Ross Sea Luxury Antarctica Cruise (26 Days)

Introduction

Expedition Ship Le Commandant-Charcot

The expedition cruise ship Le Commandant-Charcot is named after French Antarctic Explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot. It is the very first hybrid-electric Polar Class 2 (PC2) operated by our partners Ponant, and is a certified exploration cruise ship and is powered by liquefied natural gas. This ship allows access to destinations such as the Ross Sea which are rarely visited. A maximum of 270 passengers occupy 135 cabins aboard this luxurious vessel. There are 68 suites with private balconies, four impressive split-level suites equipped with Jacuzzi and private balconies. The crème de la crème is the panoramic Shipowner’s Suite with a vast private open terrace. Le Commandant-Charcot holds amenities such as a 275-passenger cinema, indoor and outdoor heated swimming pool, two restaurants, bars & panoramic lounge, hair salon, spa treatments, beauty care, library and gym.

Le Commandant-Charcot was built for expeditions and offers the ultimate Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise. All luxurious expectations are met, but expedition means activity, and these forays to nature are immense. They include sixteen Zodiac boats for landings and sea excursions, participative science with on-board research scientists, hiking, hot air balloon, Hovercraft, kayaking, snowmobiles and polar diving (special conditions apply to diving). All excursions are delivered with gusto by the finest naturalist guides.

Itinerary Map - Expedition Cruise to Charcot & Peter I Islands

Arrival and Departure Airports

Santiago, Chile or Buenos Aires, Argentina are the usual international route to access and return from this Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise. Other destinations can be arranged as required. Speak to your Totally Latin America Antarctic expert adviser to take care of your individual requirements.

The Ross Ice Shelf

Frozen Ross Sea and Mt Erebus

Penguins Sunset

Penguins on Iceberg

Killer Whale

Minke Whale

Iceberg Zodiac Ride

Antarctic Seal

Zodiac Excursion Antarctica

Albatross

Adélie Penguins

Drake Passage Iceberg

Le Commandant Charcot - Royal Cabin

Le Commandant Charcot Duplex Cabin

Antarctic Cruise Ship Le Commandant Charcot

The Ross Ice Shelf

Frozen Ross Sea and Mt Erebus

Penguins Sunset

Penguins on Iceberg

Killer Whale

Minke Whale

Iceberg Zodiac Ride

Antarctic Seal

Zodiac Excursion Antarctica

Albatross

Adélie Penguins

Drake Passage Iceberg

Le Commandant Charcot - Royal Cabin

Le Commandant Charcot Duplex Cabin

Antarctic Cruise Ship Le Commandant Charcot

• 1

  Day 1

  Ushuaia. Overnight Ushuaia

  Totally Latin America can assist your arrival to the city of Ushuaia located in Southern Argentina. Prior to your Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise there are a host of options to explore the continent. These include the wilds of Patagonia in both Chile and Argentina. Speak to your expert adviser for the best advice in pre-arrival trip options.

• 2

  Day 2

  Ushuaia Departure 18.00 hrs.

  Ushuaia city is located at the southern extremities of the Lands of Fire or Tierra del Fuego Argentina. This evening at Ushuaia, the gateway to Antarctica, we begin embarkation from 16 – 17.00 hrs. and cast off at 18.00 hrs.

• 3

  Day 3

  Crossing the Drake Passage

  Your Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise stats with a leisurely two days crossing the famous Drake Passage. Named after the 16th Century explorer Sir Francis Drake. The navigation of this body of water was the discovery of the confluence of Pacific and Antarctic Oceans on his circumnavigation of the globe 1577- 1580. On this crossing you will have time to familiarise yourself with the features and amenities of your ship. In this regard, the Expedition Leader will first present the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators rules of conduct that must be observed during landings This is an open stretch of often rough waters, but your polar class vessel is well equipped to deal with the weathers of the crossing.

• 4

  Day 4

  Crossing the Drake Passage

  Today while crossing The Drake you will be instructed on the Zodiac boat trips that will be conducted throughout your cruise. These outings are typically divided to French speakers and English speakers with separate boats. This ensures you have just one guide speaking to travellers in their native language. Typically, the numbers in the Zodiacs are from 8 – 16 maximum. Visit the theatre for insightful lectures about the history and wildlife of the region. Also just step outside to the observation deck and the guides can point you to see Cape Petrels, Albatrosses and other avian visitors overhead or whales etc. in the waters around your ship.

