Highlights

• Through PONANT’s alliance with The Explorers Club, this voyage will feature Dr. Natalie Schmitt, an ecologist, conservation geneticist, and documentary filmmaker dedicated to protecting biodiversity.
• A polar expedition cruise in the Southern Ocean, between the Valdes Peninsula, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula, to discover a dazzling natural environment.
• Outings and shore visits in zodiac inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
• Enjoy a magical experience as you are introduced to sea kayaking. Lead by experienced, State-Certified kayak guides, you will skim the water’s surface amid the ice. For more information about your kayak tour, please go to the section ‘PONANT activities’ and to book your kayak tour, contact your cruise advisor.
• The discovery of the Valdes Peninsula, in Patagonia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a veritable wildlife sanctuary with a unique ecosystem, offering captivating landscapes of arid steppes, unrivalled biodiversity, and traditional haciendas.
• South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, two subantarctic archipelagos of singular beauty, where the great variety of fauna and flora is astonishing.
• Lectures and information sessions hosted by our naturalist-guides, covering wildlife, history, geopolitics, the great explorers, climate, environmental protection and educational discovery in the respect of environment.
• Hiking opportunity
• Landscapes: alpine landscapes, black sand beaches, verdant plains and hanging glaciers in South Georgia; white sand beaches, cliffs and moors dotted with moss and lichen in the Falkland Islands; barren steppes with a unique ecosystem in southern Argentina.
• Wildlife: barren steppes with a unique ecosystem in southern Argentina ; black-browed and light-mantled albatrosses; Magellanic, Gentoo and southern rockhopper penguins in the Falkland Islands; king and macaroni penguins, elephant and fur seals in South Georgia; leopard seals, chinstrap penguins in the South Orkney Islands; humpback whales, Gentoo, Adelie, chinstrap penguins, leopard, crabeater and Weddell seals in the Antarctic Peninsula.

*Subject to weather conditions. The expedition highlights, encounters with the wildlife and itinerary described illustrate possible experiences only and cannot be guaranteed.

The activities mentioned are given as examples, the programme of activities will be fine-tuned as the departure of your cruise approaches and will be available on the website.

Our Guest of Honor: Natalie Schmitt

Dr. Natalie Schmitt is an ecologist, conservation geneticist and documentary film maker with a long history of deep passion and dedication to finding new and innovative ways to address the underlying causes of our massive biodiversity crisis. As both the causes and the solutions involve people, Natalie’s focus has been multi-faceted, going beyond science to explore ways that we can connect with, inspire, understand, and empower people. Taking her inspiration from the Indigenous notion of two-eyed seeing, she is motivated to combine the scientific way of seeing the world with Indigenous knowledge, as well as the use of art and film to foster deep collaboration and inspiration for conservation.

Studying elusive, endangered species, like snow leopard, Natalie has worked at restoring harmony between people, livestock and wildlife in key snow leopard regions of Nepal with local NGO Pangje, to create safe corridors for snow leopards to flourish. Through her conservation genetic research on humpback whales and Antarctic blue whales with the Australian Antarctic Division, she has contributed to policy and management improvement at various scales, including that of the International Whaling Commission.

Over the past 8 years, Natalie has developed a portable leading-edge technology to detect DNA from biological samples in real time, at low cost and easy-to-use. She leads a skilled, synergic team of geneticists, conservationists, business partners, and institutions who have helped to make this possible. Together, WildTechDNA will revolutionize the way customs, law-enforcement, field monitoring practices, citizen science, and locally based conservation are conducted around the world.

Natalie was chosen as one of the Explorers Club 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about in 2022. Her mission is centered around the belief that our environmental crisis is not an external, isolated problem but rather a human, societal and deeply personal challenge.

Language spoken: English

November 5, 2025 – Buenos Aires
Embarkation 11/5/2025 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM | Departure 11/5/2025 at 6:00 PM
A port city built on the south-western shore of the Rio de la Plata, between the Atlantic Ocean and the vast Argentine Pampas, Buenos Aires is a unique city in Latin America. Nicknamed “the Little Paris of South America”, the Argentine capital is a clever blend of architecture with European influences and a joyful Latin American atmosphere. Designed on an orthogonal grid plan, it has 48 districts, all of which are as charming as they are different, with a range of styles such as Belle Époque, gothic and baroque. With its markets overflowing with treasures, its legendary cultural and architectural heritage, and tango providing its background music, the Argentine capital will delight you on every street corner.

