AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages, a leading provider of superyacht-style expedition cruises, has opened reservations for 18 expeditions on their 3rd vessel, World Voyager, which is part of the Explorer Class expedition fleet. The 198-passenger World Voyager (sistership to AOV's World Traveller and World Navigator) embarks on its first voyage to Antarctica on November 8, 2023.
Highlights of the Antarctic itinerary include visiting Deception Island, a volcanic caldera where adventurers have been known to swim in the steam-heated waters, exploring the breathtaking Paradise Harbor with its floating icebergs, cruising through the majestic Lemaire Channel, and observing the Gentoo rookery at Port Lockroy (Wiencke Island), surrounded by soaring mountains.
The new expeditions offered by AOV include:
- Four 9-night expeditions departing from Ushuaia, Argentina, will cross the Drake Passage to reach the Antarctic Circle and the Shetland Islands, with multiple landings along the Antarctic Peninsula. Departure dates are November 8, 28, 2023; February 27 and March 18, 2024.
- Six additional 11-night expeditions from Ushuaia, Argentina, will provide extended immersions and multiple landings along the peninsula. Departure dates are November 17, 2023; January 14, 25; February 5, 16; and March 7, 2024.
For the first time, Atlas Ocean Voyages is introducing Fly and Sail Expeditions. This option includes air departures from Punta Arenas Chile, allowing for a faster crossing of the Drake Passage with direct charter flights to King George Island's Chilean station/air base Eduardo Frei Montalva. The package also includes one-night stays at pre- and post-cruise hotels in Punta Arenas, for all voyages departing from or returning to Punta Arenas.
Two five-day round-trip expeditions from King George Island include charter flights from Punta Arenas to the Antarctic Circle, passing through the renowned Lumiere Channel. The expected landings include the Shetland Islands, Useful Point, Wilhelmina Bay, and the Yalour Islands. Departure dates are December 14, 2023, and January 2, 2024.
Four one-way seven-night Drake expeditions are available from King George Island or Ushuaia, Argentina, complementing the roundtrip King George Island departures. These expeditions departing on December 7, 19, 26, 2023, or January 7, 2024, include charter flights from Punta Arenas to King George Island and from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. Guests will receive a complimentary pre-cruise hotel night on all expeditions and a post-cruise hotel night on journeys ending in Punta Arenas.
- Two Extended Journeys departing on December 7 and 26, 2023, offer a comprehensive 19-day immersion on the Antarctic peninsula, combining three segments of the itinerary.