Swan Hellenic announced that the SH Vega has successfully completed its first Antarctic season and reached Cape Town, where it will offer a series of South Africa voyages.

The SH Vega embarked on the 20-day voyage on March 5, crossed the Drake Passage, visited the South Shetland Islands, the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia before arriving in Cape Town.

Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito said: “We’re extremely proud of our guests’ wholehearted appreciation of SH Vega’s first Antarctic cultural expedition cruises. Even in some truly severe weather conditions, including the notoriously challenging Drake Passage, the exceptional seakeeping characteristics of the ship and expertise of the crew meant the comfort of our guests was never compromised and we could take them safely on nearly every planned expedition to see what others don’t, experiencing an average of two a day.

“Now we look forward to taking our guests to discover unique sites along the West African Coast for the first time in our history. This is the beginning of an exciting new era for adventurers with curious minds.”

The ship’s first Antarctic season included 11 cruises of exploring destinations such as the Falklands, Portal Point, Port Lockroy, the volcanic Deception Island, The Lemaire Channel and the A76-A iceberg. The ship’s crew and expedition team completed over 120 expeditions in nearly five months.

The SH Vega’s Antarctic season gave guests the opportunity to discover never-before-visited locations south of the Lemaire Channel. All the cultural expedition cruises featured specialist lecturers and expedition guides providing insights into the geography, wildlife and cultures of the destinations explored.