Final Frontiers: Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands Expedition - 2022

Your Antarctica expedition begins! Today you’ll fly overnight from the U.S. to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Welcome to Argentina! If you purchased your airfare from Vantage, upon arrival a Vantage representative will meet you and arrange transfer to your centrally-located hotel. Settle in and enjoy a brief orientation walk in the historic center near your hotel. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception and Dinner.

No visit to Buenos Aires would be complete without a little taste of the tango, so we have arranged for a pair of professional tango dancers to give a demonstration of Argentina’s most passionate dance. The tango is considered so intrinsic to the national character of Argentina and Uruguay, that UNESCO has designated it as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World.

Included Features:

• Afternoon orientation walk of Buenos Aires
• Professional tango presentation

On today’s city tour of Buenos Aires, you’ll see important sights such as the Plaza de Mayo, the city’s central square that is flanked by the neoclassical Catedral Metropolitana, the church home of Pope Francis; the Cabildo; and the Casa Rosada or “Pink” House, the presidential mansion. If it seems familiar, that’s because in the 1950s, Juan and Eva Perón (“Evita”) addressed the adoring crowds from its oft-photographed balcony.

You’ll also see the colorful La Boca, the old Genoese neighborhood with its vividly-painted houses. Passing Caminito, the famous tango street, you’ll see some of the famous milongas, or tango salons, and perhaps some dancers on the street practicing their footwork. After, we'll stop for Lunch at one of Buenos Aires' most famous spots, Café Tortoni. This French-style haunt is known for its riveting live tango performances.

The balance of your day is free to explore on your own. Your Cruise Director and Concierge will be happy to assist with tips, directions, and making reservations.

Included Feature:

• Half-day city tour of Buenos Aires

After breakfast, you’ll board an included flight to Ushuaia where you’ll then embark the Ocean Explorer, your home for the next 21 days.

Once on board, you’ll meet the Expedition Team. They’ll talk to you about their role during the cruise and explain how the expedition works, going over important IAATO regulations that must be observed while in Antarctica, including rules on how close we can get to the wildlife.

Tonight, gather with your fellow travelers for your first dinner onboard as the Ocean Explorer sets off for the Drake Passage.

Cross the fabled Drake Passage, which is quite literally a “rite of passage” for all Antarctic cruises. And because the Ocean Explorer is outfitted with the game-changing ULSTEIN X-BOW^® stabilization technology, your crossing is sure to be more enjoyable.

The key characteristic of Vantage’s Antarctica cruises is a strong educational element, and the Expedition Team will prepare you for the adventure to come by hosting presentations on history, geology, ornithology, marine biology, and more topics relevant to your expedition. Our team members have been traveling to polar regions for years, and their expertise and advice will undoubtedly enhance your journey. Not to mention, they’re sure to have some epic travel stories to tell you all about!

Looking for photo tips? Check the schedule (posted on your onboard interactive system) for the next photography workshop. If the seas are calm enough for you to be on deck, keep your eyes peeled for pelagic birds or whales.

During your voyage, you can also rejuvenate with luxurious spa services, by taking a dip in the hot tub or infinity pool, and hitting the gym.

Prepare to witness the most unspoiled, sublime terrain on Earth — and to cross another continent off your bucket list. In the history of humankind, only a tiny handful of people have ever set foot on Antarctica and now you’re one of them.

Since you’ll explore during the austral summer, the most temperate time of year, you’ll enjoy daily landings to venture ashore via versatile Zodiac boats and daily scenic cruisings which can be viewed best from the deck. As always, weather and ice conditions will dictate our schedule and locations for exploration.

During landings, you’ll break into small groups alongside your Expedition Team. Once on shore, they’ll survey conditions and offer guided hikes, walks, talks, and helpful information, about the region and its wildlife. You can look forward to encountering penguin rookeries, floating icebergs, paradisiacal bays and quiet, wildlife-rich sounds, international research bases, and even an active caldera!

While not an exhaustive list, possible landing sites we may explore include:

• Cuverville Island, almost fully covered in a permanent ice cap and home to delightful gentoo penguins
• Half Moon Island, a refuge for chinstrap penguins and a variety of seals
• Neko Harbor, a haven for minke and humpback whales with great glacier views
• Deception Island, a former whaling outpost with an active caldera

You’ll also have free time to explore on your own and take lots of photographs, using the knowledge you’ve gained from the Expedition Team’s lectures and your conversations with them to enhance your explorations.

While going ashore may seem more exciting and rewarding than cruising, you’ll be surprised. There’s so much to see in Antarctica, and cruising is oftentimes the best way to accomplish that, as the Ocean Explorer’s small size grants us more flexibility in where we navigate compared to other cruise lines. Look forward to getting up close to icebergs, spotting whales (humpback, mike, and orcas are most common in the austral summer), and other spontaneous and bucket-list experiences. If we’re lucky, we may witness humpback whales during a “bubble-net” feeding, in which a group of whales circles a school of fish and engages in a team effort to disorient and corral the fish into a “net” of bubbles.

You can also further enhance your expedition by joining the Expedition Team for optional polar kayaking. This is a popular option, so we encourage you to reserve your spot as early as possible.

Please note: Remember, daily life in Antarctica is determined by the elements, and we’ll adjust our landings as our adventure progresses in accordance with IAATO regulations.

Included Features:

• 5 landings led by the Expedition Team
• 5 sightseeing cruisings to various sites

Scenic Sailing:

• Every day in Antarctica includes a sailing component, and you’ll be able to see more of the continent’s landscape, as well as penguins or seals lounging on ice floes; mountains, glaciers, and other unique scenery; and icebergs in varying shapes and colors. Have a camera ready at all times!