November 6, 2025 November 7, 2025 – At sea
Arrival 11/6/2025 | Departure 11/7/2025
During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

November 8, 2025 – Puerto Madryn
Arrival 11/8/2025 | Departure 11/8/2025
On the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Argentinian province of Chubut, stands the city of Puerto Madryn nestling in the Golfo Nuevo and surrounded by wild and abundant nature. You will be able to follow the narrow strip of land formed by the isthmus for a few kilometres, to reach the Valdes Peninsula nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its microclimate, protected from the extreme conditions of the Southern Atlantic, makes this an ideal breeding ground for southern right whales in winter, but also for southern elephant seals, southern sea lions, and orcas. You may get the chance to spot numerous birds, Magellanic penguins, guanacos and Patagonian maras living in this desert steppe.

November 9, 2025 November 10, 2025 – At sea
Arrival 11/9/2025 | Departure 11/10/2025
During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

November 11, 2025 – Port Stanley
Arrival 11/11/2025 | Departure 11/11/2025
Situated at the far eastern end of the Falklands’ largest island, Port Stanley, is the capital of this remote archipelago in the South Atlantic, composed of nearly 700 islands and islets. In 1764, Louis Antoine de Bougainville settled the first pioneers here and the port grew rapidly. Placed under the Spanish crown in 1767, then under British sovereignty since 1833, the town has retained some South American features fused with the Victorian style that punctuate the city, and the houses with their colourful roofs brighten the moorland landscapes with their windy and harsh climate reminiscent of the Scottish islands of Orkneys or Shetland. In front of the Cathedral, built in 1933, an arch made of whale jaw bones reminds us that Port Stanley was once a whaling port.

November 12, 2025 November 13, 2025 – At sea
Arrival 11/12/2025 | Departure 11/13/2025
During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

November 14, 2025 November 16, 2025 – South Georgia
Arrival 11/14/2025 | Departure 11/16/2025
Aboard your ship, discover South Georgia, a region formed by an underwater mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula. All the wildlife of the Far South can be found there: king and Gentoo penguins, elephant seals, fur seals… You might get the chance to discover the majestic glaciers of Gold Harbour and the vast plains of Fortuna Bay. If you are fortunate enough to land at Salisbury Plain, you can expect a wonderful spectacle: more than 300,000 king penguins, which you will recognise by the bright orange mark on their head and neck, have taken up residence there.

November 17, 2025 November 18, 2025 – At sea
Arrival 11/17/2025 | Departure 11/18/2025
During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

November 19, 2025 November 20, 2025 – Antarctic Peninsula
Arrival 11/19/2025 | Departure 11/20/2025
Succumb to the magic of a place unlike any other. To this day, the mythical Antarctic Peninsula still holds real fascination and promises its visitors unforgettable moments. Throughout your adventure in this icy realm, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels are at home here, as are elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales, and orcas. Depending on which sites you will be lucky enough to visit, you may get the chance to observe them and share with them the beauty of these extreme parts.

Each day, based on ice conditions, the Captain and the Expedition Leader will suggest zodiac outings or landings to discover the infinite riches of the Antarctic Peninsula. Glaciers, ice floe, tabletop icebergs, mountain peaks that plunge straight into the sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, enchanting bays, and vestiges of the whaling industry: these are the faces of the Antarctic that will likely reveal themselves to you, in a hushed and surreal atmosphere. You will sail in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache and Sir Ernest Shackleton, great Antarctic explorers who, from the 19th century, set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands.

November 21, 2025 November 22, 2025 – Crossing the Drake Passage
Arrival 11/21/2025 | Departure 11/22/2025
If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to connect Antarctica to South America. Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don’t forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.

November 23, 2025 – Ushuaia
Arrival 11/23/2025 | Disembarkation 11/23/2025 at 7:00 AM
Capital of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible.

Why choose PONANT?

An attentive crew, expertise, fine dining and more. Within a fully 5 star setting, we take you to discover exceptional destinations while offering you a travel experience that is both authentic and high end.

• Travelling the French way
  PONANT is an exponent for the French way of life across every sea on the globe. On board, this is translated through exceptional services, a multilingual crew and bringing French know-how to the fore.
• Exceptional destinations
  From secluded ports to secret seas, from forgotten beaches to remote lands, our experts choose itineraries that take you away from major tourist routes so you can enjoy unique cruises and shorelines that few have seen before.
• Ships on a human scale
  Thanks to our small capacity ships, we can dock in private ports and offer stopovers in preserved locations. On board, the limited number of passengers means that everybody can enjoy special moments and feel as though they are on a private yacht.
• Our commitments
  PONANT aims at becoming a world reference in the field of sustainable development in the cruising industry. The environment and ethics are among our main concerns, both in the regions we visit and in our relationships within the company and with our partners.