Kayaking & paddling
Optional activities · from $1,330Paddle in near-silence through mirror-calm glacial bays, drifting alongside iridescent ice sculptures and listening to the deep exhales of surfacing humpback whales.
Available
December 2026
Ross Sea Odyssey
From
$30,171
Arrival
Jan 8, 2027
⚓ Dunedin
Duration
26 days
25 nights
Ice class
1A / PC6
Dual-rated: Finnish-Swedish 1A/1A+ and Polar Class 6 for navigating medium first-year polar ice.
Year built
2019
Day by day
Route:
Itinerary and landing sites are indicative and subject to change based on weather, sea ice, and wildlife conditions.
Day 1 — Arrive Hobart
Arrive in Hobart, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred with your fellow expeditioners to your assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Hobart, we ask you to make your way to your hotel. This afternoon, visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby to collect your luggage tags. Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number. Our 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.Enjoy your evening in Australia’s southernmost capital city. You may like to indulge in a sumptuous meal at one of Hobart’s celebrated restaurants, or perhaps enjoy a leisurely stroll along the historic waterfront. Assigned accommodation: To be advised
Day 2 — Embarkation
This morning, enjoy breakfast and check-out. Please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. By 11.00 am, take your cabin luggage to 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 Hobart. Settle into your beautifully appointed cabin and discover the many public spaces designed with your comfort in mind. This luxurious vessel is yours to explore! As we throw the lines and set sail down the Derwent River, join your expedition team on deck to enjoy panoramic views of the Hobart foreshore, and the dramatic fluted columns of the Tasman Peninsula. From Storm Bay we set a southerly course, following in the wake of the vessel Aurora, which carried Sir Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) 100 years ago.
Day 25 — At Sea
As your journey draws to a close, take some time to reflect on the experiences of the past few weeks. Perhaps take some time to organise your photos, jot some more notes in your journal or simply relax and soak up the ambiance on board as you farewell your travel mates . . . until next time! We hope you become ambassadors for the great Southern Ocean, advocating for its conservation and preservation, and share your experiences with your loved ones, so they might visit and become ambassadors themselves.
Day 26 — Disembark Dunedin
After breakfast, farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.
Activities
Expedition Overview
Operator
Aurora Expeditions
Active AdventureAurora Expeditions operates dedicated polar expedition voyages to the White Continent with seasoned expedition teams.
Month
December 2026
Peak Season · 20h DaylightLong polar days, hatching penguin chicks, and peak summer activity across rookeries and bays.
Hatching Chicks
20h Sunlight
First Whales
Regions
Visited Regions
5 regions on this voyage
Ross Sea
The Deep Field • Scott & Shackleton Huts
Macquarie Island
Royal Penguin Haven • UNESCO Subantarctic Reserve
Ross Ice Shelf
The Great Ice Barrier • France-Sized Floating Glacier
Campbell Island
Subantarctic Flora • Megaherbs & Royal Albatrosses
Auckland Islands
Subantarctic Wilderness • Sea Lions & Yellow-Eyed Penguins
Cabin offers
| Cabin | Occupancy | Price (per person) | Promo | Availability | Source | detail.action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| triple | $30,171 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator | |
| double | $31,106 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator | |
| double | $33,741 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator | |
| double | $35,526 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator | |
| double | $38,161 | Save up to 15% | sold out | Aurora Expeditions | ||
| single | $39,695 | — | sold out | Aurora Expeditions | ||
Balcony Stateroom Superior
Larger balcony staterooms on Decks 4 & 6 with full-size window; 28.2–40.2 m². Some are wheelchair accessible.
In your cabin
|
double | $41,731 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator |
| single | $41,795 | — | sold out | Aurora Expeditions | ||
| single | $44,895 | — | sold out | Aurora Expeditions | ||
| single | $46,659 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator | |
Junior Suite
Suite on Deck 7 with private balcony, full-size window and separate lounge area; 38.9 m².
In your cabin
|
double | $49,721 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator |
| single | $50,612 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator | |
| single | $53,289 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator | |
Captain Suite
Top suite on Deck 4 with private balcony, full-size window and separate lounge area; 44.5 m².
In your cabin
|
double | $56,776 | Save up to 15% | sold out | Aurora Expeditions | |
| single | $57,242 | Save up to 15% | sold out | Aurora Expeditions | ||
|
Balcony Stateroom Superior — Solo
Larger balcony staterooms on Decks 4 & 6 with full-size window; 28.2–40.2 m². Some are wheelchair accessible.
In your cabin
|
single | $62,597 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator |
|
Junior Suite — Solo
Suite on Deck 7 with private balcony, full-size window and separate lounge area; 38.9 m².
In your cabin
|
single | $99,442 | Save up to 15% | available | Aurora Expeditions | View at operator |
|
Captain Suite — Solo
Top suite on Deck 4 with private balcony, full-size window and separate lounge area; 44.5 m².
In your cabin
|
single | $113,552 | Save up to 15% | sold out | Aurora Expeditions |
Prices are captured from operator websites and may change — the operator's site is authoritative. Captured Sep 3, 2026 06:13 UTC.
Getting ready for this voyage?
Everything worth bringing on an Antarctic expedition — an interactive checklist you can tick off as you pack, keep as a personal link and download as a PDF.
Wildlife on this route
Wildlife
Orca
Black and white apex predator instantly recognizable by its pale eye patches, the orca is the largest of the dolphins and one of the ocean's most capable hunters. Sightings often involve a tight-knit family pod working the ice edge together.
Wildlife
King Penguin
The king penguin is the second-largest penguin species, closely resembling but smaller than the emperor penguin. Look for its dense, noisy colonies on South Georgia's beaches, one of the more reliable large penguins to watch up close on these voyages.
Wildlife
Adélie Penguin
One of the most widespread penguins in Antarctica, the Adélie is often the first tuxedoed local guests meet ashore. Its stark white eye-ring and brisk, purposeful waddle make it easy to pick out along the ice edge.
Wildlife
Southern Elephant Seal
The southern elephant seal is the largest of all pinnipeds, with bulls roughly twice the bulk of a walrus. Watching a beachful of them roar and shove over territory is one of the most physical wildlife spectacles the Southern Ocean offers.