Antarctica season has officially begun for Oceanwide Expeditions. The Dutch polar operator waved off the Plancius from its home port of Vlissingen in the Netherlands in late September 2026, after a short resupply and maintenance stop, making it the first of the company's ships to start the long repositioning trip south.
The 116-passenger vessel, built in 1979, is heading to Puerto Madryn in Argentina, where it is due to arrive on October 24, 2026. From there it will welcome guests aboard a 20-night expedition taking in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula before finishing in Ushuaia, Argentina — the southernmost city that serves as the classic jumping-off point for Antarctic cruises.
This particular sailing is pitched at photographers, with a dedicated expedition team on board and an itinerary built around wildlife hotspots. Oceanwide says guests should be able to spot six different penguin species, plus whales, dolphins and a long list of seabirds. Planned stops include Half Moon Island, Deception Island (the flooded volcanic caldera that ships can sail into), Salisbury Plain and Fortuna Bay on South Georgia — famous for enormous king penguin colonies — though the final route always depends on ice and weather.
The Plancius is just the opening act. Oceanwide's 2026-27 Antarctic programme also features the Hondius and the Ortelius, both sailing out of Ushuaia on expeditions across the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, the Weddell Sea, South Georgia and the Falklands. The season runs until early April, when the ships turn around and head back north for the Arctic summer.
Why does this matter if you're dreaming of the White Continent? It's a useful snapshot of how the Antarctic cruise calendar works: ships that spend the northern summer in the Arctic reposition south for the October-to-March season, which is the only realistic window for travellers. Early-season sailings in October and November offer fresh snow, dramatic ice and courtship displays among penguins, while late-season trips in February and March are best for whale watching. A 20-night itinerary that bundles the Falklands and South Georgia with the Peninsula is the fuller version of an Antarctic trip — longer and pricier than a fly-over-free Peninsula cruise, but with far richer wildlife, especially the king penguin crowds at Salisbury Plain.
Anyone considering this kind of expedition should book well ahead, since small ships like the Plancius carry fewer than 120 passengers — which means more time ashore per landing, but limited berths. Zodiac landings, lectures from the expedition team and flexible routing around ice are the norm rather than the luxury. If the Plancius date has passed by the time you're planning, the same operator runs comparable itineraries all season, so the photo-focused, three-region format isn't a one-off.
