From places of desire to incentive trips

There are places, regions and landscapes that are predestined for an incentive trip. Southern climes, for example, metropolises, particularly picturesque and/or exotic destinations. And then there are trips that truly fulfill ALL the requirements of an inspiring, unifying, unforgettable incentive: expedition cruises to (anti)arctic regions. On board a cruise ship chartered especially for your participants! OceanEvent creates such trips. We would like to tell you about one of them in this blog.

Expedition cruise from/to Buenos Aires

Argentina’s cosmopolitan capital is the starting point for your incentive trip to Antarctica. Direct flights from the major cities of Frankfurt, Madrid, London, Paris and Amsterdam bring your European guests to the vibrant city of tango. With a mixture of European Belle Epoque and Latin American passion, Buenos Aires is the first highlight of a 13-day trip, which OceanEvent recommends to you as follows – and realizes for you as a charter cruise:

Day 1 Buenos Aires
Day 2 Buenos Aires >Ushuaia
Day 3-4 At sea
Day 5-7 Beyond the Artic Circle
Day 8-10 Antarctica
Day 11-12 At sea
Day 13 Ushuaia > Buenos Aires

From Buenos Aires, it takes just three hours to reach the southernmost city in the world: Ushuaia, nestled between the snow-capped Andes of Argentina and the shores of the Beagle Channel. The bustling port and adventure hub exudes a fascinating “end of the world” atmosphere. Average temperatures in Ushuaia at possible travel times: 14°C – 3°C.

Your ship: A 6-star discovery yacht for expedition cruises

Your upcoming incentive voyage through the famous Drake Passage to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most beautiful and interesting travel experiences in the world! Now it’s finally time to start. Welcome on board!

Your discovery yacht – which at 168 meters in length is known as a gigayacht – is polar class, 6-stars, and is an incentive in itself! Built to the latest standards – especially in terms of environmental compatibility in the sensitive polar region – the ship holds its position without dropping anchor. This protects the seabed and enables fast embarkation and disembarkation with the ship’s own Zodiacs and kayaks. With its state-of-the-art technology and specially manufactured stabilizers, the Explorer navigates calmly and comfortably through any waters, regardless of the weather conditions.

Specific visitor guidelines apply in the Antarctic regions. They serve to protect wildlife and the landscape. Among other things, they stipulate that ships with a maximum of 200 passengers may land here. Your yacht accommodates 196 guests – in 98 wonderful suites ranging from 32 to 198 square meters. It was specially designed for this region, which is reflected in the entire interior:

• 14 Zodiacs for exploring the glacier edges and landings
• 2 Airbus H130-130-T2 helicopters for glacier overflights with six guests each (equipped with Bose headsets, cameras & video technology)
• 1 high-tech submarine for dives to a depth of 300 meters – an indescribable experience for your guests!
• Personal expedition equipment for each guest (arctic boots, down jackets, etc.)
• Observation Lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows for whale watching
• Observation Terrace for up-close nature experiences
• State-of-the-art theater for evening entertainment, speeches, meetings
• Exciting lecture and educational programs by experienced Antarctic specialists on board
• Wellness area with saunas, steam bath, pool, spa & beauty
• Fitness center with yoga & Pilates classes

Incentive trip with top cuisine & service

With 10 (partly Michelin-crowned) gastronomic experiences, your yacht will also delight you with culinary delights and let you enjoy your days at sea to the full. From French dining, Italian dishes and seafood to teppanyaki, Asian fusion and a grill restaurant, no wish remains unfulfilled. As stylish and exquisite as the restaurants, bars, lounges and grills are – they exude a relaxed, feel-good atmosphere, because that is the credo on board: feeling good in the midst of icy landscapes.

In-suite dining is possible at any time of day and the culinary master class with celebrity chef Tim Götter is sure to be a team-building highlight on board! Each suite also enjoys the service of its own professional butler. You can already tell: this will be the trip of a lifetime, while the crew and OceanEvent take great care of your needs!

