Antarctica small ship polar expedition cruises

Possible Itinerary

Itineraries published by expedition cruise ships are always deliberately vague and general. This is because in Antarctica, weather and ice conditions dictate the exact route, meaning that while the general areas to be visited can be planned, the precise landings cannot be known in advance. Below is the published ship itinerary, with additional GeoWorld Travel notes added in black and italics.

Day 1: End of the world, start of a journey

Your voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening. Ushuaia lies on the Beagle Channel Fault System which is a segment of the Magallanes-Fagnano Fault. This is the plate boundary between the South American and Scotia plates.

Day 2 - 3: Path of the polar explorers

Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see. The Drake Passage is the only place in the world where winds can blow uninterrupted around the entire planet. This has the effect of thermally isolating Antarctica and creating the highest average wave heights in the world.

Day 4: From Point Wild to the Weddell Sea

We will arrive early to the famous Point Wild, Elephant Island, where Shackleton’s crew made their first landing after the loss of their ship, Endurance. This inhospitable spit of land is a favourite among our guests, and if conditions permit, we will offer activities around the point before setting off for the Weddell Sea. The rocks of Elephant Island formed in an accretionary wedge at the boundary between the Scotia and Antarctic Plates. These intensely folded and faulted rocks — a mix of sedimentary, volcanic, and oceanic fragments — record the immense tectonic forces that shaped the region. Glacial erosion has since carved the island’s dramatic cliffs.

Day 5 - 8: Entering the Weddell Sea

The great Weddell Sea features massive tabular icebergs, wildly dramatic landscapes, and fascinating historical sites. It is also one of the best places in Antarctica for viewing iconic wildlife like whales, seals, and rarely seen seabirds.

We may visit the following locations, depending on local conditions:

Antarctic Sound - Antarctic Sound is nicknamed “Iceberg Alley,” as we often see enormous tabular icebergs here. Antarctic Sound, or Iceberg Alley, is where massive icebergs calved from the Weddell Sea drift northward. Here, you’ll see icebergs far larger than those along the western Antarctic Peninsula.

Brown Bluff - Possibly the most scenic location in the northern Antarctic Continent, Brown Bluff is characterized by sheer canyon walls, fallen boulders, and beautiful volcanic creations capped with ice. Brown Bluff in Antarctic Sound is a classic tuya or table mountain, formed when lava erupted beneath thick Ice Age glaciers. Its steep, straight sides and flat top showcase the dramatic interaction of volcanism and ice, with layers of basalt, volcanic ash, and fragmented glass revealing the volcano’s subglacial origin. Today, its striking cliffs rising from the coast make it a spectacular natural landmark and a textbook example of Antarctic glacial volcanism.

Herbert Sound - We will focus our attention on the visually impressive areas of Naze Peninsula and Comb Ridge. Herbert Sound lies between the northeastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and James Ross Island, a roughly circular island that is essentially a single, enormous volcano — the largest volcanic complex in Antarctica. Its volcano was active mainly during the Late Cretaceous to early Paleogene, with eruptions as recent as ~1.6 million years ago. The sound itself is shaped by glacial erosion, carving fjord-like valleys and ice cliffs between the island and the mainland. James Ross Island is also famous for its exposed sedimentary rocks, which have yielded significant dinosaur fossil discoveries at the Naze Peninsula, providing a remarkable window into Antarctica’s prehistoric past.

Devil Island - This island offers a magnificent vantage point for hikers willing to foot it to the top of the hill. Melting ice sometimes forms a waterfall dropping from the cliffs close to Cape Well-met. Devil Island lies just off the northeastern coast of James Ross Island in the Antarctic Sound. Geologically, it is a fragment of the larger James Ross Island volcano, separated by glacial erosion and fjord formation during past ice ages. The island provides an excellent view of how glacial processes can isolate parts of a once-continuous volcanic edifice, creating striking coastal landscapes.

Erebus and Terror Gulf - Here we look for new activity opportunities and may visit Vega Island, experiencing the wilderness of Antarctica in its most remote places. Vega Island, at the entrance to Erebus and Terror Gulf, combines volcanic cliffs, glacially carved ridges, and Cretaceous fossil-bearing sediments. Here, dinosaur, plant, and invertebrate fossils sit alongside basaltic lava flows, offering a dramatic glimpse into Antarctica’s fiery, icy, and prehistoric past.

Other important geological location not mentioned in the ship's itinerary include: the active volcano of Paulet Island and palaeontological paradise of Seymour Island, both locations could also be contenders for landings depending on weather and ice conditions.

Day 9 - 10: Familiar seas, familiar friends

Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

Day 11: There and back again

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.