The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea (13)

Insurmountable, extreme and captivating: this is the best way to describe the Weddell Sea


Weddell Sea
POS @ A. Ullmann

The theatre of the greatest expeditions, a refuge for the rarest wildlife and an endless ice desert, the Weddell Sea promises you intense emotions during a voyage of exploration.

Duration: 14 days
Starts: Ushuaia, Argentina
Ends: Ushuaia, Argentina
Language: English Speaking Voyage

Night in Santiago + flight Santiago/Ushuaia + transfers + flight Ushuaia/Santiago


Included
Optional


During your exploration of the Weddell Sea, you will follow in the footsteps of the great polar epics like that of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Our passionate naturalists will also share the history of the gigantic tabular icebergs with you, including their birth in the heart of the immense Larsen Ice Shelf. The ice here boasts all possible shades and the white takes different forms in the surrounding reliefs. Let yourself be guided and set off on an adventure into the heart of incredible and unexpected nature. Your Captain and the expert naturalists humbly seize these opportunities to give you an experience that will remain unique.

It is a challenge and a privilege to sail upon the Weddell Sea; welcome to an extraordinary universe with compelling appeal.

Highlights
• An exploration into the almost inaccessible Weddell Sea, in search of majestic emperor penguins, amidst immaculate and dreamlike landscapes.
• Outings and shore visits in a zodiac inflatable with a reinforced team of naturalist guides.
• Conferences and information meetings on board with our passionate experts, specialists in the fauna, flora and history of the polar regions.
• Landscapes: immense glaciers, table top icebergs, immersion in the heart of the ice floes.
• Wildlife: the possibility to observe emperor, Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins; Weddell, leopard and crabeater seals; humpback and orcas.
• Many activities: kayaking, hiking or snowshoeing, polar plunge without suit. Discover all the activities in the ‘Ponant Activities’ tab.
• For your comfort, your cruise package includes an overnight in Santiago the day before embarkation, transfers and flights Santiago/Ushuaia (for details, see the ‘Included in your cruise’ tab).
*Each departure is unique. The itinerary, landings, wildlife encounters and activities are subject to weather and ice conditions.

Itinerary

@ A. Ullmann
@ A. Ullmann
@ A. Ullmann

Day 1 | Ushuaia
Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…

Days 2 - 3 | Crossing The Drake Passage
Use your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with your ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic. The Expedition Leader will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be observed during landings in the region and will explain everything you need to know about the zodiac outings. Lectures about the history and wildlife of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more about this magical region, where every cruise is a unique experience. You will experience exceptional sailing moments on board and join the naturalist-guides on your ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage..

Days 4 | North Antarctic Peninsula
Throughout your time in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. You will sail through the Antarctic Sound, named after Swedish explorer Otto Nordenskjöld’s ship, which was trapped by the ice during an important scientific expedition in 1902. The gateway to the Weddell Sea, this sound is filled with gigantic tabular icebergs and plates of sea ice drifting northward from the coastal areas of this vast sea. It is home to Adelie penguins and a great many leopard seals.

Days 5 - 10 | The Weddell Sea Exploration
Impassable, extreme and captivating: this is the best way to describe the Weddell Sea, much of which is covered by a layer of thick, densely packed ice. It is a challenge and a privilege to sail upon this sea. Polar exploration finds its full meaning here. Heading towards the South is a real quest, with the promise of highly-charged encounters with the continent’s endemic fauna. This is the kingdom of the emperor penguin, the largest penguin in the world, renowned for its elegance. Unlike other penguins that live on the rocks, the emperor nests on the ice floe which it needs for its reproductive cycle. It is therefore on the ice floe that you will be able to observe it walking around with its characteristic gait. In this southern sea, where the ice changes and is transformed constantly, there is never any monotony. The new reliefs and new colours ensure never-ending wonderment. You will sail into the heart of the immaculate ice floe, which is dislocated or densely packed, into an alley of icebergs. Among them are immense blocks of ice, tabular icebergs, that drift and illuminate the ocean with their cerulean blue haloes. Aboard, on shore, on the ice, you will be as close as possible to the colonies of Adelie penguins, Weddell seals, Mink whales, orcas, snow petrels.… With a little luck, you will get a glimpse of a rare Ross seal with its silver pelage or of emperor penguins, waddling along the edge of the ice floe. A sight that is as fascinating as it is emotional.

Day 11 - 12 | Crossing The Drake Passage
If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to connect Antarctica to South America. Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don't forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.

DAY 16 | Ushuaia
Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…

Itinerary

Day 1 | Ushuaia
Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…

Days 2 - 3 | Crossing The Drake Passage
Use your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with your ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic. The Expedition Leader will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be observed during landings in the region and will explain everything you need to know about the zodiac outings. Lectures about the history and wildlife of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more about this magical region, where every cruise is a unique experience. You will experience exceptional sailing moments on board and join the naturalist-guides on your ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage..

