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MV Aureum, Antarctica
Home Our Vessels MV Aureum

Antarctica

MV Aureum

  • Antarctic Ships
  • Ice Rating: 1C
B Corp
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Vast icebergs. Unfamiliar shores. A whale’s breath breaking the stillness. Aboard MV Aureum, the wildness of Antarctica feels wonderfully close. Hosting just 36 travellers, this 56-metre expedition ship combines an ice-class 1C rating with an intimate atmosphere and an appetite for discovery.

Be one of the 36 expeditionists on a micro-cruise onboard the MV Aureum, accessing southern Antarctica where larger ships simply cannot go. Senior polar guides take you onto the ice, entering the world of gentoos, chinstrap and adelie penguins, as well as leopard, weddell and crabeater seals. If conditions allow, venture even further south to reach 66°33’S, the point where the sun stays above the horizon 24 hours a day in the summer months. Departures for this 11-day voyage include:

  • 13-23 December 2027, from £16,615 per person.
  • 6-16 January 2028, from £17,615 per person.

Speak to our experts for more information.

Why we like the MV Aureum

Aureum invites you into the workings of an expedition. On her open bridge, talk to the captain, study the ice charts and watch the next decision take shape. With six polar guides accompanying just 36 clients, there is time to turn a question into a conversation, a fleeting sighting into something you understand and remember. En-suite cabins, including dedicated singles and suites with panoramic windows, offer a comfortable retreat. Step onto the forward observation deck as mountains emerge on the horizon, or warm up in the sauna and top-deck hot tub. Evenings bring freshly prepared meals, shared stories from the ice and the quiet anticipation of what tomorrow might uncover.

Activities

Four zodiacs carry travellers out together to explore sculpted icebergs, watch for wildlife and land on remote beaches. Walk beside bustling penguin colonies or discover the places where Shackleton’s extraordinary story unfolded on select South Georgia voyages. Photography guidance helps you capture the sweep of a glacier and the smallest details within it. With plans shaped by weather, ice and wildlife, each day leaves room for the unexpected: another bay to investigate, another moment worth staying for.

Where does the MV Aureum cruise?

Aureum explores the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia, from immense walls of ice to shores alive with king penguins. Selected voyages connect these wild places through Elephant Island, tracing chapters of polar exploration history. Others aim to cross the Antarctic Circle, pushing south as conditions allow. Fly-cruise departures offer the option to join the ship via King George Island, exchanging the Drake Passage crossing for a flight from Patagonia.

Sustainability

The privilege to explore this Antarctic world comes with the duty to protect it. Aureum’s battery-supported hybrid propulsion is designed to reduce CO₂ emissions, while low-speed propellers help limit underwater noise and disruption.

Secret Atlas places small-group exploration at the heart of its approach and is a member of IAATO, the association promoting responsible Antarctic tourism. Its support for research through Yachts for Science connects exploration with a deeper understanding of the natural world. The ambition is that curiosity becomes care, and that the places you discover stay with you long after you leave.

Read more

Onboard experiences

  • Cruises and Voyages
  • Polar Adventures
  • Polar Cruises

Ideally suited for

  • Adventure Traveller
  • Solo Traveller
  • Wildlife

Ship Information

Guests: 36
Length: 56 metres
Cruising Speed: 14
Crew: 24
Tenders: 4 Zodiacs, and kayaks
Guides to Guests Ratio: 1:6
Ice Class: 1C
Cabins: 22
Download Deckplan
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Holiday Inspiration

Our experts have created and curated these bespoke holiday ideas to get you started. Take the time to search through them and find something that is the spark for your unique adventure.