• 5

  Day 5

  Antarctic Circle

  One of the landmark moments of any Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise is crossing the latitude of 66°33’ South, The Antarctic Circle. The home of mother earth’s midnight sun and polar night phenomena. You will be among a select cohort of humans that have managed to venture this far south on our planet.

• 6

  Day 6

  Expedition to Charcot Island

  The key element of this Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise is the ability to explore remote places seldom seen. Charcot Island is a rare landfall for human visitors. It was discovered on January 11, 1910 by Jean-Baptiste Charcot and named after his father Jean Martin Charcot. The first land survey was conducted by a Chilean party as late as 1982, adding credence to its inaccessibility. On this largely untouched island, you can observe numerous seabirds, including petrels, Antarctic Terns and skuas.

• 7

  Day 7

  Expedition to Peter I Island

  Peter I Island was discovered by German Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in 1821. This remote island remained elusive and was next seen by Jean-Baptiste Charcot on January 14, 1910. In 1929, a Norwegian expedition led by Nils Larsen and Ola Olstad made the first landing. Your Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise cruise affords you the chance to explore this remote and rare land. It lies 275 miles from the Antarctic shelf and has been described as akin to landing on the moon. It is reported that less people have visited this remote place than have walked on the lunar landscape.

• 8

  Day 8

  Bellingshausen Sea

  Situated on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula on your voyage to the Amundsen Sea and beyond to the Ross Sea. The Bellingshausen Sea was named after the Russian admiral Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and who, in 1820, made the first confirmed sighting of mainland Antarctica. This frigid sea holds two of the largest islands in the Antarctic of Alexander Island and Thurston Island. The coastal shelfs along the Bellingshausen Sea are home to large colonies of beautiful Emperor Penguins.

• 9

  Day 9

  Bellingshausen Sea

  Full day crossing the Bellingshausen Sea. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with research specialists to learn more about the poles. There may be opportunity to participate in furthering scientific research with Ponant en route. Availability to be determined en route.

• 10

  Day 10

  At Sea Aboard Le Commandant-Charcot

  Full day at sea. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with research specialists to learn more about the poles. There may be opportunity to participate in furthering scientific research with Ponant en route. A unique highlight of this Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise.

• 11

  Day 11

  Siple Island

  This island is dominated by Mount Siple, a dormant but potentially active shield volcano rising to an altitude of 10,200 ft. Entirely covered in a thick layer of ice, the gentle slopes of this cone remain to be summited. At the foot of this icy giant, you could have the good fortune of being welcomed by a colony of Adelie penguins. Throughout, you will no doubt enjoy the magnificent nearby Thurston Glacier.

• 12

  Day 12

  At Sea Aboard Le Commandant Charcot

  Full day at sea. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with research specialists to learn more about the poles. There may be opportunity to participate in furthering scientific research with Ponant en route. Availability to be determined en route.

• 13

  Day 13

  Ruppert Coast

  This quasi-unexplored coast along Marie Byrd Land is one of the only territories in the world to have never been claimed by any country, making it a terra nullius. It was the American colonel Jacob Ruppert who made the first aerial mapping reconnaissance flight along this coast, during the second Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1933-1935). A Soviet research station was established there in 1980, before being officially abandoned in 1990.

• 14

  Day 14

  Cape Colbeck

  Cape Colbeck, which forms the north-western extremity of Marie Byrd Land, was discovered in January 1902 by the British National Antarctic Expedition. It was named in honour of Captain William Colbeck, one of the first explorers to have overwintered in Antarctica, during the Southern Cross expedition of 1899. The 1899 journey led be Anglo-Norwegian explorer Carsten Borchgrevink was acclaimed later by Roland Amundsen as being the voyage that opened the continent and made all future explorations possible. This majestic Cape Colbeck delineates the western portion of the vast bay that contains the Ross Sea, the world’s largest marine protected area. After two weeks, you are now at the midway point of this epic Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise.

• 15

  Day 15

  The Ross Sea

  The Last Ocean scientists call this deep bay that runs along the edge of Antarctica between Marie Byrd Land and Victoria Land. Since 2016, the world’s largest marine protected area has strived to maintain this last pristine marine ecosystem. The home of many noteworthy expeditions, it was discovered by James Clark Ross between 1839 and 1843. He discovered the enormous ice barrier formed by a gigantic ice shelf extending out to the open sea. One third of the world’s Adelie Penguin population lives in the area where this barrier breaks into icebergs. The perennial open waters give the penguins access to abundant food sources. Along this icy corridor you may also get the chance to observe Ross seals, one of the rarest protected species in the Antarctic.

