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Penguin and landscape

Classic Antarctica - Holiday Edition 2020

Ushuaia to Ushuaia - Example 16 Day Cruise aboard Silver Cloud
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Say Merry Christmas as never before on this classic voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula and the Falkland Islands. Spot black-browed albatross and rockhopper penguin colonies in the Falklands. Home to so much diverse wildlife, these heart-stopping landscapes en route to Antarctica are made up of frigid waters and huge rivers of ice. A team of passionate and expert professionals accompany you throughout this unforgettable adventure to Earth's final frontier.
Glacier trekkingLighthouse of Beagle Channel, UshuaiaBlue ice of AntarcticaBeautiful port of Ushuaia, ArgentinaPenguin and landscape
Highlights
  • Visit New Island, a wonderful wildlife and nature reserve
  • Marvel at spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers
  • Explore the Bleaker Island Group, recognized as an Important Bird Area
  • Discover Stanley while you stroll through its charming streets
  • Watch for whales – humpback, minke, orca, pilot, and beaked whales
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Ushuaia, Argentina | Embark

Embark Silver Cloud, settle in, and attend a mandatory safety drill before leaving port. During the afternoon be introduced to some of the important crew members and your Expedition Team. At sail away bid farewell to Tierra del Fuego and take the famous Beagle Channel heading for the South Atlantic.

Day 2: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Set sail on your initial transit and familiarize yourself with the elegant Silver Cloud and the Expedition Team members. Attend wildlife, geography, and history discussions hosted by expert naturalists and guest lecturers preparing you for the exciting adventures that lie ahead.

Day 3: New Island | West Point Island, Falkland Islands

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
During the morning visit New Island, a wildlife and nature reserve. The Zodiacs take you ashore near the island’s small settlement at Coffin Harbour. From there hike across the island to reach the rocky cliffs and a rookery where rockhopper penguins and blue-eyed shags share the same nesting area. Observe black-browed albatross going about their daily routines and perhaps even spot upland geese on your hike.

During lunch, sail in a north-easterly direction to West Point Island. Peale’s dolphins and Commerson’s dolphins with their distinctive markings can often be spotted as Silver Cloud approaches the island. Walking across rolling moorland and past gorse for slightly less than 2 miles, be observed by grass wrens, long-tailed meadowlarks, Falkland thrushes, striated caracaras, and turkey vultures, but the goal is to reach Devil’s Nose and colonies of black-browed albatross that nest side-by-side with rockhopper penguins. The winds at Devil’s Nose are usually so strong that the albatross only have to spread their wings to take off. Once back at the farm, the hospitable island owners can invite you to have tea, coffee, and homemade cakes and cookies and are always happy to answer your questions and share their stories.

Day 4: Stanley, Falkland Islands

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Stanley is the capital of the remote Falkland Islands, and although Argentine authorities have repeatedly claimed the islands as part of their country, it has a distinct British ambience. A reminder of the 1982 Falkland War between Britain and Argentina is the War Memorial. Opt to take a ‘city tour’ by bus with a local guide or stroll through the charming streets of this colorful little town, lined with quaint cottages and a variety of traditional pubs. Visit the 19th-century Anglican cathedral (the southernmost Anglican cathedral in the world) and wander through the Falkland Islands Dockyard Museum. For stamp collectors a visit to the Philatelic Bureau is a must.

Day 5: Bleaker Island | Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Bleaker Island is privately owned, with sheep and Hereford cattle grazing on its extensive greens, yet it is also an excellent site for birding. The Bleaker Island Group is recognized as an Important Bird Area and its northern part is a National Nature Reserve. Landing at Sandy Bay, not too far from Ghost Island, see Magellanic and gentoo penguins. Several colonies of southern rockhopper penguins breed at Long Gulch, and on the walk watch out for crested and striated caracaras, ruddy-headed geese, silvery and white-tufted grebes, as well as speckled and silver teal. While rock cormorants prefer Long Gulch, the imperial cormorant has its main colony in the center of the island.

