Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica
Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species!
Description
Highlights
Prices
Price start from :
$
9,450
Contact Us
calendar-img01 February 2025 - 20 Feb 2025
clock-img20 Days/19 Nights
route-imgUshuaia - Ushuaia
m/v Hondius
Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica - gallery 0
Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica - gallery 1
Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica - gallery 2
Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica - gallery 3
Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica - gallery 4
A cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia & the Antarctic Peninsula. Visit some of the most beautiful arrays of wildlife on Earth. This journey will introduce you to at least 6 species of penguin and a whole lot of Antarctic fur seals!
Description

Note: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availabilities, permissions, and environmental concerns per AECO regulations.

You start your expedition from Puerto Madryn in the afternoon, heading towards the Falkland Islands. Golfo Nuevo is known for its visiting southern right whales, so you might spot one as you sail towards the open ocean.

Sea life, sea birds

Though you’re now at sea, there’s rarely a lonely moment here. Several species of bird follow the vessel southeast, such as albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters, and diving petrels.

Finding the Falklands

The Falkland Islands offer an abundance of wildlife that is easily approachable, though caution is always advised. These islands are largely unknown gems, the site of a 1982 war between the UK and Argentina. Not only do various species of bird live here, but chances are great you’ll see both Peale’s dolphins and Commerson’s dolphins in the surrounding waters.

During this segment of the cruise, you may visit the following sites:

  • Steeple Jason – Home to the world’s largest black-browed albatross colony (roughly 113,000), Steeple Jason is a wild and rarely visited island buffeted by wind and waves. Weather and swell conditions dictate the journey here.
  • Carcass Island – Despite its name, this island is pleasantly rodent-free and hence bounteous with birdlife and many endemic species. Anything from breeding Magellanic penguins and gentoos to numerous waders and passerine birds (including Cobb’s wrens and tussock-birds) live here.
  • Saunders Island – On Saunders Island you can see the black-browed albatross and its sometimes-clumsy landings, along with breeding imperial shags and rockhopper penguins. King penguins, Magellanic penguins, and gentoos are also found here.

The seat of Falklands culture

The capital of the Falklands and center of its culture, Port Stanley has some Victorian-era charm: colorful houses, well-tended gardens, and English-style pubs are all to be found here. You can also see several century-old clipper ships nearby, silent witnesses to the hardships of 19th century sailors. The small but interesting museum is also worth a visit, covering the early days of settlement up to the Falklands War. Approximately 2,100 people live in Port Stanley. Admission to the museum is included.

Once more to the sea

En route to South Georgia, you now cross the Antarctic Convergence. The temperature cools considerably within the space of a few hours, and nutritious water rises to the surface of the sea due to colliding water columns. This phenomenon attracts a multitude of seabirds near the ship, including several species of albatross, shearwaters, petrels, prions, and skuas.

South Georgia journey

Today you arrive at the first South Georgia activity site. Please keep in mind that weather conditions in this area can be challenging, largely dictating the program.

Sites you might visit include:

  • Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Gold Harbour – These sites not only house the three largest king penguin colonies in South Georgia, they’re also three of the world’s largest breeding beaches for southern elephant seals. Only during this time of year do they peak in their breeding cycle. Watch the four-ton bulls keep a constant vigil (and occasionally fight) over territories where dozens of females have just given birth or are about to deliver. You can also see a substantial number of Antarctic fur seals here during the breeding season (December – January).
  • Fortuna Bay – A beautiful outwash plain from Fortuna Glacier is home to a large number of king penguins and seals. Here you may also have the chance to follow the final leg of Shackleton’s route to the abandoned whaling village of Stromness. This path cuts across the mountain pass beyond Shackleton’s Waterfall, and as the terrain is partly swampy, be prepared to cross a few small streams.
  • Grytviken – In this abandoned whaling station, king penguins walk the streets and elephant seals lie around like they own the place – because they basically do. Here you might be able to see the South Georgia Museum as well as Shackleton’s grave.

In the afternoon of day 11 and depending on the conditions, we will start sailing southwards in the direction of the South Orkney Islands.

