South Georgia and Antarctic: Penguin Safari
Embark on an adventure and discover incredible wildlife sightings aboard the Ocean Diamond Antarctic Cruise
From: USD 12,386
South Georgia and Antarctic: Penguin Safari
16 Days
5 Reviews
A 16-day expedition cruise
5 Reviews
The Trip Highlights
Experience amazing wildlife sightings
Follow the footprint of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton
Step foot on the 7th continent
Cross the drake passage
Your Polartours 'Plus' Experience
Hike up a sparkling glacier
Discover the peninsula from a sea kayak
Your trip is 100% carbon offset
Learn from Polar experts
Discover the incredible polar wildlife as we set sail on the comfortable and spacious Ocean Diamond to venture south of South Georgia Island and the Antarctic Peninsula. Set foot on the 7th continent and photograph the massive albatrosses and mischievous pintado petrels, which will guide us to South Georgia. See beaches filled with adorable elephant seals and king penguins before heading further south to the Antarctic Sea. Make the most of your time in the Circle by sea kayaking, climbing a glistening glacier and playing with gentoo, chinstrap and Adelie penguins!
We compensate all 4.16 tons of CO2 that this trip will cause.
Your ship: Ocean Diamond
The Ocean Diamond is a luxurious vessel with spacious cabins. All cabins have private bathroom facilities and exterior views. Please feel free to enjoy the flat-screen TV and DVD player in your cabin. The Ocean Diamond is a modern, stable super-yacht. Carrying a maximum of 189 passengers, this outstanding vessel features numerous adventure options plus onboard amenities for you to enjoy such as a well-stocked polar library.
What is life like on an expedition? During days at sea, you’ll enjoy lectures and workshops presented by our Expedition Team and spend time on deck looking for seabirds an … Read more about Ocean Diamond
Amenities
Fitness Center
Bar
Lecture Theater
Observation Deck
Zodiac Fleet
Observation Lounge
Gift Shop
Medical Services
Library
Open Bridge Policy
Food & Drinks
There is one dining room located on the Lower Deck which operates an open seating policy and there’s one sitting for everyone at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This encourages passengers to mingle with their like-minded fellow Antarctic explorers.
While mealtimes may change due to landings and wildlife encounters, you’ll always be served three delicious meals a day. An assortment of freshly baked cookies and/or pastries are offered each afternoon. There is also a selection of hot and cold snacks available in the lounge during cocktail hour, expedition activities permitting.
Breakfasts and lunches are normally served buffet style on Ocean Diamond, while dinners are served plated. À la carte meals are made at the time of your order, allowing the chefs to prepare each dish to your individual needs. Working in a small kitchen, the chefs are able to monitor and control the quality of food being served, ensuring you receive top-quality meals during the course of your expedition.
The well-stocked bar on the ship is open to enjoy with your fellow Antarctic cruise passengers in the late morning, afternoon, and evening. Soft drinks, juices, and water are available at no cost, and beer and wine are offered with dinner. A selection of liquors, spirits, and premium beer, wine, and champagne is available and can be charged to your shipboard account.
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Adventure Options
Adventure Options during your cruise
Day 1 • Start your journey in Ushuaia
Ushuaia is often called the "Gateway to Antarctica". Thanks to its position on the shores of the Beagle Channel at the southern tip of Argentina, Ushuaia's harbor is equally popular with luxury cruise vessels and huge, rugged ice breakers. A vital port for the resupply of many of the Antarctic research bases, Ushuaia is also a beautiful city that really does feel like it's at the edge of the world. You can have a walk in the city to explore fascinating museums like "the end of the world" musem and other cultural centers. It is the perfect place to start boat trips along the Beagle Channel to get up close and personal with penguins and seals. Ushuaia is definitely a remarkable destination in its own right, as well as a wonderful place to start any kind of cruise and trip through Patagonia.
Day 2 • Embark on your new home, the Ocean Diamond
Ushuaia is often called the "Gateway to Antarctica". Thanks to its position on the shores of the Beagle Channel at the southern tip of Argentina, Ushuaia's harbor is equally popular with luxury cruise vessels and huge, rugged ice breakers. A vital port for the resupply of many of the Antarctic research bases, Ushuaia is also a beautiful city that really does feel like it's at the edge of the world. You can have a walk in the city to explore fascinating museums like "the end of the world" musem and other cultural centers. It is the perfect place to start boat trips along the Beagle Channel to get up close and personal with penguins and seals. Ushuaia is definitely a remarkable destination in its own right, as well as a wonderful place to start any kind of cruise and trip through Patagonia.
