Across the Antarctic Circle

Step aboard your home-away-from-home and settle in to your comfortable cabin. There’s time to greet fellow passengers, meet the staff and explore the ship before our evening’s cruise down the Beagle Channel.

We cross Drake Passage, accompanied by albatross, petrels, fulmars and prions. Join our polar experts to learn about Antarctica’s unique wildlife and history, talk to fellow passengers, staff and crew, and prepare for landings with environmental and safety briefings. Divers check equipment and procedures.

Spirits soar as air and water temperatures fall, marking our crossing of the Antarctic Convergence. All eyes are peeled for the first iceberg, the first penguin and the first glimpse of land. With luck we go ashore this afternoon.

We explore the Peninsula’s west coast, with time to watch the frenzied activities of penguin parents and chicks, to Zodiac cruise amongst icebergs and revel in the unparalleled beauty of vast, Antarctic land and icescapes. Divers immerse themselves in underwater exploration, while kayakers slice through a fascinating labyrinth of waterways. Further south, ice conditions govern our movements. Whether we cross the Circle via the ‘inner route’ or the Bellingshausen Sea, we celebrate in style. With luck we reach magnificent Crystal Sound, pass through the Gullet and steam on to Marguerite Bay. We may visit historical Stonington, Pourquoi Pas and Detaille islands.

Time to leave the icy wonderland for warmer climes. With Anvers and Brabant islands astern, we return to Drake Passage, our winged companions soaring and dipping in our wake. As icebergs fade on the horizon, memories hold fast as we reflect on a rich diversity of experiences. We may round Cape Horn if conditions permit, before indulging in a special farewell dinner.

Ushuaia greets us in the early morning. Fortified by a hearty breakfast, bid farewell to the ship, her staff, crew and fellow travelers.