Aboard Scenic Eclipse with Scenic Ocean Cruises
Cruise Overview
At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia.
It is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southernmost tip of Argentina.Although its stark physical beauty is striking, Tierra del Fuego's historical allure is based more on its mythical past than on rugged reality.
The island was inhabited for 6,000 years by Yámana, Haush, Selk'nam, and Alakaluf Indians.
But in 1902 Argentina, eager to populate Patagonia to bolster its territorial claims, moved to initiate an Ushuaian penal colony, establishing the permanent settlement of its most southern territories and, by implication, everything in between.When the prison closed in 1947, Ushuaia had a population of about 3,000, made up mainly of former inmates and prison staff.
Today the Indians of Darwin's "missing link" theory are long gone—wiped out by diseases brought by settlers and by indifference to their plight—and the 60,000 residents of Ushuaia are hitching their star to tourism.The city rightly (if perhaps too loudly) promotes itself as the southernmost city in the world (Puerto Williams, a few miles south on the Chilean side of the Beagle Channel, is a small town).
You can make your way to the tourism office to get your clichéd, but oh-so-necessary, "Southernmost City in the World" passport stamp.
Ushuaia feels like a frontier boomtown, at heart still a rugged, weather-beaten fishing village, but exhibiting the frayed edges of a city that quadrupled in size in the '70s and '80s and just keeps growing.
Unpaved portions of Ruta 3, the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway, which connects Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, are finally being paved.
The summer months (December through March) draw more than 120,000 visitors, and dozens of cruise ships.
The city is trying to extend those visits with events like March's Marathon at the End of the World and by increasing the gamut of winter activities buoyed by the excellent snow conditions.A terrific trail winds through the town up to the Martial Glacier, where a ski lift can help cut down a steep kilometer of your journey.
The chaotic and contradictory urban landscape includes a handful of luxury hotels amid the concrete of public housing projects.
Scores of "sled houses" (wooden shacks) sit precariously on upright piers, ready for speedy displacement to a different site.
But there are also many small, picturesque homes with tiny, carefully tended gardens.
Many of the newer homes are built in a Swiss-chalet style, reinforcing the idea that this is a town into which tourism has breathed new life.
At the same time, the weather-worn pastel colors that dominate the town's landscape remind you that Ushuaia was once just a tiny fishing village, snuggled at the end of the Earth.As you stand on the banks of the Canal Beagle (Beagle Channel) near Ushuaia, the spirit of the farthest corner of the world takes hold.
What stands out is the light: at sundown the landscape is cast in a subdued, sensual tone; everything feels closer, softer, and more human in dimension despite the vastness of the setting.
The snowcapped mountains reflect the setting sun back onto a stream rolling into the channel, as nearby peaks echo their image—on a windless day—in the still waters.Above the city rise the last mountains of the Andean Cordillera, and just south and west of Ushuaia they finally vanish into the often-stormy sea.
Snow whitens the peaks well into summer.
Nature is the principal attraction here, with trekking, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife spotting, and sailing among the most rewarding activities, especially in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del Fuego National Park).
Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins.
The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness.
It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked.
Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.
Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins.
The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness.
It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked.
Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.
It is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southernmost tip of Argentina.Although its stark physical beauty is striking, Tierra del Fuego's historical allure is based more on its mythical past than on rugged reality.
The island was inhabited for 6,000 years by Yámana, Haush, Selk'nam, and Alakaluf Indians.
But in 1902 Argentina, eager to populate Patagonia to bolster its territorial claims, moved to initiate an Ushuaian penal colony, establishing the permanent settlement of its most southern territories and, by implication, everything in between.When the prison closed in 1947, Ushuaia had a population of about 3,000, made up mainly of former inmates and prison staff.
Today the Indians of Darwin's "missing link" theory are long gone—wiped out by diseases brought by settlers and by indifference to their plight—and the 60,000 residents of Ushuaia are hitching their star to tourism.The city rightly (if perhaps too loudly) promotes itself as the southernmost city in the world (Puerto Williams, a few miles south on the Chilean side of the Beagle Channel, is a small town).
You can make your way to the tourism office to get your clichéd, but oh-so-necessary, "Southernmost City in the World" passport stamp.
Ushuaia feels like a frontier boomtown, at heart still a rugged, weather-beaten fishing village, but exhibiting the frayed edges of a city that quadrupled in size in the '70s and '80s and just keeps growing.
Unpaved portions of Ruta 3, the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway, which connects Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, are finally being paved.
The summer months (December through March) draw more than 120,000 visitors, and dozens of cruise ships.
