Scenic has released three new Scenic Eclipse II ultra-luxury voyages to the East Antarctic and Ross Sea regions as part of its newly released 2024/25 Antarctica brochure collection.
These itineraries will give guests the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the world’s greatest explorers such as Dr Douglas Mawson, Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton, and are exclusively available to a limited number of guests. With only three departures of 200 guests each per year, including Christmas or the New Year, guests are encouraged to book and plan with the limited-release Special Earlybird offers.
2024/25 will be Scenic’s fifth season in Antarctica, and the three new itineraries that will unlock regions traditionally unexplored and inaccessible to many expeditions cruise lines. Guests will be among the few to discover the far reaches of Antarctica’s southeast, with opportunities to witness seldom-seen landscapes, historical sites and remote Islands teeming with seabirds, penguins, whales and seal species.
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“We have introduced these new voyages in response to the demand for exclusive destination experiences in the polar regions,” said Claudius Docekal, Scenic Group Vice President Ocean Deployment. “Scenic Eclipse II will be the newest and most modern ultra-luxury expedition ship operating in remote East Antarctica and the Ross Sea region, setting the benchmark in providing once-in-a-lifetime journeys for our guests.
“We are the only operator to offer an abundance of exploration by helicopter^, submarine^, Zodiac, kayak and stand-up paddleboard. Guests can enjoy exclusive experiences such as exploring the McMurdo Dry Valleys, a landscape that has been compared to the surface of Mars and is only accessible by helicopter^.”
25-day Mawson’s Hut & Commonwealth Bay Expedition
Discover the wild east coast of Antarctica, on the 25-day Mawson’s Hut & Commonwealth Bay Expedition Voyage, to a region that abounds in dramatic windswept landscapes, legendary history and wildlife. Depart from Queenstown to Hobart and follow in the footsteps of Douglas Mawson’s Antarctic expedition – the South Australian geologist who accompanied Ernest Shackleton during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911–14.
Disembark in Commonwealth Bay and navigate through the icy landscapes to Mawson’s Hut at Cape Denison one of just six still surviving from the so-called ‘heroic era’ of Antarctic exploration. Marvel at the remote Balleny Islands, heavily glaciated and having received few human visitors since their discovery in 1839, it is teeming with diverse wildlife, including humpback, fin and minke whales along with crabeater, Weddell, elephant and leopard seals.
Departs on 15 December 2024, prices start from $39,995pp based on a Deluxe Verandah Suite, including a Super Earlybird saving from $7,000pp.
24-day Antarctica’s Ross Sea: Majestic Ice and Wildlife
Explore two of the world’s ultimate Expedition Voyages the 24-day Antarctica’s Ross Sea: Majestic Ice & Wildlife discovering Antarctica’s elusive Ross Sea region on board Scenic Eclipse II. Departing from Hobart to Dunedin on 8 January 2025 or from Dunedin to Dunedin on 31 January 2025, this 24- day voyage guests will have time to fully immerse themselves in this marvellous and untouched region.
Both itineraries (weather permitting) include a visit to Ross Island, the ultimate in Antarctic experience. 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 50 metres and ice extending across 800 kilometres. On a clear day, guests can view Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on Earth and visit the historical hut of Sir Ernest Shackleton. And on Cape Adare, guests will marvel at the largest Adélie penguin rookery in Antarctica, while the volcanic past of Franklin Island offers another opportunity to explore the penguins and otherworldly landscapes such as the Mars-like Dry Valley, only accessible by helicopter^.
Departing on 8 January 2025 from Hobart or on 31 January 2025 from Dunedin, with prices starting from $39,995* pp based on a Deluxe Verandah Suite, including a Super Earlybird saving from $7,000 pp.
Note: ^Flights on board two helicopters, helicopter experiences and submarine at additional cost, subject to regulatory approval, availability, weight restrictions, medical approval and weather and ice conditions. Helicopters are unable to operate in South Georgia. *All offers are subject to Scenic Group terms and conditions.