10-Night Antarctic Expedition Cruise
plus 1 pre- and 1 post-hotel stay in Santiago
Silversea Silver Cloud
November 18 - 29, 2024
Hosted by Suzanne Fisher
Monday, November 18 - SANTIAGO, CHILE
Fly into Santiago Chile for an overnight stay.
Tuesday, November 19 - Santiago - Puerto Williams, Chile
To guarantee ultimate comfort and peace of mind, all our Antarctica voyages embarking/debarking in Puerto Williams include round-trip charter flights between Santiago and Puerto Williams, regardless of the fare chosen.
Charter/group flights only include an Economy baggage allowance (one checked baggage of 23kg per person.)
Puerto Williams is a Chilean city located on Navarino Island on the southern shores of the Beagle Channel. It claims to be the "southernmost city in the world"; however, owing to its small size - approximately 2,500 residents - the much larger Argentinean city of Ushuaia, which sits on the northern side of the same channel, also claims that title. The surrounding scenery is magnificent. The wild, windswept mountains rise above the tree line and are regularly dusted with snow. The city itself has a dramatic backdrop called "Dientes de Navarino" (literally "teeth of Navarino"), which rivals the famous Torres del Paine further to the north. The area was initially used by the Yaghan people, hunter-gatherers who, despite enduring the harsh regional climate, could not weather the arrival of Europeans. The current city was established as a naval base in 1953 and honors the British-Chilean naval commander John Williams Wilson of the 16th century. Initially, it helped protect territorial possessions and fishing rights, as well as offering logistical support to Antarctic bases. Recently, it has become a departure point for scientific and tourism trips to the Antarctic region. In discrepancy to the bustle and traffic of a wildly commercial Usuaia, Puerto Williams offers a quieter, more relaxed experience. It charms the visitor with a smallish village feel, complete with rustic buildings and the homely smell of drifting wood smoke. A haven of peace at the end of the world.
Wednesday, November 20 - DRAKE PASSAGE
Thursday, November 21 - DRAKE PASSAGE
Sailing the legendary Drake Passage is an experience that few are ever lucky enough to experience. The southern tip of the Americas already feels like a wild enough environment - but the sensation of watching the distant cliffs of the peninsular known as the 'End of the World' fade into the horizon is one that's equal parts epic, eerie, and magical. Set sail to slowly drop off the bottom of the map from Cape Horn and voyage on an expedition down into the icy underworld of Antarctica. The Drake Passage is an extraordinary voyage of romantic ocean-faring legend as you aim for Antarctica's icy realm. On arrival, skyscraper-sized icebergs salute you as you traverse the waters of this continent, where snow and ice-dwelling creatures like penguins and whales roam undisturbed. Your first sight of this most unexplored place will most likely be the South Shetland Islands. Walk in the footsteps of some of history's most remarkable and bravest explorers as you explore famed, snow-covered landmasses like Elephat and Deception Island. If the journey across the Drake Passage sounds daunting, don't worry - even in rough seas, you're never alone and often be accompanied on this spine-tingling adventure by soaring albatrosses and maybe even a protective pod of humpbacks and hourglass dolphins or two. Converging warm and cool ocean currents attract spectacular animal life to the passage.
Friday, November 22 - ANTARCTIC SOUND
Few voyages ignite the imagination like a journey down to one of the planet's most remote, extreme, and enchanting wilderness: Antarctica. An adventure in its purest form - only a handful of people will ever be lucky enough to experience the majestic beauty of these monochrome landscapes first-hand. The Antarctic Sound will be one of your first encounters with this whitewash kingdom, located at the northerly tip of the Antarctic Peninsula - which sprawls up like a tentacle towards Tierra del Fuego, South America's most southerly point, otherwise known as 'End of the World.' Taking its name from the first ship to brave the passageway between the peninsular and the Joinville Island groups back in 1902, the Sound is a raw, sensory assault of imposing iceberg slabs broken away from the disintegrating Larsen Ice Shelf. Come face-to-face with stadium-sized islands in ice and meet the extraordinary birdlife that calls this whitewash kingdom home. Watch on as colonies of Gentoo penguins hop around and cape petrels sweep overhead as the continent's unique wildlife thrives around you. If you're planning your first venture into Antarctica, you'll want to brush up on your photography skills beforehand to capture this unforgiving continent in all of its unrestrained glory.
3 Included Shore Excursions:
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Zodiac Cruise with Silversea Expedition team - Activity Level: Moderate
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Hiking with Silversea Expedition team - Activity Level: Extensive
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Kayaking with Silversea Expedition team - Activity Level: Extensive
Saturday, November 23 - ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
Sunday, November 24 - ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
Monday, November 25 - ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upward towards South America, reaching a beckoning finger to the adventurous who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world's southernmost continent, the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 miles from Tierra del Fuego and, for many, offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures, which make up Earth's least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hair stand on end as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases that are at the frontline of human scientific endeavors pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife, and the effect humans have on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close and blue-hued glaciers slowly slipping from imposing locations like Hope Bay. Blanched mountain peaks cover the peninsula, and you'll find thousands of adorable Adelie penguin pairs thriving undisturbed in this peninsula's unique setting.
3 Included Shore Excursions:
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Zodiac Cruise with Silversea Expedition team - Activity Level: Moderate
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Hiking with Silversea Expedition team - Activity Level: Extensive
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Kayaking with Silversea Expedition team - Activity Level: Extensive
Tuesday, November 26 - SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS
The ice-coated Antarctic Peninsula forms perhaps the most accessible region of mainland Antarctica, lying a mere 480 miles away from South America across the fabled waters of Drakes Passage. Lying close to the northwestern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, separated by the Bransfield Strait, the South Shetland Islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Antarctic Treaty, suspending claims on their sovereignty. Several countries maintain research bases here, and with plump elephant seals and crowds of Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Adelie Penguins also calling the islands home, it can even feel a little crowded at times. King George Island is the largest and most hospitable island, hosting the majority of the research stations - some of which are populated all year round by tiny, hardy crews. Don't be fooled, though. These islands offer extraordinary adventure in one of the most remote locations on Earth. The triple peaks of Mount Foster tower above the archipelago, and you'll feel your heart pumping a little quicker as you sail into the core of Deception Island's magnificent collapsed volcano caldera. Hike the lunar landscapes within, and even dip into the improbably warm, geothermally-heated waters of Pendulum Cove. Elephant Island, meanwhile, is written deep into the annals of Antarctic expedition legend as the site where Ernest Shackleton and the stricken crew of the Endurance miraculously survived a harsh Antarctic winter in 1916.
1 Included Shore Excursion:
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Zodiac Cruise with Silversea Expedition team - Activity Level: Moderate
Wednesday, November 27 - DRAKE PASSAGE
Thursday, November 28 - PUERTO WILLIAMS
Friday, November 29 - PUERTO WILLIAMS - SANTIAGO
Return flight to Santiago. The arrival time of return flights to Santiago is planned for late afternoon.