Few voyages stir the soul like a journey to the far south, where tango-infused cities meet the ice-blue silence of penguin colonies. Princess Cruises has just opened bookings for its freshly unveiled 2026-27 programme, and the headline act is the arrival of Majestic Princess with five immersive itineraries that knit together the best of South America and the untouched wonder of the Antarctic Peninsula.
A Royal-Class Return to the Bottom of the World
Princess raises the curtain on a season that blends cutting-edge comfort with frontier discovery.
Majestic Princess Makes Her Polar Debut
Carrying 3,560 guests yet designed for warmth and intimacy, Majestic Princess will sail these South America and Antarctica cruises for the first time. A proud member of IAATO, the line has engineered every sailing for minimal environmental footprint: adjusted speeds to protect marine life, biodegradable cleaning products, and strictly controlled shore landings so that penguin highways remain undisturbed.
Scenic Cruising Through Glacier Alley
Brand-new for Princess, the 2027 programme threads the ship through the Beagle Channel Fjords and past Glacier Alley, a procession of hanging and tidewater glaciers tumbling from the Darwin Range. Expect commentary from onboard naturalists as sapphire walls creak, calve and glow under the long Patagonian twilight—views best savoured from Majestic Princess’ wrap-around promenade or glass-walled Sky Suite balconies.
A Ship Tuned for Cold-Climate Comfort
Inside, guests find a floating sanctuary: heated indoor pools, observation lounges with fresh pastries at dawn, and cabins styled with Nordic neutrals that echo the landscapes outside. The Lotus Spa introduces a “Polar Relief” ritual—heated stone therapy to chase away Antarctic chill—while specialty restaurant Crown Grill pairs Patagonian lamb with Malbec sourced from Mendoza vineyards visited earlier in the voyage.
The 2026-27 Season in Detail
Five thoughtfully crafted routes—each a study in contrast between Latin passion and polar purity.
How Long Can You Stay?
Travellers choose between 15- to 33-day sailings, all round-trip from Buenos Aires or Rio. The headline 17-day “Antarctica & South America Explorer” spends four full days inside the Antarctic region, while the 18-day “Brazilian Adventure” drifts northward past beaches and samba capitals. For port collectors, the 15-day “Cape Horn & Glaciers of Patagonia” stitches together Ushuaia, Punta Arenas and an overnight in Buenos Aires.
Overnighting on the White Continent
Princess knows that Antarctica rewards unhurried observation. Two itineraries schedule back-to-back nights of slow scenic cruising in the Gerlache Strait, threading past Elephant Island and the South Shetlands. Expedition lecturers are on hand to translate every wildlife sighting—whether that’s a leopard seal spy-hopping beside the tenders or orcas shadowing the ship at sunset.
Ports Steeped in UNESCO Richness
Across 17 destinations in 10 countries, guests can tick off ten UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Peninsula Valdés offers a close-up with right whales; Sitio Roberto Burle Marx outside Rio showcases modernist botanical design; while Chile’s Valparaíso charms with rainbow-painted funicular lanes. Each call averages ten hours ashore, giving you time to walk the tango quarters of La Boca or linger over a Patagonia-smoked asado with local gauchos.
Nature, Culture and Cuisine: One Continent, Many Worlds
Beyond the itinerary grid are the textures that turn a cruise into a life memory.
Wildlife Worth the Long Lens
More than one million penguins nest annually in the Falklands, and Majestic Princess times her calls for peak chick-rearing action. On deck, binoculars turn toward spouting humpbacks near the Antarctic Convergence or pods of dusky dolphins racing the bow in the Beagle Channel. Shore excursions reach condor lookouts above Ushuaia and sea-lion colonies on Valdivia’s black-sand beaches.
Landscapes Carved by Ice and Fire
Your camera will alternate between Rio’s Christ the Redeemer silhouetted against tropical cloud and the cobalt blues of Pio XI Glacier—the longest glacier in the southern hemisphere outside Antarctica. Scenic cruising at Cape Horn offers the mythical moment of rounding the continent’s edge, where two oceans claw at one another under circling albatross.
Rhythms That Move Both Feet and Palate
Evenings back on board pulse with samba classes led by Rio dancers and understated tango sets in the Piazza. Culinary pop-ups transform the World Fresh Marketplace into Chilean street markets—think merquén-spiced empanadas—while Wine Spectator-honoured cellars pour Carménère beside Patagonian king crab. A new Chef’s Table menu weaves Antarctic krill oil into a delicate ceviche, proof that frontier ingredients can be haute cuisine.
Early-Bird Offers That Sweeten the Journey
Booking now isn’t just about snagging a balcony; it’s about unlocking serious onboard value.
Stateroom Credits That Go a Long Way
Reserve by 14 June 2025 and you’ll pocket up to AUD 1,800 in onboard credit per cabin—ideal for that helicopter tour above the South Shetland ice or a private tango lesson in the Vista Lounge.
Shore Money and Instant Savings
Princess adds AUD 600 per cabin towards shore excursions, plus an immediate AUD 600 discount on the fare itself. Stack that with up to 40 percent off selected sailings and a complimentary stateroom location upgrade, and the numbers begin to look as enticing as a glassy Antarctic morning.
More Reasons to Book Early
Past guests know that Antarctic permits are capped and balcony cabins vanish quickly. Booking now also secures limited-edition overland tours—like the seven-day Taj Mahal side-trip from Phuket on the world voyage segment, or the four-day Galápagos adventure grafted onto South American calls.
Before you pin your hopes on one departure, drop by S.W. Black Travel’s Cruise Finder. Our interactive tool lets you compare sailings by duration, port list and included overnight experiences, so you can see at a glance whether the 17-day peninsula immersion or the Brazil-heavy 18-day run matches your wish-list.
Still weighing balcony versus mini-suite? Cruise Finder sorts real-time pricing and remaining cabin inventory, so you can secure the view you crave—whether that’s sunrise over Glacier Alley or moonlight rippling across Río de la Plata.
Chart Your Course Towards the Frozen Frontier Today
Antarctica and South America reward travellers who plan ahead. With Majestic Princess poised to deliver the most comfortable South America and Antarctica cruises in the company’s history, the only question is how long you can spare for wonder.
Let our team at S.W. Black Travel fine-tune the details—air connections, pre-cruise stays in cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, and bucket-list excursions like kayaking amid brash ice. Ready to trade routine for raw beauty? It starts with a quick chat—reach out and we’ll craft a journey that leaves ordinary far behind.
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