Polar Pioneer, Shackleton Odyssey ex Ushuaia Return
[Ship: Polar Pioneer]
19 Night Shackleton Odyssey Cruise sailing from Ushuaia roundtrip aboard Polar Pioneer.
Duration & Cruise Type:
19 day
Package Departs::
Ushuaia, Argentina
19 Night Shackleton Odyssey Cruise sailing from Ushuaia roundtrip aboard Polar Pioneer.
This special variation on our South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula voyage retraces Shackleton's odyssey from the northern tip of the Peninsula, past Elephant Island and across the Scotia Sea to the south-western side of South Georgia.
A small band of adventurous souls will attempt to repeat Sir Ernest Shackleton crossing with favourable weather.
Day 1
We board our ship Polar Pioneer mid-afternoon, then slip away from the dock in the early evening. The cruise down the Beagle Channel provides a fine view of the mountains and beech forests of Tierra del Fuego.
Day 2
While crossing the Drake Passage, accompanied by albatross and petrels, we are busy with lectures and briefings.
Day 3
By mid-afternoon, we should have crossed the Antarctic Convergence cold water boundary to Antarctica, and hope to see our first icebergs near the South Shetland Islands.
Day 4 - 5
We make contact with penguins, seals and whales in the beautiful Gerlache Strait, using our Zodiacs to cruise among the ice or make landings.
Day 6
At the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic Sound is often choked with icebergs but this waterway provides a wildlife-rich corridor into the Weddell Sea. We begin to retrace Shackleton's path near Paulet Island.
Day 7
If the weather is kind we will land on the steep slopes of Elephant Island, the unexpected home for Shackleton's men for many months.
Day 8
We cruise among the mountainous South Orkney Islands.
Day 9
Cruising the Scotia Sea towards South Georgia.
Day 10
We enter King Haakon Bay on South Georgia, hopefully stopping for a ceremonial landing at Cave Cove where Shackleton made his first landfall after the epic open boat voyage.
Day 11 - 15
Exploring the whaling stations, bays and promontories of South Georgia. These will be busy days as we immerse ourselves in South Georgia's extraordinary wildlife diversity - at places like Salisbury Plain, St Andrews Bay and Gold Harbour, where hundreds of thousands of king penguins line the beach, or Albatross Island, where the lords of the Southern Ocean, the wandering albatross, nest among tussock grasses.
Day 16 - 17
While at sea we have time to reflect on our days on South Georgia and enjoy the delights of birdwatching from the outer decks.
Day 18
We visit the southern islands of the Falklands, bristling with nesting birds.
Day 19
We complete our lecture program during the short hop to the South American coast.
Day 20
We dock in Ushuaia after cruising back along the Beagle Channel in the early morning.
Suite features double bed in seperate room, plus fold couch that can be used as a single bed, forward and port windows, lounge and table area, fridge, TV, video player and private bathroom with shower, toilet & washbasin.
Living Room / Bedroom = 450cm x 500cm = 22.5 sqm
Bathroom = 120cm x 160cm = 1.92 sqm
Suite features double bed in a seperate room, foldout couch that can be used as a single bed, TV, video player, windows, desk, table area, fridge & private bathroom with shower, toilet & washbasin.
Living Room / Bedroom / Bathroom = 453cm x 370cm = 16.8 sqm
Bathroom = 120cm x 160cm = 1.92 sqm
Cabin features two lower bunks & one upper bunk, a desk, a small washbasin, ample storage & hanging space and portholes. Showers and toilets are very close by and are shared with other Main Deck cabins.
Total Cabin = 423cm x 241cm = 10.2 sqm
Cabin features two lower bunks, a desk, windows & private bathroom with shower, toilet & washbasin. #402 and #403 have upper and lower bunks & a couch.
Deck 4:
Bedroom / Bathroom = 411cm x 260cm = 10.7 sqm
Bathroom = 120cm x 256cm = 3 sqm
Deck 5:
Bedroom / Bathroom = 494cm x 243cm = 12 sqm
Bathroom = 110cm x 170cm = 1.9 sqm
Cabins feature two lower bunds, a desk, small washbasin, ample storage and hanging space, a couch and a porthole. Showers and toilets are very close by and are shared with other Main Deck cabins.
Total Cabin: 400cm x 245cm = 9.8 sqm