HIGHLIGHTS
- Follow
in the footsteps of the great Antarctic explorers: Amundsen, Byrd,
Charcot, Cook, Fiennes, Gerlache, Hillary, Mawson, Ross, Scott,
Shackleton, Stromness and Weddell
- See
snow-covered mountains, mighty glaciers and spectacular iceberg
sculptures
- Encounter
rockhopper, gentoo, macaroni, king, Adelie, Magellanic and chinstrap
penguins
- Watch
for seals, dolphins, and whales
- Identify
seabirds including albatross, shearwaters and petrels
- Visit
historic sites of the early explorers and the remains of whaling
operations
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | Adventurer Suite | Explorer Suite | View Suite | Vista Suite | Veranda Suite | Medallion Suite | Silver Suite | Grand Suite | Owner's Suite |
|---|
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | (Starting from)
Adventurer Suite | (Mid-range)
Veranda Suite | (High-end)
Owner's Suite |
|---|
ITINERARY
Day
1: Ushuaia, Argentina
At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer
to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia. It
is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego, the island at the
southernmost tip of Argentina.Although its stark physical beauty is
striking, Tierra del Fuego's historical allure is based more on its
mythical past than on rugged reality.
Day 2: Day
At Sea
Days
at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with
what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is whale
watching from the Observatory Lounge, writing home to your loved ones
or simply topping up your tan by the pool, these blue sea days are the
perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.
Day 3: West
Point Island
Located
slightly northwest of West Falkland, West Point Island is used for
sheep farming and nature observations. Peale’s dolphins and
the distinctive black and white markings of the Commerson’s
dolphin can usually be seen in the waters around West Point Island.
Rolling moorland and steep cliffs make for great photographic
opportunities, but the main attraction is the Devil’s Nose, a
cliffside colony of Black-browed Albatrosses nesting side-by-side with
feisty Rockhopper Penguins. Magellanic Penguins and Magellanic
Cormorants can also be found on the island.
Day 3: Saunders
Island
Saunders
Island is the fourth-largest of the Falkland Islands in the western
portion of the archipelago. The island’s topography is
unusual, being made up of three peninsulas linked by narrow necks, and
three big upland areas. Today the island is run as a sheep farm, but
has historical importance as the location of the first British
settlement in the Falklands. Saunders’ wildlife is also
impressively varied. It is possible to see Gentoo and King Penguins in
the open dune and sand-flat area, while Rockhopper Penguins (with the
odd pair of Macaroni Penguins in between them), Imperial Shags and
Black-browed Albatrosses frequent Mount Richards, the highest point on
the island at 457 m (1500 feet). Other key bird species are the
Black–throated Finch, Ruddy-headed Goose and Falkland Steamer
Duck.
Day 4: Stanley
Tiny
Stanley, capital of the Falklands, seems in many ways like a British
village fallen out of the sky. Many homes are painted in bright
colours, adding visual appeal to this distant outpost. Not far
offshore, the wreck of the Lady Elizabeth, is one of the many vessels
remaining as a silent testimonial to the region's frequent harsh
weather conditions. The islands, also known by their Spanish name of
Islas Malvinas, are home to arguably more tuxedo-clad inhabitants of
the penguin variety than human residents. Various species, such as
Gentoo, Magellanic and the more elusive King penguins, either live here
permanently or use the Falklands as a stopover on their migration
route. Darwin found the islands' flora and fauna fascinating - no doubt
you will, too.
Day 5-8: Day
At Sea
Days
at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with
what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is whale
watching from the Observatory Lounge, writing home to your loved ones
or simply topping up your tan by the pool, these blue sea days are the
perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.
Day 7-9:
South Georgia
South Georgia is a breathtaking destination of towering snow-covered
mountains, mighty glaciers, and low-lying grasslands that attract an
astounding concentration of wildlife. It is possible to find Southern
fur seals, Southern elephant seals and a variety of albatross species
including Black-browed, Light-mantled Sooty, Grey-headed and the
spectacular Wandering Albatross, plus thousands of King and Macaroni
Penguins. South Georgia is also linked to the early Antarctic
explorers. Captain James Cook first stepped ashore in 1775, but perhaps
more famous is Ernest Shackleton’s arrival in 1916 following
the sinking of his ship Endurance. Shackleton’s grave and the
whaling museum at Grytviken are highlights, as would be a visit to one
of the King Penguin colonies at Salisbury Plain or Gold Harbour.