• 16

  Day 16

  The Ross Ice Shelf

  The southern half of the Ross Sea is dominated by the largest ice shelf in the world, with a surface area of 193,363 square miles. You will be awestruck by the grandeur of this ice barrier which, far from being smooth and uniform, it comprises ridged caves, deep caverns, ledges, bays and promontories of infinitesimal icy blues. Its towering walls can reach up to 330 feet above sea level. According to Sir Ernest Shackleton, the icy caverns were gargantuan enough in magnitude to swallow Nimrod, his ship during the expedition he led to the South Pole between 1907 and 1909.

• 17

  Day 17

  At Sea Aboard Le Commandant Charcot

  Full day at sea. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with research specialists to learn more about the poles. There may be opportunity to participate in furthering scientific research with Ponant en route. Availability to be determined en route.

• 18

  Day 18

  Ruppert Coast

  This quasi-unexplored coast along Marie Byrd Land is one of the only territories in the world to have never been claimed by any country, making it a terra nullius. It was the American colonel Jacob Ruppert who made the first aerial reconnaissance flight along this coast, during the second Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1933-1935). The Soviet research facility Russkaya Station, was established there in 1980, before being officially abandoned in 1990.

• 19

  Day 19

  At Sea Aboard Le Commandant Charcot

  Full day at sea. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with research specialists to learn more about the poles. There may be opportunity to participate in furthering scientific research with Ponant en route; another unique aspect of your Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise.

• 20

  Day 20

  Burke Island

  This is a small rarely seen ice-covered island about sixteen miles long by six wide, located south-west of King Peninsula, in the Amundsen Sea. It was named after Admiral Arleigh Burke who was Chief of Naval Operations during the U.S. Navy Deep Freeze operation of 1956 to 1961. It is claimed as being part of the yet unrecognized Westarctica micro-nation.

• 21

  Day 21

  Expedition to Peter I Island

  You will then head for the legendary Peter I Island. Located 450 km away from the Atlantic coast, it was discovered in 1821 by the Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, who named it in honour of the Russian tsar Peter the Great. In 1909, Captain Charcot sighted it for the first time from aboard the Pourquoi Pas ?, but was unable to land there: “In the parting mists, one or two miles away, an enormous black mass shrouded in clouds appears suddenly before us: it is Peter I Island.” Surrounded by pack ice and with about 95% of its surface covered by ice, this volcanic island, whose highest peak reaches 1,640 metres, is protected by ice cliffs some 40 metres tall, making any approach difficult.

• 22

  Day 22

  Expedition to Peter I Island

  Peter I Island was discovered by German Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in 1821. This remote island remained elusive and was next seen by Jean-Baptiste Charcot on January 14, 1910. In 1929, a Norwegian expedition led by Nils Larsen and Ola Olstad made the first landing. Your Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise affords you the chance to explore this remote and rare land. It lies 275 miles from the Antarctic shelf and has been described as akin to landing on the moon. It is reported that less people have visited this remote place than have walked on the lunar landscape.

• 23

  Day 23

  At Sea Aboard Le Commandant Charcot

  Full day at sea. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with research specialists to learn more about the poles. There may be opportunity to participate in furthering scientific research with Ponant en route. Availability to be determined en route.

• 24

  Day 24

  Crossing the Drake Passage

  Full day at sea. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with research specialists to learn more about the poles. There may be opportunity to participate in furthering scientific research with Ponant en route. Availability to be determined en route.

• 25

  Day 25

  Crossing the Drake Passage

  See the descriptions for Day 24 for details.

• 26

  Day 26

  Ushuaia. Disembark 07.00 hrs. & Departure

  After more than three weeks discovering the white continent, we arrive at the last day of your Ross Sea luxury Antarctica Cruise. Disembarkation in Ushuaia at 7am for your onward flight to Santiago.

  Important Note: All Antarctic itineraries are subject to change without prior notice. The final itinerary will be confirmed by the Captain of the cruise ship.

  “Few people of the present day are capable of rightly appreciating this heroic deed, this brilliant proof of human courage and energy. With two ponderous craft – regular “tubs” according to our ideas – these men sailed right into the heart of the pack [ice], which all previous explorers had regarded as certain death … These men were heroes – heroes in the highest sense of the word.”– Roald Amundsen, speaking of the Ross Antarctic expedition 1839- 43.