Scenic is offering three cruises in the East Antarctic and Ross Sea region aboard Scenic Eclipse II for its 2024/25 season. The new itineraries will give guests the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the world’s greatest explorers, including Dr. Douglas Mawson, Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Exclusive to a limited number of guests per season, the three new itineraries will enable guests to experience regions traditionally unexplored and unavailable to exploration cruise lines.
The 25-day “Mawson’s Hut & Commonwealth Bay, Australia’s Antarctic Expedition” sails from the Milford Sound fjord on New Zealand’s South Island to Hobart, Tasmania. One of many highlights is a visit to the Mawson’s Huts complex at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, in the far eastern sector of the Australian Antarctic Territory. The buildings here were built and occupied by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911–14, led by geologist and explorer Dr. Douglas Mawson, a close friend and contemporary of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Subject to permits, Scenic Eclipse II will call on Macquarie Island, offering guests the chance to see the endemic royal penguins. Balleny Islands are windswept, remote and heavily glaciated and have received few human visitors since their discovery in 1839. The surrounding food-rich waters result in diverse wildlife including humpback, fin and minke whales along with crabeater, Weddell, elephant and leopard seals.
The 24-day “Antarctica’s Ross Sea - Majestic Ice & Wildlife” has two sailings: From Hobart, Australia to Dunedin, New Zealand or round-trip sailing from Dunedin. Both itineraries (weather permitting) include a visit to Ross Island. Here, on a clear day guests can view Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on earth and visit the historical hut of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The Ross Sea Ice Shelf is the largest floating body of ice on the planet, estimated to be the size of France, with cliffs of up to 165 feet and ice extending across 500 miles. On Cape Adare, guests will be able to take a Zodiac trip to marvel at the largest Adélie penguin rookery in Antarctica, while the volcanic past of Franklin Island offers another opportunity to explore the Adélie penguins and otherworldly landscapes such as the Mars-like Dry Valley, only accessible by helicopter, of which Scenic Eclipse II has two.
Catering to a maximum of 200 guests on polar sailings, the Discovery Yachts house a range of indoor and outdoor spaces while offering guests with the opportunity to take part in multiple landings each day. The onboard 20-strong Discovery Team comprises naturalists, marine biologists and glaciologists, while Zodiac, kayak and stand-up paddleboard excursions present a low-impact way to explore. Alternatively, guests can choose to take to the skies in one of two helicopters or venture below the ocean’s surface in a custom-built submersible.
All Scenic Eclipse voyages are all-inclusive. Rates include internal flights, transfers, fine-dining experiences, premium beverages and immersive excursions. Booking early and paying in full at least 12 months prior to departure means savings of up to $7,000 per cabin and free economy or business class airfare, depending on the stateroom selected.
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