Adventure of a lifetime in Antarctica

Let’s get one thing straight.

I am not religious.

But a voyage to Antarctica feels like entering what can only be described as God’s Kingdom.

There’s a price tag to match, but we are talking the ultimate bucket-list experience.

Formed 90 million years ago, the seventh continent is so vast, so unspoiled and so far away from human life that the endless sky, sea and icy mountains make it otherworldly.

There is complete silence, broken only by the soft 'snap, crackle and pop' of floating icebergs.

Their beauty is mesmerising: dazzling white with streaks of luminescent turquoise turning to electric blue beneath the water.

Every morning I order breakfast from Silver Endeavour’s room service menu just so I can sit on my balcony and watch this frozen world of glacial cliffs and icebergs drift by.

It’s spring in Antarctica and the snow is melting, with temperatures a balmy minus 1 degrees Celsius and nowhere near as cold as I was expecting.

A complimentary polar kit of jacket, waterproof trousers and snow boots over my layers really does the trick.

However, during our first expedition briefing, it’s drummed into us that the weather can change within minutes, the bluest skies can turn grey and this continent can quickly become the most inhospitable, unpredictable and dangerous place on earth.

That’s why this whole cruise revolves around safety, and nobody goes ashore until the scouts have checked the terrain, cutting a path in the snow for us to follow.

If we step off it, we’re told to fill in deep footprints, as penguins can get trapped in them.

We go ashore in small groups, and as I step into the Zodiac for the first time I can feel my heart pumping – it’s truly exhilarating to be breaking through the loose sea ice as the first penguins come into view.

We land on Robert Island to watch gentoos – distinguished by orange bills and white bands above their eyes – as they collect stones to build their nests.

These penguins create their own comedy sketch: one bird picks up a stone and adds it to its nest, another comes along and steals it, and so it goes on.

With all the birds’ noise and squabbling, I wonder how the elephant seals ever get any sleep.

We have about an hour ashore, and on my reluctant return to the Zodiac I nearly trip over a baby elephant seal that has manoeuvred itself to get a better look at us visitors.

Keeping the regulation five-metre distance from wildlife is not easy, especially as the penguins have a habit of abandoning their own highways to use our newly dug tracks.

Back on the ship, I find my gloves are wet so I ask my butler (every suite has one) if there’s a tumble-dryer on board.

He asks when I need the gloves again (after lunch, for that afternoon’s tour).

And hey presto, when I return from the Arts Café (highly recommended for browsing), there they are, back in my suite, dry-cleaned and looking better than they have in years.

As you’ll have gathered, this is not just an expedition cruise; it’s an extraordinarily luxurious all-inclusive experience.

Silver Endeavour – formerly Crystal Endeavor – is a 200-guest all-suite ship with an indoor pool, a spa and gym with sea views, a lounge and library and a choice of fine-dining restaurants.

I love my 356-square-feet Superior Veranda suite, and if I’m not on the balcony, gazing in awe at the landscape and the wildlife, I’m relaxing in the sitting area, with its comfy sofa and coffee table.

My favourite place to eat is La Dame, where I devour a caviar entrée and Dover sole that’s expertly de-boned for me at the table.

Uniquely among the onboard eateries, this very special restaurant carries a $60 cover charge, but that doesn’t mean the complimentary options are second best.

The sharing platter and swordfish fillet in the traditional Italian Il Terrazzino are also memorable, enjoyed in a lovely setting of velvet chairs and contemporary chandeliers, while the main dining room, simply named The Restaurant, features expertly prepared international cuisine, from curries to steaks.

Dodge the 'Drake Shake'

Indulgence doesn’t end with the ship: you can book business-class flights direct to Antarctica if you want to avoid the notoriously bumpy sea crossing from South America, known as Drake Passage.

It’ll cost you, adding £4,000 to a nine or 10-day cruise, but if you don’t like the idea of 12-metre waves, you might feel it’s money well spent.

Personally though, while I’m not the sort of purist who thinks dodging the "Drake Shake" is for softies, I’m up for the challenge.

Sailing from Silversea Cruises’ new home port in Puerto Williams, at the southern tip of Chile, Silver Endeavour has the wind behind her.

Polar veteran Captain Niklas Peterstam puts the stabilisers to good use and I’m happily out on deck, watching albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters cruising in our wake as we slice through a four-metre swell at a steady 14 knots. Within 36 hours of leaving Chile’s 24 degrees Celsius sunshine, we’re in the South Shetland Islands.

That’s half a day early.

Silver Endeavour is more megayacht than cruise ship, and she also boasts excellent eco-credentials.

She has the latest in low-emissions engines, advanced waste-management systems and dynamic positioning via computer-controlled propellers and thrusters, so there’s no need to drop anchor in delicate environments.

She is also connected to the Starlink satellite, so wi-fi works even at Antarctic latitudes and I can drive my friends and family mad with endless images of penguins.

But then, just off the northwest coast of Kyiv Peninsula in Graham Land, comes a truly incredible sight, as humpback whales circle the ship. Later we see fin and minke whales too – how’s that for your Insta-feed?

It’s great to hear from our expedition guides that the number of marine mammals in Antarctica is increasing.

Penguin populations seem pretty healthy too.

Further south at Neko Harbour, backed by towering peaks and glaciers, the many hundreds of Gentoo penguins are busy – shall we say – bonding.

These birds are monogamous and the pairs are definitely pleased to see each other after spending months at sea.

We also spot Adélie penguins and the smaller chinstraps, all waiting for the snow to melt so they can build their nests.

As usual on this trip, we have the scene to ourselves, but Antarctic tourism is growing fast.

More luxury expedition ships are being launched as people realise the only way to see Antarctica is by cruise ship, and visitor numbers are rising, from 50,000 in 2018 to 2019, to 105,000 in 2022.

Hopefully, like me, all those guests will become Antarctic ambassadors – evangelical about protecting the most amazing landscape on earth.

Get on board
Lesley Bellew’s journey involved Air France flights from London to Paris and on to Santiago, Chile, then a night in the Mandarin Oriental before a private flight to Puerto Williams. Returning, she flew out of King George Island on an Antarctic Air BAE-146 to skip the Drake Passage. A one-night stay in Punta Arenas was followed by another night at the Mandarin Oriental, Santiago, before a flight to Paris and then London.