Day 1: Arrive and explore in Ushuaia After a friendly welcome at the airport and a transfer to the luxurious Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa, where a pre-cruise hotel night is included. Take some time to unwind or explore the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia. (In the unlikely event that you can't be accommodated at the Arakur, you'll unwind at another of Ushuaia's top luxury hotels.) This evening meet for a briefing which is your opportunity to ask questions and meet your fellow explorers. Day 2: All Aboard! Spend your morning relaxing at the hotel, visiting a museum, or exploring the shops in downtown Ushuaia, before our mid-afternoon escort to the ship. Or go for a short walk to explore the stunning natural surroundings, Tierra del Fuego is a hiker's paradise with rugged snow-capped mountains, glaciers, flower-filled meadows and rich boggy wetlands. This afternoon, the expedition team and ship staff will welcome you on board and get you settled in, followed by a safety and orientation briefing and our Captain’s welcome dinner. We’re on our way to Antarctica! Days 3–4: Drake Passage Join our Polar Experts as they share their vast knowledge of Antarctica, from its enchanting wildlife to its bold history. Participate in our pioneering Citizen Science program or sit back and take in this fabled journey while catching glimpses of rarely seen wildlife. Keep your binoculars handy to identify the many seabirds that escort our ship as we cross the Antarctic Convergence into Antarctica’s waters and noticeably cooler temperatures. Days 5–6: South Shetland Islands The South Shetlands are 12 islands separated from the Antarctic Peninsula by the Bransfield Strait. Significant volcanic activity has sculpted a geology – and a diverse natural beauty – unlike anywhere else on Earth. Here, you can expect a spectacular display of mountains, glaciers, and wildlife, including Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, and it’s not uncommon to share the water’s edge with Elephant and Fur seals. And this time of year is feeding time for Humpback whales, so don’t be surprised if you’re joined by a few of them on your day’s adventure. Days 7–8: Antarctica (and Whales) Await On to the Antarctic Peninsula, where we’ll explore any number of stunning bays and famed landing sites, manoeuvring through majestic channels as we continue to navigate these wildlife-rich waters, passing any number of glorious icebergs, on our way to historic landing sites and perhaps even an active scientific base. Of course, a spectacular highlight of this voyage is the likelihood of encountering the giant Humpback whale – or many of them! – feeding on the abundance of krill in the water this time of year. Orcas and Minkes are also common sightings, as are a variety of penguins and seals. ANTARCTIC ICE SWIMMING During our days in Antarctica, the expedition team will look for suitable conditions and locations for our Antarctic Ice Swimming adventure. Restricted to experienced, cold-water swimmers*, this will test the resolve and endurance of our brave participants - and is sure to be a thrilling spectator event for all passengers! There will be recognised 250m, 500m, and 1 km according to International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) rules. The exact course will depend on local conditions but will be an open-water swim in a protected bay, concluding ashore at a recovery tent. Each swimmer will be accompanied by a Zodiac with expedition and medical staff, filmed and timed by expert IISA officials, and enter record books. Spectators can observe from the ship, Zodiacs and kayaks or from ashore. Ice Swimming Day 1 – Test Swim and Ice Immersion We will hold a test swim for the main event swimmers. The team leader and our Doctor will supervise the test swim. We will swim in small heats for 5min or around 200m. The Test swim aims to familiarise yourself with the water temperature and the swim location and awaken your muscle and pain memory to the reality of the main swimming event. We will also hold our mini workshop for Novice Ice Swimmers or Ice water immersion and guide them through the process, safety, pain management process, breathing in the Ice and managing a 5 minutes immersion in 0C. Ice Swimming Day 2 – the Main Event This day will be dedicated to those who came to swim a distance of 500m, or 1000m. An Ice KM will be considered if requested and approved in advance, and the swimmer has done at least one Ice KM in a reasonable time. The Team Leader [Ram] cannot allow or disallow any swimmer to participate if he and the Doctor feel it is unsafe. Swimmers will be placed in heats, decided in the swim briefing by Barkai. Each swimmer will have a second. Our Doctor will oversee the swimmer's safety and the recovery process. All swims will be done according to IISA rules. The Swim Course will be in a location decided on the day, subject to conditions and safety requirements. We will use the ship safety facilities, onboard warm facilities, sauna and showers. Days 9–10: Drake Passage We leave this magical place and make our way north, once again crossing the legendary Drake Passage. We have one last hurrah as we celebrate the conclusion of our expedition with a special slideshow and a final meal together. Day 11: Ushuaia Disembarkation With huge smiles on weary, content faces, we disembark in the morning, letting you catch a flight to Buenos Aires or stay in Ushuaia for more sights and adventure. Note: Please keep in mind, the itinerary and outdoor activities during each voyage are solely dependent on weather and operational conditions to ensure the safety and quality of experience of our guests. The route and shore landings will be determined by the captain and expedition leader and communicated to guests through regularly scheduled briefings. The right is reserved to modify the landings and locations visited during a voyage based on weather and local conditions and climate to ensure a safe and delightful experience for all guests and staff. The trip is expeditionary in nature, and thus changes to timings are expected due to the environment we operate in as well as wildlife opportunities and locations. *Participants in the Antarctic Ice Swim do so under the strict condition that the expedition team or doctor may end any individual’s swim early or prevent the event entirely if there are any safety concerns or if the weather conditions are deemed unsuitable.