Antarctica, Weddell Sea & South Georgia

Arrive independently to the Chilean capital of Santiago and join your transfer to your 5* hotel for your included overnight stay. Enjoy some free time this afternoon to explore the city before joining your fellow passengers for dinner.

After breakfast on day 2 you will take your transfer to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia in southern Argentina where upon arrival you will transfer to the port to board your luxury expedition vessel. Settle into your beautiful stateroom and watch as we sail into the scenic Beagle Channel and begin our journey to Antarctica.

The next two days will be spent at sea sailing towards Antarctica and into the legendary Drake Passage. These days can be spent relaxing in your comfortable surroundings, availing of the luxury onboard facilities, and enjoying some time on deck searching for whale and seabird sightings including albatrosses and cape petrels.

Your informative and entertaining lecture programme will begin, covering everything from Antarctic wildlife and geology to historical polar explorations, and there will be briefings around the strict IAATO rules that must be adhered to during your visit to the natural wonderland of Antarctica. There will also be briefings for the Zodiac (small inflatable boat) excursions, and as the icebergs begin to appear on the horizon and we reach the awe-inspiring Antarctic continent the excitement will build even more!

Welcome to the wild and remote Weddell Sea area, where we will spend our time winding through a labyrinth of dense ice floes and majestic table-top icebergs to discover a landscape like no other. Explore around in search of fur seals and the iconic Weddell seals, wandering albatross and lots of penguins, whilst being surrounded by huge ice platforms at every turn. An unforgettable experience!

As with all Polar expeditions, your time in Antarctica will be flexible and dependent on weather and ice conditions, with your experienced captain and crew choosing the best course each day for thrilling adventures and unforgettable experiences.

We now make our way towards the spectacular Antarctic Sound area north of the Antarctic Peninsula. The Antarctic Sound is known as the gateway to the Weddell Sea and it is a wildlife haven which is home to bountiful Adelie penguins and leopard seals, and is filled with gigantic tabular icebergs and plates of sea ice drifting northward.

Your next insight to Antarctica will be in the often mist-shrouded South Shetland Islands. Today the plan will be to land at some of the South Shetland’s isolated volcanic islands to discover their unique landscapes, important scientific research stations, and a large number of animal species including crabeater, elephant and Weddell seals, chinstrap penguins, Antarctic terns and giant petrels.

More than 85% glaciated, these remote mountainous islands are hidden in the Southern Ocean, some 600 km from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The archipelago is composed of four main islands: Coronation Island, Signy Island, Powell Island and Laurie Island. Discovered in 1821 by seal hunters, they were also explored in 1823 by the British navigator James Weddell, who gave them their current name. Despite the ravages caused by whale and seal hunting, today a sizeable leopard seal population can be found there, along with chinstrap penguins and snow petrels. Laurie Island is home to an old scientific station that is still in operation. 

We will now set sail for wondrous South Georgia, spending approximately 2 days at sea. This is the ideal time to sit back, relax and enjoy the unforgettable comforts of Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research and discover what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.

Aboard your ship, discover South Georgia, a region formed by an underwater mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula. All the wildlife of the Far South can be found there: king and Gentoo penguins, elephant seals, fur seals… You might get the chance to discover the majestic glaciers of Gold Harbour and the vast plains of Fortuna Bay. If you are fortunate enough to land at Salisbury Plain, you can expect a wonderful spectacle: more than 300,000 king penguins, which you will recognise by the bright orange mark on their head and neck, have taken up residence there.

As your wonderful journey reaches its conclusion, it's time to head back to South America as we make our way to Montevideo, Uruguay's vibrant capital city. Take time to relax and reflect on the countless adventures you will have had, join a photo workshop to collate and perfect the many pictures you will have no doubt taken on your journey, participate in the final lectures and presentations, or simply put your feet up and take a well earned rest.

Upon arrival in beautiful Montevideo, you will disembark and transfer either to the airport or to a downtown location should you wish to extend your stay and discover more of this enchanting country.