The (incentive) trip of a lifetime

Day 3 – Day 4: Finally, it’s off to the largest ice desert on earth! During the welcome cocktail with the captain, experienced expedition leaders and the OceanEvent team, who will accompany you and your guests on all excursions, we pass the Beagle Channel alongside the imposing mountains of Tierra del Fuego.

Our destination is the Antarctic Peninsula – home to millions of penguins. Before that, however, we want to reach latitude 66° 33′ south. Because by crossing the Antarctic Circle, you and your guests will become part of the elite group of people who have not only been to Antarctica – but have ventured into one of the most deserted regions on earth.

By the time this is ‘done’, the days will have flown by. The Observation Lounge and Viewing Terrace will become your favorite places on board, as there is always something to marvel at and observe as we sail through the famous Drake Passage and approach Antarctic waters. These first days at sea are important – because the expedition team will prepare you with unique knowledge for your experiences in Antarctica during this time.

Day 5 – Day 7: We sail south across the Bransfield Strait towards the Arctic Circle. In the extraordinary nature of this region, there are a variety of excursion options depending on the ice and weather conditions. Your captain and the specialized exploration team will use their knowledge to plan each day to make the most of the 18-20 hours of daylight. At 66°33′ south latitude, we cross the Arctic Circle. The Antarctic ice and landscape are changing noticeably and your guests are now experts enough to notice this. Now is the time for everyone to receive their personal expedition equipment: Ice-suitable rubber boots, down jacket, mittens and other useful accessories.

Day 8 – Day 10: The excursions led by the crew are once-in-a-lifetime experiences! The Zodiacs take us away from the yacht into the fjords and bizarre ice formations, seals and leopard seals frolic in the bays – unimpressed by our inflatable boats… It is also fascinating to explore the icebergs by kayak or stand-up paddle, to hear the cracking of glacial ice that is millions of years old and the singing of the whales below. And then the penguins! These clumsy creatures (on land) and master swimmers in the water. Eight species of penguin live in the sub-Antarctic region, including the one-meter tall emperor penguin. You and your guests are sure to see three different species on this fantastic trip.

What makes an expedition cruise special

Worth knowing in comparison to a charter cruise in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean: there is no precisely planned daily program on an expedition cruise. Here, the weather and wildlife determine the daily schedule. The captain and expedition team decide according to the situation and their experience. It can happen that 12-metre-long humpback whales or even orcas circle the ship during the gala dinner and ‘all hands’ rush to the foredeck to observe them.

Sounds like the kind of incentive trip you would like to experience? Then get in touch with us!

Former yacht captain and OceanEvent CEO Christian Muehleck knows the ins and outs of an Antarctic cruise. He also knows the special features of corporate incentives. He and his team bring both together for you. On board the expedition yacht presented here – or on one of 320 cruise ships that you can charter worldwide exclusively through OceanEvent!

> Book an online meeting with Christian

> Learn more about maritime incentive trips

Sustainability in the cruise business

Of the 100,000 ships that sail the world’s oceans today in 2024, just 400 of these are cruise ships. The shipping companies are drivers of innovation for low-emission propulsion systems. After all, protecting the oceans is in their own best interests. Just as it is in ours. It is therefore right that cruise ships have no longer been allowed to run on environmentally harmful heavy fuel oil since 2021 (container ships, tankers and freighters are), that hybrid systems are being developed and that solar technology is increasingly being used.

Today, “no plastic” applies on board almost all cruise ships. Waste avoidance, heat recovery, biological sewage treatment plants and on-board water treatment have become standard. LED lighting, self-optimizing air conditioning technology and programmes to prevent food waste are also standard.

Expedition ships, discovery yachts and boutique ships in particular are setting a good example. Designed for remote regions such as the Antarctic or the Amazon, the focus here is on particularly environmentally friendly technology, including zero emissions. Dynamic positioning systems prevent the ships from having to anchor in sensitive ecosystems.

These are just a few examples. In the OceanEvent-Logbook you can keep updated about the latest developments in the cruise industry in terms of environmental protection.

> Send us your questions about incentive trips at sea