Overview

Few places on Earth compare with Antarctica in grandeur and wildness. It is the continent of the sublime, a place apart in nearly all respects. Here, Nature has its own clock, timed to the hatchings of penguin chicks and the inexorable light of the Austral summer. Here the eye is tuned to the flight of an albatross, the calving of a glacier, and the wondrous art that waves and wind sculpt upon the icebergs.



This superb cruise will enable you to discover the miraculous life and spectacular beauty of Antarctica. Your ship, the 100-guest, all-suite Clelia II, is one of the most luxurious small ships cruising Antarctic waters, a cocoon of elegance perfect for admiring the icebergs with engaging traveling companions. And, the ship’s guides include some of the most experienced and knowledgeable experts on Antarctica’s terrain, bird life, sea life, geology, and glaciology, who will enlighten you throughout your voyage via lectures, presentations, and on- site nature observation. You will also be joined by a stellar team of lecturers, including our study leader, Eleanor Sterling, who is Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) at the American Museum of Natural History.

As we cruise south from Ushuaia heading to the Antarctic Convergence, albatross will likely skim above the bow. Then, for five full days, we will explore the Antarctic Peninsula and its surrounding islands, where shore landings by sturdy Zodiac landing craft may include visits to 10,000-strong penguin rookeries, old whaling stations, operational research stations, and elephant seal colonies. The humpback and minke whales, Adelie penguins, and whirling Antarctic petrels—among dozens of other species—are astonishingly plentiful, and they are not shy. You will have the incredible opportunity to observe them in their natural habitat.

Seize the moment to experience Antarctica, undoubtedly one of the rarest and most astonishing travel destinations the globe has to offer. The Austral summer months on the Antarctic Peninsula are surprisingly warm, with highs in the 30s and 40s. Aboard the Clelia II, with its roster of scientists and naturalists, is the way to experience the trip of a lifetime.