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Day 1
Arrive in Dunedin (DUD), where you will be met by a representative and transferred with your fellow expeditioners to your assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Dunedin, we ask you to make your way to your hotel. This afternoon, visit the AE hospitality desk in the lobby to collect your luggage tags. Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number. The team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information on where to dine or purchase last minute items.
In the evening, enjoy light refreshments as you meet your fellow expeditioners at a Welcome Reception and Pre-Embarkation Briefing. Afterwards, enjoy your evening in New Zealand's southernmost city. You may like to indulge in a meal at one of Dunedin's fine restaurants, or perhaps enjoy a leisurely stroll along the picturesque Otago harbour.
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Day 2
This morning, check-out after breakfast. Please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. By 11 am, please take your cabin luggage to the hotel reception, prior to, or at check-out. Your luggage will be stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance, to be placed in your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. Your morning is at leisure to explore Dunedin.
After embarkation, settle into your cabin, where each detail was designed with your comfort in mind. This luxurious vessel is yours to explore ! As we throw the lines and set sail, join your expedition team on deck before a delicious dinner and toast to the voyage ahead.
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Day 3
On an expedition such as this, the journey is as significant as the destination. Sea days are a wonderful opportunity to relax, meet your fellow travellers and learn about the history, environment and local wildlife in this fascinating corner of the globe. As you acclimatise to life on board, your expedition team is available to answer any questions you may have and offer pro-tips on photography and birdwatching. With decades of collective experience in the region, they love to share their expertise and enthusiasm with fellow travellers. Join them in the lecture room for entertaining talks and presentations to enrich your understanding of the wildlife, landscapes and historic sites we hope to encounter. You may wish to pamper yourself with a sauna, a visit to the Wellness Centre, or work out at the onboard gym. While away the hours spotting seabirds on deck, curl up with a book in our well-equipped polar library, or chat with your fellow expeditioners at the bar.
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Day 4
First visited by Maori navigators centuries ago, these islands are of great significance to Ngai Tahu, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand's South Island.
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Day 5
The natural beauty of these islands and astonishing biodiversity have now been recognised globally, but few have had the privilege to visit these far-flung shores, which are now yours to explore.
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Day 6
Enjoy landings and Zodiac expeditions, exploring these beautiful Islands of the Subantarctic.
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Day 7
As Campbell Island slips over the horizon, keep watch for Campbell, Salvins and white-capped albatross, which may follow the ship to bid us farewell as we continue south.
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Day 8
Close observers may notice a subtle change in the character of the sea as we cross the Antarctic Convergence. Beyond this belt where the waters of the north and south mix, the sea surface temperature drops by about 4°C (39°F), signalling our entry into the Antarctic. This transition zone is known for its nutrient-rich waters, so keep watch for porpoising penguins, flocks of fluttering Antarctic petrels, or perhaps the more solitary snow petrel. You\ re not far from the Antarctic Circle, so your first iceberg can't be far away!
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Day 9
Sea days are a great opportunity for some relaxation as you digest your subantarctic experiences and prepare for the next phase of your voyage. Relax and unwind, perhaps treating yourself to a sauna, or editing some images in the comfort of your cabin.
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Day 10
Join your expedition team in the lecture room for presentations on the charismatic wildlife and extraordinary adventures that took place along this epic Antarctic coastline.
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Day 11
It's almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in this storied, ice-bound sector of Antarctica. Stepping outside and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience to cherish forever.
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Day 12
The Ross Sea region is a globally significant wildlife sanctuary. Its nutrient-rich waters support an astonishing array of uniquely adapted Antarctic species, including Ross Sea orcas, Antarctic petrels and South Pacific Weddell seals.
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Day 13
The Ross Sea is also home to Antarctica's largest Adélie penguin colony, and many of the largest emperor penguin colonies. The unique biodiversity of the Ross Sea has been protected within the world's largest marine protected area since 2016.
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Day 14
The human heritage of the Ross Sea coast is equally impressive. Since James Clark Ross discovered the region in 1841, countless expeditions have built base camps on scattered ice-free slivers of land, using them as staging posts for bold forays across the polar plateau. Many of them departed in a hurry, leaving artefacts, scientific equipment and sometimes entire huts behind. Today these sites are preserved as open-air museums and protected under the Antarctic Treaty System.
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Day 15
Embrace the spirit of exploration as your expedition team designs your voyage from day to day, bringing decades of experience to selecting the ideal sites based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities.
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Day 16
Enjoy landings and Zodiac-cruises amongst the ice as you immerse yourself fully in this glacial wilderness.
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Day 17
You will have one further day of exploration before your sea days, heading towards Macquarie Island.
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Day 18
We leave the grandeur of the ice to the seals and penguins and head northwards, but our voyage is far from over. In the days ahead there is plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. You won't want to miss presentations from your onboard specialists about the wonderful wildlife and rich human history of Macquarie Island.
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Day 19
These days at sea also offer time and space to reflect on the emotions and special moments you've experienced over the past few weeks and also, to enjoy the ship's facilities or catch up on your photo editing.
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Day 20
As you approach Macquarie Island keep watch for graceful grey-headed, black-browed and light-mantled albatross, which may venture from their nests to welcome their human visitors.
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Day 21
Penguins were in thousands on the uprising cliffs, and from rookeries near and far came an incessant din . . . seabirds of many varieties gave warning of our near approach to their nests - Douglas Mawson, 1911.
As they sailed towards Antarctica, Mawson and his men encountered 'an exquisite scene'. Macquarie Island (known affectionately as Macca) rises steeply from the Southern Ocean in a series of emerald summits: a beautifully fierce, elemental landscape teeming with life.
Keep your binoculars handy because this subantarctic refuge is home to 3.5 million breeding seabirds, including no less than four species of penguin! Alongside boisterous colonies of tuxedoed kings, charming gentoos, robust rockhoppers and endemic royal penguins, you'll find three types of fur seals and a large proportion of the world's elephant seals. Layer up and head out on deck to experience the sight and sound, as you approach one of the largest concentrations of life in the Southern Ocean.
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Day 22
Remember to keep an eye out for Macca's kelp forests-these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds sway back and forth on the water's surface. In addition to being a globally recognised and protected wildlife refuge, Macquarie Island played an important role in Antarctic history. It was here, in 1911, that five men disembarked Mawson's Aurora and established a radio relay station which would transmit the first communication from Antarctica to the outside world.
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Day 23
As your journey draws to a close, take some time to reflect on the experiences of the past few weeks. You may like to review your photos, jot some notes in your journal or simply relax and soak up the ambiance on board the ship.
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Day 24
We hope that you become ambassadors for the great Southern Ocean, advocating for its conservation and preservation, sharing your experiences when you get home.
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Day 25
After breakfast, bid farewell to your expedition team and fellow passengers as you all continue your onward journeys. At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing prior to 12 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.
