Antarctica's Ross Sea: Majestic Ice & Wildlife

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Relax as your fly toward your destination.

Welcome to Hobart, start your journey with an overnight stay.

The Tasmanian capital always makes an impression, from the boats bobbing in its pretty harbour to its thought-provoking galleries and produce-driven restaurants. The crew will warmly greet you as you seamlessly board Scenic Eclipse. Settle into your luxurious suite and acquaint yourself with the world-class facilities of your Discovery Yacht. Toast the start of your voyage as you sail away from Australia. 

While exploring the luxurious spaces on board Scenic Eclipse today, you’ll have the chance to meet some of the experts who will bring the places you'll visit to life. The Polar Discovery Team will enrich your Antarctic experience with their encyclopaedic knowledge of geology, glaciology, photography, marine biology, history, ecology and more. They’ve been exploring the world’s most remote reaches for years and will fascinate you with facts and stories beyond anything you can find in guidebooks or websites.

Join an introductory presentation about your polar expedition by the Polar Discovery Team in the state-of-the-art theatre. Feel the excitement building as they explain how your Zodiac and other Discovery Excursions will work in the coming days.

Scenic Eclipse II’s state-of-the-art technology allows for smooth navigation through Antarctica’s waters due to its Polar Class 6 rating, electronic Azipod propulsion system and oversized stabilisers.

Prepare yourself for unparalleled ‘pinch-me’ moments and for the unpredictability of the region – your expert team will be deciding the course of action in the coming days, based on weather and ice conditions. The crew will make every attempt to have as many landings and Discovery excursions as possible, including Zodiac cruising, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and optional helicopter^ and submersible^ experiences.

Macquarie Island is a place that sparks every sense. From a distance, the earth appears to be moving. As Scenic Eclipse II approaches you realise that the land is, in fact, heaving – under the weight of thousands of penguins.

Subject to permits and conditions, you can experience this extraordinary landscape that hosts one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in the Southern Ocean. Countless tuxedoed, bushy eyebrowed and golden crowned penguins – king, rockhopper, gentoo and the endemic royal – breed here. You’re likely to see leopard seals patrolling the waters, southern elephant seals peeking from tussocked dunes, and sooty albatrosses circling overhead.

It’s time to ease into your ultra-luxury surroundings. This might be the day you sleep in, conserving energy for the activities ahead, then spend lazy hours in your suite, which cocoons you within the comforts of a 6-star hotel.

Learn more about your new home from your Captain and crew at the bridge. With an open bridge policy, they will share with you the details about Scenic Eclipse II’s world-class technology, which includes two on board helicopters^ and a submersible^, offering exclusive ways to explore across your journey. Then visit the state-of-the-art theatre to hear today’s presentations from the Polar Discovery Team.

Wake up reinvigorated after a good night’s sleep on your signature Scenic Slumber Bed. Then, begin your day with a barista coffee brought by your butler, or perhaps with your choice of a buffet or an à la carte breakfast in the Yacht Club.

A true culinary journey awaits every day on board Scenic Eclipse II, with up to 10 extraordinary all-inclusive dining experiences and eight bars and lounges. As dusk falls, choose between steak and seafood at Elements, channel the spirit of Asia at Koko’s or journey to France at Lumière^^.

This 160-kilometre-long chain of volcanic islands (some of them still active) straddles the Antarctic Circle. Here, you’ll have a front-row seat to one of the greatest convergences of wildlife in the world.    

Humpbacks, fin and minke whales may put on a show while we are nearby, breaching, blowing, and slapping their tails. Crabeater, Weddell, elephant and leopard seals loll about, sunbaking between swims. And Adélie and chinstrap penguins march and squark, creating a strangely melodic cacophony. Join a Discovery excursion or just take in the view from the Observation Deck or your private verandah.  

Discovery: Daily experiences may include cruising on Zodiacs, stepping ashore to view vast penguin rookeries or historic huts, and kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding around icebergs. 

Spend a second day exploring this island chain, named after British mariner Captain Balleny, who reported seeing smoke billowing from its 1,340-metre summit in 1839. Almost completely mantled by ice, Young Island is the northernmost in the archipelago. At the other end of the chain, Sturge is the southernmost island.

