The voyage begins in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Starting this afternoon, embark from Tierra del Fuego and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening. 

Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you will relish some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting up sea spray. After you pass the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you find yourself in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does your surroundings change, but the marine life transforms, and the avian life undergoes a shift as well. 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 among the birds you might encounter.

Graystone peaks sketched with snow, towers of broken blue-white ice, and dramatically different wildlife below and above. You first pass the snow-capped Melchior Islands and Schollaert Channel, sailing between Brabant and Anvers Islands.

The intended route for this Antarctic adventure includes:

Danco Island– Activities here may focus on the gentoo penguins nesting on the island, in addition to the Weddell and crabeater seals that can be found nearby. 

Neko Harbour – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow, Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing that afford the closest views of the surrounding alpine peaks.

Paradise Bay – You could take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters, where there's a good chance to encounter humpback and minke whales. 

Pleneau & Petermann Islands - If the ice allows it, sail through the Lemaire Channel in search of Adelie penguins and blue-eyed shags. There is also a possibility to encounter humpback and minke whales, as well as leopard seals. 

Port Lockroy - After sailing through the Neumayer Channel, possibly get the chance to visit the former British research station- now a museum and post office- of Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. Also, be able to partake in activities around Jougla Point, meeting gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags. There are great opportunities also for kayaking and camping here, and when conditions are right, even snowshoe around the shore. 

Wilhelmina Bay & Guvernoren - This is a great place to spot humpback whales. Also, embark on a zodiac cruise ending at the ghostly wreck on Guvernoren, a whaling vessel that caught fire here in 1915. Around the Melchoir Islands, amid a frozen landscape peopled with icebergs, encounter more whales, leopard seals and crabeater seals. 

The return cruise is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, be greeted again by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But the animals seem a little more familiar to you now and you to them. 

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.

Today we are en route to South Georgia. After passing the Antarctic Convergence, which is a natural boundary formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic waters, we enter the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the bird life changes, too: A variety of albatrosses and petrels show up, along with Cape pigeons and southern fulmars. 

Aim to visit some of the world’s top king penguin rookeries. This time of year, you have a good chance of seeing these animals nesting on eggs with their chicks nearby. The rookeries are sometimes overflowing, with penguins traveling to and from the beach.

Possible visits in this region include:

Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Gold Harbour: Here, you can see the massive king penguin colony, elephant seals, and limitless fur seal pups playing in the surf.

Grytviken: You can also have the opportunity to check out this abandoned whaling station, where king penguins walk the streets, and elephant seals lie around like they own the place – because they do! You might also see the South Georgia Museum and Shackleton’s grave here.

Cooper Bay: This is a fine place for a Zodiac cruise, and this bay also houses a rookery of macaroni penguins. King penguins, pintails, and giant petrels may also appear here.

Moltke Harbour: This scenic spot in Royal Bay lets you see the vast king penguin colony.

A pleasant tailwind often accompanies the vessel through the westerlies, and on both sides of the Antarctic Convergence, you might see large numbers of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds.

Today we plan to approach Gough Island for a Zodiac cruise in Quest Bay, if the weather permits. Here you might see northern rockhopper penguins and sub-Antarctic fur seals. In previous years, it has been possible for us to circumnavigate most of Gough Island’s 33-mile circumference, taking in this area’s splendid scenery and abundant wildlife.

The remote islands of Tristan da Cunha are famed for their plentiful bird populations, including rockhopper penguins, several albatross species, petrels, skuas, terns, and many others. Your goal during this stage of your voyage is to visit the small settlement on the west side of the main island, but you might also land at Seal Bay on the south side of Tristan da Cunha or at Sandy Point on the east side.

In these stunning locations, you could encounter such exotic wildlife as yellow-nosed albatrosses and sub-Antarctic fur seals, all while exploring a rarely visited spot. You also intend to land at Nightingale Island and Inaccessible Island, which offer great views of beautiful seabirds ranging from yellow-nosed albatrosses to brown noddies.

Two days are reserved at Tristan da Cunha in case of bad weather. Still, please remember that nature determines your itineraries here: Since the beginning of the Atlantic Odyssey cruise in 1998, adverse weather led to the cancellation of 35% of Tristan da Cunha's landings. If you have to divert for safety reasons, the team will find suitable alternatives.

Seabirds and dolphins indigenous to this region often follow the vessel.

After you land at Jamestown on Saint Helena Island, you can have the opportunity to enjoy the area’s local culture, pleasant climate, and endemic bird life. You can visit Longwood House, where Napoleon died in exile; walk the 699-step Jacob’s Ladder if you’re feeling ambitious; or snorkel the shallows offshore, seeing multitudes of tropical and subtropical fish.

Today, aim to sail along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the sprawling submarine mountain range that runs about 16,000 km (10,000 miles) from the Arctic Ocean toward the southern tip of Africa. Join stargazing on the aft deck, where you can see the many highlights of the equatorial sky. Weather permitting, these celestial wonders can be seen with binoculars or the naked eye.

This dry volcanic island is a significant home for sooty terns (also known as wideawakes), whose colonies sometimes grow to over a million breeding pairs. You may get the chance to hike up to the richly vegetated summit of the island and visit the beach to watch green turtles laying eggs.

After you land at Jamestown on Saint Helena Island, you can have the opportunity to enjoy the area’s local culture, pleasant climate, and endemic bird life. You can visit Longwood House, where Napoleon died in exile; walk the 699-step Jacob’s Ladder if you’re feeling ambitious; or snorkel the shallows offshore, seeing multitudes of tropical and subtropical fish.

Disembark in Praia on Santiago Island on Cape Verde Santiago Island at 9:00 hours*. If you’re flying out on the night of April 25/ April 26, there is an additional tour in and around Praia. Here, you can visit the historic Cidade Velha and its massive hillside fortress, built to defend against English raiders. Other sights include the oldest Christian church in the tropics and the enslaved person whipping post in the main square. You can also simply explore the streets of Praia, enjoying the folk music from tavern windows.

*Disembarking passengers will have access to a few hotel rooms where you can collect your luggage and freshen up before traveling to the airport – or back to your hotel if you’re staying longer in Praia.