Relax aboard your 5-star expedition ship as you head to South Georgia, whose biodiversity is so rich it is known as the “Serengeti of the Southern Ocean.” Along the way, the Expedition Team will conduct different presentations on topics relevant to your upcoming destinations. For instance, they may offer a lecture on the wildlife you may spot in South Georgia or bring you into the history of the island and its past as a hub for commercial whaling.

During the cruising, make the most of the many amenities and activities on board. Treat yourself to a relaxing treatment in the spa, a little yoga, or a workout in the fitness center. Maybe you’ll soak in the hot tub or just enjoy some unwinding downtime with a book or a movie as you prepare for the next leg of the adventure.

You’ll also want to join the Expedition Team on deck for birdwatching, perhaps spotting fulmar, petrel, or even a wandering albatross, with its 11-foot wingspan. Keep your eyes peeled for marine life — these waters frequently host southern right whales.

You’ll have three days to explore the unique history and natural splendor of South Georgia. Not only does South Georgia boast 30 million breeding birds — including 7 million penguins and 250,000 albatrosses — but at the peak of this breeding season, there is more wildlife per square foot here than anywhere else on the planet. Although South Georgia is within the Antarctic ecosystem, it is outside the limit of sea ice. The island has no permanent residents — human residents, that is.

Our schedule in South Georgia is flexible — like Antarctica, our Captain and Expedition Team will determine the best conditions for our outings. The Expedition Team will lead various excursions by Zodiac boats and on foot, taking you to observe fascinating wildlife and to admire the unspoiled scenery of hanging glaciers, cliffs, and scenic landscapes. South Georgia is also home to 2 million fur seals and 50% of the world’s population of southern elephant seals. Keep an eye out for newly-birthed seal pups alongside their mothers, plus a huge colony of king penguins and wandering albatrosses in their nesting grounds.

We’ll also make a visit to the South Georgia Museum, a whaling museum that also details the island’s maritime and natural history, as well as the 1982 Falklands War. Also featured are the Norwegian seaman’s church, former whaling stations, and the grave of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in Grytviken. Weather permitting, you might hike over part of the trail that Shackleton followed on his brave journey across rugged mountains to find help for his men.

Included Features:

• Opportunities for up to three landings led by the Expedition Team
• Visit to the South Georgia Museum

During this relaxing interlude as you cruise to the Falkland Islands, we once again invite you to take advantage of the Ocean Explorer’s amenities to refresh and restore yourself, perhaps visiting the sauna or enjoying a soothing massage in the spa. As always, lectures and talks by our Expedition Team will fill your time and further enrich your journey as you prepare to explore the Falklands.

Looking for photo tips? Check the schedule (posted on your onboard interactive system) for the next photography workshop. The Expedition Team will be on hand to deliver more lectures and other offerings.

Today you’ll arrive on East Falkland and visit the capital, Port Stanley. With a population of about 2,100, Port Stanley is home to nearly two thirds of the Falklands’ residents. It will be the focus of today’s discovery.

Given the quaint pubs, red phone booths, and fish and chips shops, you’d think you are in rural England, except for the occasional Argentinean shop or Spanish word. One Spanish word you’ll hear often is “camp,” derived from the Spanish campo meaning countryside. Here, the Falklanders say "camp" to refer to all the land outside Stanley.

Your city tour showcases some of this tiny city’s main attractions, including the Victory Green, where a mizzenmast from the SS Great Britain is displayed; the Government House; the Town Hall, which also serves as a post office, court of law, and dance hall; and the Christ Church Cathedral, the southernmost Anglican church in the world. Nearby, there is a decorative arch made of whale bones.

Included Feature:

• City tour of Port Stanley

As your ship approaches West Falkland Island, you may pass the pristine sandy beaches or sheer cliffs that are home to some of the island’s more than 200 avian species, including Cobb’s wren, Falkland skua, king cormorants, ground tyrant, pipit, royal albatrosses, and more. More than a million penguins call the Falklands home, often nesting in the green tussock grass burrows.

During your visit, the Expedition Leader will help you try to spot the five main penguin types: waddling gentoos, with their orange beaks; king penguins, the largest breed which can stand 39 inches tall; black-and-white banded Magellanic; macaronis, with their orange head feathers; and rockhoppers, with their bushy heads.

From the ship or the shore, you may spot some of the islands’ marine life, including elephant seals, the southern sea lion, orcas, South American fur seals, and a few dolphin varieties.

Please note: Where we make landfall will be determined by local conditions.

Included Feature:

• Landing and expedition on West Falkland Island (weather permitting)

As we trek north toward Buenos Aires, you’ll re-cross the Drake Passage. Take this time to share your expedition memories with your fellow travelers and members of the Expedition Team. From the bridge or observation deck, you’ll experience some excellent sailing moments as you keep lookout for the seabirds that frequent the Drake Passage, including the emblematic albatross.

This morning, the Ocean Explorer arrives in Buenos Aires. After breakfast, you’ll ride into the countryside to visit an estancia (ranch) where riders are trained to compete in professional polo matches. The elite sport of polo was introduced to Argentina in 1875, and today, the country is the world’s polo capital. After touring the estancia, you’ll learn all about the sport’s history and the breeding of polo ponies and enjoy a demonstration by some dashing professional players. After savoring an authentic Argentinean lunch, you’ll head back to Buenos Aires. Tonight, reminisce with your fellow travelers at a Farewell Dinner.

Included Feature:

• Full-day polo estancia excursion with included lunch

Flights from Buenos Aires typically depart late in the evening, so you’ve got another day to take in the wonders of the city on your own.

Later, you’ll transfer to the airport for your overnight flight home.