Embark in Ushuaia

Board Terra Nova Adventurer in the afternoon and meet the expedition team and fellow travellers. After finding your cabin, the essential safety briefing introduces the ship and emergency procedures before sailing into the Beagle Channel. Ushuaia and the mountains of Tierra del Fuego gradually fall behind as the voyage turns towards open water.

Plan to reach Ushuaia at least one day before embarkation. The buffer protects the voyage from domestic flight disruption and gives you time to recover before the Drake. We can advise on sensible flights, accommodation and transfers needed to reach the ship.

Drake Passage southbound

The Drake normally takes around two to two-and-a-half days. Conditions can range from gentle to energetic, and stabilisers help without removing the motion of open ocean. Albatrosses and petrels often use the wind around the ship, making the outer decks worthwhile places to spend time.

Every guest attends the mandatory IAATO briefing, which explains behaviour around wildlife, protection of landing sites and responsible travel in Antarctica. Clothing, bags, boots and equipment are inspected and cleaned during biosecurity checks, preventing seeds and other foreign material from reaching the continent. Activity and zodiac briefings make sure the first excursion is not spent learning unfamiliar procedures at the gangway.

South Shetlands and Peninsula

These five days are the expedition core. Each morning begins with the latest assessment of wind, ice and wildlife. A landing may lead to a penguin colony, snowshoe route or viewpoint above a bay; a zodiac cruise may instead explore ice formations, seals resting on floes or whales feeding along the Peninsula. The programme is responsive by design, not a fixed sequence of ports.

A compact guest group helps the expedition team organise the mudroom and Zodiac departures efficiently. Actual guest numbers and landing rotations vary; we confirm the arrangements for your departure.

Kayaking requires advance registration and camping is limited to 30 guests, so we secure those priorities early. Snowshoeing, trekking, practical photography guidance, morning yoga and the polar plunge add variety, although weather, terrain and wildlife always determine what can operate.

Possible locations include the South Shetland Islands and sites along the western Peninsula, but Antarctica does not operate to a port schedule. The evening recap explains what was seen and why the team made its choices, followed by the provisional plan for the next day.

Final exploration and Drake Passage northbound

The operator’s outline allows for a possible farewell landing or Zodiac cruise on day 9, subject to weather, ice and the return schedule. Turn north for the return crossing, with time for final lectures, workshops and wildlife watching. The outward journey is about anticipation; the return is better suited to reviewing photographs, talking through what you observed and understanding how the pieces of the expedition fit together.

Disembark in Ushuaia

Arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark after breakfast, normally around 08:00–08:30. Avoid an early onward flight. An airport transfer is planned for guests flying that day; we will confirm its timing for your departure and help arrange a sensible connection away from the ship.