Half circumnavigation of Antarctica from Ushuaia to Christchurch

Day 1: Ushuaia – Embarkation
Your journey begins where the world ends. Ushuaia, Argentina, is considered the southernmost city in the world and is located at the southernmost tip of South America. You will say goodbye to this small resort on Tierra del Fuego, also known as "The End of the World," at 6:00 p.m.

Days 3-8: South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Crossing the Antarctic Circle
As in the South Shetland Islands, the captain and crew adapt the itinerary flexibly to the constantly changing conditions. Towering basalt cliffs, rugged volcanic rock, and black lava beaches herald an impressive destination: the Antarctic Peninsula. Icebergs, glaciers, and majestic mountains populated by penguins, seals, and a variety of seabirds.

Here, a small, agile expedition ship like the MS HANSEATIC spirit guarantees unforgettable days. Your expedition experience will be intensified by numerous Zodiac trips and landings.

Pioneering history comes alive on islands, in bays, and in seas whose names commemorate great explorers. Whether James Clark Ross, Robert Falcon Scott, or Sir Ernest Shackleton, follow their pioneering spirit on your expedition.

Depending on ice and weather conditions, the HANSEATIC spirit will call at Deception Island. The extinct volcano will amaze you when the ship sails into the flooded caldera to take you to the black lava beaches.

Passing magnificent ice panoramas populated by Weddell and fur seals, you will reach Paradise Bay, where icebergs float around. Humpback whales may accompany the ship through the Neumayer Channel, a labyrinthine waterway framed by a bizarre rocky and icy coastline.

The sense of discovery on board grows with every nautical mile—and so does the vastness of the landscapes, which you can admire at any time thanks to the many open deck areas.

Mountains up to 1,000 meters high flank the narrow Lemaire Channel, one of the most picturesque passages in shipping. Keep an eye out for gentoo penguins, Adelie penguins, and blue-eyed cormorants, which have their breeding colonies on Petermann Island.

Other ships would have already had to turn back, but the HANSEATIC spirit crosses the Antarctic Circle and sets course for more Antarctic moments. It is hard to imagine living as a scientist in this solitude, as evidenced by the remains of a hut and a memorial plaque at Prospect Point.

Days 18-23: Ross Island, Terra Nova Bay, and Victoria Island
Excitement is mounting on board: What is the ice situation in the Ross Sea like? The season is ideal, the timing perfect—can the HANSEATIC spirit navigate through the pack ice and drift ice to Ross Island?

Will weather and ice conditions allow landings at legendary locations such as Cape Royds? Where Sir Ernest Shackleton established a base camp for his South Pole expedition in 1908, penguins now live.

On the other hand, Cape Evans was the site of Robert Falcon Scott's "Terra Nova" expedition, which was unable to return in its race with Roald Amundsen to conquer the South Pole.

Polar history also comes alive at the American McMurdo Station (permit required). In the shadow of the modern buildings and the mighty Mount Erebus stands the Discovery Hut, built by Scott in 1902. A good ten years later, it also played an important role as the base camp for Shackleton's Endurance expedition during the planned Antarctic crossing. With a little luck, you can observe emperor penguins and whales in this historic area.

As you sail past the fantastic backdrop of the Ross Ice Shelf, you will experience another indescribable highlight: the gigantic ice wall, as tall as a house, stretches for hundreds of kilometers. In Victoria Land, on the other hand, you will be greeted by the endless expanse of Terra Nova Bay, which was discovered by Scott in 1901 and named after his ship. Today, it is home to an Italian research station, among other things.

At Cape Adare, you will encounter the ruins of a hut built by Borchgrevink in 1899, where an expedition team spent their first winter in Antarctica. Just as moving as the past is the spectacular natural environment – including the largest colony of Adélie penguins in Antarctica, with over 250,000 breeding pairs!

Day 25: Cruising off the Balleny Islands/New Zealand
In the southern Pacific Ocean, you will encounter unspoiled island worlds that are hardly known in our latitudes – true natural paradises that are home to a rich fauna.

The small, agile HANSEATIC spirit allows you to get as close as possible to the coastline during the voyage – and even closer when the authorities grant permission to go ashore. The largely glaciated Balleny Islands offer mystical views.

Days 28-30: Campbell Island, Auckland Islands, cruising off the Snares Islands/New Zealand
Campbell Island is home to the world's largest breeding colony of royal albatrosses. During a Zodiac trip, elephant seals can also be spotted in the tussock grass.

With grasslands, moors, and dense ironwood forests, the Auckland Islands have the most lush flora of all the sub-Antarctic islands. In addition to yellow-eyed penguins, New Zealand sea lions are also native to this area.

The Snares penguin, on the other hand, is only found on the Snares Islands, where it lives alongside Cape petrels and albatrosses amid bizarre rock formations.

Last but not least, you will realize that by circumnavigating half of Antarctica, you are one of the few people who have penetrated deep into the mysteries of this distant region.

Day 32: Relaxation at sea
Relax on board the HANSEATIC spirit. Whether in the sea view sauna of the OCEAN SPA, during a relaxing massage, or actively working out in the Sports Club – set your inner compass entirely on well-being.