Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica - M/V Sylvia Earle

Arrive in Ushuaia. If you are arriving in on the preferred flight times, you will be met by a representative and transferred to your downtown hotel. Upon arrival into Ushuaia City Airport (USH) please collect your luggage and look for a representative in the Arrivals Hall, holding a sign with your name on it. If you have booked your flights independently and are on the preferred flights, please make sure that you have advised us of your arrival flight details into Ushuaia, so that a transfer is booked for you. Be sure to keep all of your important documents - i.e. passport and travel insurance, and also your medication in your hand luggage, as your main luggage will be transferred separately to the hotel.

From our experience we have found that there are significant delays, especially in high season on flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. We highly recommend booking your travel arrangements to arrive into Ushuaia earlier in the day.

There are no activities planned today. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, perhaps you might choose to explore the city, visit the Maritime Museum or join a tour to Tierra del Fuego National Park, which offers magnificent hiking opportunities.

This morning, please ensure your luggage is taken down to hotel reception by 8 am. Your luggage will be collected from your hotel and transferred directly to port for clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please ensure that you keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day.

Once you have checked out of your hotel by 11 am, you will have free time before meeting back in the hotel lobby at 2pm to commence a tour of Ushuaia. Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego is located at the shores of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains giving you a unique landscape in Argentina, which is the combination of mountains, sea, glaciers and forests. On this half day introductory tour, you will visit La Mision neighbourhood, the old Government House, and the upper area of the city, which offers beautiful panoramic views of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. During the excursion you will see the antique houses that belonged to the first families settled in Ushuaia. The excursion ends with a visit to the Old Prison Museum before transferring to the pier for embarkation at approximately 4pm.

After embarkation, you'll have time to settle into your cabin before the important mandatory briefings. Gather on deck as the ship pulls away from Ushuaia, enjoying spectacular views over Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. This evening, you will have the opportunity to get to know your fellow expeditioners and friendly expedition team at a welcome dinner, celebrating the start of a thrilling adventure to Antarctica.

As we commence the Drake crossing, make the most of the time on board the ship and enjoy informative lectures from the expedition team who will prepare you for your first landings. They will provide entertaining talks on Antarctica's history, wildlife and environment. Enjoy watching and photographing the many seabird, including the majestic albatross and giant petrel, who follow in our wake. They rise and fall skilfully, using air currents created by the ship to gain momentum.

It's almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is a unique experience, beyond comparison. Once you arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are yours to explore and there are a host of choices available for landings and Zodiac cruises. Being so far south, you will experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.

We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You'll want to layer up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whale, seal and porpoising penguin. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to shore, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts and explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.

While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you'll have the option to do that whenever conditions allow and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whale travelling or feeding.

Between shore excursions, enjoy time on deck or in the observation lounge, spotting the passing wildlife, or make your way to the bridge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea, and take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.

Today, if weather allows, we set course for Elephant Island, a half-submerged mountain cloaked with an ice sheet at the outer limits of the South Shetland Islands. Learn about the incredible story of Shackleton and the events that led to their eventual rescue. We plan to sail past Cape Valentine to see the beach where the men first stepped ashore over 100 years ago. If conditions allow, we will follow the coastline to Point Wild, where the men eventually set up camp and if we are able to, we'll attempt to get ashore for a landing.

En-route to South Gerogia, we'll head across the Scotia Sea, enjoying more informative lectures from the expedition crew.

As you near the rugged island of South Georgia, spare a thought for Captain James Cook who arrived here in 1775 and believed it to be the northern tip of a great southern continent. In fact, it is a small island only 176 km long, but with a 3,000 m snow-capped mountain range, some of the world's largest congregations of wildlife and a truly fascinating human history, South Georgia is an island of incredible riches. On approach, jagged mountain peaks rise steeply, while seabird are often spotted soaring around the ship. Take a deep breath and marvel at the spectacular glaciated scenery and perhaps enjoy some shelter from the prevailing westerly winds. This enchanting island is yours to explore.

