Expedition
SHMinerva - Guests
Falklands & Antarctic Peninsula
Ushuaia - Ushuaia

Embark on this adventure trip of a lifetime on board our boutique ice-class expedition ship. Our once-in-a-lifetime trip provides you with the best of an Antarctica cruise combined with visiting the island communities of The Falklands and the unique flora and fauna of The South Shetland Islands. Test your mettle as you cross the notorious Drake Passage to reach the world’s most beautiful ice-filled waters where magnificent icebergs creak and breaching minke and humpback whales swim gracefully. Breathe in the icy air on this life-changing voyage across the southern seas and capture memories in your mind that will last a lifetime.


PROMOTIONAL OFFER


Contact us for the lowest rates (too low to advertise)!

• Valid on new bookings only. Promotion can change at anytime and is subject to availability



 

 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Join our expert team of polar specialists and share in their vast experience of these icy regions
  • Marvel at the colours in this vast frozen environment as they change from glassy white to turquoise green
  • Brush up on your photography skills and mingle with thousands of breeding penguins and barking seals
  • Keep an eye for the pillar-shaped nests of black-browed albatross in the Falklands
  • Visit island communities who make their living from this fragile environment

DATES / RATES

Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
Start DateEnd DateOceanview D4Oceanview M4Balcony D5Balcony M5Balcony D6SuitePremium Suite
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
Start DateEnd Date(Starting from)
Oceanview D4
(Mid-range)
Balcony M5
(High-end)
Premium Suite


ITINERARY

USHUAIA
DAY 1
Ushuaia is the gateway to the White Continent. Found at the southernmost tip of South America in Argentinian Patagonia, the city is often described as “the End of the World”. The city’s mountain backdrop rises above the harbour and entrance to the Beagle Channel. The town itself is walkable and has a few small museums as well as pubs, restaurants and cafes - a good place to try Patagonian lamb cooked over open fire pits.

AT SEA
DAY 2
As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous.

NEW ISLAND & WEST POINT ISLAND
DAY 3
Site of bloody battles in the 1982 war, this westerly Falklands Island is now overrun with flora and fauna. Living alongside a small population who welcome you with ‘smoko’ - tea and cakes - are black-browed albatross and king cormorants who nest in the cliffs. As we drop anchor, keep an eye out for dolphins and orca whales in the water, as well as elephant seals, sea lions and five species of penguin lounging on the beaches. Black-browed albatross soar above this rugged weather-beaten island in the west of the Falklands, while Commerson’s dolphins swim below. With a sparse population of people and sheep, this inhabited island is also home to fur seals, burrowing rockhopper penguins, magellanic penguins and imperial cormorants who roost in the jagged cliffs and the striking Cliff Mountain towering above the dramatic coastal scenery. As you hike across the moss, keep an eye open for pink-petalled Felton’s flowers.

PORT STANLEY
DAY 4
Anyone familiar with Britain’s trademark red post boxes might spot a resemblance in this British outpost. Port Stanley, on East Falkland, is the tiny capital of the Falkland Islands and is small enough to get around on foot. You can visit The Historic Dockyard Museum devoted to maritime history and exploration or pop into the post office. Magellanic penguins gather in hordes at nearby Gypsy Cove, and sea lions and dolphins frolic in the harbour.

AT SEA
DAY 5
As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous.

ELEPHANT ISLAND
DAY 6
Elephant Island, named for the elephant seals that call this place home, is a harsh, glacier-covered and volcanic island on the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands. It was here that legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew from the Endurance were stranded for months in 1914. At Point Wild, his monument overlooks a colony of gentoo penguins. Chinstrap and macaroni penguins gather at Cape Lookout alongside the island’s main residents, elephant seals.

ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
DAY 7-9
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.

SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS
DAY 10
While the South Shetlands’ proximity to Antarctica makes the ice-bound sea impassable during winter (April to November), these are the first islands to see snow melt in spring (March) and the slightly warmer temperature means that the fauna is also different from what you see in Antarctica proper. As we go ashore by Zodiac, notice ferns, grasses, lichens and native flora that have more in common with Patagonia than they do with Antarctica.

AT SEA
DAY 11-12
As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous.

USHUAIA
DAY 13
Ushuaia is the gateway to the White Continent. Found at the southernmost tip of South America in Argentinian Patagonia, the city is often described as “the End of the World”. The city’s mountain backdrop rises above the harbour and entrance to the Beagle Channel. The town itself is walkable and has a few small museums as well as pubs, restaurants and cafes - a good place to try Patagonian lamb cooked over open fire pits.

(Click image to view Ship details)

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • Return flights: Buenos Aires to Ushuaia or Santiago to Ushuaia
  • One night pre-cruise hotel accommodation with breakfast
  • Transfer from the airport to the hotel on the day prior to embarkation
  • Transfer from the hotel to the port for embarkation
  • Transfer from the port to the airport on return
  • Onboard accommodation
  • All meals onboard including room service 24 hours a day
  • Coffee, tea, soft drinks & select alcoholic beverages 24 hours a day
  • Lecture programmes by our experienced expedition team and guest speakers
  • Shore excursion programme led by our expert expedition team
  • Branded Swan Hellenic expedition parka
  • Use of rubber boots for shore landings
  • Basic WIFI (Premium WIFI available)
  • Onboard gratuities & port taxes
  • *Itineraries & prices are subject to change*

 

Contact Epic Polar!
We can assist in finding you the right trip, and provide exclusive discounts not advertised on our site. Find out more by completing the form or call toll free USA 1 888 423 4535 or Mobile/WhatsApp +1 604 970 0165
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DISCLAIMER: Rates are per person and subject to change.