MS Fridtjof Nansen

Highlights of Antarctica

Highlights of Antarctica

Ushuaia - Antarctic Peninsula - Ushuaia - Buenos Aires - London

Day 1 Fly to Ushuaia and embark MS Fridjof Nansen

Take an early morning flight to Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world. The Martial Glacier sits north of the city, creating an impressive mountain backdrop for the ‘end of the world’. Embark the MS Fridjof Nansen and set sail. After a mandatory health and safety meeting, enjoy a welcome dinner hosted by the expedition team.

Days 2-3 Drake Passage

We cross the infamous Drake Passage, named after Sir Francis Drake who discovered it by chance in 1578 when his ship was taken south by heavy winds. Since there is no landmass at this latitude, wind and water roam freely, making it hard for ships to sail here. But don’t worry, even the ‘Drake Shake’ isn’t a big deal for the Fridjof Nansen.

It takes two days to cross the roughly 1000 km wide Drake Passage. So, you’ll have some time on your hands, which is definitely a good thing as there is plenty to do to get ready for your Antarctic adventure. The Expedition Team will start their lecture programme in the Science Centre, drawing on decades of experience to teach you how to make your visit as safe and as sustainable as possible. You will also learn about the various hands-on Citizen Science projects you can get involved in, all of which feed into live research and current science.

MS Fridtjof Nansen has much to explore as well, quite literally. Work out in the indoor or outdoor gym, or order a spa treatment in our Wellness Area. There are also three superb restaurants on board where you can enjoy delicious meals that are a treat for your eyes and your taste buds. Head out on deck from time to time to look for your first iceberg, and to spot wildlife like whales, numerous types of petrels and albatrosses.

Days 4-8 Antarctica

Welcome to Antarctica. Being here, surrounded by icy waters, glaciers and icebergs big as cathedrals will probably make you feel like you’ve landed in a completely new world. Antarctica is magnificent, mesmerising and massive. You might need to stop for a moment to be able to take it all in. That awe-inspired silence is inevitably broken though when you see the first signs of wildlife like penguins, whales or seals and enthusiastic cheers erupt spontaneously all across the ship.

Just as the icescapes of Antarctica change through its seasons, so does its wildlife. In late spring from October to November, there will be much more snow, making the landscapes seem even more pristine. This forms the backdrop of penguin courting and nest building. Whales are still few and far in between during this time, most of them still on their way and beginning to arrive in greater numbers by December and January.  Arrival of more whales marks the height of summer which is  also when the first penguin chicks hatch. Seeing the clumsy clumps of feathers run around and is always a charming sight. February and March are the peak of whale-watching opportunities, when large amounts of krill lure them to the area.

When we get here, the Expedition Team will seize every chance to take you ice-cruising and on landings to get closer to the impressive scenery and wildlife. Spotting penguins from the ship is already an experience, which becomes even more wondrous when you go ashore to see them. It’s the same if a seal or whale suddenly appears next to you when cruising in our smaller explorer boats or when kayaking as part of an optional activity. Needless to say; keep your camera close at all times. To enhance your feeling of discovery, the Expedition Team will talk expertly about fascinating subjects like the frozen continent’s history, the biology of local wildlife, and glaciology.

Possible landing sites - depending on the weather conditions

Cuverville Island - situated in the scenic Errera Channel, Cuverville Island boasts the largest known colony of Gentoo penguins. The narrow Errera Channel offers a spectacular passage to and from Cuverville as icebergs become trapped and grounded in the nearby shallows. Watching from the observation decks as our navigators weave the ship carefully between the icebergs is as exciting as being surrounded by the throngs of nesting penguins onshore.

Neko Harbour - with its Gentoo penguin colony lies nestled in Andvord Bay, surrounded by the mountains and high glacier walls of the peninsula. Named after a factory whaling ship from the early 1900s, Neko is one of the rare places in this area where you may land on the Antarctic mainland.

Paradise Bay - the harbour is paradise not only in name, but in splendour and scenery as well. Protected from the winds of the nearby Gerlache Strait, Paradise Harbour offers another rare opportunity for a mainland landing and some of the finest vistas the Peninsula has to offer. Here you can find the Argentine base Almirante Brown and the Chilean base Gonzalez Videla, as well as colonies of neighbouring penguins.

Yankee Harbour - early sealers in the area used Yankee Harbour on Greenwich Island as a frequent base of operations, its remarkable setting providing a natural safe haven for the sailors. Remnants of those early days can still be seen littering the shoreline, but the big draw for visitors here is the large colony of Gentoo penguins, whose numbers are estimated to be around 4,000 breeding pairs.

Half Moon Island - staggeringly photogenic and blessed with some of the most spectacular Antarctic scenery imaginable, Half Moon Island is a glittering gem amongst these island treasures. Its serrated and creviced cliffs are home to a large colony of chinstrap penguins, as well as Antarctic terns, kelp gulls, snowy sheathbills, Wilson’s storm petrels and several species of seals who are regular visitors to the island.

Deception Island - one of the highlights of the South Shetlands, Deception Island is a distinctive ring-shaped volcanic caldera, a portion of which has collapsed and created a navigable opening into the flooded interior. The natural harbour within includes Whalers Bay, home to an abandoned whaling station known as Hektor, as well as a derelict British base.

Days 9-10 Heading back to Ushuaia

After having explored remote and wild Antarctica over five days, we will be due to sail back for home. By this point, both your head and your heart will be filled with lifelong memories. You’ll hopefully also have captured many of these special moments on your camera. Crossing back over the Drake Passage, you’ll probably spend the next couple of days going through those pictures and the Expedition Team will also be doing the same as they recap the journey’s many experiences in the Science Centre. 

Day 11 - Disembark in Ushuaia

We arrive back in Ushuaia and disembark after breakfast. Combine your cruise with a tour of South America.