February 2010

Argentina, Antarctica
aboard the M.S. LE DIAMANT

Everything wears an aspect of unreality,” Ernest Shackleton wrote. “Icebergs hang upside-down in the sky, the land appears as layers of silvery or golden cloud, cloud banks look like land, and icebergs masquerade as islands.” This is Antarctica, Earth’s last frontier. Amid the fantastically shaped icebergs, penguin rookeries and breaching whales, normal human scales and reference points disappear. This is nature in its most pristine form.

Few travelers have followed the adventuresome explorers Shackleton, Amundsen and Scott to the Antarctic. Today, we are proud to introduce a unique itinerary to this untouched wilderness aboard the M.S. LE DIAMANT, one of the world’s most celebrated small cruise ships. This deluxe vessel creates a stately ambiance for participants, who are comfortably accommodated in outside cabins. With impeccable standards of service, savory cuisine and elegant decor, M.S. LE DIAMANT is the finest vessel cruising the Antarctic waters.

To enhance your Antarctic experience, M.S. LE DIAMANT is staffed with an expert expedition team who will guide you on excursions ashore. Under their direction, you will board sturdy Zodiac craft for landings on rocky shores and beaches to observe the antics of Antarctica’s bountiful wildlife—penguins and seals especially are unafraid of human visitors—and discover the secrets of the White Continent.

Experience Antarctica now in its unspoiled state. You will sail during the lingering light of the austral summer, when long sunrises paint the icescape in soft shades of pink and gold as whales, seals and penguins flock to glimmering turquoise glaciers and sparkling icebergs.