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Ocean Explorer, Antarctic Express: Cruise South Fly North ex Ushuaia to Punta Arenas

Cruise Ocean Explorer, Antarctic Express: Cruise South Fly North ex Ushuaia to Punta Arenas
Cruise Line Quark Expeditions
Ship Ocean Explorer
Destination Antarctica
Brief Description 7 Night Cruise sailing from Ushuaia to King George Island aboard Ocean Explorer. Flight from King George Island to Punta Arenas post-cruise. Hotel stays in Ushuaia pre-cruise and Punta Arenas post-cruise.
Type of Cruise Expedition
Departure Date 28 Dec 2025
Cruise Description 7 Night Cruise sailing from Ushuaia to King George Island aboard Ocean Explorer. Flight from King George Island to Punta Arenas post-cruise. Hotel stays in Ushuaia pre-cruise and Punta Arenas post-cruise.

Day 1 Ushuaia, Argentina
This quaint city at the southernmost tip of South America is your gateway to Antarctica. The city itself provides a wide range of jewelry shops, cafés, gear shops and restaurants to explore before your voyage. Outside the city, snow-capped mountains and hiking in Tierra del Fuego National Park offer ample adventure activities if you enjoy exploring nature.

Day 2 Embarkation Day
You will embark in the afternoon, with a journey through the picturesque Beagle Channel. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled and be out on deck, as the channel is home to a wide variety of wildlife including seabirds and seals. Rainbows are common here too, creating a great photographic opportunity to kick off the start to your Antarctic adventure.

Days 3 and 4 Crossing the Drake Passage
Legendary for its high winds and rolling seas, you may get lucky and have surprisingly calm seas. Spend your time in the lounge or chatting with your fellow travelers. As you develop your sea legs during the crossing, our Expedition Team will begin their series of presentations to help prepare you for your upcoming Zodiac and land excursions. You officially enter Antarctica when your ship crosses the Antarctic Convergence, a biological boundary that fluctuates around 60° south.

Days 5 to 8 Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
Icebergs are the first attractions that welcome you to Antarctica. Massive floating bergs become more common as you get closer to land and you catch your first glimpse of the Peninsula, with its grand snow-covered mountains. In addition to spotting icebergs, you’ll likely spot Adélie penguins chilling out on ice floes and minke or humpback whales feeding and swimming in the frigid waters.

As soon as possible, the Zodiacs will be readied for your first landing in the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula. Experiencing this immense wilderness up close for the first time can be a numbing experience. The silence is great, the vastness is even greater. Thankfully the noisy locals – penguins and seals – are there to remind you that this wonderful landscape isn’t just a dream.

Your Expedition Team will monitor the ice and weather conditions to determine which landing sites can be visited. With many sites to choose from, each expedition presents new opportunities for exploring the white continent by Zodiac and land. Swimming in Antarctica is perhaps the most adventurous option to tempt you, by taking a Polar Plunge in the water at Neko Harbour!

A typical day in this wildlife wonderland will be spent listening to calving glaciers at Petermann Island, watching penguins waddle around a beach, or taking a hike atop a hill for a panoramic view of Port Lockroy. Whatever you prefer, the photographic opportunities are endless.

Day 9 Disembarkation and Fly to Punta Arenas
As the ship turns north, you’ll say goodbye to the penguins, as well as many of your shipmates. With only the Drake Passage ahead, you’ll disembark and enjoy a bit of time on King George Island before flying off to Punta Arenas, Chile. Once you’re in Punta Arenas, we’ll transfer you from the airport to your hotel, where you’re free to explore and enjoy a final dinner out.

Day 10 Depart for Home
Depart for home.
Sailing Dates
28 Dec 2025
Pricing
Please enquire for pricing
Cruise Itinerary
Date Port Arrive Depart
28 Dec 2025 Ushuaia, Argentina Hotel
29 Dec 2025 Ushuaia, Argentina Embark
30 Dec 2025 Drake Passage
31 Dec 2025 Drake Passage
1 Jan 2026 Antarctic Peninsula
2 Jan 2026 Antarctic Peninsula
3 Jan 2026 South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
4 Jan 2026 South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
5 Jan 2026 King George Island, South Shetland Islands Disembark Flight to Punta Arenas
5 Jan 2026 Punta Arenas, Chile Hotel
6 Jan 2026 Punta Arenas, Chile
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.

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