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Antarctica - Discovery and Learning Voyage | Hondius

11 Days
From AUD 11,396

STYLE: Small Ship Expedition Cruise 

Trip Code: ACOWAD11

DIFFICULTY RATING: 2 (Light adventure)

Start: Ushuaia, Argentina

Finish: Ushuaia, Argentina

SHIP: Hondius

DestinationDestination

Antarctic Peninsula

DestinationDeparture Date

22/01/2025, 17/11/2025, 08/01/2026, 18/01/2026

MealsMeals

All Meals On board the Ship including snacks, coffee and tea

TransportTransport

Group Transfers On Disembarkation To The Airport 

TransportAccommodation

Cabin on board a ship



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Included SightseeingIncluded Sightseeing

Daily Antarctica Excursions in location, Zodiac Cruising, On board Expert Lectures & Briefings by the Experienced Expedition Team

 

NOTE: Itinerary is subject to change depending on weather & ice conditions 

OVERVIEW

This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins. 

 

*Rates are subject to currency fluctuation and availability at the time of booking. Please contact us for the latest pricing and availability. 

ITINERARY

Embarkation in Ushuaia

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.

Crossing The Drake - Day 2 & 3

Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you enjoy 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 passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. 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.

Antarctica - Day 4 to 7

Gray stone 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. Sites you may visit include:

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 may be able to take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters, where there’s a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales.

South Shetland Islands

The volcanic islands of the South Shetlands are windswept and often cloaked in mist, but they do offer subtle pleasures: There’s a wide variety of flora (mosses, lichens, flowering grasses) and no small amount of fauna (gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels). In Deception Island, the ship plunges through Neptune’s Bellows and into the flooded caldera. Here you find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, and thousands of cape petrels – along with kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns. A good hike is a possibility in this fascinating and desolate volcanic landscape.

As an alternative, you may be able to engage in activities near Half Moon Island. Here chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals often haul out onto the beach near Cámara Base, an Argentine scientific research station. Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.

At Sea - Drake Passage - Day 9 & 10

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.

Disembarkation in Ushuaia

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.

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Hondius

Hondius

Hondius offers the best of both worlds - Hotel comfort and expedition class. It is of the few vessels to be built to class “LR PC6”, meeting the latest and highest demands of Lloyd’s Register for “Polar Class 6” vessels, the highest Polar Class notation for ice-strengthened vessels. The vessel will also fully comply with the mandatory requirements of the Polar code, adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), for safe ship operation and the protection of the Polar environment.

Hondius is one of the strongest ice-strengthened vessel in the Polar Regions and is equipped with stabilizers, and very suitable for advanced, innovative exploratory quality voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions.

The expert expedition team onboard will do their best to ensue you see a range of wildlife and terrain when the opportunities present themselves. You will have 70 crew and staff members (including expedition and hotel staff) at your service while on board, ensuring that what little time you do spend on the ship you will spend comfortably entertained.
 

The ship takes up to 170 passengers and offers a range of high quality accommodation, a large observation lounge and separate, dedicated lecture room. The vessel is elegantly designed, but has a distinctive informal and cozy atmosphere onboard. 

 

Ice Class: Length: 107.6 meters
Breadth: 17.6 metersMax
Draft: Cruising
Speed: 15 knots
Electricity: Passenger
Capacity:
174

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Accommodation

We believe that appropriate accommodation should add to the authentic travel experience, as well as providing utmost enjoyment. For that reason our accommodation is scrutinised by our staff on the ground frequently, ensuring the properties adhere to our high standards. This key will help you understand the levels of accommodation available on this tour.

Standard

Comfortable properties with dependable facilities and service.

Superior

Comfortable properties with dependable facilities and service.

Deluxe

Luxurious properties with impeccable facilities and service.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Optional Activities vary for each itinerary. Limited spaces available. Contact your Destination Specialist for pricing & availability.

Hiking

Hiking excursions are among the most popular options in Antarctica as many itineraries are short and suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. Guided hikes lead you to amazing vantage points and allow even closer interaction with local wildlife, so don’t forget to pack your camera!

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Pricing per person & date

Antarctica - Discovery and Learning Voyage | Hondius from AUD 11,396
Departing Ending Duration
22 Jan 202501 Feb 202511
17 Nov 202527 Nov 202511
08 Jan 202618 Jan 202611
18 Jan 202628 Jan 202611

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Important Information

  • Prices are based on per person, and may be based on quad/triple/twin share.

    Prices are correct at time of publishing but are subject to change at any time. 

    Itinerary is subject to change depending on weather and ice conditions.

  • INCLUSIONS

    Cabin Accommodation on board MV Hondius
    All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea
    All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac
    Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff
    Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes
    Group departure transfers in Ushuaia (directly after disembarkation)
    All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme
    Comprehensive pre-departure material

     

    EXCLUSIONS

    Airfares to/from disembarkation city 
    Visa & passport fees (if applicable)
    Travel insurance
    Beverages (other than tea & coffee)
    Meals ashore
    Personal expenses such as laundry, bar, & on-board communication
    Gratuities for the crew (guidelines will be provided)
    Pre and post land arrangements 
    Government arrival or departure taxes (if applicable)
    Additional optional activities

     

  • 2 (Light adventure)
  • Subject to availability upon request. No single supplement will apply if willing to share in selected cabins. Please contact us for more details. 

  • Departure Date, Fuel Surcharges, Cabin Category, Currency Fluctuations, Seasonality & Availability.