Ponant and Smithsonian Journeys are collaborating on a series of co-branded sailings for 2023, including a new 12-day polar expedition cruise to Antarctica on Ponant’s Le Lyrial, according to a press release.
The expedition cruise will take place between February 20 and March 3, 2023.
Just like in all of the 21 co-branded itineraries, the polar expedition cruise will feature Smithsonian Journeys Experts. For this specific roundtrip from Ushuaia to the Antarctic, guests will be joined by the Assistant Director for Science Communication at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Michelle Thaller, and experienced geologist and archeologist Peter Bobrowsky, as per Ponant and Smithsonian.
All trips will be led by two Smithsonian Journeys Experts, who could be art historians, solar physicists, or international relations experts, with the goal of shedding light on the destination and helping travelers get the most out of their experience at the Antarctic Peninsula.
Travelers on Le Lyrial will be able to able to discover the continent’s scenery for five days, weather permitting, and visit research stations and former whaling stations. Rates for the polar expedition cruise begin at $13,270 per person, with treatments onboard including a spa and two restaurants.
The trip will begin with an overnight stay in Buenos Aires, followed by a charter flight to Ushuaia. The ship will then cross the Drake Passage, a 500-mile span between the tip of South America and Antarctica’s South Shetland Islands, before arriving at the Antarctic Peninsula.
