Our Antarctica Adventure Begins: Cruising to the Bottom of the World Aboard the Seabourn Venture

Twenty brave souls signed up for what we pitched as the trip of a lifetime. No pressure, right?

Fast-forward through a blur of planning, paperwork, and parkas, and boom—we're here. In this post, we’re bringing you along for the first leg of our icy adventure: from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia to boarding the luxury expedition ship of dreams, the Seabourn Venture.

Adiós, Buenos Aires

After a solid three days of tango, empanadas, and accidentally adjusting to Argentinian dinner hours (aka eating at 10pm and wondering why we’re still hungry at midnight), it was time to head south. Really, really south.

Buenos Aires gave us a vibrant, warm send-off. Think bustling cafés, romantic side streets, and Erin's new addiction: dulce de leche everything. But behind the alfajores and Malbec was this buzzing anticipation. We kept exchanging these looks like, “We’re really doing this.”

The flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia took about three and a half hours, and we landed in what can only be described as Patagonia meets "end-of-the-earth chic." Ushuaia is the southernmost city on the planet, and you can feel it. Cold air. Jagged mountains. That sharp smell of snow and sea. And that vibe that says, "You’re about to do something epic."

First Impressions of the Seabourn Venture

Boarding the Seabourn Venture was like stepping into a floating luxury hotel with a PhD in adventure. We’re talkin’ Scandinavian sleek meets explorer elite. The ship isn’t just beautiful—it’s smart. Built for the wildest parts of the world, and somehow still manages to smell like fresh linen and caviar dreams.

Our cabin? Let’s just say Erin was ready to move in. Balcony views for days, a walk-in closet (because of course), and a bathroom bigger than some hotel rooms we’ve stayed in. Plus, binoculars and parkas waiting for us, like the ship just knew we were adventure nerds.

We did a quick sweep of the room like kids checking into summer camp, tossing backpacks on the couch and already mapping out our go-to nooks for journaling and stargazing. Erin claimed the bathrobe like a territorial cat. I was more interested in the mini bar and the absurdly comfortable lounge chair near the window.

Meet the Crew, Meet the Vibe

The welcome onboard was warm enough to melt a glacier. Champagne? Yes. Friendly crew that greeted us like old friends? Also yes. The vibe? A delightful cocktail of excitement, curiosity, and “is this really happening?”

It didn’t take long before our 20-person travel crew started mingling, exploring the ship, and already assigning each other Zodiac buddy roles (seriously). There's something special about traveling with people who signed up for a freezing-cold, remote-as-heck destination on purpose. Our kind of crazy.

The crew itself was wildly international—Norwegian officers, South African guides, Filipino stewards, and this one British naturalist who could narrate a puddle and make it sound majestic. The diversity onboard added even more texture to the experience.

Getting Our Sea Legs

No rest for the wanderlusty. Within hours of boarding, we were already heading toward the infamous Drake Passage. The crew calls it a rite of passage. Travelers call it either the "Drake Shake" or the "Drake Lake," depending on how the ocean’s feelin’ that day. Spoiler alert: we got the lake.

But before the adventure started, we spent our first night at sea exploring the Venture's digs. A few highlights:

• The sauna with ocean views (yes please)
• A cozy library stocked with polar reading material
• A lounge that served up Negronis and great conversation
• Briefings from the expedition team that made us feel smarter by the minute

Erin snagged us front-row seats at the presentation that night, which quickly turned into a giggle-fest thanks to one too many jokes about penguin mating rituals. We’re adults. Kinda.

Polar Prep & Luxury Living

Day two onboard was all about polar prep. Safety briefings. Boot fittings. Learning how not to fall out of a Zodiac (important). We also got a deep dive (pun fully intended) into the region’s wildlife, geography, and climate—all delivered with wit and wisdom by the expedition crew.

And can we talk about the food for a sec? This is not your average buffet sitch. We’re talking gourmet meals with locally inspired dishes, plated with such finesse you almost feel bad eating it. Almost.

One of our travel buddies joked, "This ship is the Four Seasons with an icebreaker hull." Not wrong. We had octopus ceviche one night and house-made gelato the next. And don’t even get me started on the wine list. It was like a sommelier had a field day in Napa and just... brought it all onboard.

Meanwhile, Erin was living her best life ordering room service in a bathrobe while watching iceberg documentaries. Iconic.

The Drake Passage: Hold Onto Your Hats?

The Venture has earned her stripes crossing the Drake, but not on our crossing. While there was definitely some serious wave action, the ship’s new-ish stabilization system handled it like a champ.

That said, not everyone had their sea legs. There were a few ghost faces at breakfast. One guy from our group swore Dramamine was a scam invented by Poseidon. (He came around by lunch.)

We spent most of that first full day at sea bouncing between briefings, slow meals, and chats with fellow passengers. It was this cozy sense of camaraderie—you’re all in this metal can, braving the elements, hoping for that first sighting of an iceberg.

Reflections Before the Ice

There’s this quiet anticipation that builds as you cross the Drake. You're leaving behind all the distractions of normal life—despite the Starlink Wi-Fi, most of us tried to avoid work emails, and with no errands to run, it was just open ocean and the promise of icebergs on the horizon.

We found ourselves slowing down. Reading. Journaling. Chatting with our group about what we hoped to see—penguins, whales, maybe even that elusive Emperor penguin (a long shot, but hey, dream big).

Erin said it best over dinner one night: "This already feels like a reset. Like we’ve hit pause on everything else and tuned into something way bigger than us."

She’s wise like that.

Also, packing note for future us: next time, bring more layers and fewer jeans. What were we thinking?

Behind the Group Trip Curtain

For those wondering what it’s like to organize a group trip to the edge of the world: it’s part spreadsheet sorcery, part trust fall, part “what have I done?” but all worth it. Watching this group bond over sea sickness meds and penguin trivia was oddly magical.

We weren’t just leading a trip—we were watching strangers become travel fam. On day one, people were politely introducing themselves. By day three, they were stealing each other’s dessert forks and swapping Dramamine like candy. That’s a vibe.

What’s Next

The most exciting part so far is knowing that this is just the beginning. Eleven days of zodiac landings, wildlife encounters, kayak paddles, polar plunges, and jaw-dropping landscapes are ahead of us. But for now, we’re letting ourselves be gently rocked to sleep by the Drake, dreaming of glaciers, and feeling incredibly lucky.

Because getting to Antarctica isn’t easy. But nothing epic ever is.

Stay tuned for the next chapter.

And if you’re reading this wondering if an Antarctic cruise should go on your bucket list? Let us save you the suspense: Yes. Absolutely yes.