Greetings, Cruiseboysians! Back in March, as I returned home from my South America Grand Voyage, I mentioned “I have nothing planned before 2025, but who knows?” Well, it seemed that I did.

Since I have taken several Silversea cruises, I get messaged when a discount is offered. Which brought an opportunity for me, to remove the last continent off of my “been there” list. Yep, I’ll be visiting Antarctica.

On 21-Feb-2024 I’ll be flying to Santiago, Chile (which I did not visit during my Grand Voyage). The next day I take a hop to Puerto Williams, which I could see across the water from Ushuaia. From here we set sail. Like my Galapagos ship the Silver Origin, the Silver Wind is one of the expedition vessels that Silversea runs. It can carry 274 guest with 239 crew, and displaces 17,400 tonnes. Like in Galapagos, there will not be any formal nights or song-and-dance entertainment. We’ll be too tired from hiking the snow and ice for any of that.

We start with two days crossing the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Sound. Then there are three days cruising the Antarctic Peninsula followed by a day at the South Shetland Islands. Then it’s another day or so returning to Puerto Williams.

We fly back to Santiago, and here I mix things up. There were a few regrets during my Grand Voyage: not visiting Chichen Itza while in Mexico (political protests), not visiting Mancu Picchu while in Peru (political protests) and I could not visit the Iguazu Falls while in Brazil/Argentina (Carnival). Well, I can take care of one of those while I’m in the area.

I didn’t think I’d ever get back to a snowy area, there’s a reason I moved to Arizona. But to set foot on my seventh continent I’ll brave the chills and glaciers. In southern hemisphere summer. On a luxury ship. With a tropical waterfall only a week later.

Assuming I don’t meet any carnivorous penguins. I swear they stalk me.