Day 4

Buenos Aires/Ushuaia

After an early morning coffee at the hotel, transfer to Buenos Aires Domestic Airport for the charter flight to Tierra del Fuego and the world’s southernmost town of Ushuaia. Take a short tour before enjoying lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, board your state-of-the-art expedition ship, MV Le Boreal.

Le Boreal features sophisticated design and innovative marine technology. The vessel boasts a convenient layout, aided by three passenger elevators. She offers a singlseating dining room, al fresco dining, an outdoor heated pool and a theater, as well as a spacious gathering area and library. A full-service salon, steam room, spa and fitness center complete the amenities. On other cruises to different destinations, she carries more than 264 passengers. But on Antarctic expeditions, we limit her capacity to just 199 guests. Fewer passengers means more opportunities for shore excursions each day, an unbeatable guide-to-guest ratio of 1:12 and cabins with private balconies for every guest. A smaller vessel also provides voyages with Category I operation status in Antarctica, resulting in no limitations to the registered sites we can land on or explore. Combined with our staff and crew’s expertise on the region’s varying conditions, our expeditions are designed to be flexible and maximize your experience.

Safety is first and foremost on board. The ship features the latest communication, navigational and safety equipment, and English-speaking staff are readily available to assist and instruct on safety at all times. Le Boreal is also outfitted with a technologically advanced stabilizing system to minimize the effects of rough conditions at sea and keep passengers comfortable at all times. See Le Boreal for more details.

Day 5 & 6

Drake Passage

The southward journey toward Antarctica is an exciting one. An important trade route in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Drake Passage is a 600-mile-wide swath of water where the Southern Ocean currents are squeezed between South America’s southern tip and Antarctica’s northernmost reaches. Its stormy waters and icy conditions often made the journey around Cape Horn a difficult one, though the stabilizer-equipped and remarkably sturdy Le Boreal handles it with ease. As you travel in the comfort of your luxury cruiser, enjoy several enriching lectures on both days by leading experts on topics spanning Antarctica, from birdlife and geology to photography and history. After lunch, join your naturalists on the deck to look for various species of whales and abundant seabirds, which join other mammals in feasting on the krill-rich waters of the Drake Passage; it’s all just a taste of the wildlife you will encounter in the days to come. Later in the evening, chat with experts about the wildlife spotted today and discuss the next day’s itinerary.

Days 7 to 11

Antarctica

As the Antarctic Peninsula and its offshore islands appear on the horizon, a sense of excitement begins to build. While day-to-day itineraries depend on the weather, water and wildlife conditions, two excursions are carefully planned for each day by the captain and expedition leader. Each cruise day begins with an early breakfast. Afterward, venture out in swift and sturdy Zodiacs – guided by expert drivers and accompanied by lecturers, in groups of no more than 12 guests – to a number of sites, which may include: the penguin-filled islands in the South Shetlands of Half Moon, Penguin or Deception; islands off the continental coastline such as Cuverville, Paulet or Vortex; and, weather permitting, the fabled Antarctic Peninsula. Le Boreal also plans to sail through Paradise Bay and the Lemaire Channel, referred to as “Kodak Alley” for its stunning, camera ready vistas of towering icebergs and deep blue waters.

After a morning exploring native species and striking terrain, return to Le Boreal for lunch and perhaps some time to relax and scan the wildlife-rich waters that surround you, where you may spot everything from fin whales, humpack whales and orcas to imperial shags and the southern giant petrel. In the afternoon, set out for the day’s second excursion, which may include a visit to a working scientific research station, the remains of a turn-of-the- century whaling and sealing stations, a sheltered beach teeming with basking elephant seals or simply circumnavigating colossal icebergs that serve as floating homes to seals and penguins. Return to your cruiser to relax and chat over cocktails in the cozy, comfortable lounge and enjoy dinner in the dining room. Afterward, you may choose to recap the day’s discoveries with your naturalist guides, enjoy time on deck with fellow guests or seize the opportunity to capture photos in the stunning low-light characteristic of Antarctica’s long, ethereal twilight.

Day 12 & 13

Drake Passage

Bid farewell to wondrous Antarctica and begin your cruise back to Ushuaia. The ship’s return through the Drake Passage is an interlude for recap and reflection, with time to compare notes with your expert lecturers on the wildlife, history and geology of the White Continent. Spend time on board with new found friends in the comfortable common spaces of Le Boreal, relax in your spacious cabin and absorb the fascinating lectures by your excellent expedition team. While cruising through this historic passage, you may spot various species of whales and seabirds such as skuas and albatrosses. The latter are an especially beautiful sight to behold – these birds boast a wingspan of 11.5 feet on average, using their powerful wings to glide through the air for hours at a time in search of food.

Day 14

Ushuaia/Buenos Aires

Early this morning disembark Le Boreal and transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires International Airport. Enjoy a traditional evening dinner and tango show at Esquina Carlos Gardel before returning to the Sofitel Buenos Aires overnight.

Day 15

Buenos Aires/London

Today your journey ends as you take your memories back home with you on an overnight flight from Buenos Aires back to London.