Pull out your binoculars from your suite or head for the telescopes in the Observation Lounge and take in the astonishing bird life, including enormous breeding colonies of southern fulmars and snow petrels. Gain deep insights from your expert Polar Discovery Team about the region and its rich birdlife.

Discovery: Daily experiences may include cruising on Zodiacs, stepping ashore to view vast penguin rookeries or historic huts, and kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding around icebergs.

Be sure to stay close to your verandah as you enter the Ross Sea – wandering albatrosses are a common sight, and icebergs will begin to pop up around you as well. The pristine, nutrient-rich ocean Scenic Eclipse II now navigates is also popular among orcas, seals, penguins and whales.  

This rugged and remarkable body of water is surrounded by sky-scraping mountains and carved by glacial ice tongues, vast ice shelves and drifting sea ice. Some of the most famous Antarctic explorers – Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen and Borchgrevink among them – used it as a gateway on their quest to the South Pole.

It’s hard to imagine a place more remote than Antarctica, but Possession Island may well be it. If your Captain gives the go-ahead, you could be kayaking and paddling around one of the least-visited islands in Antarctica. Least-visited by humans, that is – it’s home to thousands of penguins, backdropped by the Admiralty Mountains. If you’re an avid photographer, make sure your camera battery is fully charged.  

Later in the evening, Champagne in hand, your Polar Discovery Team will regale you with stories of the birds you’ve come in contact with in this designated Important Bird Area (IBA).

Often referred to as the "Last Ocean", the remarkable Ross Sea region is home to an extraordinary array of wildlife, including vast colonies of penguins, seals, and whales. The sea's icy waters and dramatic landscapes, with towering icebergs and expansive ice shelves, offer a breathtaking glimpse into our planet's raw, untouched beauty. 

Join the Polar Discovery Team for a lecture on the state-of-the-art theatre and learn how, despite its harsh conditions, the Ross Sea plays a crucial role in global ocean health and climate regulation. Protected as a marine reserve, it stands as a testament to the importance of preserving our natural world for future generations.

Your Polar Discovery Team are always on call to lead active excursions, whether kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding. The emotion you’ll feel gliding these pristine waters while watching for a whale breaching in the distance is hard to describe. 

If the chance arises to venture to land in a Zodiac, you can observe a large community of Adélie penguins and other nesting seabirds in their daily competition to see who has the loudest voice. The Weddell seals, resting on the shore, barely seem to notice.

Weather plays an important role in deciding if and when you land on Ross Island, but even if you have to stay on the ship you’ll be amazed by its natural drama. The landscape is dominated by Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on Earth and the second-highest volcano in Antarctica. 

Sit down with your expert Polar Discovery Team in the state-of-the-art theatre to learn why Sir James Clark Ross and Sir Ernest Shackleton came here on their polar expeditions, and how they built their huts. Both huts are still here today and are classified as an Antarctica historical monument. 

A row of largely snow-free valleys, the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Ross Island comprise one of the world's most extreme deserts, plus the saline Lake Vida and the Onyx River, a meltwater stream and Antarctica's longest river. The only way to glimpse this dramatic landscape is by adding an optional excursion on one of Scenic Eclipse II’s helicopters^ – weather permitting, your pilot may even land on this end-of-the-Earth landscape.   

When you’re back on your Polar Discovery Yacht, share your experience with your fellow guests over a whiskey in the Scenic Lounge Bar.

All jagged cliffs and ink-black escarpments backed by the towering Admiralty Mountains, the Adare Peninsula is a postcard of natural drama. Much of the spectacle comes courtesy of the 250,000 breeding pairs of Adélie penguins – the largest colony in Antarctica – that call the region home. 

This is a place that has drawn avid expeditioners for centuries. It was the site of the first documented Antarctic landing on the continent in 1895, and Norwegian explorer Carsten Borchgrevink’s two 1899 huts remain on land.

Discovery: Weather and conditions permitting, you may have the chance to explore the hut remains with your Polar Discovery Team.

It’s hard to comprehend the scale of the glaciers you’ll see over the course of your voyage. Like the Mertz Glacier, an enormous hunk of crystalised ice that gleams like a turquoise jewel. You may also see the Suvorov Glacier, its bright, silent stillness of snow and ice tipping away into fathomless distances without the interruption of a single alien feature. There are no trees or shrubs; flora is just a sprinkling of occasional lichen, moss and algae.

