The Norwegian shipping company Hurtigruten is making the journey through Antarctica, Chilean Fjords and the Falkland Islands with its state-of-the-art hybrid ship, the MS Roald Amundsen, the first eco-friendly ship in the fleet and also the first vessel of its kind to cross the Northwest Passage.
This new and exciting 18-day voyage to the white continent departs on November 24th. After an overnight stay in Santiago, Chile, the ship will depart from Punta Arenas, the capital of Chile's southernmost region, located on the Brunswick Peninsula, north of the Strait of Magellan. Passengers will embark on a route that begins with a voyage through the Beagle Channel and over the legendary Drake Passage. Onboard, the Expedition Team will begin a lecture program, providing information on Antarctic fauna, geology, and history. Guests will also have the opportunity to participate in the Citizen Science program to learn more about the wildlife and ecosystems of the Seventh Continent.
Guests will be able to contemplate nature in its purest form and its wildlife, such as large penguin colonies, whales (from the deck), and seals among icebergs. Always accompanied by the Expedition Team, passengers will enjoy cruises through the ice in inflatable boats and landings to discover firsthand the breathtaking Antarctic landscape, both on the Antarctic Peninsula and in the South Shetland Islands. In addition, an expert photographer will advise the group on camera settings to capture the best memories of the trip.
The next destination is the South Orkney, four islands located in the Scotia Sea, about 600 km northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Here, guests prepare to enjoy a beautiful phenomenon: the solar eclipse. Whether from their cabin window or on deck, protected by special solar filters provided by the Expedition Team, it will be a truly remarkable experience, further enhanced by the explanations of a professional astronomer. Afterward, the islands, 85% covered by glaciers and home to various species of penguins and seals, will be explored.
The voyage continues towards the Falkland Islands, where Hurtigruten passengers can discover the charms of island life and the contrasts of its beautiful natural and animal landscape with penguin colonies alongside grazing sheep, geese on the water's edge and caracaras flying over the area.
Onboard, the Expedition team will give lectures on the history and biology of the islands, using state-of-the-art microscopes in the ship's Science Center to analyze samples taken during the expedition cruise and observe a different kind of "wildlife" at the cellular level. The route will cross the Strait of Magellan , returning to Punta Arenas and finally to Santiago, Chile. Passengers will have the opportunity to review the entire expedition cruise at the Science Center.
The Antarctic Treaty has made this territory a military-free zone subject to a unique administrative regime. Tourism, as practiced by Hurtigruten, helps to preserve the environment. Hurtigruten is a leading cruise line in the industry for its environmental awareness and sustainability efforts.
