WESTERN ANTARCTICA SEMI-CIRCUMNAVIGATION

ITINERARY SUMMARY

Swan Hellenic Minerva

Built in 2021, the SH Minerva is a 5 star elegant Scandi-design boutique ship that has been designed to journey to off the beaten path destinations and remote polar regions in style and comfort.  She will carry a maximum of 152 guest in 76 cabins.

The ship incorporates a PC5 ice-strengthened hull combined with extra-large stabilisers to make your journey as smooth as possible.  For the comfort of guests, suites have a separate living room and bedroom. All staterooms are equipped with spacious wardrobes and bathrooms.

Arrive into Argentina’s capital of Buenos Aires, known for its vibrant culture, European-influenced architecture, delicious cuisine, and lively nightlife. Enjoy one night of pre-cruise accommodation here.

Board the group charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. Nestled in the foothills of the snow-capped Martial Range, Ushuaia’s colourful streets and mismatched buildings cascade from the imposing mountains before coming to an abrupt halt at the shores of the Beagle Channel. As one of the world’s southernmost cities, Ushuaia carries its ‘end of the world’ reputation well. The moody weather and dramatic surroundings certainly help. Board your boutique ship before departing for your journey through one of the most captivating wilderness regions of the world.

Spend your day at sea enjoying your boutique 5-star ship. Treat yourself to a spa day, attend an expert-led onboard lecture or enjoy the ocean views from the deck or the comfort of our Observation Lounge.

While the South Shetlands’ proximity to Antarctica makes the ice-bound sea impassable during winter (April to October), these are the first islands to see snow melt in spring (November) and the slightly warmer temperature means that the fauna is also different from what you see in Antarctica proper. Ferns, grasses, lichens and native flora that grow here have more in common with Patagonia than they do with Antarctica.

Among captivating glaciers, majestic icebergs and snowy islands, the Antarctic Peninsula is where most visitors to the White Continent will live out their Antarctica dream. The Antarctic Peninsula, the most accessible area of the continent, hosts several scientific bases and some of the most interesting wildlife scenery, such as the extremely photogenic Lemaire Channel. Shore excursions might include Petermann Island, where among Adelie penguins, blue-eyed shags and skuas, huge, lumbering elephant seals haul out.

Spend your day at sea enjoying your boutique 5-star ship. Treat yourself to a spa day, attend an expert-led onboard lecture or enjoy the ocean views from the deck or the comfort of our Observation Lounge.

The magnitude of translucent bergs silently floating on crystal-clear seas is often broken up by the tail of a fluking whale and leopard seals resting on an ice floe. Rarely visited by ships, the ice-covered volcanic Peter I island in Bellingshausen Sea is claimed by Norway and is home to elephant seals, cape pigeons and southern fulmars. Two of the largest islands in the Antarctic – Alexander and Thurston Islands – lie past Peter I Island.

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to our library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of our on-board lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from our onboard professional photographers.

In one of the most remote areas of Antarctica, volcanic Shepard Island is an 11-mile stretch of wilderness near Grant Island off Marie Byrd Land’s unclaimed coast. It is ice-capped except along its northern, seaward side, where it is almost entirely embedded in the Getz Ice Shelf. The exposed northern shores provide sanctuary for chinstrap penguins and skuas in this remote polar refuge.

Spend your day at sea enjoying your boutique 5-star ship. Treat yourself to a spa day, attend an expert-led onboard lecture or enjoy the ocean views from the deck or the comfort of our Observation Lounge.

The Bay of Whales was Antarctica’s key natural harbor, an ice-bound inlet by the Ross Ice Shelf near Roosevelt Island and Cape Colbeck. As the southernmost navigable waters, it was the closest ship approach to the South Pole. The original bay vanished in 1987 when iceberg B-9 calved, but new embayments may form. It supported whaling and was Amundsen’s base for his 1911 South Pole triumph, 60 miles ahead of Scott.

Experience time travel first-hand as you cross the international date line. This imaginary line in the Pacific Ocean joins the South Pole to the North Pole and roughly follows 180 degrees longitude with a deviation east to the 150-degree meridian to include the Kiribati and Line Islands. Sailors celebrate the passing with the Ceremony of the Domain of the Golden Dragon. On our transpacific journey, you will lose a day as you cross the line.

One of the last untouched salt-water wilderness regions, the Ross Sea region is home to an abundance of wildlife – southern right whales, orca, emperor penguins, parakeets and elephant seals, to name a few. Antarctica’s largest Adelie penguin colony is located on the shores of the Ross Sea. This faraway place also exudes polar history – many of the expedition huts of past explorers are still perfectly preserved.

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to our library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of our on-board lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from our onboard professional photographers.

Navigating the Sub-Antarctic Islands means visiting remote UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Auckland, Campbell, Snares, Bounty and Antipodes Islands. The Southern Ocean shapes rugged volcanic landscapes, steep cliffs, fjords and glacier-carved valleys. Vast colonies of penguins, albatrosses, petrels, seals and sea lions bring vibrant life to these windswept islands, filled with the calls of millions of nesting seabirds.

Your luxury expedition cruise sadly comes to an end in Dunedin, on the South Island, the principal city of the Otago region. Set in a pretty bay that serves as a port and surrounded by bush-covered hills, the town has quirky historic appeal. One of the best-preserved Victorian and Edwardian cities in the Southern Hemisphere, Dunedin is known as the Edinburgh of New Zealand, and it’s proud of its Celtic connections. Small and eminently walkable, see elaborate civic buildings, New Zealand’s only castles, funky alleyways filled with street art, and picturesque parks. The Toitu Otago Early Settlers Museum and Otago Museum come highly recommended, as well as a visit to the Dunedin Chinese Garden.