Day 1: Ushuaia, Argentina
From Buenos Aires, transfer to the airport for your included flight to Ushuaia. Nestled in a bowl of snowcapped mountains on the banks of the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia, Argentina greets you with a tapestry of colourful houses scattered against a rim of dramatic, jagged peaks. The southernmost city on earth is often referred to as El fin del Mundo, the 'end of the world'. It is the de facto gateway to Antarctica, where you will embark Seabourn Venture for your expedition to the Great White Continent.
Days 2 & 3: Cross the Drake Passage
Your Antarctic voyage truly begins when you cross the Drake Passage, infamous for strong currents and winds. In reality, the strait is often a tranquil 'Drake Lake', barely disturbed by the ship's wake. Your Expedition Team will point out the noticeable change to Antarctic waters and identify ever-present petrels on the waves. albatrosses gliding just above the sea, and the exciting appearance of any whales or dolphins. Cruising the Scotia Sea, the anticipation is building for you and your fellow adventurers. Enjoy last-minute lectures and briefings by the knowledgeable members of your Expedition Team during another relaxing day at sea.
Days 4 - 8: The Antarctic Experience
You will never forget your first sighting of Antarctica and its islands. Regardless of weather conditions, you will find yourself spellbound by the vision of a completley unspoiled landscape of ice, rock and ink-blue sea. For the next five days, your Captain and Expedition Leader plan your itinerary, daily landings, scenic cruising and exploration operations to offer you the widest variety of experiences possible. The numbers and concentrations of wildlife thriving in Antarctica must be seen to be believed. Visits to breeding colonies of different penguin species; sightings of crabeater seals, Weddell and leopard seals basking on ice or swimming; and watching various species of whales feeding, breaching of passing in view punctuate your every waking hour. Petrels, skuas, gulls and other seabirds fill the skies. And inspiring panoramic views of mountain ranges, glaciers and sculpted icebergs lend a dreamlike quality to every hour.
For the next five days, you are priviliged to experience this truly wild place in a level of luxury previously unimagined. Antarctica has been a source of inspiration for as long as humans have been aware of its existence.
Days 9 & 10: The Scotia Sea
Cruising northeast from Antarctica through the Scotia Sea, relax from your daily adventures in the attentive care of your Seabourn Venture crew. Your Expedition Team share their knowledge in formal presentations, as well as their casual conversations over drinks and meals. They are also on deck to point birds and other sea life as you make your way toward South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Days 11 - 13: The South Georgia experience
South Georgia is one of the least-visited destinations on earth. Largely untouched and blessed with sub-Antarctic climate and nutrient-rich seas, it is a lost Eden of unspoiled wildlife habitat. It is strikingly green with vegetation and teeming with wildlife, including massive populations of king and other penguin species, fur seals, elephant seals, albatrosses, giant petrels and other seabirds. Whales, orcas and dolphins abound offshore in the most diverse marine ecosystem on eart. Your Captain and Expedition Leader plan your days in South Georgia to offer a variety of experiences, based on conditions and wildlife reports. These include visits to historic communities such as Grytviken with its memorial to Ernest Shackleton, the immense colony of king penguins on Salisbury Plain and other highlights, along with less well-known, but equally unforgettable sites. Your Expedition Team members accompany you on landings at the various sites and excursions in Zodiacs and kayaks.
Days 11 - 13: The South Georgia experience
South Georgia is one of the least-visited destinations on earth. Largely untouched and blessed with sub-Antarctic climate and nutrient-rich seas, it is a lost Eden of unspoiled wildlife habitat. It is strikingly green with vegetation and teeming with wildlife, including massive populations of king and other penguin species, fur seals, elephant seals, albatrosses, giant petrels and other seabirds. Whales, orcas and dolphins abound offshore in the most diverse marine ecosystem on eart. Your Captain and Expedition Leader plan your days in South Georgia to offer a variety of experiences, based on conditions and wildlife reports. These include visits to historic communities such as Grytviken with its memorial to Ernest Shackleton, the immense colony of king penguins on Salisbury Plain and other highlights, along with less well-known, but equally unforgettable sites. Your Expedition Team members accompany you on landings at the various sites and excursions in Zodiacs and kayaks.
Days 14 & 15: The Scotia Sea & South Atlantic Ocean
There are a lot of questions to discuss with your Expedition Team, and even more to absorb about the days to come, as you cruise northward through the Scotia Sea and South Atlantic Ocean. Don't forget to take some time to relax in the spa.
Days 16 - 18: The Falkland Islands experience
Windswept and treeless, about 300 miles east of Patagonia, the over 700 islands in the Falkland Archipelago are mostly encircled by cliffs and blanketed in rolling peat heath and dwarf shrubs, interrupted at intervals by stony peaks. Virtually all the land is used for sheep grazing, leaving the rugged shorelines for the prolific marine wildlife. Five species of penguin breed here, as well as different albatrosses, skuas, petrels, geese, some rare striated caracaras, and many land bird species. 16 species are endemic, including a flightless steamer duck. You will visit the English-style capital at Stanley, on the large island of East Falkland. But your focus will be the out islands like Saunders, the first island to be settled, the uninhabited Steeple Jason, and West Point Island, where you can visit a large colony of black-browed albatrosses and the one human couple who share their island, sheep farmers Lilly and Roddy Napier. On the shores of these islands, sea lions and fur seals gather in numbers, and off shore, southern right whales, orcas and porpoises are frequent visitors. Your Expedition Leader and Captain will choose the ones to provide the best experiences based on conditions and wildlife concentrations.
Days 19 - 21: South Atlantic Ocean
A few days spent cruising the South Atlantic Ocean are a welcome respite after your Falkland adventures. Seabourn Venture offers a hospitable, club-like environment for socialising with your shipmates, now enjoying a uniquely bonded sense of community born of shared explorations. Take to visit the spa or write your impressions of your voyage, enjoy each others company with drinks in the Expedition Lounge and over superb meals as you approach the end of your shared journey.
Day 22: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina is one of South America's most livable cities. Its broad avenues, numerous parks, monumental plazas and discrete neighbouthoods of tree-shaded streets and handsome apartment blocks give it a cosmopolitan, somewhat European flavour. Here you will disembark Seabourn Venture, filled with a myriad of memories of a spectacular voyage to the southern end of the world.
Secure your space today by calling one of our Travel Specialists on 0203 196 1000 or enquire here