Southward bound

There may be sea ice on this route, and at the edge of the ice some south polar skuas and snow petrels could join the other seabirds trailing the vessel south.

The scenic vistas of South Orkney

Depending on the conditions, you might visit Orcadas Base, an Argentine scientific station on Laurie Island in the South Orkney archipelago. The personnel here will happily show you their facility, where you can enjoy expansive views of the surrounding glaciers. If a visit isn’t possible, you may instead land at Signy Island’s Shingle Cove.

Entering the Antarctic

Enormous icebergs and a fair chance of fin whale sightings ensure there’s never a dull moment on this last sea cruise south. Also, your best chance to spot Antarctic petrels is here. Depending on conditions, we aim to begin activities the afternoon of day 15.

Awe-inspiring Antarctica

If the ice conditions permit, you now sail into the Weddell Sea. Here colossal tabular icebergs herald your arrival to the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Paulet Island, with its large population of Adélie penguins, is a possible stop. You might also visit Brown Bluff, located in the ice-clogged Antarctic Sound, where you could get the chance to set foot on the Antarctic Continent itself.

If conditions aren’t favorable to enter the Weddell Sea from the east, the ship will set course for Elephant Island and head into the Bransfield Strait, between the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.

The volcanic islands of the South Shetlands are windswept and often cloaked in mist, but they nonetheless offer many subtle pleasures. A wide variety of flora (mosses, lichens, flowering grasses) and fauna (gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels) live here.

On Half Moon Island, Chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals often haul out onto the beach near Cámara Base, an Argentine scientific research station.

On Deception Island, the ship plunges through Neptune’s Bellows and into the flooded caldera. Here you can find an abandoned whaling station, and thousands of cape petrels. A number of kelp gulls, brown skuas, south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns can be spotted too. Wilson’s storm petrels and black-bellied storm petrels also nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay. As an alternative, you can take part in activities near Telefon Bay, further inside the caldera.

This extended cruise gives you the chance to sail even farther down the icy coast of the western Antarctic Peninsula. There are several opportunities for great landings where you might set foot on the Antarctic Continent, surrounded by an epic landscape of alpine peaks and mammoth glaciers calving at sea level. Gentoo penguins, leopard seals, Weddell seals, humpback whales, and minke whales are often seen here.

The breathtaking scenery continues in the Bransfield Straight and, if conditions allow further South in the Gerlache Strait. Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.

Familiar seas, familiar friends

Your return cruise is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

Earth’s southernmost city

You arrive and disembark in Ushuaia, commonly held to be the world’s most southern city. It is located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, nicknamed the “End of the World.” But despite this stopping point, the wealth of memories you’ve made on your Antarctic expedition will travel with you wherever your next adventure lies.