During lunch the ship sails to Sea Lion Island. As the name suggests Sea Lion Island was and is home to southern sea lions, but it also holds some 95% of the Falklands southern elephant seal population. Although the breeding season ends in November, yearlings and non-breeders come ashore in late November and can be seen until April. Because of the penguins and the seal populations and the deeply shelving coastline, this island is one of the best places in the Falkland Islands to see orcas (killer whales) – there are two resident pods. While riding a Zodiac ashore or back to the Silver Cloud, Commerson’s dolphins are likely to be seen. While ashore, Cobb’s wren and tussacbirds are easily found.

Day 6: Drake Passage

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The Drake Passage has a notorious reputation for its turbulent seas due to the westerly winds and the funnelling effect of the passage. With modern navigational aids and stabilizers Silver Cloud brings you safely across these southern waters. Spend some time on deck watching the horizon and the variety of seabirds that glide in the air currents of your ship’s wake, such as the wandering albatross, Cape petrels, white-chinned petrels, and sooty shearwaters.

Day 7-13: Antarctic Peninsula

  • Ship
  • 7 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 7 Dinners
While sailing in Antarctica’s vast white wilderness, a flexible itinerary allows you  to take advantage of favorable sea and weather conditions. In the true spirit of expedition cruising, each day the Expedition Leader and Captain determines best course depending on weather, ice conditions, and wildlife you may encounter.
Here are some of the places you may visit:

Brown Bluff, Tabarin Peninsula (a 2,200-foot bluff on the Antarctic continent)
Brown Bluff is an ice-capped, 745-meter-high, flat-topped mountain with a prominent cliff of reddish-brown volcanic rock. Adelie and gentoo penguins, kelp gulls, and Cape petrels use the base of Brown Bluff as a breeding area. Birds such as the all-white snow petrel and skuas may be seen from a distance. Weddell seals may be seen basking in the sunlight near the base of a glacier.

Paulet Island
The sight of Adelie penguins covering the entire island is quite amazing. The island is home to 80-90 thousand Adelies that come here to breed. On a nearby hill is a massive colony of blue-eyed shags. Kelp gulls and snowy sheathbills are amongst the birds that also breed on Paulet Island, and Wilson’s storm petrels are regularly seen. Members of a Swedish Antarctic expedition had to over-winter on the island in 1912 after their ship was ship-wrecked. Remnants of their hut still remain and you have to walk past the hut on your way to the island's lake.

Cuverville Island, Errera Channel
The island was discovered by Gerlache’s Belgian Antarctic expedition of 1897–99, and was named for a vice admiral in the French navy. Large, bare rock areas provide nesting sites for gentoo penguins. Snow petrels and Cape petrels also may be seen, whilst Wilson’s storm petrels nest in the higher scree of the island. During Zodiac tours, hauled-out Weddell and Antarctic fur seals are quite often encountered.

Paradise Bay (on the Antarctic Peninsula)
The bay is well named for its spectacular scenery of mountains, glaciers, and icebergs. The ship reaches Argentina’s “Base Almirante Brown”, one of many Antarctic research stations. Here, actually set foot on the mainland of Antarctica. You can also view the wildlife from sea level while cruising in the Zodiacs. Apart from observing nesting shags in the cliffs there is a good chance to see crabeater seals relaxing on ice floes, and you might even locate minke whales.

Neko Harbour (on the Antarctic Peninsula)
Neko Harbour offers a visit to small penguin rookeries, a nice Zodiac cruise in search of whales, and the possibility to hike onto a glacier for spectacular views of the glaciers, the bay, and the ship. The common breeding birds are gentoo penguins, but chinstrap penguins, kelp gulls, and skuas can be seen too. Seals are often hauled-out close to the landing site.

Lemaire Channel (Between Booth Island and the Peninsula)
The Lemaire Channel (named by Adrien de Gerlache after a Belgian explorer who never came to Antarctica) was first crossed in 1898. The spectacular scenery of the steep snow-covered mountains and the tranquil waters in conjunction with the probability to see whales and seals make this one of the most memorable places during the voyage.

Port Lockroy, Goudier Island
The British built a listening station here during WWII, which was later used as a research station in the 1950s and since 1996 as a museum and gift shop and Post Office. While you are inside sending a postcard from this lonely outpost, snowy sheathbills and gentoo penguins roam outside the museum.