South Georgia lies within the Antarctic Convergence and it can be quite chilly. Make sure you layer up before joining Zodiac cruises around craggy coves and along the rocky coastline in search of nesting penguin, seal haul-outs and bird cliffs. Remember to keep an eye out for South Georgia's kelp forests as well - these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds sway back and forth on the water's surface.

Zodiacs will also transport you from ship to shore, where you can visit some of the largest king penguin colonies on earth, take guided walks among fur seals and elephant seals, carefully clamber up tussock grass steps not fully knowing what or who lies ahead, and wander along pebbled streams, grassy glacial outwash plains. We also hope to visit the remnants of South Georgia's thriving whaling stations and pay our respects to Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survival is synonymous with this island. If you have chosen an optional activity, you'll have the opportunity to do that whenever conditions allow.

On New Year's Eve, enjoy a sumptuous dinner, join in with the festivities and raise a glass to toast in the New Year.

In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may cruise by ship through fjords with towering cliffs of ancient stone, or into deeply indented bays towards dramatic glacier fronts. This is a great time to find a comfy spot in the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge to enjoy uninterrupted views of South Georgia's majestic coastline. Please note that in November and December, the extraordinary volume of fur seal populations can limit landings at some sites.

Enjoy your final landings in South Georgia, enjoying king penguin rookeries 100,000-strong. We also hope to visit the remnants of South Georgia's once thriving whaling stations and pay our respects to Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survival is synonymous with this island.

As we sail away from splendid South Georgia, enjoy presentations from the expedition team to help prepare for our arrival in the Falklands. Perhaps you may want to practise your photo editing skills, stay active in the gym, or simply watch seabirds frolic alongside the ship as we spend time at sea.

Between South Georgia and Falklands~Malvinas, you will be entranced by the ceaseless flight of the many seabird that follow our wake, skilfully using the air currents created by the ship to gain momentum. Our lecture program will continue highlighting all of the incredible sights we have witnessed over the past few days. You will have ample time to enjoy observing the seabird, whale-watching from the observation areas, or simply relaxing with a book.

The Falklands~Malvinas comprises of two large islands (East and West Falkland), with over 700 islands scattered off the coast. All but seven of these are uninhabited, with windswept coastlines, white sand beaches and crystal clear water. These beautifully barren islands are true wildlife havens, sheltering an impressive diversity of birdlife, including the largest black-browed albatross colony on earth. The cold, nutrient-rich waters surrounding the islands make this a prime location for spotting marine life. There are many beautiful areas to explore across the Falklands, each offering a unique perspective on this magnificent archipelago. Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing winds, weather and wildlife opportunities.

We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. Even though we're north of the Antarctic Convergence it can be quite chilly here, so you'll want to layer up before joining Zodiac cruises into rocky coves or along sea cliffs, keeping watch for seal, sea lion, dolphin and porpoising penguin. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you may be able to visit albatross colonies, penguin rookeries and perhaps even have a traditional English 'tea and scones' at a local cottage.We also aim to land in historic Stanley, the capital of the Falklands~Malvinas. This charming town has a distinctly British character, with terraced town houses, cottages and even an iconic red telephone box. Colourful buildings house cosy cafes, English pubs, souvenir shops, a post office and the fascinating Historic Dockyard Museum, with displays on the maritime history of the Falkland Islands, natural history and links to Antarctica.

On our return sailing to Ushuaia, you may choose to spend the time at sea editing your photos, enjoying the onboard facilities, or listening to an informative lecture.

During the early morning, we cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia. The trip ends after breakfast on board the ship. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time after 12 pm. For those on earlier flights, a transfer will take you directly to Ushuaia City Airport (USH). For those on later flights, you will be transferred to downtown Ushuaia and given time to explore the city, before continuing on to the airport in time for your flight.