Cabins and Pricing
Ship Information
Quadruple Porthole
More Details
Quadruple Porthole
2 upper & lower berths
Shower
Shower
Tv
Tv
Desk
Desk
Hair Dryer
Hair Dryer
Deposit Box
Deposit Box
Family
Family
Complete Cabin
person-fill person-fill person-fill person-fill
USD
 63000
USD
37800
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sold out!
Sharing Cabin
person-fill person-fill person-fill person-fill
USD
 15750
USD
9450
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Request
Triple Porthole
More Details
Triple Porthole
1 upper berth & 2 lower berths
Shower
Shower
Tv
Tv
Desk
Desk
Hair Dryer
Hair Dryer
Deposit Box
Deposit Box
Family
Family
Complete Cabin
person-fill person-fill person-fill
USD
 53550
USD
32100
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sold out!
Sharing Cabin
person-fill person-fill person-fill
USD
 17850
USD
10700
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Request
Twin Porthole
More Details
Twin Porthole
2 single beds
Shower
Shower
Tv
Tv
Desk
Desk
Hair Dryer
Hair Dryer
Deposit Box
Deposit Box
Complete Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 38000
USD
22800
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Request
Single Cabin
person-fillperson-white
USD
 32300
USD
19380
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Request
Sharing Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 19000
USD
11400
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Request
Twin Window
More Details
Twin Window
2 single beds
Shower
Shower
Tv
Tv
Desk
Desk
Hair Dryer
Hair Dryer
Deposit Box
Deposit Box
Complete Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 39800
USD
23900
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Request
Single Cabin
person-fillperson-white
USD
 33830
USD
20315
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Request
Sharing Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 19900
USD
11950
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Request
Twin Deluxe
More Details
Twin Deluxe
2 single beds
Shower
Shower
Tv
Tv
Desk
Desk
Hair Dryer
Hair Dryer
Deposit Box
Deposit Box
Refrigerator
Refrigator
Coffee & Tea Maker
Coffee & Tea Maker
Complete Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 42200
USD
25300
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sold out!
Single Cabin
person-fillperson-white
USD
 35870
USD
21505
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sold out!
Sharing Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 21100
USD
12650
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Request
Superior
More Details
Superior
1 double bed
Shower
Shower
Tv
Tv
Desk
Desk
Hair Dryer
Hair Dryer
Deposit Box
Deposit Box
Refrigerator
Refrigator
Coffee & Tea Maker
Coffee & Tea Maker
Complete Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 45400
USD
27200
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Request
Sharing Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 22700
USD
13600
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Request
Junior Suite
More Details
Junior Suite
1 double bed
Shower
Shower
Desk
Desk
Hair Dryer
Hair Dryer
Deposit Box
Deposit Box
Refrigerator
Refrigator
Coffee & Tea Maker
Coffee & Tea Maker
Complete Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 48400
USD
29000
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Request
Sharing Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 24200
USD
14500
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Request
Grand Suite with private balcony
More Details
Grand Suite with private balcony
1 double bed
Shower
Shower
Tv
Tv
Desk
Desk
Hair Dryer
Hair Dryer
Deposit Box
Deposit Box
Refrigerator
Refrigator
Coffee & Tea Maker
Coffee & Tea Maker
Complete Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 52600
USD
31600
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Request
Sharing Cabin
person-fill person-fill
USD
 26300
USD
15800
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Request

m/v Hondius

Hondius is the world’s first-registered Polar Class 6 vessel and was built from the ground up for expedition cruising.

Specifications

Passengers: 170 in 80 cabins
Staff & crew: Crew 57 | Guides 13 | Doctor 1
Length: 107.6 meters
Breadth: 17.6 meters
Draft: 5.30 meters
Ice class: Polar Class 6 (equivalent 1A-Super)
Displacement: 5,590 tonnes
Propulsion: 2 x ABC main engines; total 4,200 kW
Speed: 15 knots

Cabins Gallery

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Ship Interior Gallery

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Ship Exterior Gallery

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Hondius is the first-registered Polar Class 6 vessel in the world, meeting the latest and highest Lloyd’s Register standards for ice-strengthened cruise ships. Surpassing the requirements of the Polar Code adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Hondius represents the most flexible, advanced, innovative touring vessel in the polar regions, thoroughly optimized for exploratory voyages that provide you the utmost first-hand contact with the Arctic and Antarctica.


Happier polar passengers, healthier polar environment 

Not only will the numerous amenities and on-board entertainments help make your Hondius voyage truly memorable, this ship also gives you the peace of mind that comes with choosing one of the most environmentally friendly vessel on the polar seas.

Hondius uses LED lighting, steam heating, bio-degradable paints and lubricants, and state-of-the-art power management systems that keep fuel consumption and CO2 levels minimal. This means that when you sail aboard Hondius, you get to enjoy the exotic landscapes and wildlife as much as possible while impacting them as little as possible.

Hotel comfort, expedition class

Please be aware that a small number of cabins may have a partially obstructed view due to the size of the windows and the design requirements of the ship. For example, some windows may be partly obstructed in the lower half by a gangway.

The best view is always on the outer deck or the bridge. Hondius offers high-quality accommodation for 170 passengers in six grand suites with balconies (27 square meters, 291 square feet), eight junior suites (19 to 20 square meters, 205 to 215 square feet), eight superior cabins (20 to 21 square meters, 215 to 226 square feet), 11 twin deluxe cabins, (19 to 21 square meters, 205 to 226 square feet), 14 twin window cabins (12 to 14 square meters, 129 to 151 square feet) as well as 27 twin porthole cabins, two triple porthole cabins, and four quadruple porthole cabins that vary in size from 12 to 18 square meters, or 129 to 194 square feet.

