South Georgia, The Falklands, & Antarctica. Five Journeys Aboard the Prince Albert II. 2010 & 2011. 11 to 18 Days.
Be warned: A trip to Antarctica could change your life.
Imagine finding yourself surrounded by... open space. Remember the concept of space—where other people keep clear of that imaginary 360 degrees surrounding you?
Antarctica astounds with its vast deserts wrapped in ice, its open skies alive with swooping seabirds, its pure snow, and its waters filled with whales, seals, sea lions, penguins—all living and breeding in this rare and beautiful Pleistocene time warp.
R. Crusoe & Son offers five cruises to the bottom of the Earth aboard the 132-guest Prince Albert II, a member of the elegant Silversea fleet. A fleet of Zodiacs on the ship allows us to land in shallow water and navigate small waterways. Naturalists accompany us on the ship and in the Zodiacs to keep us informed on all we’re seeing.
Our shorter tours—11 and 12 days—focus on the Antarctic Peninsula. Our longer cruises include additional stops in the Falklands, the South Georgia Islands (home of the king penguin), and other unique destinations.
All of our Antarctic cruises begin (and end) in Ushuaia (Argentina), the very tip of civilization. From there, our 11- and 12-day journeys cross the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Convergence to reach the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we make a comprehensive exploration of the peninsula and the islands of the Scotia Sea. Glaciers calf new icebergs. Fin whales frolic in our wake. Rookeries of penguins 
invite us over for a little socializing. Research stations along the way might open their doors to us, and scientists living here share their experiences. The extraordinary silence is deafening, the space liberating. See for yourself.
Our 14-day cruise adds in several days in the Falkland Islands—in charming Port Stanley, and on Saunders, Carcass, and West Point islands. The archipelago supports a fascinating variety of wildlife, bird life, even some human life (unlike much of the rest of Antarctica). The Falklands are so very British; in fact, the population of 2,500 is almost exclusively from the U.K.
If you have more time, we urge you to take our longer (18-day) cruise south. On those departures, we add the South Georgia archipelago into the mix. Once a busy whaling stopover, these islands and their surrounding waters are now strictly protected. Elephant seals crowd the shoreline along with fur seals and king penguins. Sooties and albatrosses fill the sky. Sir Ernest Shackelton is laid to rest in a small cemetery here.
There's also a visit to Elephant Island, in the South Shetlands. It was here that Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance, was stranded in 1916.
To request a detailed itinerary for this journey (and others), click here.