Luxury Expedition Cruise to Antarctica, South Georgia and The Falkland Islands With Seabourn

I recently returned from an incredible expedition cruise to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). To say it was a memorable trip would be a massive understatement. My husband and I cruised to the Arctic with Seabourn in 2022 and while on board, we spoke with many guests who raved about Seabourn’s Antarctica itineraries. So our expectations were fairly high for this Antarctica expedition… and I’m happy to report that it exceeded our high expectations in every way possible!

This trip was truly something that will stick with us for the rest of our lives. Keep reading for our expedition review and tips on how to take your own once-in-a-lifetime cruise to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falkland Islands.

Disclaimer: This article is in partnership with Seabourn, but as always, all opinions and thoughts are my own. This blog also features some affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you). Learn more about my affiliate policy here. Thank you for the support!

Firstly, let’s talk about our vessel for this voyage. We were lucky enough to be traveling onboard the same ship that took us to the Arctic in 2022 – the Seabourn Venture. This isn’t your average cruise ship with thousands of passengers. The Seabourn Venture is more intimate, hosting a maximum capacity of 132 oceanfront suites. And it’s not your typical vacation cruise consisting of lounging around on the deck with a drink in hand. It’s a true expedition to unique destinations with like-minded travelers looking to experience something extraordinary.

On this Antarctic cruise, we were to explore some of the hardest-to-reach destinations, while experiencing some of the most protected wildlife sanctuaries in the world. We saw countless penguins, seals, whales, and seabirds. We paddled our kayaks by giant icebergs, took a submersible to the bottom of the Southern Ocean, and stepped foot on our seventh and final continent. The Seabourn Venture is built to explore, and the crew onboard made sure we had the most incredible adventure of our lives.

Speaking of the crew, we are always blown away by the knowledge, professionalism, and friendliness of the Seabourn expedition team. Their passion for these amazing places and dedication to the customer experience is incredible. The team is made up of naturalists, wilderness experts, scientists, and historians and throughout the expedition they are always there to answer questions. Seabourn’s crew really does ensure each guest has the most amazing time, all whilst getting a deeper understanding of their surroundings.

We sailed on the December 20, 2023 – January 9, 2024 Antarctica, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands itinerary. Our journey began with a charter flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Ushuaia, Argentina. From there we boarded the ship, sailed through the stunning Beagle Channel, across the infamous Drake Passage, and then down the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. From here, we made our way northeast to South Georgia, then west to the Falkland Islands before returning to Ushuaia. See the map below.

The Antarctic Peninsula is home to some of the most stunning landscapes on earth. Ice-capped, jagged mountains were in view for the majority of our voyage. We sailed by the clearest blue icebergs (some the size of cities!), while penguins and whales jumped out of the ocean next to us. Words, and even our photos, simply cannot do the scenery we saw justice. Here are a few of the highlights of our time in Antarctica:

• Our first morning waking up on the Antarctic Peninsula. We looked out our suite window to see penguins standing on top of a floating iceberg, with dramatic icy peaks behind. Such an amazing way to start the trip!
• An incredible morning spent at Brown Bluff watching penguins nurse their 1-2 day-old chicks. We were also lucky enough to see a giant glacier calving causing a mini tsunami to hit the shore and startle the penguins. It was such a funny sight to watch hundreds of penguins run up the beach!
• Sailing through the famous Lemaire Channel. This was probably the most amazing scenic cruising we have ever done and we were so lucky to have beautiful weather for it.
• Our zodiac trip in the area around Pleaneau Island on Christmas Day was filled with amazing wildlife encounters. We were lucky enough to see a large leopard seal relaxing on the ice while waves crashed next to it.
• While cruising through Hope Bay we saw many whales breaching the surface right next to the boat. Meanwhile, thousands of penguins were hanging out near the whales as they fed to capture any scraps the whales missed.
• Participating in the Antarctica right of passage – a polar plunge in Mikkelsen Harbor. It was cold, but so exhilarating and the staff made it a really memorable experience!
• We took an epic kayak tour around Borgen Bay. It was so nice to get up close and personal with the ocean and icebergs!
• Taking a submersible / submarine to the bottom of the Southern Ocean – something I never thought possible!
• A relatively smooth Drake Passage crossing. Sounds silly mentioned along with the other amazing things above, but we were very lucky with the seas. As someone who gets seasick, it was so nice to enjoy the travel days while not feeling under the weather.