One deck consists of a large observation lounge and a separate lecture room, which are reserved for a wide variety of interactive workshops, exhibitions, and performances particular to Hondius.

Swift & safe ship-to-shore operations

It is our philosophy to keep sea time short so that we can focus instead on fast, effective access to shore and near-shore activities. To give you the maximum contact with the nature and wildlife you traveled so far to see, we employ a tough fleet of rigid-hull inflatable Zodiac boats that guarantee swift and safe landing operations for the passengers. Hondius has two separate gangways and a sheltered indoor Zodiac boarding area that can also be used for special outdoor activities, such as kayaking.

Age and nationality

Passengers on a typical voyage range from in their 30s to their 80s, with the majority usually between 45 ― 65. Our expeditions attract independent travelers from around the globe who are characterized by a strong interest in exploring remote regions. The camaraderie that develops on board is an important part of the Oceanwide experience, and many passenger groups include several nationalities.

What to wear

In keeping with the spirit of the expedition, dress on board is informal. Bring casual and comfortable clothing for all activities, and keep in mind that much of the scenery can be appreciated from the deck ― which can be slippery. Bring sturdy shoes with no-slip soles, and make sure your parka is never far away in case one of our crew shouts “Whales!” over the loudspeaker and you have to dash outside at a moment’s notice. Opt for layers, as it is comfortably warm aboard the ship though often cold on deck.

How to pay

Refreshments and souvenirs will be charged to your cabin. The day before departure you can settle your bill with the hotel manager, paying by credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or cash (euro, or in some cases dollar). We cannot, however, accept checks. Though the prices and standard currency on board is in the euro, other currencies may be accepted at the discretion of the hotel manager, at prevailing rates.

Electric current

The electrical supply aboard ship is 220v, 60Hz. Electrical outlets are standard European with two thick round pins, so some passengers may need a 220v/110v converter.

Gratuities

The customary gratuity to the ship’s service personnel is made as a blanket contribution at the end of the voyage and is divided among the crew. Tipping is a personal matter, and the amount you wish to give is at your sole discretion. As a generally accepted guideline, we suggest 8 ― 10 euros per passenger per day. It is better for the crew if you give cash.

Non-smoking policy

We have a non-smoking policy inside all our vessels, though you can smoke in certain designated areas. We ask that you please respect the wishes of non-smokers.

Your physical condition

You must be in good overall health and be able to walk several hours per day. The expedition is ship-based and physically not very demanding, but we spend as much time as possible on shore. You are, however, welcome to remain aboard the ship if you prefer. To join most excursions you must be able to get up and down the steep gangway ― from the ship to the water level ― to board the Zodiacs. Staff will assist you in and out of the boats, and boarding will become progressively easier with practice, but conditions on shore can be slippery and rocky. Remember, you will be traveling in remote areas without access to sophisticated medical facilities, so you must not join this expedition if you have a life-threatening condition or need daily medical treatment. 

Map
Route of Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica
Important
Included
Excluded

The average price for flights (round trip) to Ushuaia

From Jakarta: $2,848
From Singapore: $3,500
From Kuala Lumpur: $3,600

Insurance Requirements:

  • Mandatory Insurance: All travelers must have insurance covering medical expenses, accidents, and repatriation/evacuation.
  • Recommended Insurance: It is strongly recommended to include cancellation insurance for added protection.

Drone Usage Policy:

  • Prohibited: The use of drones is strictly prohibited during the expedition.

Clothing and Gear Recommendations:

  • Water-Resistant Coat and Pants: Essential for protection against the wet and windy conditions.
  • Layered Underwear: To ensure warmth and comfort in extreme weather.
  • Sunglasses: Necessary to protect against the strong UV rays and glare from the snow.
  • Gloves: Insulated and water-resistant gloves to keep your hands warm and dry.
  • Additional Items: Consider packing a warm hat, thermal socks, and sturdy waterproof boots.
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