Day 3-6 • At sea towards South Georgia Island
The passage to South Georgia to or from the Falklands or South America is usually a 2-day sailing. On your way to the magnificent yet remote South Georgia, your expert guides will enthrall you with a range of talks and lectures all about the remarkable concentrations of Antarctic wildlife that can be found on the island.
As well as the huge numbers of breeding birds and sea mammals, you'll also learn about the geology and human history of the island, and its importance in the exploration (and exploitation) of the Southern Ocean.
On deck, your guides will help you to identify the bird species that frequently follow the ships, as well as spotting cetaceans and other marine life you can spot en route.
Day 7-8 • Explore South Georgia
This remote and mountainous island might seem to be barren at first, given that it has no trees and is snow-covered for much of the year. However, appearances can be deceptive, and South Georgia is teeming with life!
Not only is it home to important breeding grounds for fur seals, elephant seals, and king penguins, it is also the only known habitat of the South Georgia Pipit - the Antarctic's only songbird - and the South Georgia Pintail duck.
High, rugged mountains and stunning coastal fjords make cruising the coast of South Georgia a spectacle you will remember.
Used as a base for early-20th century sealers, there are relics of this industry at various places around the island - a reminder of the human history of exploitation of Antarctica and its natural resources.
Day 9-10 • At sea towards the Antarctic Peninsula
There are many activities to keep you engaged while you are at sea. Learn to identify seabirds that glide alongside the ship, or attend dynamic presentations by your Expedition Team. You will be prepped on safety procedures for Zodiac cruises and shore landings, and also be given instructions for getting the most out of your optional sea kayaking adventures (extra cost), a truly intimate way to experience Antarctica.
This remote and mountainous island might seem to be barren at first, given that it has no trees and is snow-covered for much of the year. However, appearances can be deceptive, and South Georgia is teeming with life!
Not only is it home to important breeding grounds for fur seals, elephant seals, and king penguins, it is also the only known habitat of the South Georgia Pipit - the Antarctic's only songbird - and the South Georgia Pintail duck.
High, rugged mountains and stunning coastal fjords make cruising the coast of South Georgia a spectacle you will remember.
Used as a base for early-20th century sealers, there are relics of this industry at various places around the island - a reminder of the human history of exploitation of Antarctica and its natural resources.
Day 11-13 • Set foot on the Antarctic Continent
The North-West portion of the Antarctic Peninsula is the most frequently visited by expedition cruises and is home to many of the most popular landing sites. The Gerlache Strait is renowned for the stunning scenery with the snow covered mountains, as if covered in icing sugar, with numerous glaciers tumbling down to the sea.
Being the most northerly part of the whole continent, the Peninsula enjoys the mildest Antarctic condition, with temperatures in winter averaging a balmy -20 degrees C (-4 degrees F)! In the summer, things warm up to an average of just above freezing. Large areas of this part of the peninsula are ice-free in the early season, being important breeding and feeding grounds for many iconic Antarctic species.
It's here that many of the historic Antarctic expeditions began, and where early military and scientific bases were first established, some of which you will be able to visit if conditions allow. These remarkable artefacts have been left as time capsules, their contents showing remarkable levels of preservation thanks to the dry and cold climate.
Day 14-15 • Spend the last 2 days crossing the Drake Passage towards Ushuaia
The Drake Passage is the name given to the infamous stretch of open ocean between the tip of South America and the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.
It usually takes 2 or 3 days to cross the Drake Passage, and this is a great time to learn from your expert Antarctic naturalist guides. Through a series of fascinating talks and lectures, you'll begin to learn more about the remarkable wildlife and awe-inspiring geology of the Antarctic continent.
Your guides are always on hand to help you identify the sea bird species that always follow the ships, as well as spotting whales and other cetaceans that can be seen en route to the Antarctic Peninsula or the South Shetland Islands.
Day 16 • Your unforgettable Antarctic cruise comes to an end in Ushuaia
You will arrive in Ushuaia in the morning, which allows for you to continue your adventure onward or catch your flights home.
