Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula Cruise

This 20-day polar expedition cruise takes you to discover the finest sites of the southern regions. This cruise is particularly suited to lovers of nature and wildlife.

You will depart from the fascinating city of Ushuaia and set course for the Falkland Islands. On the programme: observing colonies of Magellanic, gentoo, king and rockhopper penguins, and encounters with seabirds. 



You will then reach South Georgia, with its impressive glaciers and black sand beaches where large colonies of king penguins have settled. Elsehul is home to immense colonies of fur seals; in the bays of Salisbury Plain and Prion Island, you can observe wandering albatross. Fortuna Bay is inhabited by king penguins and seals. St Andrews and Gold Harbour host the largest king penguin colonies, with more than 150,000 breeding pairs living alongside elephant seals and fur seals. 



You will then reach the White Continent, a land of the unexpected. Your passage through the Weddell Sea, with its majestic tabular icebergs, signals your arrival on the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Depending on weather and ice conditions, this extreme environment where nature reigns supreme will reveal its finest secrets through numerous discoveries. Paulet Island with its many Adélie penguins, as well as Brown Bluff, located in the Antarctic Sound.

Each day, whether ashore, aboard your ship, or during a Zodiac outing, you will move through a grandiose setting of icebergs, pack ice and millennia-old glaciers, teeming with extraordinary wildlife. On board, naturalist guides host engaging lectures.
 

Plancius was fully refitted in 2009 to sail in polar regions. It can accommodate 114 passengers, complies with SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) regulations, holds an ice-class rating, and is registered with Lloyd's under Dutch flag. An expedition vessel, Plancius is equipped with a double gangway allowing smooth boarding of its fleet of 10 Zodiacs.

Life on board is convivial. The bar and observation lounge are open at all times. The observation lounge and outer decks offer unobstructed views of the surroundings, and access to the bridge is permitted at any time. The ship's small size allows for great flexibility in organising the days. During the voyage, lectures on polar-related subjects (wildlife, ice, history, geology, etc.) are held on board.

Sea kayaking has become an increasingly popular activity in Antarctica, available at most landing sites across the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland Islands and South Georgia.
Gliding across calm waters to admire the beauty of Antarctica, navigating among icebergs, and watching penguins, seals and perhaps whales swimming around your kayak is an unforgettable experience. Kayaking in polar regions depends heavily on weather conditions. Offered on a select number of departures and led by naturalist guides, this activity nevertheless requires a certain level of experience.