New Year's Antarctic Circle Crossing

After a warm airport welcome and transfer to the Arakur Resort & Spa (or another premier hotel in Ushuaia), take time to relax or explore the world’s southernmost city.

In the evening, attend a briefing to meet fellow travelers and learn more about the upcoming expedition.

Spend the morning unwinding at the hotel, visiting a local museum, or browsing Ushuaia’s Argentine leather markets. In the afternoon, join the group transfer to the ship, where the Expedition Team and crew provide a warm welcome and orientation. After settling in, enjoy a safety briefing and the Captain’s welcome dinner as the journey to Antarctica begins.

Join the Polar Experts as they share their vast knowledge of Antarctica, from its enchanting wildlife to its bold history. Participate in the pioneering Citizen Science program, or sit back and take in this fabled journey while catching glimpses of rarely-seen wildlife. Keep your binoculars handy to identify the many seabirds that escort the ship as you cross the Antarctic Convergence into Antarctica’s waters and noticeably cooler temperatures.

Heading south across the Bransfield Strait, begin to see the breathtaking outline of the Antarctic Peninsula. Wildlife sightings, including penguins, whales, and fur seals, become more frequent, as do dramatic sculptural icebergs. With an extra day to explore, possibilities abound. You’ll look to visit historic sites like the huts at Damoy Point, keep an eye out for humpback whales in Wilhelmina Bay, and continue twice-daily outings until reaching the crown jewel of this expedition, hoping to enter the jaw-dropping Lemaire Channel Antarctic Circle at 66°33’S, an achievement that will put you in rare company. You’ll raise a glass of bubbly to celebrate the achievement, before heading onward toward any number of historic and rarely visited British Survey bases, after which you turn back north.

This archipelago represents the northernmost tip of Antarctica, standing proud against the relentless force of the Southern Ocean. The ice-capped peaks 
of Livingstone, Greenwich, and King George Islands offer a stunning backdrop to explore. And despite the furious elements, the islands boast a remarkable 
richness of wildlife, with numerous colonies of Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins dotting the island shores, accompanied by an array of formidable seabirds like the predatory Giant Petrels. Weather permitting, you’ll explore the eerie landscape of Deception Island, an active volcanic crater with black steaming sands and 
rusting ruins, and immerse in the history of Yankee Harbor, once a vital anchorage for sealers.

Leave this magical place and make way north, once again crossing the legendary Drake Passage. You'll have one last hurrah as you celebrate the conclusion of the expedition with a special slideshow, passenger photo contest, and a final celebratory meal together. Congratulations, explorers!

With huge smiles on weary, content faces, disembark in the morning, letting you catch a flight to Buenos Aires or stay in Ushuaia for more sights and adventure.