperial cormorants sun themselves on the rocky outcrops, while
gulls, rock cormorants, skuas, petrels, albatrosses and cauquenes are
often sighted. Our cruise offers panoramic views of the city and the
surrounding mountain range, in
addition
to hearing tales of the people and communities of the region.
Alternatively,
enjoy your day at leisure and meet at your hotel lobby at 3.45 pm to be
transferred to the pier for embarkation. Once onboard, you’ll
have time to settle into your cabin before our important mandatory
briefings. As the ship pulls away from port, we’ll gather on
the deck to commence our adventure with spectacular views over Ushuaia
and Tierra del Fuego. This evening get to know your fellow
expeditioners and friendly expedition team and crew at a welcome dinner
to celebrate the start of a thrilling adventure to Antarctica.
Days
3-4 Drake Passage Crossing
As
we commence the Drake Passage crossing, we make the most of our time
getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. Our expedition team
prepare you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines
and biosecurity procedures and start our lecture program to help you
learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife and
environment. Our wildlife experiences begin as we enjoy watching and
photographing the many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and
giant petrels following our vessel. On sea days, you may can enjoy the
facilities on board the vessel including the gym, wellness centre or
the relaxing in one of the observation lounges.
Nearing
the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on
the afternoon of day four, the excitement is palpable with everyone
converging on one of the observation decks watching for our first
iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once we are below
the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of
floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting
is likely to remain with you for a lifetime. Time and weather
permitting, we may attempt our first landing in Antarctica by late
afternoon.
Days
5-7 Antarctic Peninsula
It’s
almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica.
Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the
most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you
forever. Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula
and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, and we have a host
of choices available to us. Your experienced expedition team, who have
made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to
design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on
the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities.
We
generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want
to rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or
among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising
penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where
you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts and explore
some of our favourite spots along the peninsula. While ashore we aim to
stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up
snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering
overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional
activity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions
allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully
immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!
In
addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise
some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from
the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to marvel at sculptural icebergs
and photograph spectacular scenery. This is a great time to enjoy the
observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (open at the
Captain’s discretion) for uninterrupted views of Antarctica
in all its splendour. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of
glaciers as they carve into the sea. Take a quiet moment to experience
the wonder of this incredible white continent.
Day
8 Elephant Island
Today,
if weather permits, we set course for Elephant Island, a half-submerged
mountain cloaked with an ice sheet at the outer limits of the South
Shetlands. We will learn the story of Shackleton and hear how his ship
Endurance was crushed in pack ice in the Weddell Sea, before he and his
men climbed into three open boats, spending 16 months at sea, finally
making landfall on this tiny toe of rock and ice in the Southern Ocean
on 14 April, 1916. We plan to sail past Cape Valentine to see the beach
where the men first put ashore over 100 years ago. Weather permitting;
we hope to follow the coastline six miles west to Point Wild, where the
men eventually set up camp under two of their upturned open boats and
some old tents. If weather permits, we will attempt to make a landing
on historic Point Wild, Elephant Island.
Days
9-10 Scotia Sea
As
we make our way to South Georgia we will cross the Scotia Sea,
following the route that Shackleton and five of his men took in order
to find help for the rest of their crew. On 24 April, 1916, they piled
into the James Caird, the most seaworthy of their open boats, to
attempt this perilous journey to South Georgia, some 1,290 kilometres
(802 miles) distant. Shackleton hoped to reach South Georgia in two
weeks. There he would enlist the help of the whalers to return to
Elephant Island and rescue the men who had been left behind.
As
excitement builds on our approach to South Georgia, catch up with
fellow expeditioners in the bar, keep watch for wildlife alongside our
naturalist from the various observation areas, or learn more of the
Shackleton story from our historian.
“Nearly
always there were gales. So small was our boat and so great were the
seas that often our sail flapped idly in the calm
between the crests of two waves. Then we would climb the next slope and
catch the full fury of the gale where the
wool-like whiteness of the breaking water surged around us.”
-
Ernest Shackleton
Days
11-15 South Georgia
As
you near the rugged island of South Georgia, spare a thought for
Captain James Cook, who arrived here in 1775 and believed it to be the
northern tip of a great southern continent! In fact, it is a small
island only 176 km (110 mi) long, but with a 3,000 m (9,842 ft)
snow-capped mountain range, some of the world’s largest
congregations of wildlife and a truly fascinating human history, South
Georgia is an island of incredible riches. On approach, jagged mountain
peaks rise steeply, while seabirds are often spotted soaring around the
ship. You will sail along the coast, taking in the spectacular
glaciated scenery and enjoying a little shelter from the prevailing
westerly winds. This enchanting coastline is yours to explore!
Zodiac
cruise around craggy coves and along the rocky coastline in search of
penguins, seal haul-outs and bird cliffs. Remember to keep an eye out
for South Georgia’s kelp forests—these remarkable
underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds sway back
and forth on the water’s surface. Zodiacs will also shuttle
you from ship to shore, where you can visit some of the largest king
penguin colonies on Earth, take a guided walk among fur seals and
elephant seals (making sure you listen to your guides and keep your
distance!)
and wander along pebbled streams and grassy glacial outwash plains. We
also hope to visit the remnants of South Georgia’s thriving
whaling stations and visit the final resting place of Sir Ernest
Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survival is synonymous with this
island. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the
option to participate whenever conditions allow.
