Ponant Cruises operates this itinerary. The company features a range of medium-sized ships designed for expedition cruises. The whole fleet is fitted with cutting-edge equipment, from the brand new Le Commandant-Charcot, their first electric hybrid polar expedition vessel, to their other 5* ships including L’Austral, Le Boreal and Le Lyrial. Ponant ensures both the safety of their passengers while respecting the areas visited through sustainable ships designed for environmental protection.
First, you will chart a course for South Georgia. It is here, in the middle of the black-sand beaches dominated by snow-covered mountains, that Sir Ernest Shackleton miraculously ran aground during the famous Endurance Odyssey in 1916. You will travel back in time to (re)discover this fabulous saga and life at this little-known time in history.
Further south, the South Orkney Islands will reveal themselves. Latitude wise, you are now above the mythical Screaming Sixties. The Scotia Arc formed a mountain range that rises on the horizon in the middle of the Antarctic Ocean. You might get the chance to call at Laurie Island, where the Orcadas research station is established in a former whaling station.
You will ultimately land on the frozen shores of the nearly inaccessible White Continent, Antarctica. White shades take on a thousand nuances as it covers the icebergs, glaciers, mountains and frozen sea all around you. You will be one of the rare few travellers to have laid eyes on this legendary land, the theatre of the greatest expeditions and the witness of the most extraordinary adventures.
Throughout your trip, our team of naturalist guides will share with you the secrets of these faraway lands inhabited by unique wildlife. Discover the vast territory of the penguins – Adelie, king, chinstrap, Gentoo, Magellanic, southern rockhopper – albatrosses, numerous species of seals, and majestic whales blowing on the horizon.
To disembark in Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego, you will have to sail along Drake Passage. At the border between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, you will enter this mythical maritime route. The wind blows, the waves crash against the stem of the ship, and the cape petrels keep you company overhead until the end of your expedition.
Unsure if this The Great Adventure itinerary is right for you? Review our Antarctica destination page for full details on seasonality, routes, ship selection, pricing, expedition inclusions and how North South Voyages can help make your Antarctica dream become reality.