Visiting South Georgia is a huge draw for guests on this itinerary. It is home to some of the most remote and untouched landscapes, with only roughly 13,000 people landing onshore each year. Introduced to most people through the famous Sir Ernest Shackleton voyage on the Endurance, South Georgia is much more than just the final resting place of this great explorer. Here we saw king penguin colonies that numbered in the tens of thousands! Not only that, but the scenery was out of this world. It’s a little different than Antarctica. Far more grass, and less ice, but still home to giant mountains, glaciers, and during certain times of the year, the highest wildlife density on earth. Here are some of the highlights from our time exploring South Georgia:

• We spent almost a whole day onshore at Fortuna Bay, and I can honestly say it was one of the best days of my life. The wildlife here was unbelievable. We saw thousands upon thousands of king penguins, fur seals, and elephant seals. The scenery was beyond incredible, and we had the BEST weather we could have asked for.
• I loved looking out from our suite’s balcony at any given moment and being guaranteed to see porpoising penguins or seals swimming right by the ship. No matter where we were sailing around South Georgia, there was always wildlife to see.
• Witnessing the amazing wildlife display at Salisbury Plain. This is one of the largest penguin colonies in the world. In breeding season, Salisbury Plain has the highest concentration of wildlife per square foot on earth. Unfortunately, South Georgia is currently experiencing an avian flu outbreak and thus we were unable to land the zodiac onshore. But, we were able to see the 60,000+ king penguin colony from the ship. Our expedition team also took us on a zodiac cruise to the shoreline to see all of the wildlife coming in and out of the water.
• Visiting the gravesite of Sir Ernest Shackleton. My husband and I have read about his heroic story in the book “Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage” by Alfred Lansing and it was surreal to see everything in real life.

Honestly, going into this trip I wasn’t as excited about the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) as I was about Antarctica and South Georgia. I thought the landscapes would not be quite as dramatic, which did turn out to be true. BUT… I was pleasantly surprised by the incredible and unique wildlife experiences the Falkland Islands offered. While exploring the islands, we had some of the most amazing bird-watching experiences. The scenery was also absolutely breathtaking at times, and much more beautiful than I had anticipated. Here are some of my favorite moments:

• Our landing on Saunders Island was a memorable one. We visited one of the most beautiful white sand beaches I’ve ever seen… and it was covered in penguins! The weather was sunny as we watched the penguins enter and exit the ocean and surf the crashing waves.
• On West Point Island we were able to spend some time with a large nesting colony of black-browned albatross, rockhopper penguins, and imperial cormorants. The albatross sailed overhead with a backdrop of crashing waves against some really beautiful sea cliffs. This was a surreal and special experience.
• After not seeing any roads, cars, or restaurants for two weeks, it was a treat getting to explore the quaint seaside town of Stanley. We indulged in some delicious fish and chips from a local pub called “Victory Bar”. Highly recommend!

A unique aspect of an Antarctica cruise with Seabourn is that you will be experiencing some of the most remote and unforgiving terrain on the planet in an ultra-luxury environment. The suites are SO comfortable. We had a large storage closet for our clothes, a private veranda, workspace, sofa, large TV, stocked bar fridge, shower, full size bath, and a very luxurious bed.

The Seabourn dining experience is all-inclusive and you can choose from multiple restaurant and lounge options (my favorite is the sushi bar!) and room service is also available 24/7. The Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit have a wide range of luxury amenities for guests to enjoy during their expedition, including a spa, saunas, hot tubs, a heated pool, gym, salon, and more.

We even had great Wi-Fi access (via Starlink) throughout the entire trip, despite how remote we were the entire time. We truly had everything we needed in our room to feel at home for the three weeks we were on board.

Another thing that makes Seabourn stand out from other cruise lines is the quality of the staff. Every crew member onboard the Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit goes above and beyond to ensure every passenger has the most amazing time. Truthfully, before the trip I thought I might be a little tired of being onboard a ship for three weeks. But, the Seabourn Venture had everything I needed to feel comfortable and at the end, I didn’t want to get off!

An impressive 26-person Expedition Team was in charge of guiding our journey through Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. This team is made up of experienced academics, scientists, and naturalists. We were super impressed with their skills and knowledge of the region. Some had visited almost one hundred times! Whether it was the on-board lectures, or sharing information while out on excursions, their presence enriched our journey by giving us a great understanding of what we were seeing.

Speaking of excursions, the Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit offer numerous opportunities for off-ship adventures. These include zodiac tours, submarine dives, kayaking, guided hiking, and wildlife viewing. Plus, scuba diving and snorkeling in warmer destinations. Seabourn also works with local guides for tours such as helicopter flights, small plane scenic flights, cultural tours, and more.

The Seabourn Venture and its sister ship the Seabourn Pursuit have a range of expedition destinations, including the Arctic which we went on in 2022, Antarctica, South America, Europe, Alaska, Africa, and more. Browse all the expedition voyages here.