Antarctica, So. Georgia & The Falkland Islands

*Special Offer for January and February 2010 departures—Details Below!

The legendary destinations of the Southern Ocean are all on this comprehensive expedition cruise to Antarctica, the fabled Terra Australis Incognita. Our journey aboard the deluxe 100-guest, all-suite Clelia II explores the wildlife-rich oasis of the Falkland Islands, breathtaking South Georgia Island, with its 100,000-strong colonies of penguins and legends of Shackleton, and the epic Antarctic Peninsula itself, a land of towering mountains and glacier-lined fjords. Our fleet of “go-anywhere” Zodiacs gives us fantastic access to hidden bays full of drifting icebergs, and we walk on shores amid chattering penguins while a team of expert naturalists and historians brings the breathtaking world of Antarctica to life for us.

Days 1-3
Buenos Aires, Argentina / Ushuaia

Depart the US on Day 1, arrive in Buenos Aires on Day 2. On Day 3, our group flight brings us to Ushuaia to embark aboard the luxurious Clelia II, a superb all-suite vessel that offers us the utmost in comfort.

Days 4-8
At Sea / The Falkland Islands

After a day at sea, we arrive in the Falklands, home to great concentrations of wildlife, including Magellanic penguins, nesting gentoos in their burrows, and rockhopper penguins, with their teeming cliff colonies and devil-may-care surf landings. We also visit Port Stanley, the quaint capital. On Days 7 and 8, we cross the Antarctic Convergence and watch for whales and seabirds.

Days 9-11
South Georgia Island

South Georgia is a massive and beautiful island, with more than 100 glaciers flowing across its mountains, and it is a virtual oasis for sub-Antarctic wildlife. Our Zodiacs take us to amazing places including the Salisbury Plain, with its stately king penguins numbering in the tens of thousands, and the Bay of Isles, where we find nesting sites of wandering albatross and breeding colonies of fur seals. Here also is Grytviken, the former whaling station where the legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried.

Days 12-13
Scotia Sea / South Orkney Islands

We cross the remote Scotia Sea to the South Orkneys to call at Coronation Island. In the company of British scientists from Signy Station, we visit the rookeries of penguins, snow petrels, and cape petrels that populate the islands.

Days 14-19
Antarctic Peninsula and Its Islands / At Sea

We have four fantastic days to explore this pristine wilderness, a breathtaking panorama of glaciated mountains tumbling to the sea. Our explorations include Elephant Island, where in 1916 the crew of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance was stranded. We plan to visit aptly named Paradise Bay and unique Deception Island, a sea-filled volcanic crater that our ship enters through the dramatic channel called Neptune’s Bellows. We also navigate through the awe-inspiring Lemaire Channel and cruise the expansive Neumayer Channel on the lookout for humpback, minke, and gray whales. Days 18 and 19 are at sea as we head across the famed Drake Passage to Ushuaia.

Days 20-21
Ushuaia / Disembark / Buenos Aires / US

Fly to Buenos Aires and connect with homeward flights, arriving in the US on Day 21

The Clelia II

The all-suite 100-guest Clelia II, built in Italy in 1990, was completely refurbished in 2008 to offer the utmost comfort in small ship expedition cruising in the Antarctic. Suites measure 215 square feet or more and are appointed with a sitting area or separate living room, twin or queen beds, spacious closets, and a marble-appointed bathroom. The ship has two lounges, a library with Internet access, a beauty salon, hospital, elevator serving all passenger decks, and a state-of-the-art gym, spa, and jacuzzi. The Clelia II is staffed by 60 European officers and crew. With her excellent guest-to-staff ratio, she offers an intimate ambience for expedition cruising.

Deck Plan