Day 10-11: Day
At Sea
Day 12: Elephant
Island
Awesome glaciers flecked with pink algae can be seen approaching
Elephant Island — so named either for its elephant-like
appearance or for sightings of elephant seals here. Elephant Island is
home to several Chinstrap Penguin rookeries, as well as 2,000-year-old
moss colonies. Weddell seals and Macaroni Penguins can also be spotted.
In 1916, when Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance was crushed
in pack ice in the Weddell Sea, the crew was stranded here for more
than 4 months finding shelter under two upturned lifeboats on the spit
of land Shackleton’s men named ‘Point
Wild’. The bust of the Chilean captain Luis Pardo has been
erected here to commemorate the successful rescue in the tug Yelcho.
Day 13: Antarctic
Sound
The Antarctic Sound is a stretch of water named after the first ship to
have passed through this body of water from the Bransfield Strait to
the Weddell Sea in 1902. The Antarctic eventually sank and crew and
scientists had to spend quite some time in this area before they could
be rescued. Sites that have to do with this story - like Hope Bay or
Paulet Island - are sometimes visited. At Paulet, Hope Bay and Brown
Bluff Adelie and Gentoo Penguins breed, as do Kelp Gulls and Cape
Petrels, Snow Petrels and Skuas. The Sound’s main attractions
are the spectacular tabular icebergs that come from the Larsen Ice
Shelf further south.
Day 14-15: Antarctic
Peninsula
Remote and otherworldly, Antarctica is irresistible for its spectacular
iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of
up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins. The
Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South
America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with
explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and
eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote
wilderness. It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped
mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists
have worked. Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap
Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.
Day
16: South Shetland Islands
Some 770 kilometers (478 miles) south of Cape Horn, the South Shetland
Islands are usually the first land seen in Antarctica. Separated from
the Antarctic Peninsula by the Bransfield Strait, nine major islands
make up the group. The region was the first to be exploited by sealers
in the early 19th century, and because of its proximity to South
America, it still is the most visited by scientists and tourists.
Chinstrap, Adelie, Gentoo and Macaroni Penguins all breed here. In
addition, because it is the warmest part of the continent, large moss
beds as well as orange, black, grey and green lichens grow
–even hair grass and pearlwort manage to survive. Leopard
seals, Weddell seals, crabeater seals, Southern elephant seals and
Antarctic fur seals can be seen in the water and on the beaches.
Day 17-18: Drake
Passage
The
Drake Passage has a notorious reputation for its turbulent seas due to
the westerly winds and the funneling effect of the passage. The
Antarctic Convergence, a natural boundary where cold polar water flows
northward and warmer equatorial water moves southward, is within the
Drake Passage. When these two currents meet, nutrients are pushed to
the surface, often attracting a multitude of seabirds and whales.
Black-browed Albatross, Sooty Shearwaters and White-chinned Petrels
glide in the air currents alongside and in the wake of the ship.
Day 19: Ushuaia,
Argentina
- Disembark
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Included
one night pre cruise hotel
- Included
transfers (between airport/hotel and ship)
- Included
charter flight to/ from Ushuaia
- Included
luggage handling
- Personalised
service – the best crew-to-guest ratio in expedition cruising
- Butler
service in every suite and stateroom – all guests are
pampered equally
- Open-seating
dining options – dine when and with whomever you please
- Beverages
in-suite and throughout the ship – select wines, premium
spirits, specialty coffees and soft drinks, plus your own tailored
mini-bar
- In-suite
dining and room service – available 24 hours aboard Silver
Explorer, and from 06:00 to 23:00 aboard Silver Galapagos and Silver
Discoverer
- Enrichment
lectures by a highly qualified Expeditions Team
- Guided
Zodiac, land and sea tours, and shoreside activities led by the
Expeditions Team
- Gratuities
always included in your fare
- Unlimited
Free Wifi
- Complimentary
Parka
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
- 4
Night Pre-cruise: El Calafate Glaciers
- 3
Night Pre-cruise: Iguazu Falls
- 4
Night Pre-cruise: Mendoza Wines