In
addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship-cruise
through fjords with towering cliffs of ancient stone, or into deeply
indented bays towards dramatic glacier fronts. This is a great time to
find a comfy spot in the observation lounge to enjoy uninterrupted
views of South Georgia’s majestic coast.
Days
16-17 At Sea
As
we sail towards the Falklands~Malvinas, there is plenty to keep you
occupied on board. Our expedition team will continue to share their
wealth of knowledge about the wildlife, history and natural world as
part of the onboard lecture series. You will have ample time to enjoy
observing seabirds from the stern of the ship, keeping a close watch
for whales and other marine wildlife, or simply enjoying the many
facilities available to you on the ship.
Day
18 At Sea / Falklands~Malvinas
Sea
and weather conditions will determine our arrival time into the
Falklands~Malvinas today. The Falklands~Malvinas comprises two large
islands (East and West Falkland), with over 700 islands scattered off
the coast. All but seven of these are uninhabited, with windswept
coastlines, white sand beaches and crystal-clear water. These
beautifully barren islands are true wildlife havens, sheltering an
impressive diversity of birdlife, including the largest black-browed
albatross colony on earth. The cold, nutrient-rich waters surrounding
the islands make this a prime location for spotting marine life.
Day
19 Falklands~Malvinas
There
are many beautiful areas to explore across the Falklands~Malvinas, each
offering a unique perspective on this magnificent archipelago. Your
experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this
area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day,
choosing the best options based on the prevailing winds, weather and
wildlife opportunities. Even though we’re north of the
Antarctic Convergence it can be quite chilly here, so you will want to
layer up before joining Zodiac cruises into rocky coves or along sea
cliffs, keeping watch for seals, sea lions, dolphins and penguins. On
landings we may visit albatross colonies, penguin rookeries and perhaps
even have a traditional English ‘tea and scones’ at
a local cottage.
Conditions
permitting, we aim to land in historic Stanley, the capital of the
Falklands~Malvinas. This charming town has a distinctly British
character, with terraced town houses, pioneer cottages and even an
iconic red telephone box! Colourful buildings house cosy cafes, English
pubs, souvenir shops, a post office and the fascinating Historic
Dockyard Museum, with displays on the maritime history of the Falkland
Islands, natural history and links to Antarctica.
Day
20 At Sea
As
we sail towards Ushuaia, you may choose to spend your precious time
editing photos, enjoying the onboard facilities, or attend final
lectures. Celebrate the end of an unforgettable voyage with newfound
friends at a special Captain’s farewell dinner.
With
lectures and film presentations to complete our Antarctic experience,
there is still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean
and the life that calls it home. There is time for reflection and
discussion about what we have seen and experienced. We hope you become
ambassadors for the Antarctic region, telling your family, friends and
colleagues about your journey to this magical place, advocating for its
conservation and preservation so that they might one day visit the
region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here.
Day
21 Disembark in Ushuaia (The Jan 2,
2025 voyage is a day shorter and ends in Punta Arenas)
During
the early morning, we cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly
slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where we will be free to disembark
around 8.00 am. Farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as
we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of
the immense power of nature.
Sylvia Earle (Luxury Expedition, 126-guests)
Due to sail in October 2021 our new ship honours the highly accomplished marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer, Sylvia Earle. As the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and named by Time Magazine as its first Hero for the Planet in 1998 - this vessel pays tribute to Sylvia's long standing conservation efforts for marine protected areas and ocean wildlife. Sylvia Earle will be actively involved in the development of her namesake.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Arrival
transfer from airport to hotel on Day 1
- One
night’s hotel accommodation with breakfast in Ushuaia on Day 1
- City
tour in Ushuaia on Day 2 (lunch not included)
- Luggage
transfer from your hotel in Ushuaia to ship on Day 2
- Transfer
from pier to downtown Ushuaia or to airport on Day 25
- On-board
accommodation during voyage including daily cabin service
- All
meals, snacks, tea and coffee during voyage
- Beer,
house wine and soft drinks with dinner
- Captain’s
Welcome and Farewell reception including four-course dinner, house
cocktails, house beer and wine, non-alcoholic beverages
- All
shore excursions and Zodiac cruises
- Educational
lectures and guiding services from expedition team
- Free
access to our onboard doctor for consultations relating to
sea-sickness. A standard fee of US $60.00 (reclaimable through your
travel insurance provider) applies for medical consultations not
related to sea-sickness
- A
3-in-1 waterproof polar expedition jacket
- Complimentary
use of muck boots during the voyage
- Comprehensive
pre-departure information
- Port
surcharges, permits and landing fees
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS (Not all
activities are available on all voyages)
- Sea
Kayaking - USD 1,745
- Snorkelling
- USD 835
- Camping
- USD 165
- Snowshoeing
- USD 440
- Paddling
- USD 640
