Antarctica and New Zealand Subantarctic Islands cruise
Description of Antarctica and New Zealand Subantarctic Islands cruise
Set sail on the ultimate Antarctic adventure from New Zealand, expedition cruising as far south as possible into the ‘heart of Antarctica’ the Ross Sea with the world’s most experienced Southern Ocean operators.
Cross the Antarctic Circle and into the realm of 24-hour daylight, which allows us to enjoy and experience as much as possible as we spend 10-12 days exploring the Ross Sea region.
Sailing further south into the frozen continent than any sea route, our itinerary is dictated by nature, and given the endless daylight hours, it is not uncommon for guests to enjoy a Zodiac safari under the midnight sun, walking on the ice with Emperor Penguins, visiting the world’s largest and oldest Adelie penguin colony at Cape Adare at 2am (where you can assist leading penguin scientists with their research) or watching pods of Orca hunting Toothfish along the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf at any hour of the day or night.
Of course, the Ross Sea is also steeped in history and our voyage follows in the footsteps of iconic figures from the heroic era giving guest the unique opportunity to step inside the perfectly preserved huts and time capsules of Scott, Shackleton and Borchgrevink. Inside, you’re joined by our guide Al Fastier, who led the conservation and preservation of the huts during his 18-year tenure with the Antarctic Heritage Trust and is on hand to explain where they found the case of Shackleton’s whisky, and the restoration work carried out at each hut.
Other uniquely Ross Sea experiences include visiting historic sites like the location of the snow cave dug by Scott’s Northern Party, where they unexpectedly overwintered on Inexpressible Island in 1912, walking on the ice with Emperor penguins, being dwarfed by the Admiralty Mountains, smouldering Mount Erebus and the Ross Ice Shelf, and visiting research stations.
Limited to just two 28-day voyages each year, one in January and one in February, a maximum of 140 guests on each expedition is able to journey into the ‘heart of Antarctica’ aboard our purpose-built expedition vessel. Known as the 'Grande Dame of Expedition Cruising' due to her celebrated history and refined designed combing the highest passenger ship ice-class rating (1A Super) with an impressive history of Polar exploration.
This voyage also visits the incredible wildlife havens of the world’s most remote Subantarctic Islands - New Zealand and Australia's UNESCO World Heritage listed Snares, Auckland, Campbell and Macquarie Islands. Home to some of the world’s rarest and endangered wildlife, these rarely visited islands featured in Conde Nast Traveler's influential 'The 25 Best Places to Go in 2025’ list.
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Responsible Travel
Planet
This Southern Ocean program visits the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand and Australia, and the Antarctic Continent. All of the islands are nature reserves, and the majority are World Heritage Sites. With our long involvement in these islands (over 35 years) we have been instrumental in developing responsible visitor guidelines.We work closely with the Department of Conservation (DOC) to ensure that our impact on New Zealand's National Parks and reserves is minimal. We are an approved concession holder, ensuring that your visit with us to conservation areas adheres to best practice and contributes to the management of these protected areas.
All waste generated on our expeditions is disposed of in a responsible manner. The vessel complies with MARPOL where possible and allowable we practice recycling, otherwise all non-recyclable waste is brought back for disposal at approved sites.
Our goal in managing our vessel is to minimise fuel consumption and emissions with regular servicing and a proactive maintenance programme. We annually clean and antifoul our vessel's hull to reduce the risk of biofouling. When selecting our specialist expedition equipment, we research this carefully to ensure that they are the most suitable and environmentally responsible.
Group sizes are kept small to minimize impact and enhance visitor experience.
People
We work very closely with the New Zealand Department of Conservation and the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service to assist with the administration and protection of the Subantarctic Islands.Government representatives are onboard each of our visits to the islands on this voyage. They act within an observer role and report back to the New Zealand Department of Conservation as to the standards of environmental consideration we make on our voyages. To date our standards have been impeccable as this is part of the objective of our operations.
In March 2016, we operated a conservation voyage in partnership with Forest & Bird to the Kermadec Islands where a portion of the voyage's profits go towards Forest & Bird's valuable conservation work. We have also operated a "Cruise for Conservation" to the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands and 5% of the fare is given to a specific conservation cause. The following agencies have benefited: Save the Albatross, Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust and Marine Mammal Research Trust.
We provide heavily subsidized transport for conservation workers and equipment to the Southern Ocean islands. Money is raised from the sale of photographs, books and DVD’s to support the reforestation of an area of native New Zealand forest purchased by the company. The company employs a part-time Conservation Officer.
We partner with Enderby Trust to provide Scholarships for young people, who could not otherwise afford to travel, to join their expeditions. We also have active membership in a number of conservation and travel organizations, including IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators).
We have taken a proactive role in research, funding and publishing books on these islands. To date the company has published two books, “Straight through from London” a history of the Bounty and Antipodes Islands; and the “Galapagos of the Antarctic – Wild Islands south of New Zealand”.
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