Expedition cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland Islands & the Weddell Sea. Aboard the USHUAIA.
Antarctica
Weddell Sea Quest
12 Days aboard MV Ushuaia. From AUD $14,047pp.
Small Ship Expeditions
Details
Overview
Itinerary Highlights
- Chance to see an abundance of Antarctic Wildlife.
- Less than 100 passengers.
- In the Weddell Sea you will find huge tabular icebergs as well as having the possibility to spot an elusive Emperor Penguin.
Itinerary in Brief
- Day 1: Depart from Ushuaia
- Day 2 and 3: At Sea - Crossing the Drake Passage
- Day 4 to 6: Exploring the Weddell Sea
- Day 7 to 9: Exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
- Day 10 and 11: At Sea - Crossing the Drake Passage, northbound
- Day 12: Arrival in Ushuaia
This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change due to weather, sea state and other conditions beyond control.
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Day 1: Depart from Ushuaia
Embark the USHUAIA in the afternoon and meet your expedition and lecture staff. After you have settled into your cabins we sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.
Dinner included.
Day 2 and 3: At Sea - Crossing the Drake Passage
Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Francis Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region. The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds. As we sail across the passage, lecturers will be out with you on deck to help with the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in our wake. The USHUAIA's open bridge policy allows you to join our officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures will be offered as well.
The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of twenty islands and islets first sighted in February 1819 by Capt. William Smith of the brig Williams.
With favourable conditions in the Drake Passage our lecturers and naturalists will accompany you ashore as you experience your first encounter with the penguins and seals on Day 3.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Day 4 to 6: Exploring the Weddell Sea
This is where huge tabular icebergs roam. In some years, the Erebus & Terror Gulf and Weddell Sea are chock-a-block with ice, making for exciting ice navigation. Get up early and go out on deck. It may be 3:30 h in the morning, but the sunrises will be unlike anything you've ever seen. Huge tabular bergs break from the Larsen, Ronne, and Filchner ice shelves and combine with one-year-old and multi-year sea ice to produce a floating, undulating panorama of rugged ice scenery. All-white Snow Petrels are likely to be coursing over the floes, often joined by Pintado Petrels.
The usual passage to the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula traverses the Antarctic Sound, which is 30 miles (48 km) long and 7-12 miles (11-19 km) wide and runs northwestto-southeast. Hope Bay and the Argentine Station Esperanza are located on the western side of the Sound. Brown Bluff, a promontory on the Tabarin Peninsula, is located south of Hope Bay. Both of them might be possible landing sites. The Weddell Sea represents the centre
of the Peninsula’s Adélie Penguin population. Devil Island, Paulet Island and the already mentioned sites, might give us ample proof of this. The number of penguins is stunning . Sometimes juvenile Emperor Penguins have been sighted, riding ice floes but are by no means regular in the area.
This region also teems with vibrant exploration history. The most bizarre of these tales involves the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901-03 under the command of geologist Otto Nordenskjöld. Four visitor sites have links to this expedition: Hope Bay, Paulet Island, Snow Hill Island, and Cape Well-Met on Vega Island. Our expedition staff will be pleased to share their exciting story with you. Nordenskjöld's expedition was the first to overwinter in the Peninsula. His ship the Antarctic, under the command of the famous Norwegian whaling captain Carl Anton Larsen, was trapped in the ice and sank, but the men survived on different locations and even managed to carry out significant scientific research in the area.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Day 7 to 9: Exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
The Antarctic Peninsula's remarkable history will also provide you with a type of excitement often only associated with the early explorers. You will have plenty of time to explore its amazing scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways and a wide variety of wildlife. Apart from Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins and other seabirds you are likely to encounter Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as Minke whales and orcas at close range.
We hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways: the Gerlache Strait, Errera Channel and Neumayer Channel. Possible landing sites may include Paradise Bay, which is perhaps the most aptly named place in the world with its impressive glacial fronts and mountains, Cuverville Island, home of the biggest Gentoo Penguin colony in the Peninsula surrounded by glaciers and castellated icebergs, and the British Museum and Post office at Port Lockroy.
Further exploration will lead us to the South Shetland Islands. The volcanic island group is a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries and seals hauling out on the shorelines make every day spent here unforgettable.
