Antarctic Sea Voyage for Experiencing and Exploring

Experience Antarctica up close with Oceanwide Expeditions and get to know this untouched place with its friendly inhabitants. The penguins and whales eagerly await you and accompany you through the breathtaking landscapes at the southern pole. Your expedition team will guide you on this unforgettable journey and provide you with knowledge about the unique and stunning Antarctica. In a completely foreign world among ice floes and glaciers, you can relax and enjoy a journey of a special kind. The price is based on accommodation in a double cabin with double occupancy, other categories available upon request. Please note that this is an exemplary route description, as it is adapted to weather and ice conditions as well as animal observation opportunities. A high degree of flexibility promises a unique and unforgettable experience.

Antarctic Sea Voyage for Experiencing and Exploring: Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Boarding
The journey starts in Ushuaia with boarding in the afternoon. You settle into a cozy cabin and make yourself at home. In the evening, the ship sets sail, and from the outer deck, you watch as it heads towards the Beagle Channel. An extraordinary and exciting time lies ahead of you.

Day 2-3: Drake Passage
The Drake Passage can be a bit rough with high waves. If you're lucky, the sea is calm and the crossing can be fully enjoyed. After passing the Antarctic Convergence - the natural boundary of Antarctica, formed when cold north-flowing waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas - you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, but the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see. Free time is filled with lectures and presentations - you will be well prepared for the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.

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Day 4-7: Antarctica
The Antarctic Peninsula welcomes you in all its splendor and drama. Ice and snow as far as the eye can see, with impressive mountains and a wonderful wildlife. You first pass the snow-capped Melchior Islands and the Schollaert Channel, sailing past the Brabant and Antwerp Islands. Possible destinations you may visit include:
Danco Island - Activities here may focus on the gentoo penguins nesting on the island, in addition to the Weddell and crabeater seals that can be found nearby.
Neko Harbour - An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow. Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing that afford unforgettable views of the surrounding alpine peaks.
Paradise Bay - With luck, you may have the chance to take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters with good chances of encountering humpback and minke whales.
Port Lockroy - After sailing through the Neumayer Channel, you may have the opportunity to visit the former British research station - now a museum and post office - of Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. During a landing around Jougla Point, you may hopefully meet gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags.

Day 8: South Shetland Islands
The volcanic islands of the South Shetlands are windswept and often cloaked in mist, but there is plenty to discover: There's a wide variety of flora (moss, lichens, flowering grasses) and no shortage of fauna (gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels).
On Deception Island, the ship passes through Neptune's Bellows and enters the flooded caldera. Here you'll find an abandoned whaling station and thousands of cape petrels - along with kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns. A hike in this fascinating and barren volcanic landscape is possible and unforgettable. An alternative option is activities near Half Moon Island: Here, chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals often lounge on the beach near Cámara Base, an Argentine scientific research station. The exact departure time will be determined by conditions on the Drake Passage.

Days 9-10: Drake Passage
You will return across the Drake Passage. Take the time to reflect on the experiences and share with other fellow travelers. Seabirds will accompany you on the way back to the mainland.

Day 11: Disembarkation and Departure
In Ushuaia, after breakfast, you will unfortunately have to say goodbye to fellow passengers and the crew as disembarkation takes place. The journey comes to an end with a transfer to the airport.

Arrival
The transfer to the ship on the day of arrival is not included, but there is a luggage transfer on day 1 from the hotel. For the day of departure, a transfer to Ushuaia airport is included directly after disembarkation.

Expedition ship:
MS Ortelius (date from 01.12.25)
The ship has the highest ice class (UL1, equivalent to 1A) and is therefore suitable for sailing in both solid one-year sea ice and loose multi-year pack ice. The Ortelius offers space for up to 108 passengers and has a large number of open deck spaces. Please note that a small number of cabins may have partially obstructed views due to the size of the windows and the design requirements of the ship. For example, some windows in the lower half may be partially obscured by a gangway. The best view is always on the outside deck or the bridge. Although our voyages are primarily aimed at providing our passengers with a wildlife exploration program with as much time ashore as possible, the Ortelius has all the amenities of a standard hotel - including a bar and lecture room. Flexibility guarantees maximum opportunities to explore the wildlife. Ortelius therefore has 10 Zodiacs with 60 hp Yamaha engines. The ship has room for 108 guests.

MS Hondius (dates from 17.11.25, 08.01.26, 18.01.26)
The Hondius is the world's first registered Polar Class 6 ship and meets the latest and highest Lloyd's Register standards for ice-strengthened cruise ships. Exceeding the requirements of the Polar Code adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Hondius is the most flexible, advanced and innovative travel vessel in the polar regions, optimized for exploration voyages that give you the greatest possible first-hand contact with the Arctic and Antarctic. The Hondius uses LED lighting, steam heating, biodegradable paints and lubricants, and state-of-the-art energy management systems that keep fuel consumption and CO2 levels to a minimum. This means that on board the Hondius you can enjoy the extreme landscapes and wildlife while having as little impact on them as possible. Please note that a small number of cabins may have partially obstructed views due to the size of the windows and the design requirements of the ship. For example, some windows in the lower half may be partially obscured by a gangway. The best view is always from the outside deck or the bridge. The Hondius offers space for up to 170 passengers.

MS Plancius (Dates from 09.01.26, 06.02.26)
The MS Plancius was used by the Dutch Royal Navy as a research vessel from 1976 to 2004 and was converted into a passenger ship by Oceanwide Expeditions in 2009. The expedition ship offers space for 108 passengers with private shower and toilet [4 four-person cabins with porthole, 2 three-person cabins with porthole, 9 double cabins with porthole, 25 double cabins with window, 2 deluxe double cabins (approx. 12.5 square meters) and 10 superior double cabins (approx. 21 square meters)]. Please note that a small number of cabins have a partially obstructed view due to the design requirements of the ship. For example, the view from some windows may be partially obstructed by the gangway. The best view is always on the outside deck or the bridge. Enjoy the benefits of the MS Plancius: a restaurant/lecture room on deck 3 and a spacious observation lounge (with bar) on deck 5 with large windows allowing a full panoramic view. The ship welcomes you comfortably and beautifully - in keeping with its expedition character, it is not a luxury ship. Experience, exploration and education are the main focus of the voyages.
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