Days 4 | North Antarctic Peninsula
Throughout your time in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. You will sail through the Antarctic Sound, named after Swedish explorer Otto Nordenskjöld’s ship, which was trapped by the ice during an important scientific expedition in 1902. The gateway to the Weddell Sea, this sound is filled with gigantic tabular icebergs and plates of sea ice drifting northward from the coastal areas of this vast sea. It is home to Adelie penguins and a great many leopard seals.

Days 5 - 10 | The Weddell Sea Exploration
Impassable, extreme and captivating: this is the best way to describe the Weddell Sea, much of which is covered by a layer of thick, densely packed ice. It is a challenge and a privilege to sail upon this sea. Polar exploration finds its full meaning here. Heading towards the South is a real quest, with the promise of highly-charged encounters with the continent’s endemic fauna. This is the kingdom of the emperor penguin, the largest penguin in the world, renowned for its elegance. Unlike other penguins that live on the rocks, the emperor nests on the ice floe which it needs for its reproductive cycle. It is therefore on the ice floe that you will be able to observe it walking around with its characteristic gait. In this southern sea, where the ice changes and is transformed constantly, there is never any monotony. The new reliefs and new colours ensure never-ending wonderment. You will sail into the heart of the immaculate ice floe, which is dislocated or densely packed, into an alley of icebergs. Among them are immense blocks of ice, tabular icebergs, that drift and illuminate the ocean with their cerulean blue haloes. Aboard, on shore, on the ice, you will be as close as possible to the colonies of Adelie penguins, Weddell seals, Mink whales, orcas, snow petrels.… With a little luck, you will get a glimpse of a rare Ross seal with its silver pelage or of emperor penguins, waddling along the edge of the ice floe. A sight that is as fascinating as it is emotional.

Day 11 - 12 | Crossing The Drake Passage
If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to connect Antarctica to South America. Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don't forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.

DAY 16 | Ushuaia
Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…


@ A. Ullmann
@ A. Ullmann
@ A. Ullmann


INCLUSIONS

• Transfer from airport upon flight arrival.
• 1-night accommodation in a 5* hotel the night before embarkation.
• Your hotel will be confirmed few weeks before your cruise.
• Early check-in available from late morning.
• Hospitality desk at the hotel in Santiago.
• Return flight Santiago/Ushuaia/Santiago in economy class.
• Seats in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
• Meals as mentioned in the programme and beverage package.
• Transfers as mentioned in the programme.

EXCLUSIONS

• Tips for the local guide.
• Personal expenses.
• Other meals and services not mentioned in the programme.


Dates & Rates


Ship: Le Commandant Charcot | Date: 30 Oct 2025 - 12 Nov 2025 (3175)
Prestige Stateroom D6
$33,030
Prestige Stateroom D7
$35,660
Prestige Stateroom D8
$36,300
Deluxe Suite D6
$37,250
Deluxe Suite D7
$38,840
Deluxe Suite D8
$40,110
Prestige Suite D7
$50,910
Prestige Suite D8
$52,500
Grand Prestige Suite D6
$54,090
Privilege Suite D8
$57,270
Suite Duplex
$77,930
Owner´s Suite
$92,230
Ship: Le Commandant Charcot | Date: 11 Nov 2025 - 24 Nov 2025 (3176)
Prestige Stateroom D6
$30,850
Prestige Stateroom D7
$31,400
Prestige Stateroom D8
$31,950
Deluxe Suite D6
$32,750
Deluxe Suite D7
$34,110
Deluxe Suite D8
$35,190
Prestige Suite D7
$44,390
Prestige Suite D8
$45,730
Grand Prestige Suite D6
$47,090
Privilege Suite D8
$49,800
Suite Duplex
$67,380
Owner´s Suite
$92,820
Ship: Le Commandant Charcot | Date: 23 Nov 2025 - 06 Dec 2025 (3177)
Prestige Stateroom D6
$30,850
Prestige Stateroom D7
$31,400
Prestige Stateroom D8
$31,950
Deluxe Suite D6
$32,750
Deluxe Suite D7
$34,110
Deluxe Suite D8
$35,190
Prestige Suite D7
$44,390
Grand Prestige Suite D6
$47,090
Privilege Suite D8
$49,800
Suite Duplex
$67,380

* The prices are per person in US Dollars, unless expressly specified in a different currency. In that case, payment will be in US dollars at the exchange rate of the day.
** Rates are correct at the time of publication. All prices will be re-confirmed by email at the time of booking.
NOTE: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your expedition staff must allow the sea, the ice and the weather to guide route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you’ll experience on this voyage; please be aware that no specific itinerary can be guaranteed.

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