This 15-day expedition is for people who enjoy active adventures and hanker to travel south of the Antarctic Circle. It offers an average of three activities off the ship per day while in the Antarctic Peninsula. There is a shipboard education program. Optional adventures - camping and kayaking - are available on selected departures.

NOTE: The February 26th, 2011 Departure will include wildlife photographer Paul Goldstein as a special guest aboard this voyage. He is a Brit who shares his passion and skill with any polar traveler willing to keep up with him. He has spent 26 years in the travel industry and as a staff member aboard some of our expeditions. Paul uses every hour of good light - and there are as many as 24 south of the Antarctic Circle - to educate and encourage all aboard to take photographs that they will be proud to show to friends and family.

Antarctica is everything south of the Antarctic convergence, a biological boundary that fluctuates between 50° and 60° South. For some, an expedition to the Southern Continent is not complete unless the Antarctic Circle is crossed. South of that invisible boundary, daylight lasts for 24 hours from mid-December to late February. Overnight at a hotel in Ushuaia.

Crossing the Circle is the goal of this expedition. So, on some departures, the ship will push south rapidly, from Ushuaia.

The Drake is legendary for its high winds and rolling seas, but you may be lucky and get calm weather. If so, we’ll keep you busy on deck, on the Bridge and in the presentation room. We prepare you for boarding Zodiacs, shore landings and, if you dare, polar dips.

The Expedition Team launches the Zodiacs to skim across the water to go ashore, or drift silently while you watch whales feed or penguins jump aboard ice floes

Crossing the Antarctic Circle is an impressive achievement, as most expeditions to the Peninsula do not reach 66° 33’S. Celebrate with a well -earned glass of champagne. Toast to the intrepid explorers who have gone before.

There’s a story behind every name on the map of Antarctica. Many of the French names that appear are the legacy of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, physician, yachtsman, and explorer. He, like you, lived for adventure.

As you cross the Drake once again, you’ll have time to adjust to a world where day and night are distinct. You will be transferred to the airport from the ship when you disembark in Ushuaia.

Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy – and excitement – of expedition travel. There are no guarantees that we can achieve everything we set out to accomplish. A measure of flexibility is something all of us must bring to a voyage.

Route Map