Discovery: You may have the chance to come near the glaciers by Zodiac, guided by the expert Polar Discovery Team.

Ernest Shackleton gave the Bay of Whales its fitting name in 1908. A natural ice harbour on the Ross Ice Shelf, the waters here are a magnet for migrating whales. Imagine being on a kayak and Zodiac, gliding across mirror-like water when an enormous tail crashing down at a distance.

Or today could be the day to brave the polar plunge. Pull on your swimsuit, throw off your robe and jump into the near-freezing Southern Ocean – a rite of passage for polar explorers. You’re going to feel invigorated at the end of this split second, once-in-a-lifetime experience. The cold plunge is exhilarating, and the shared experience with your fellow Antarctica ‘plungers’ immensely bonding. That hot drink or whiskey as you emerge is restorative and reviving. This is an unmissable opportunity, whether enjoyed today or throughout your voyage in Antarctic waters.

The past weeks have delivered an abundance of emotions and active explorations. As you begin to sail away from Antarctica, today could be the day for some downtime in the expansive 550m² Senses Spa#.

Be rejuvenated with a yoga or Pilates session or add a tailored treatment# and indulgent wellness experiences, from dreamy massages and facials to body wraps and scrubs, manicures and pedicures. Then take some time out on one of the thermal lounges; your limbs will thank you later.

Explore more of your Discovery Yacht’s facilities today. Begin with a yoga class, followed by a soak in the heated Vitality Pool, the endless horizon your outlook. Your active start to the day means you can reward yourself by calling on your butler to bring breakfast to your room. You could enjoy lunch here as well

The only thing you need to do now is decide which bar or lounge to move to, making the most of the all-inclusive premium beverage menu, including premium top-shelf wines and spirits.

When you’re visiting some of the world’s most fragile ecosystems, you have a commitment to protect them for future generations. At least, that’s Scenic’s mantra. Take advantage of our open bridge policy to meet with the Captain and the team to find out all about Scenic Eclipse’s state-of-the-art technology and environmentally sustainable systems that aim to leave as small a footprint as possible.

Visiting Antarctica positively breeds environmental ambassadors and you’ll be keen to learn more over an enrichment lecture in the theatre.

Millions of penguins. Countless seals and whales. Antarctica-only birdlife. Endless expanses of ice. The remarkable sights of the world’s southernmost continent take a while to digest. Sometimes, quiet contemplation is the best way to do that – perhaps editing images, writing in your journal, marking highlights on a map. Or share your memories with your fellow guests in one of the up to ten restaurants, eight bars and lounges. Relive every moment that sparked joy over the last three weeks, looking forward to sharing these once-in-a-lifetime memories with your loved ones at home.

End your journey in the same way you began it – by indulging in Scenic’s truly all-inclusive philosophy. Enjoy an unrivalled selection of premium beverages available on board all day, every day, including premium gin, saké and more than 130 varieties of whiskey.

Then try more of your Discovery Yacht's up to 10 dining experiences. Perhaps visit the Night Market^^ @ Koko’s, where chefs prepare unique dishes inspired by the markets of Asia from behind the hot and cold grill for just eight guests.

If you have any last questions before you disembark, this is the time to ask them to your Polar Discovery Team. Join a final lecture, perhaps, to put the mind-bending sights you’ve seen on your voyage into perspective.

Find that photography expert for tips on editing your images, the historian for extra details on the explorers you’ve been following, and the Captain to learn where your next Scenic voyage might take you.

Your voyage ends in Dunedin (Port Chalmers), on the southeastern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.

After one last luxurious breakfast, it’s time to bid farewell to your new friends and the Scenic Eclipse II crew, taking memories for a lifetime with you.

You will join a standard transfer from Port Chalmers to Dunedin.
Please book your flight to depart out of Dunedin after 12:00 PM.

Welcome home.

^^Reservation Required 
^Flights on board our two helicopters and submersible experiences are at additional cost, subject to regulatory approval, availability, weight restrictions, medical approval and weather, ice and tidal conditions.  #Spa treatments at additional cost. +All drinks on board, including those stocked in your mini bar, are included, except for a very small number of rare, fine and vintage wines, Champagnes and spirits.   

The itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons. As such Scenic cannot guarantee the voyage will operate unaltered from the itinerary stated above. Please refer to our terms and conditions for further information.