The SH Vega sailed to Cape Town on March 25, bringing Swan Hellenic’s 2023-24 program in Antarctica to an end.

According to a press release, the company enjoyed a very successful season, with almost 3,000 guests sailing onboard its two ships in the region.

The stateroom occupancy during the period reached an average just shy of 90 percent, Swan Hellenic added.

Guests from the United States and the United Kingdom continued to account for the majority, with an increasing number from China and Brazil, the company noted.

Bookings for the 2024-25 Antarctic season are already equally strong, Swan Hellenic added, noting that sales are being pushed by a “powerful online buzz.”

Marking the moment of SH Vega’s Cape Town arrival, the company has released full details of its 2025-26 season in Antarctica.

According to Swan Hellenic, the program includes a wide choice of nine- to 20-night expeditions in the region. Sailing onboard the SH Vega and the SH Diana, a total of 12 expeditions will be offered.

The first cruise of the season is scheduled to depart from Buenos Aires on November 14, 2025, while the last departure sails from Ushuaia on March 17, 2026.

“We’re delighted with the booming popularity and outstanding reputation we’ve earned for our Antarctica cultural expedition cruises – all true adventures of discovery while always being conducted to the highest standards of safety and environmental responsibility,” said Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito.

“Above all, we’re over the moon with the feedback we’ve received from our guests, telling us all about their life-changing experiences onboard and ashore. That’s exactly what we work so hard to achieve and our recently announced 2025-26 Antarctica cruises have been expertly designed to build even further on everything we’ve learned,” he added.

The voyage to Cape Town was a 20-night cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina. After crossing the Drake Passage, the SH Vega explored the Antarctic Peninsula and then struck out northeast to Paulet Island, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The vessel then sailed to Gough Island, a destination described by Swan Hellenic as part of the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, before finally reaching Cape Town.