Your six-star journey to the white continent

Visiting Antarctica is an incredible experience, so it makes sense to do it right. You want to sail with a team that will give you the best experience of the frozen continent, on an itinerary that includes opportunities to kayak past icebergs, walk around penguin colonies and share insights into this astonishing ecosystem.

Even as you plunge into adventuring, you still want to have plenty of luxuries on hand: fabulous food, room to stretch out, and enough options to ensure you don’t get bored on the long voyage. If that sounds like you, APT Luxury Travel’s 15-day Antarctica Voyage aboard the Seabourn Venture small-ship cruise, a six-star purpose-built expedition ship that guarantees to make this a trip to remember.

With only 132 suites onboard, the Seabourn Venture ensures an intimate and refined atmosphere. Guests can truly experience ultra-luxury on board with seven distinct dining venues, offering a variety of fabulous food, and the convenience of 24-hour in-suite dining. With ample room to stretch out and enough options to ensure you don’t get bored, this is the white continent as only APT can show you.

Kick off (and farewell) in style

Your itinerary starts and concludes in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s glamorous capital city. A city tour will showcase all the highlights, from chic Palermo and colourful La Boca to the ornate Recoleta Cemetery, perhaps the most ostentatious burial ground around. As a farewell on your final evening, a tango show is a chance to experience the fiery energy of this flamboyant, quintessentially Argentine dance.

From here, fly down to the world’s southern-most city, Ushuaia – the exclusive APT return flights are included in the price – where there will be time to tour Tierra del Fuego National Park. This remote corner of the South American continent has some extraordinary terrain, including cloud-piercing mountains and rugged glaciers. Keep an eye out for wild guanacos, a doe-eyed relative of the llama.

Rite of passage

Once you board the Seabourn Venture in Ushuaia, the next stage of your adventure begins. It will take around two days to cross the Drake Passage to Antarctica, but don’t count on too much downtime. There is plenty to do on the ship, including getting an immersive introduction to the many wonders of Antarctica.

The ship’s expedition staff, a team of 23 experts, will prepare you for the amazing ecosystem you are about to experience, from the wonders of icebergs to the life cycle of Antarctic wildlife such as penguins and seals.

Once the Drake Passage is behind you, the race is on to spot the first iceberg. Your first sight of an icy giant is unforgettable. Fortunately, the ship has plenty of places from where you can watch the horizon. You don’t even need to leave your suite – on the Seabourn Venture, every suite has its own veranda, which means you can always have one eye on the horizon.

A new adventure every day

If there is one overriding aim on this cruise, it is to get off the ship as often as possible to experience Antarctica’s beauties firsthand. The crew will assess conditions each day to identify the best activities and landing spots, and our fleet of 23 Zodiacs is always at the ready to get you out and about.

The one thing we can promise is that every day will be different. Some days you will be landing on the shore, perhaps at a penguin colony where tens of thousands of these adorable animals nestle together, their cries melding into a powerful chorus.

Another day might see you kayaking past icebergs close enough to see the air pockets in the ice, the splash of the paddles cutting into the water marking your progress. Or perhaps it will be a sightseeing trip on a Zodiac, keeping an eye out for powerful skuas flying overhead or the thrilling sight of mighty orcas on the hunt.

You may even have the opportunity to stop in at a scientific research base, Port Lockroy, or pay a visit to Deception island, an active volcano that was formerly a whaling station.

Cruising in comfort

A trip to Antarctica is all about revelling in new sights and sounds, from watching Weddell seals basking on ice floes to savouring the incredible stillness where the loudest sound is the murmur of waves washing on a rocky shore. When you return from the day’s exploring, however, what you really want is a soft landing, and Seabourn Venture provides that in abundance.

It is not just about the comforts of your suite – although with a walk-in wardrobe, customised mini-bar, your own bathtub and 24-hour room service at hand, it can be tempting to hole up. Luckily the indulgent spa, a pool, a sauna, and a fully-equipped gym are all good reasons to step out of your suite.

And let’s not forget the meals. Even as you cruise through this remote wilderness you can enjoy an impressive array of world-class dining. The eight onboard dining options range from made-to-order sushi to a classic high tea and tapas-style bites to 24-hour in-suite dining.

There are flavour-filled Mediterranean classics at Solis, family-style dining at The Colonnade, even champagne and caviar on request at The Patio. With all food and beverage included in your fare, any time is a good time to indulge.

Ready to explore? APT Luxury Travel’s 15-day Antarctica Voyage ensures a seamless and unforgettable voyage. For more information, visit here.