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This Polar Circle and Antarctic Peninsula cruise passes through waters travelled by Humpback, Minke and Fin whales. Anchoring in various spots around the region, the expedition offers the chance to dive in the iceberg-heavy waters.
Highlights
• Polar Diving - Visiting the polar regions is a fantastic adventure, but just below the waves waits an extraordinary other world for you to experience and explore.
• Photography Workshop - Sharpen your photography skills in some of the planet’s most picturesque places.
• Bird Watching - Enjoy birding together with fellow birders and visit remote places with rare bird species.
• Deception Island - A volcanic island in the South Shetlands, north of the Antarctic Peninsula.
• Adelie Penguin - These gallant-fighting, deep-diving namesakes of the French-claimed Antarctic Adélie Land are among the four penguin species on mainland Antarctica.
• Chinstrap Penguin - Though armed with the "stonebreaker" nickname and a quarrelsome reputation, these gentoo relatives are fading from the Antarctic – probably due to climate change.
• Gentoo Penguin - These hygienic divers are the only penguin species whose population is currently increasing along the Antarctic Peninsula.
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Day 1: End of the world, start of a journey
Your voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.
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Day 2 - 3: Path of the polar explorers
Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting up sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.
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Day 4 - 9: Sights of late summer Antarctica
Options for Antarctic Peninsula activities are many, and no less great during the late summer. Humpback whales are prolific in this region, gorging themselves on krill before their migration north. The penguin chicks are also fledging, stirring up activity on the beaches while sleek leopard seals lie in wait, poised to attack the less fortunate ones.
Sites for your Antarctic adventures may include:
Livingston Island – Here you find a wide variety of gentoo and chinstrap penguins on Hannah Point, as well as southern giant petrels and elephant seals hauling out onto the beach.
Deception Island – Actually a subducted crater, this island opens into the sea and creates a natural harbor for the ship. An abandoned whaling station, and multiple bird species – cape petrels, kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns – can be seen here. Wilson’s storm petrels and black-bellied storm petrels also nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay.
Cuverville Island – A small precipitous island nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Rongé Island, Cuverville houses a large colony of gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of brown skuas.
Neko Harbour – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow, Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing that afford the closest views of the surrounding alpine peaks. You might also be able to set foot on the continent here.
Paradise Bay – You could take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters, where you have a good chance of seeing humpback and minke whales.
Pléneau & Petermann Islands – If the ice allows it, you may sail through the Lemaire Channel in search of Adélie penguins and blue-eyed shags. There’s also a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales as well as leopard seals.
Crystal Sound – Your journey takes you south along the Argentine Islands to this ice-packed body of water, and from here across the Polar Circle in the morning.
Detaille Island – You may make a landing at an abandoned British research station here, taking in the island’s lofty mountains and imposing glaciers.
Fish Islands – Further north you encounter one of the southernmost Adélie penguin and blue-eyed shag colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula.
Melchior Islands – These islands offer a beautiful landscape rich with icebergs. Leopard seals, crabeater seals, and whales are found here, and there are excellent opportunities for kayaking and diving.
Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure. -
Day 10 - 11: Familiar seas, familiar friends
Your return voyage 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.
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Day 12: There and back again
Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.
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Please note:
Itineraries are subject to change.
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20 March, 2026 to 31 March, 2026
2 portholes
2 upper & lower berths
Small sofa
Private shower & toilet
Flatscreen TV
Desk & chair
Telephone and WiFi
Coffee & tea maker
Hair dryer
Cabinet
Wardrobe
Safe
This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin
2 portholes
1 upper berth & 2 lower berths
Small sofa
Private shower & toilet
Flatscreen TV
Desk & chair
Telephone and WiFi
Coffee & tea maker
Hair dryer
Cabinet
Wardrobe
Safe
This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin
2 portholes
2 single beds
Small sofa
Private shower & toilet
Flatscreen TV
Desk & chair
Telephone and WiFi
Coffee & tea maker
Hair dryer
Cabinet
Wardrobe
Safe
1 window
2 single beds
Small sofa
Private shower & toilet
Flatscreen TV
Desk & chair
Telephone and WiFi
Coffee & tea maker
Hair dryer
Cabinet
Wardrobe
Safe
2 windows
2 single beds
Sofa
Private shower & toilet
Flatscreen TV
Desk & chair
Telephone and WiFi
Refrigerator
Coffee & tea maker
Hair dryer
Cabinet
Wardrobe
Safe
2 windows
1 double bed
Sofa
Private shower & toilet
Flatscreen TV
Desk & chair
Telephone and WiFi
Refrigerator
Coffee & tea maker
Hair dryer
Cabinet
Wardrobe
Safe
1 double window
1 double bed
Private shower & toilet
Flatscreen TV
Desk & chair
Telephone and WiFi
Refrigerator
Coffee & tea maker
Hair dryer
Cabinet
Wardrobe
Safe
1 double window
1 double bed
Sofa
Private balcony
Private shower & toilet
Flatscreen TV
Desk & chair
Telephone and WiFi
Refrigerator
Coffee & tea maker
Hair dryer
Cabinet
Wardrobe
Safe
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Hondius
Hondius
Vessel Type: Polar Class Expedition Ship
Length: 107.6 metres
Passenger Capacity: 170
Built: 2019
Hondius is a purpose-built Polar Class 6 expedition ship designed to operate safely and efficiently in the Arctic and Antarctica. Its ice-strengthened hull, advanced navigation systems, and powerful twin engines support fast repositioning and reliable performance in challenging polar conditions. Interiors follow a clean, mid-century modern style, with accommodation for 170 guests across a wide range of cabin types, from suites with balconies to porthole cabins for groups. Public spaces include an expansive observation lounge and a dedicated lecture room used for workshops and briefings, reinforcing the vessel’s focus on education and discovery rather than traditional cruise entertainment.
The ship is engineered for low environmental impact, using modern power management, LED lighting, and biodegradable materials. Shore access is prioritised through two gangways, an indoor Zodiac boarding area, and a large fleet of rigid-hull inflatables that support quick landings and near-shore exploration. With 70 crew, guides, and staff on board, Hondius offers the comfort of a well-run hotel while maintaining the flexibility required for wildlife encounters, shifting ice, and rapidly changing weather, ensuring maximum time in the field and minimal time at sea.
Diving
Diving is an optional activity. Experience with cold-water diving and dry-suit dives (at least 30) is a must!