The city is trying to extend those visits with events like March's Marathon at the End of the World and by increasing the gamut of winter activities buoyed by the excellent snow conditions.A terrific trail winds through the town up to the Martial Glacier, where a ski lift can help cut down a steep kilometer of your journey.
The chaotic and contradictory urban landscape includes a handful of luxury hotels amid the concrete of public housing projects.
Scores of "sled houses" (wooden shacks) sit precariously on upright piers, ready for speedy displacement to a different site.
But there are also many small, picturesque homes with tiny, carefully tended gardens.
Many of the newer homes are built in a Swiss-chalet style, reinforcing the idea that this is a town into which tourism has breathed new life.
At the same time, the weather-worn pastel colors that dominate the town's landscape remind you that Ushuaia was once just a tiny fishing village, snuggled at the end of the Earth.As you stand on the banks of the Canal Beagle (Beagle Channel) near Ushuaia, the spirit of the farthest corner of the world takes hold.
What stands out is the light: at sundown the landscape is cast in a subdued, sensual tone; everything feels closer, softer, and more human in dimension despite the vastness of the setting.
The snowcapped mountains reflect the setting sun back onto a stream rolling into the channel, as nearby peaks echo their image—on a windless day—in the still waters.Above the city rise the last mountains of the Andean Cordillera, and just south and west of Ushuaia they finally vanish into the often-stormy sea.
Snow whitens the peaks well into summer.
Nature is the principal attraction here, with trekking, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife spotting, and sailing among the most rewarding activities, especially in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del Fuego National Park).
Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins.
The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness.
It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked.
Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.
Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins.
The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness.
It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked.
Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.
Cruise Itinerary
Aboard Scenic Eclipse
Launch Year: 2019 Length: 168 Width: 22 Currency: USD Capacity: 228 Crew Count: 176 Deck Count: 8 Cabin Count: 114
Experience the extraordinary in every way on board Scenic Eclipse, the World’s First Discovery Yachts™. Inspired by the sleek contours of a sailing yacht, Scenic Eclipse has set the benchmark in ultra-luxury ocean cruising.
Designed to deliver the ultimate 6-star ultra-luxury cruise experience of a lifetime for up to 228 guests, with only 200 guests in the Polar regions. Scenic Eclipse’s state-of-the-art technology allows for smooth navigation through all waters due to its Polar Class 6 rating, electronic Azipod propulsion system and oversized stabilisers. Its GPS Dynamic Positioning also allows the Discovery Yacht to maintain location without dropping anchors onto sensitive sea beds. This dedication to your safety, environmental protection and world-class innovation has allowed us to design the most inspiring and exciting itineraries possible.
Explore above, below and beyond the horizon by helicopter^, submarine^, Zodiac or kayak. From nature to cultural encounters, and historic cities to ancient monuments, a Scenic Eclipse voyage is sure to leave with you with memories that will last a lifetime.
Scenic Eclipse Facilities
Scenic Eclipse Includes
Cabin Details
Watch the world go by from your private verandah suites in 6-star luxury. Dedicated butler service is available to every guest, along with an almost 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio. The Comfort Class 1 notation, featuring the highest sound insulation and vibration as per the marine class society Bureau Vista spans throughout all public spaces and suites.
Your Hotel Director & Team
Consistent with the 6-star standards of our suites, which exceed many of the best hotels, we have the finest team of Hotel Directors on board to take charge of all accommodation and catering operations. The Hotel Director and their dedicated team ensures every detail meets your expectations, starting from the moment you check in through to the services desk, housekeeping, butler team, room service and the exemplary cleanliness and hygiene standards throughout the entire ship.
Ultra-luxury Suites with Butler Service
Every one of the 114 spacious and beautifully designed suites features elegant furnishings, state-of-the-art amenities, a separate sleep zone and lounge area.
Watch the world go by from your private verandah or terrace, as your butler pours you a glass of champagne. It’s your ultimate retreat after a day of discovery
Every indulgent suite includes
- A private verandah or terrace, with in-suite binoculars for optimal viewing
- Luxury king size Scenic Slumber Bed
- Separate sleep zone and lounge area
- Ambient lighting options
- En-suite bathroom with shower and vanity
- Butler service
- In-suite beverage and dining service
- A full mini-bar stocked with wines, Champagne and spirits personalised to your preference, including illy coffee and specialty teas re-stocked daily
- HDTV entertainment system and Bose® speakers
- Advanced Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning system (HVAC) provides 100% fresh air
- The highest sound insulation as per the marine class society Bureau Veritas
