Group Size: Up to 246 guests
Price: Starting at $15,910 per person double occupancy
Harvard Alumni Travels has reserved a limited number of cabins on this regularly scheduled PONANT voyage. Harvard passengers will be joined by various travelers from independent registrations.
Trip Overview
Join Harvard Alumni Travels on a polar expedition cruise to the southern lands. First, chart a course for South Georgia where, in the middle of the black-sand beaches dominated by snow-covered mountains, Sir Ernest Shackleton miraculously ran aground during the famous Endurance Odyssey in 1916. Further south, above the mythical Screaming Sixties latitudes, the South Orkney Islands were formed from a mountain range rising from the middle of the Antarctic Ocean. You might get the chance to call at Laurie Island, where the Orcadas research station is established in a former whaling station. Ultimately, land on the frozen shores of the nearly inaccessible White Continent, Antarctica. Shades of white take on a thousand nuances as they cover icebergs, glaciers, mountains, and frozen sea all around you, this theatre of the greatest expeditions and witness to the most extraordinary adventures.
Throughout your trip, a team of naturalist guides will share the secrets of these faraway lands inhabited by unique wildlife. Discover the vast territory of the penguins—Adelie, king, chinstrap, Gentoo, Magellanic, southern rockhopper—albatrosses, numerous species of seals, and majestic whales blowing on the horizon.
The voyage to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego lies over the famous Drake Passage at the border between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. The wind blows, the waves crash against the stem of the ship, and the cape petrels keep you company overhead until the end of your expedition.
Please note: We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each cruise to these regions a unique experience. The ship’s captain and your expedition leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).
Schedule by Day
- Nov 7: Depart U.S.
- Nov 8: Overnight in Buenos Aires
- Nov 9: Buenos Aires / Embark
- Nov 10–14 At Sea
- Nov 15–17 South Georgia
- Nov 18 At Sea
- Nov 19: South Orkney Islands
- Nov 20 At Sea
- Nov 21–23 Antarctic Peninsula
- Nov 24–25 Sailing the Drake Passage
- Nov 26: Ushuaia | Disembark | Fly to Buenos Aires | Fly to U.S.
- Nov 27: Arrive U.S.
Pricing
| Program Rates | Double Occupancy (per person) |
Single Occupancy |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Stateroom | $15,910 | $28,910 |
| Deluxe Stateroom | $16,940 | $17,210 |
| Prestige Stateroom, Deck 4 | $17,680 | $17,950 |
| Prestige Stateroom, Deck 5 | $17,970 | $18,240 |
| Prestige Stateroom, Deck 6 | $18,420 | $18,690 |
| Deluxe Suite | $25,790 | $26,060 |
| Prestige Suite, Deck 5 | $26,820 | $27,090 |
| Prestige Suite, Deck 6 | $28,150 | $28,420 |
| Owner's Suite | $62,270 | $121,630 |
Accommodations
- One night at a hotel in Buenos Aires
- Seventeen nights aboard L'Austral
Extensions
To be announced
What to Expect
This is an expedition-type cruise involving shore landings by rubber Zodiac boats. Participants must be able to get in and out of the Zodiacs with minimal assistance. While ashore in Antarctica, the excursions involve a fair amount of walking over rocky, uneven, and sometimes steep terrain. Please be aware that crossing the Drake Passage can be rough and unpredictable. Because of the remoteness of the destination and an absence of shore-side facilities for medical treatment, each participant must have a health statement signed by a physician verifying they are in very good physical condition in order to participate.
