What better way to celebrate a White Christmas than sipping champagne and singing carols on Minerva, surrounded by towering icebergs and pristine stretches of snow and ice.

On the Antarctic Discovery I cruise, spend Christmas Eve approaching South Georgia spotting whales and albatross in the wake of Minerva. Enjoy Christmas carols around the piano in the Shackleton Bar followed by midnight mass (an inter-denominational service). Christmas Day will be spent exploring the bays and beaches of South Georgia – home to raucous penguins and seals. A celebration Christmas Day lunch and dinner is served for passengers followed by more music and entertainment in the evening. New Year’s Eve is just as jovial as guests party the New Year in style with champagne in the light of the Antarctic midnight sun.

Unique to this Swan Hellenic cruise is a dedicated youth director who will be running special interest activities and entertainment for families on board at this festive time of year. The ‘Young Explorers Program’, available for passengers aged 10 to 17 years is a marine and ecology program designed specifically to enhance the Antarctic experience – being both educational and adventurous. The goal is provide a meaningful experience that goes beyond the typical holiday.

On board and ‘in the field’ activities are planned for the voyage, participants are given a ‘Young Explorers Program Book’ prior to the cruise, which is then used as and when activities are completed. Two activities are planned for the youngsters each day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Some of these activities could include:

·          Partaking in whale watches and marine mammal watches

·          Mapping sea temperature to determine when the ship crossed the Antarctic Convergence

·          Art workshops (previous years have involved the onboard Ornithologist teach the group how to draw penguins and marine mammals properly)

Activities also include ship-related and fun quiz tasks:

·          Having navigational sessions and learning to calculate the ship’s timings

·          Learning how to tie knots

·          Decorating Christmas cakes and biscuits

·          Film nights, games and quizzes

Adults will also be learning a thing or two during this cruise. An expedition team of the highest calibre will be accompanying the journey on Minerva, sharing their specialist knowledge as well as their enthusiasm for delivering the geology, history and zoology of the region to a wide audience.

Please contact your ACE travel agent for more details.