Classic Antarctica - M/V Ushuaia
Experience Overview
The South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula form one of the most spectacular wilderness areas on Earth. A remarkable collection of wildlife lives in the shadow of snow-capped mountains and blue icebergs; penguins, whales and a rich diversity of birdlife await you an this exploratory journey into the Great White Continent.
Travel into scenic Antarctica - explore the islands of the peninsula
Enjoy a variety of penguins - walk amongst vast penguin rookeries of gentoo, Adelie and chinstrap penguins
Incredible scenery - enjoy the freedom of being in the vast, ice-sculpted, Antarctic wilderness
Highlights
Travel into scenic Antarctica - explore the islands of the peninsula|Enjoy a variety of penguins - walk amongst vast penguin rookeries of gentoo, Adelie and chinstrap penguins|Incredible scenery - enjoy the freedom of being in the vast, ice-sculpted, Antarctic wilderness|Wildlife watching - enjoy the wildlife and views from the bridge or outer decks of your ice-strengthened vessel|Excellent Expedition staff - delight in the knowledge of your expert lecturers and guides, as they accompany you on shores
Trip Details
Product Code: 20358
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: M/V UshuaiaZodiac
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Explore Worldwide
Supplier Code: USCA
Starts: Antarctica
Finishes: Antarctica
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Unknown
Includes
- Expedition Crew
- Naturalist(s)
Accommodation
M/V UshuaiaPrice
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $8,310 ($831 /day)
Itinerary
Embark the MV Ushuaia in the afternoon and meet your expedition crew and lecture staff. After you have settled into your cabins, we sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Ushuaia
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - No
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - No
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Dinner
Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Francis Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Ushuaia
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds. As we sail cross the passage, our lecturers will be out with you on deck to help you spot the amazing variety of seabirds found in these parts, including many albatrosses which follow in our wake. The MV Ushuaia's open bridge policy allows you to join our officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures will be offered as well.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Ushuaia
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of twenty islands and islets first sighted in February 1819 by Capt. William Smith of the brig Williams. With favourable conditions in the Drake Passage, our lecturers and naturalists will accompany you ashore today as you experience your first encounter with the penguins and seals.The South Shetland Islands are a haven for wildlife;- vast penguin rookeries, beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and Southern elephant seals, make every day spent in this amazing island group unforgettable. Sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island is truly amazing.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Ushuaia
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, features colonies of nesting Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels and is also home to scientific bases of many different countries. Macaroni, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins, as well as elephant seals await you at Livingston Island, where we also hope to make a landing.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Ushuaia
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The Peninsula's remarkable history will provide you with the excitement experienced by the early explorers. You will have plenty of time to explore its amazing scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways and an incredible variety of wildlife. Apart from penguins and seabirds, you are very likely to see Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as Minke, killer (orca) and humpback whale at close range. We hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways - depending on the ice conditions - the Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel, and the Lemaire Channel. The latter, are narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Ushuaia
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
We plan to make at least two landings per day and possible landing sites may include Paradise Bay - perhaps the most aptly named place in the world ! We will also attempt a landing on the continent proper. After negotiating the iceberg-strewn waters of the Antarctic Sound, we hope to visit the bustling Adélie Penguin (over 100,000 pairs breed here) and Blue-eyed Cormorant colonies on Paulet Island. The Nordenskjöld expedition built a stone survival hut here in 1903. Today its ruins have been taken over by nesting penguins. Further exploration may take you to Melchior Island, Cuverville Island, Portal Point and Neko Harbour.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Ushuaia
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
We leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Ushuaia
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Join our lecturers and naturalists on deck, as we search for seabirds and whales and enjoy some final lectures. Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Ushuaia
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
We arrive at the port of Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark the MV Ushuaia after breakfast.
Accommodation:
- Type -
- Accommodation Name -
- Grade -
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - No
- Lunch Provided - No
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Explore Worldwide
A prominent adventure travel company with over four decades of experience, this business that offers a comprehensive array of unique and thrilling experiences worldwide. Catering to various interests, they provide small group journeys, walking and cycling trips, solo holidays, and family adventures.
In Business Since 1981
Reviews
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2017
We really enjoyed this journey to the white continent and both staff and leaders did a very good job. Unfortunately, seeking the epic experience of the last true wilderness, we ended up in a group where the majority didn't share the search for solitude and wild life. However, I would still recommend this trip to anyone that would be interested in experience the unbelievable beauty of this continent.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/16/2017
Anonymous - Traveled, June 2017
Highlights for me were: - whale watching up close - zodiac tours around icebergs - unspoilt beauty of Antarctica - not meeting other boats.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/19/2017
Anonymous - Traveled, December 2016
Highlights were the stunning scenery, the dozens of whales and the thousands of penguins. The MV Ushuaia is not a luxury cruise vessel and does not have stabilisers. Many people suffered from seasickness while we crossed the Drake Passage. Once we got to the peninsula however the seas were calm. Being amongst whales in a Zodiac was an amazing experience. We only saw 2 types of penguins but they were in extraordinary numbers and at the time of our visit , left 21 Dec, they were sitting on eggs or chicken.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/15/2017
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2017
I gave the "Explore Leader" a 10 - but it is not an actual Explore leader that runs the trip. Monika was simply fantastic. We were very lucky with a calm Drake's Passage in both directions. The landings were simply wonderful. We saw so much wildlife and the thrill of being in Antarctica remained until the last day. Every day I went to bed thinking, what could we possibly do tomorrow? The lectures across the passage were "ok." They were a bit monotonous and repetitive. But they were, of course, voluntary. I opted out on the way back and sat on the deck taking in the open seas. I highly recommend this tour and am very happy that I had the opportunity to travel to Antarctica. Now I just have to sort through over 900 photos....
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/16/2017
Download a personalized trip brochure!
Why Choose Us?
We Work for You
Our goal to make you happy! That means ensuring our travel consultants have the best product knowledge and excellent customer service. A positive customer experience is our #1 goal!
Our Products
We offer an broad selection of travel products, including all-inclusive vacation packages, pre-packaged tours, custom travel itineraries, destination weddings, and luxury vacations.
Escapes Cares
We believe in giving back. When you book with us, you are contributing to tree planting through our partners at Veritree, as well ocean conservation though Oceana Canada.
