Our journey begins in Ushuaia where we will overnight in a hotel.

Morning is free to explore Ushuaia and the surrounding area, to do some last minute shopping, stroll around Ushuaia and down to the port or maybe go for a walk in the nearby National Park. The transfer to the ship takes place in the afternoon. Once on board there is a get together for introductions to the expedition team, to learn about the ship and its layout, talk about the itinerary for the next 10 days and participate in the obligatory lifeboat drill. Departure from Ushuaia is normally around 6:00 p.m, and we set sail through the Beagle Channel in the early evening. The long days mean plenty of evening light in which to experience the beauty of the channel, and to perhaps enjoy your first wildlife sightings.

Sea conditions in the Drake Passage can vary from dead calm (known as 'Drake Lake'), to rough and stormy (known as 'Drake Shake'). As you cross the Drake Passage our team of experts is out on deck to help you spot whales and identify seabirds. There is also a program of talks, covering the wildlife, the ice, and polar history. This prepares you for your adventure to the 'White Continent'. The excitement intensifies as you cross the Antarctic Convergence, where the cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean meet the warmer waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. You feel the change as the air gets cooler. Huge icebergs loom up against the horizon in increasing numbers, and Wandering albatrosses, petrels and other birds which thrive in this cold, remote ocean are frequently seen.

We cruise among the volcanic South Shetland Islands and the waterways of the Antarctic Peninsula, travelling ashore frequently in inflatable 'Zodiac' boats. Early in the morning of Day 5 (or, on the afternoon of Day 4 depending on weather conditions) you make your first landing. The itinerary focuses on the areas with the greatest promise of wildlife, and there are many options for frequent shore excursions. A few of the places we may visit are Livingston, Half Moon and King George Islands. Admiralty Bay, on King George Island, is a favoured feeding ground for Humpback whales and, with luck, you may see them dining on krill. Nearby, around 80,000 Adelie penguins have established one of the largest rookeries, alongside Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins. At crescent-shaped Half Moon Island, a breeding colony of Chinstrap penguins shares their territory with Fur seals and Blue-eyed shags; while at Livingston Island you may observe Weddell seals, Elephant seals, skuas, Giant petrels, terns and rookeries of Chinstrap, Gentoo and Macaroni penguins.

Weather permitting, you may also enter the flooded caldera of Deception Island, a recently active volcano and one of the most perfect crater islands in the world. Steam rises in places from the black sand beaches along its shores where the cold Antarctic waters mix with the steaming, thermal waters of the bay. This is dependent on suitable tides and hot water flows. You may also observe the island's large Chinstrap penguin colony before travelling to Paradise Harbour or Hope Bay, both situated on the mainland, to see some of the most dramatic scenery the continent has to offer. Icebergs of different shapes and sizes, which are calved from glaciers, erode into natural ice sculptures, while the sheer-sid ed, flat-topped 'tabular' bergs, which break from the thick ice shelves, are impressive. If the weather is kind, you'll have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic continent. One of the uncommon species in Antarctica is the human being, and we may see some at work in research stations maintained by several different countries. The days are long, and the short nights are often preceded by a wonderful twilight. Back on board, you will be tempted to spend time deck if conditions are still, just watching and marvelling at the glory of the passing scenery.

Leaving the Antarctic Peninsula overnight our ship heads back across the Antarctic Convergence and the Drake Passage. The crossing is completed with the rounding of Cape Horn, weather permitting.

In the early morning you arrive back in Ushuaia where your voyage ends. You are transferred either to town on to the airport for your onward flight to Buenos Aires.