Most ships headed for Antarctica try to fit in as many travelers as possible. Secret Atlas just launched a yacht built to do the exact opposite, carrying a fraction of the usual guest count.
Aureum is the newest ship in Secret Atlas‘s Expedition Micro Cruise lineup. It’s the first vessel built specifically for Antarctica and South Georgia, launching alongside two brand new expedition types: Antarctica By Air and South Georgia In Depth.
What Makes Aureum Different
Step aboard and the small-ship approach shows up everywhere. You’ll find just 22 cabins, including eight single cabins with no solo supplement, a detail solo travelers rarely get in polar travel. Everyone eats together in one seating, and guides work at a one-to-six ratio, so you get real access to a polar expert instead of a lecture from the back of the room.
The small size isn’t just for comfort either. With four Zodiacs onboard, every guest can get ashore within minutes instead of waiting in shifts, so you spend more time actually exploring and less time standing on deck.
South Georgia In Depth
This itinerary spends 15 days devoted entirely to South Georgia, with seven full days ashore, catching the island early in the season before the crowds arrive, when king penguin colonies and elephant seals are at their most active.
South Georgia and Antarctica: The Shackleton Special
This 19-day voyage retraces the route Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance crew made famous, hitting South Georgia, Elephant Island and Antarctica in one trip. You’ll travel through spring, when king penguin colonies are packed and fur seal pups are just starting to arrive.
Antarctic Circle By Air
Flying in from Puerto Natales, Chile significantly cuts the time you’d normally spend crossing the Drake Passage, and every departure pushes for the Antarctic Circle at 66 degrees south.
Antarctic Peninsula By Air and Sea
This route flips the order. You’ll sail south from Ushuaia across the Drake, then fly back to Patagonia instead of crossing it twice, with four full days on the Peninsula and a last night under Chile’s Torres del Paine before you head home.
When You Can Go
Bookings for all four expeditions are open now for the 2027/28 and 2028/29 seasons, and if a crowded ship has ever kept you off the Antarctica list, Aureum might be the trip you’ve been waiting for.
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.