Antarctic Explorer: In Partnership with New Scientist Discovery Tours

Upon arrival in Ushuaia, meet a representative for a transfer to the assigned pre-voyage hotel alongside fellow expeditioners. If already in the city, proceed directly to the hotel, where check-in begins at 3:00 pm. Between 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm, visit the hospitality desk in the lobby to collect luggage tags and confirm interest in the Lake Escondido pre-embarkation tour scheduled for tomorrow. The team confirms details regarding embarkation day, answers questions, and provides information on dining or purchasing last-minute items.

For arrivals after 7:00 pm, a welcome pack awaits at check-in; please visit the hospitality desk tomorrow between 8:00 am and 8:45 am.

The remainder of the day is at leisure, with all meals at personal expense.

Start the morning with breakfast and check-out. Ensure cabin luggage bears tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. Please deliver luggage to the hotel reception prior to or upon check-out; it is stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance and placement in the cabin. Keep all valuables and personal items on your person throughout the day.

For those joining the Lake Escondido tour, meet in the hotel lobby at 8:45 am. This excursion features an unforgettable panoramic drive through glacial valleys, evergreen and deciduous forests, waterfalls, and rivers within the vast Andes Mountain Range. Depart Ushuaia to the northeast of Tierra del Fuego, traveling through peat bog valleys to reach Garibaldi Pass via a winding road leading to a panoramic viewpoint. Here, marvel at views of Lake Escondido and, weather permitting, Fagnano Lake. The route descends towards the northeast to the shores of Fagnano Lake for a visit to a local ranch. After appreciating the landscape, savor a typical Fuegian Lamb barbecue. Enjoy free time before returning to Ushuaia for embarkation.

Alternatively, spend the day at leisure, meeting later at the hotel lobby or the designated point at the parking lot near the pier (details provided by ground staff) for transfer to the ship. Once onboard, settle into the cabin before attending mandatory briefings. As the ship departs, gather on deck to commence the adventure with spectacular views over Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. This evening, meet fellow expeditioners and the expedition team at a welcome dinner to celebrate the start of a thrilling adventure to Antarctica.

As you commence the Drake Passage crossing, you make the most of your time getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. The expedition team prepares you for your first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures and start your lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife and environment. 

Your wildlife experiences begin as you enjoy watching and photographing the many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels following your vessel. On sea days, you can enjoy the facilities on board the vessel including the gym, wellness center or the relaxing in one of the observation lounges.  

Nearing the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on the afternoon of day four, the excitement is palpable with everyone converging on one of the observation decks watching for your first iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once you are below the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting is likely to remain with you for a lifetime. 

Time and weather permitting, you may attempt your first landing in Antarctica by late afternoon.

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.  

Once you arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are yours to explore, and you have a host of choices available. Because you are so far south, experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.  

Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities. 

You generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. Rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts and explore some favorite spots along the peninsula.  

While ashore, aim to stretch your legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you can have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! 

In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, you may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales traveling or feeding.

This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendor. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.

Join the team in the lecture theater for presentations covering a broad range of topics to suit every interest. These lectures will cover polar science, wildlife, marine biology, glaciology, paleontology, exploration, history, photography and research including specialist New Scientist talks. Regardless of the topic, they all have one thing in common: they all aim to engage, educate, entertain and turn you into an ambassador for the planet. Plus, both on board and in the Zodiacs, the expedition crew will give you introductions to and commentary on many of the Antarctic phenomena you are experiencing. 

You can have the opportunity to participate in the unique citizen science program offered throughout the voyage. It is designed to be a hands-on, immersive and transformative experience that helps you protect the beauty of planet. Various sampling and data collection projects will be conducted on your voyage and a citizen science coordinator will be on hand to introduce and assist you. This expedition provides a unique platform to help collect high-quality data. With extended access to these remote regions and your expedition teams equipped with scientific backgrounds, you have the potential to participate and engage your passengers in citizen science projects to provide valuable data to the global scientific community. For a greater understanding, visit the world-class Citizen Science Center. Be rewarded for your thirst for knowledge with one of the best views on the ship. 

As you approach Frei Base on King George Island, it is time to farewell Antarctica and your amazing adventure before boarding your flight (approximately one hour and forty-five minutes) to Punta Arenas, Chile. There is time for reflection and discussion about what you have seen and experienced. Tell your family, friends and colleagues about your journey to this magical place, advocating for its conservation and preservation so that they might one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here. 

From Punta Arenas airport, transfer to your group hotel for an overnight stay.  

Please note: If the weather at King George Island does not allow for flights this morning, the ship operator will follow their well-established contingency plan, which can be read here.

After breakfast, bid a fond farewell to your fellow travelers as you continue your onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature (breakfast included). A transfer to the airport is included in the voyage fare.

Note: Should your flight not proceed due to local conditions, remain on the ship until it is deemed achievable to return to Punta Arenas. Refer to the terms and conditions for further details.