Port Foster, Whalers Bay (Deception Island)
Deception Island is an excellent example of a caldera that can be reached from the sea. Sail inside the caldera through a narrow entrance called Neptune’s Bellows. The Geologist might take the opportunity to explain the unique volcanic features of the area, while a historian introduces you to Deception Island’s interesting history, from whaling to scientific studies. Still visible on the island are the boilers used to make whale oil in the early 1900s.

Day 14-15: Drake Passage Return

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Navigating your return through the Drake Passage, watch for seabirds and wildlife you may have missed on the first leg down. Take this opportunity to attend additional presentations offered by the Expedition Team lecturers and to edit the many photos taken as you travel towards Ushuaia.

Day 16: Ushuaia, Argentina | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
After breakfast, disembark Silver Cloud.

Ship/Hotel

Silver Cloud

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$18,360
Rates are dynamic and fluctuate based on capacity. Contact us for a specific quote.
Select a Date
Vista Suite
240 ft² / 22m². Decks 4 and 5. Twin beds or queen-sized bed, large picture window with panoramic views, sitting area, and marble bathroom with shower.
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Veranda Suite
295 ft² / 27 m² including veranda (veranda 49 ft²/ 4.5 m²). Decks 6 and 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Some suites accommodate three guests (Suites 505-510 and 605-610). Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, sitting area, and marble bathroom with shower (some w/ tub/shower combination).
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Deluxe Veranda Suite
295 ft² / 27 m² including veranda (veranda 49 ft²/ 4.5 m²). Decks 5, 6, and 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Some suites accommodate three guests. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, sitting area, and marble bathroom with shower (some w/ tub/shower combination).
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Medallion Suite
437 ft² / 40.6 m² including veranda (veranda 81 ft² / 7.6 m²). Decks 5, 6, and 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Medallion Suites accommodate three guests. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with convertible sofa, sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with shower.
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Silver Suite
541 ft² / 50 m² including veranda (veranda 92 ft² / 8 m²). Deck 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Silver Suites accommodate three guests. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with convertible sofa, sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with shower.
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Royal Suite
736 ft² / 69m² including veranda (veranda 126 ft² / 12 m²) for one-bedroom. Two-bedroom adjoining with Veranda suite: 1,031 ft² / 96m² including veranda (veranda 175 ft² / 16.5 m²). Deck 6. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with tub & separate shower.
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Grand Suite
1,019 ft² / 95 m² including veranda (veranda 145 ft² / 14 m²) for one-bedroom. Two-bedroom adjoining with a Veranda Suite: 1,314 ft² / 122 m² including veranda (veranda 194 ft² / 18.5 m²). Deck 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Two teak verandas with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with tub & separate shower.
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Owner's Suite
One-Bedroom: 587 ft² / 55 m² including veranda (veranda: 89 ft² / 8 m²). Two-Bedroom with adjoining Vista Suite: 827 ft² / 77 m² incl. veranda (veranda: 89 ft² / 8 m²). Deck 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Large teak veranda with floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with tub & separate shower.

Notes

Please note: Fares are capacity controlled, and subject to change at any time without notice. All prices are in US dollars, cruise-only per person based on double occupancy.

A limited number of suites are available for purchase upon request on a single- or third-guest occupancy basis. 
Included
  • 15 Breakfasts, 14 Lunches, 15 Dinners
  • 15 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Personalized Service with a Butler for all Suites
  • One hour free WIFI per day for all guests. Unlimited free WIFI for guests sailing on select suite categories.
  • In-suite dining and room service
  • Guided Zodiac, land and sea tours, and shoreside activities led by the Expeditions Team
  • Onboard gratuities
  • Beverages in-suite and throughout the ship, including champagne, select wines and spirits
  • Complimentary transportation into town in most ports
  • Complimentary Parka - available only for the duration of the voyage.
  • Room Service 
Excluded
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Some champagne, premium wine and spirit selections, caviar, cigarettes and cigars are not included in your fare.
  • Meals ashore
  • Laundry or Valet services
  • Casino gaming
  • Security Surcharge 

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