We plan to sail through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island - the largest of three recent volcanic centres in the South Shetlands - which is truly amazing. Once inside, the rising slope of the black, cinder-covered volcanic rim can be walked uphill to a rather spectacular vantage point. We also aim to visit the crescent-shaped island Half Moon, home to Chinstrap Penguins in breathtaking surroundings, in the entrance of Moon Bay between Greenwich and Livingston Islands.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Day 10 and 11: At Sea - Crossing the Drake Passage, northbound
We leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Join our lecturers and naturalists on deck as we search for seabirds and whales and enjoy some final lectures. Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Day 12: Arrival in Ushuaia
We arrive at the port of Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark the USHUAIA after breakfast.
This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change due to weather, sea state and other conditions beyond control.
Breakfast included.
Next Departure Date: 03 Feb 2026
| Dates | Cabin | From | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Feb 2026 - 14 Feb 2026 | AUD$14047pp | ||
| Standard Plus Triple Cabin | AUD$14047pp | Contact us | |
| Standard Twin Cabin | AUD$15391pp | Contact us | |
| Standard Plus Twin Cabin | AUD$18422pp | Contact us | |
| Premier Twin Cabin | AUD$21844pp | Contact us | |
| Superior Twin Cabin | AUD$23422pp | Contact us | |
| Twin Suite Cabin | AUD$24984pp | Contact us | |
| Premier Single Cabin | AUD$26188pp | Contact us | |
| 17 Jan 2027 - 28 Jan 2027 | AUD$14672pp |
**Prices are per person based on twin / shared accommodation.
**Single supplements may apply
Cabin Details
Standard Plus Triple Cabin
Located on deck E, triple outside cabin, three lower berths, one window & private facilities.
Standard Twin Cabin
Located on deck E, outside standard twin cabin, one upper and one lower berth, one porthole window & semi-private facilities.
Standard Plus Twin Cabin
Located on deck E, outside standard plus twin cabin, two lower berths, one window & private facilities.
Premier Twin Cabin
Located on the upper deck G, outside premier twin cabin, two lower berths, one window & private facilities.
Premier Single Cabin
Located on the upper deck G, outside premier single cabin, one single bed, one porthole window & private facilities.
Superior Twin Cabin
A third berth in Superior Cabin #301 may be occupied at 50% of the published twin share rate.
Located on the upper deck G, outside superior twin cabin, two lower berths, one window & private facilities.
Twin Suite Cabin
A third berth may be occupied at 50% of the published twin share rate.
Located on the upper Deck G, two lower single beds, one sofa bed, private facilities, lounge, TV, DVD player, fridge, one window in the bedroom and in the sitting area.
Triple Suite Cabin
Located on the upper Deck G, double bed, one sofa bed, private facilities, lounge, TV, DVD player, fridge, one window in the bedroom and in the sitting area
MV Ushuaia Deckplan
Specifications
- Length: 84.73m / 278.3 feet
- Breath: 15.41m / 51 feet
- Draught: 5.48m / 18.08 feet
- Gross Tonnage: 2,923 tonnes
- Speed (Max): 14 knots
- Cruise Speed: 12 knots
- Passengers: 90
- Crew & staff: 40
- Zodiacs & RIBs: 7
- Electrical Outlets: 110 V, 60 Hz
- Yard: American Shipbuilding, Toledo, Ohio
- Year of build: 1970
- Classification: INSB Ice class C
- Flag: Union of Comoros
- Engine: 2 ALCO 1600 HP each
- Bow thrust: 1x 500Kw
What's included?
- Voyage aboard the USHUAIA as indicated in the itinerary.
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the USHUAIA.
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by zodiac.
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
- Comprehensive pre-departure material.
- Detailed post-expedition log.
What's not?
- Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights
- Pre- and post land arrangements
- Transfers to/from the vessel
- Passport and visa expenses
- Government arrival and departure taxes
- Meals ashore
- Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (strongly recommended)
- Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as bar and beverage charges and telecommunication charges
- The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages (guidelines will be provided).
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Destination: Antarctica
On any cruise to Antarctica you can expect to experience a wide variety of landscapes, unprecedented wildlife viewing opportunities and a healthy mix of historic landing sites. Be astounded by the sensory overload of the huge amount of ice-bergs, glaciers, high mountains and the abundant and tame wildlife.
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