Ushuaia is often called the "Gateway to Antarctica". Thanks to its position on the shores of the Beagle Channel at the southern tip of Argentina, Ushuaia's harbor is equally popular with luxury cruise vessels and huge, rugged ice breakers. A vital port for the resupply of many of the Antarctic research bases, Ushuaia is also a beautiful city that really does feel like it's at the edge of the world. You can have a walk in the city to explore fascinating museums like "the end of the world" musem and other cultural centers. It is the perfect place to start boat trips along the Beagle Channel to get up close and personal with penguins and seals. Ushuaia is definitely a remarkable destination in its own right, as well as a wonderful place to start any kind of cruise and trip through Patagonia.
Reviews
Veronika
The whole trip was simply incredible. Everything was perfect- everyone in the crew is not "only" the professional in his/her field but an amazing human being. All of them take their job as a mission and make a trip the most wonderful and unforgettable holiday of your lifetime. Special thanks to Dr.Paul for saving my partner from the acute sea sickness :) Beside that the food is equal to the dishes served in the best fine dining restaurants. Cabins are cozy and clean. Whole voyage is well thought and planned to the last detail- you do not waste a minute, the trip is worth every single penny. On the top of that you meet wonderful people from all over the world with whom you can party until the break of dawn - it was as if we knew them for years. Flawless! (Copied from Trip Advisor)
Lindsey W.
I recently spent 12 nights on the Ocean Diamond for an Antarctica trip. The trip itself was in my lifetime top 3, right up there with the Galapagos Islands and a South African safari. In fact, I've explained the trip to many people as a polar safari. Quark was very helpful and showed their expertise in polar cruising in the booking process, pre-departure and throughout the trip. I can't say enough wonderful things about both the hotel staff and the expedition team on the ship. I came in with high expectations and they were all exceeded. I felt like the expedition team spent the whole trip showing us their favorite place...probably because they were. Even late in the season, their passion was contagious. we knew the excursions would be amazing, but the onboard lecture series let us take so much more home from the experience. The Ocean Diamond itself is not the newest, shiniest ship in Quark's fleet, but the trade is for a cozy, lived-in ship with a lot of character. The ship is very comfortable, well maintained with plenty of comfortable common space and more spacious cabins than I had anticipated. We were in a triple cabin and had plenty of room to unpack all of our suitcases and stash them under the beds and each carve out our own bit of space in the cabin. We never felt like we were packed in, either in our cabin in particular or on the ship in general. The food was both plentiful and tasty, although an Antarctic cruise is obviously not a foodie destination. (Copied from Trip Advisor)
Sainere
Quark Expeditions came recommended by a popular travel blogger, so I started following them as we wanted to save up to take a trip to Antarctica and South Georgia. Originally we had hoped to travel on their World Explorer ship, but because of a special offer we ended up on the Ocean Diamond. The ship itself is a little outdated and could use some maintenance, but overall it's very clean and comfortable. I have no complaints about Quark Expeditions. It's a very planned, safe, and well thought out experience. The rooms were comfortable, and the food was top notch. They have a shop on board, so if you are missing anything you may have forgotten or need. The entire staff is also amazing. You will love every minute of the trip. I guess the only negative is, the TV on board is so so (you have to rely on them to change the movies every so often), and you have to fork over like 100 bucks to use internet on your devices. Otherwise, you just have WhatsApp wifi access for free. (Copied from Trip Advisor)
Mark
This ship is not new, but certainly well maintained. Our cabin on the 5th deck was large enough and the service of making up our room multiple times a day was really nice. The 5th deck was also nice since we had direct access to the side decks. The ship had a nice enclosed, warm observation deck on the 7th level right above the bridge. It was also great that we were allowed in the bridge. One of my favorite spots however, was the large observation deck on the top of the ship, which seldom had many people on it. The food was also great, as we never went hungry with the ample snacks between meals. The food selection at the meals was always great and whatever we had was done well. Access to fresh salads everyday was appreciated. Most important however, is that all food was properly appropriated, stored and prepared as we never got sick, something that is always a worry on a ship. I can't imagine working in the kitchen while crossing the Drake Passage under the conditions we had, as we heard several large crashes as the ship swayed so strongly that I was thrown out of my chair in the dining room. (Swoop Antarctica)
