
Into the Deep
Above and below water, Scenic’s Antarctic adventure is visceral and unreal in equal measure.
It may come with the faintest whiff of hyperbole, but Australian broadcaster and keen explorer Andrew Denton wasn’t far off when he proclaimed, “If Antarctica were music, it would be Mozart. Art, it would be Michelangelo. Literature, it would be Shakespeare.”
Tapping into the zeitgeist for expedition sailings, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours counts three Antarctic voyages on its books, the sweet spot being its 13-day “Beyond the Antarctic Circle” trek, which ferries passengers around this beautifully remote, extra-terrestrial landscape on board the 168 m Scenic II.
Beware, there will so many “pinch me” moments, even the most travel-hardened guests are likely to come back purple with bruises: the symbolic crossing of the Antarctic Circle at latitude 66º33 South toasted with a glass of Champagne; going ashore to stand cheek-to-jowl with penguin colonies; watching whales breach up-close; cruising the 11-km-long, 700-m-wide Lemaire Channel, so photogenic it’s earned the sobriquet “Kodak Alley”. Any burning questions? A team of experts—from scientists to historians—are around to sate guests’ curiosity.

Use of the word “luxury”—lately, with the prefix, “ultra”—is already on the point of saturation, but Scenic II vindicates the tag, with two helipads, infinity pool, massage room, beauty salon and fitness suite, all shared among just 200 guests. On many days, a Zodiac is on hand for short hauls around ice formations and shore visits, but that cool craft pales into insignificance in the shadow of Scenic’s showpiece toy: a submarine capable of diving to 300 m, into an even more otherworldly dimension. Maybe not Mozart, but definitely a bit James Cameron.
Prices from $30,415 per person; January 19–31, 2025; scenic.com.au
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Courtesy of Patricks


