Untamed Weddell Sea Adventure

Day 1: Arrival in Ushuaia, Argentina

On arrival in your embarkation city at the foot of South America, a representative will meet you at the airport and arrange to transfer you to your hotel with your fellow travellers. A night's stay and breakfast are included as part of the voyage.

Settle in after a 3pm check-in, then visit the hotel’s hospitality desk to confirm if you’ll join tomorrow’s afternoon cruise around Isla de Los Lobos (Sea Lion Island). This is also the ideal time to ask any questions about tomorrow’s embarkation schedule for your Antarctic adventure or recommendations for places to visit in Ushuaia. 

Day 2: Embarking on your vessel in Ushuaia

After checking out of the hotel, you’ll have the morning free to explore Ushuaia, the waterfront capital of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province. If you signed up for the complimentary catamaran cruise, you’ll set sail towards the city's emblematic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. Crossing the Bridges Archipelago, you'll linger to watch sea lions and imperial cormorants rest on the rocky outcrop while skuas, petrels and albatrosses soar overhead. 

Once you have made the most of the city views, framed by the surrounding mountains, and heard stories about the local communities, you'll head back to shore. Next on the agenda is a transfer to the pier for embarkation on your Antarctic vessel.        

Once aboard, take time to settle into your cabin before the key briefings begin. These mandatory lectures are designed to prepare you for the trip ahead and introduce you to many of the experts in the ship’s expedition team. 

As your vessel casts off from Ushuaia's shores, with the city’s sky-brushing mountains slowly receding behind you, head out on deck to celebrate the journey’s official launch with the rest of the passengers. The celebratory evening welcome dinner is another chance to mingle with fellow expeditioners and get to know the crew who will look after you for the next 10 days. 

Days 3 & 4: Crossing the Drake Passage

As the ship navigates the legendary Drake Passage sea route, use this time to your advantage. Settle into the rhythm of the ocean and join the informative lectures planned by the expedition team. The guides will brief you on essential wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures to make sure your Antarctic visit is a responsible one. For these two days and throughout the remainder of your journey, they will also educate you on the fascinating history, diverse wildlife and unique environment of the White Continent. 

The wildlife encounters will begin as you enjoy watching the many seabirds, from albatrosses to giant petrels, gliding in the airstreams whipped up by the ship. Indoors, use onboard facilities such as the well-equipped gym or simply relax in the spacious observation lounges as you keep a keen eye out for your first iceberg.

As you come closer to the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula during the afternoon of day four, excitement will fill the air. When your vessel breaches the Antarctic Convergence, the essence of the ocean will shift. Here, where the world's coldest waters meet, gargantuan ice sculptures float on the sea and serve up your first real glimpse of the White Continent. 

If the Captain has made good progress, and the weather is calm enough, by late afternoon you might even set foot on Antarctica for the very first time. 

Days 5 to 9: Exploring the Weddell Sea and Antarctica Peninsula

Once you arrive on the west of the Antarctic Peninsula, with five full days of between 18 to 24 sunlight to spend taking in the continent, the excursions will begin in earnest. 

The experts in your expedition team, who have collectively experienced hundreds of polar expeditions, will use their knowledge to create an adaptable itinerary. They’ll curate the best options depending on the ever-changing weather and ice, as well as any opportunities to spot wildlife. 

Landings or zodiac excursions are generally attempted twice a day. Bundle up before entering a sturdy rib boat to cruise past immense ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs. You might be lucky enough to have a visitor – close encounters with seals and penguins are far from uncommon. Zodiacs will also take you from ship to land, where you can watch the goings-on of busy penguin rookeries and explore huts abandoned by explorers from bygone times.

Activities may also include treks along pebbled shorelines or up snow-strewn peaks to peer out over the ice-studded waters below. If you have booked an optional activity, such as kayaking or snorkelling, you'll get the chance to immerse yourself in the water when conditions allow. A chance to brave the polar plunge is also usually woven into the itinerary. 

As well as zodiac cruises and shore excursions, you may cruise by ship through slender straits splitting offshore islands from the mainland or stop a while in scenic bays to witness whales gorging on the krill-rich waters. This is an excellent time to head to the Bridge for far-reaching views of Antarctica in all its glory. Stop to listen and you may even hear the thunderous noise of a glacier in the distance as it calves from atop a mountain and tumbles into the sea. 

Infamous for trapping Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance vessel in its icy clutches, the Weddell Sea is a bucket-list destination for polar explorers. Its gateway is the Antarctic Sound, a petite archipelago flanking the Peninsula’s eastern side. Conditions allowing, the aim is to sail through this alley of icebergs, where these colossal structures attempt to battle their way north. Navigation can be a challenge even for the deftest of Captains, but it also makes for some astounding views.  

As for wildlife, the Weddell Sea plays host to a thriving Adelie rookery on a small volcanic island where penguins jostle for space with a large colony of Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostling and nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. As your Captain moves deftly around the sea ice, look out for the bubbling of chinstrap and gentoo penguins porpoising in the water, or the slow movement of a humpback whale gliding through the depths. 

Days 10 & 11: Returning via the Drake Passage

One last foray to the South Shetland Islands is planned on your final morning in Antarctica before you sail back over the Drake Passage with sights set on South America once again. 

Onboard, immersive lectures and film presentations will continue to educate you on Antarctica. Let your memories of the past week settle and share discussions about your awe-inspiring encounters with newfound friends. We also advise you to steal some last moments out on deck, taking in the grandeur of the Southern Ocean.  

As you near the bottom of South America, weather dependent, your Captain might even grant you a glimpse of the legendary Cape Horn – the ideal finale to your remarkable adventure. 

Day 12: Arrival in Ushuaia

As your Antarctic adventure concludes, your ship will cruise through the Beagle Channel, arriving in Ushuaia for disembarkation at around 8 am. You'll be ready to continue your journey onwards or home after bidding farewell to your fellow explorers and the dedicated onboard team.

If you plan to explore South America more, a group transfer will whisk you to Ushuaia's downtown area. Those with an afternoon flight will be taken directly to the local airport. 

We recommend scheduling any plane journeys after 12pm in case of any delays. 

PLEASE NOTE: Antarctica is a wonderful, wild destination with unpredictable weather and ice conditions; because of this, it’s not guaranteed that every departure will offer all activities, though the expedition team and Captain will certainly be trying their best.

This itinerary is for guidance only as each voyage will vary depending on ice and weather conditions, and opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is key and all part of the adventure of an expeditionary cruise.