White out: Exploring The Wilds of Antarctica, in PONANT Signature Luxury / By Natasha Dragun

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHT: THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, the Drake Passage is the shortest route to connect Antarctica to South America. As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, the 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.

Succumb to the magic of a place unlike any other – the mystical Antarctic Peninsula never fails to dazzle. This icy realm is all mint blues and silvery whites, creating a fairytale setting that sparkles like a string of gems.

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.

It’s a natural magnet for an abundance of wildlife, from petite tuxedoed penguins to enormous humpback whales, with fur seals, minke whales, and orcas catching your gaze in between.

Each day, based on ice conditions, your expert PONANT captain and the ship’s expedition leader will suggest zodiac outings or landings to discover the infinite riches of this part of the world.

For a limited time, PONANT are offering an exclusive flight credit of up to $2,500 per person to use towards your international airfare* on two itineraries exploring the Antarctic Peninsula in 2025 and 2026 including:

Emblematic Antarctica – 12 Nights
From Ushuaia to Ushuaia
2 March, 21 & 23 Nov 2025
Aboard Sisterships L’Austral & Le Boréal

The Great Austral Loop – 17 Nights
From Ushuaia to Ushuaia
Flight valid on 9 departures in 2025 & 2026
Aboard Sisterships L’Austral, Le Lyrial & Le Boréal

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHT: THE NEW ZEALAND SUB ANTARCTIC ISLANDS AND THE ROSS SEA

Begin your adventure in the Ross Sea, the southernmost sea on Earth, where Cape Adare welcomes you with the world’s largest colony of Adélie penguins. Explore Terra Nova Bay, home to Italian and South Korean research stations, and witness the ancient beauty of the 4000-year-old Drygalski Ice Tongue.

Delve into history on Inexpressible Island, where the resilience of Terra Nova expedition members echoes through time and stand in awe at Sir James Clark Ross’s and Sir Ernest Shackleton’s huts on Ross Island, monuments to polar exploration.

Journey further to Macquarie Island, a renowned haven of natural wonders. Here, over 3.5 million seabirds, including Royals, Kings, Gentoos, and Rock Hoppers, find sanctuary alongside diverse seal populations. Among New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands lies the Snares, a forested haven untouched by introduced mammals. Here, amidst the raucous calls of two million sooty shearwaters, four species of albatross grace the skies, joined by 35,000 endemic Snares crested penguins.

It’s such a pristine environment that landing on the Snares is prohibited. But if time and weather permit, you will have the opportunity to explore the coastal environments and view the prolific wildlife from PONANT’s fleet of zodiacs.

This expedition is closer than you think! You will sail from Dunedin, New Zealand to follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest polar explorers and for a limited time enjoy a flight credit of up to $2,500 per person to use toward your airfare!*

Scott & Shackleton’s Ross Sea – 21 Nights
From Dunedin – Dunedin
Departing 16 February 2025
Aboard Sistership Le Soléal

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHT: SOUTH GEORGIA

If it’s wildlife you’re after, you’ve picked the right itinerary. It’s hard to fathom the sheer number of animals and birds that inhabit South Georgia, a region formed by an underwater mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula.

In fact, all the wildlife of the Far South can be found here: 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.

Visit South Georgia on the 12 night  Great Austral Loop expedition , departing from Ushuaia to Ushuaia. Plus, on  9 departures in 2025 & 2026, enjoy a limited time flight credit offer of up to $2,500 per person*. Or combine this itinerary on the Ultimate Antarctic Grand Voyage and save 10% on back-to-back voyages.*

A GRAND PONANT VOYAGE: THE BEST OF THE CHILEAN FJORDS

Just by virtue of jumping aboard a PONANT expedition vessel you’re channelling your inner adventurer. If you’re particularly intrepid, you’ll want to experience a PONANT Grand Voyage, which expertly combines multiple itineraries, so you can delve deeper into the remote regions you visit and experience the ultimate polar thrill.

The epic 31-night Ultimate Antarctica Grand Voyage aboard sistership Le Lyrial is the only itinerary that takes you deep into the Chilean fjords, a part of the world that you can cruise and never see another soul. The air is cleaner here, the colours brighter, the wilderness, well, wilder. Visit, and you’ll know what it means to be alive.

There are endless highlights – among them is a visit to Brüggen Glacier (Pio XI), the largest coastal glacier in southern Chile and part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. The Ice Field is the world’s third-largest ice mass, nestled amidst the Andes Mountains.

And when parts of Pio X start to calve into the sea, you’ll know about it. The sound reverberates around the bay, its ripples sending breakoff ice into a tailspin.

There’s more action where this came from. El Brujo Glacier is located in Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, Chile’s largest protected area. This is the spectacular end of Asia Fjord, a colossal ice wall shaped by wind. Depending on the time of day you visit, the wall changes colour and shape, appearing like a prism you could pluck and embed in an enormous ring.

And then there’s Skua Glacier (Amalia Glacier), situated in the heart of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, where Bernardo O’Higgins, Torres del Paine and Las Glaciares National Parks converge.

Rather staggeringly, this tidewater glacier is some three kilometres wide, sitting pretty in the Andes and a patchwork of breathtaking blue landscapes – the crackling ice is your soundtrack.

The Garibaldi Glacier awaits along the Garibaldi Fjord – you’ll cruise along its narrow arm, adorned with lush green vegetation on steep mountains, before reaching the towering ice giant at the fjord’s end. Your welcoming committee? A colony of sea lions and a sky full of birds. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Visit South Georgia and the Chilian Fjords on the Ultimate Antarctic Grand Voyage, where you will save 10% on the expertly curated back-to-back itineraries!*