Group tour
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South Georgia, Falklands and Antarctica with Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute
In partnership with The Friends of The Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), join our March 2028 Antarctica expedition, a remarkable voyage through the wild landscapes of the Southern Ocean. This journey takes in the highlights of the Antarctic Peninsula, South…
Departing 10th March 2028
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As one of the most remote places on the planet and only accessible for two months of the year due to pack ice, expeditions to the Ross Sea are few and far between. This 28-day voyage from New Zealand encompasses…
Departing 2nd February 2025
28 days from £24,238pp
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Idea
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South Pole: Private Jets & Expedition Camps
Our journeys to the southernmost point on Earth encompass private jets that land on blue ice runways, sub-zero snowmobile tours, camping on the continent and a monumental arrival at the geographic South Pole.
5 days from £50,370pp
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View Holiday Idea
Group tour
Antarctica
South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
Welcome to “the most staggering wildlife show on Earth”. This in-depth exploration of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands is a memorable wildlife-centric voyage that travels to one of the planet’s most isolated islands.
Departing 12th October 2026
17 days from £8,525pp
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View Cruise
Group tour
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Fly-Cruise Antarctica
Travel to the Antarctic Peninsula, cutting out the conventional two-day ship sailing across the unpredictable waters of the Drake Passage, opting instead for a two-hour flight from Chilean Patagonia. 
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Ultimate Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland Islands
This in-depth exploration of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica is an extraordinary option for expedition cruising.
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View Cruise
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Cross the Antarctic Circle
Travelling further south down the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, this journey is ideally suited to those who are keen to really maximise their time on the White Continent and travel where few others go.
Departing 4th February 2026
14 days from £12,469pp
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View Cruise
View all holiday ideas View all cruises

Holiday Inspiration

Our experts have created and curated these bespoke holiday ideas to get you started. Take the time to search through them and find something that is the spark for your unique adventure.

Group tour
Antarctica
South Georgia, Falklands and Antarctica with Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute
In partnership with The Friends of The Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), join our March 2028…
Departing 10th March 2028
21 days from £22,790pp
Colony of King Penguins, South Georgia Island, Antarctica
View Cruise
Group tour
Antarctica
Ross Sea Antarctica, Shackleton & Scott Voyage
As one of the most remote places on the planet and only accessible for two months…
Departing 2nd February 2025
28 days from £24,238pp
Group Walking, Ross Sea near Cape Evans, Antarctica
View Cruise
Idea
Antarctica
South Pole: Private Jets & Expedition Camps
Our journeys to the southernmost point on Earth encompass private jets that land on blue ice…
5 days from £50,370pp
Camp set up in Antarctica
View Holiday Idea
Group tour
Antarctica
South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
Welcome to “the most staggering wildlife show on Earth”. This in-depth exploration of South Georgia and…
Departing 12th October 2026
17 days from £8,525pp
King Penguins and Elephant Seals, South Georgia
View Cruise
Group tour
Antarctica
Fly-Cruise Antarctica
Travel to the Antarctic Peninsula, cutting out the conventional two-day ship sailing across the unpredictable waters…
Departing 21st January 2027
8 days from £21,985pp
Polar Flight on Ice Runway, Antarctica
View Cruise
Group tour
Antarctica
Ultimate Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland Islands
This in-depth exploration of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica is an extraordinary option…
Departing 25th February 2026
20 days from £15,279pp
King Penguins, Beach, South Georgia Islands, Antarctica
View Cruise
Group tour
Antarctica
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Travelling further south down the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, this journey is ideally suited…
Departing 4th February 2026
14 days from £12,469pp
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View Cruise

Alternative boats

Our travel experts have years of knowledge and between them and have personally inspected or travelled on board many of the boats we offer.

See even more options

Antarctic Continent

Heritage Adventurer

  • Expeditionary Ship
  • £££££

ICE RATING: A1

 Heritage Adventurer, Ross Sea, Antarctica View Boat
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Heritage Explorer

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  • £££££
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Magellan Explorer

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Terra Nova Adventurer

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ICE RATING: 1B

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Why Choose Steppes?

Our knowledge, curiosity and expertise set us apart, driving us to create remarkable holidays and Beautiful Adventures tailored perfectly to you, carefully curated to help protect and conserve our planet.

Are you ready to Discover Extraordinary?


More about Steppes

Vessel Ice Rating Comparison Chart.

We use the Lloyd Register scale to signify the ice rating of our vessels but you can see how that scale aligns with other scales in the chart below.

Mame / Country of Register

Ice thickness (cm)

10 15 30 50

Ice thickness (cm)

lowest   highest
Finland / Sweden
Category II
IC
IB
IA
IA Super
Finland / Sweden
Category II
IC
IB
IA
IA Super
Finland / Sweden
Category II
IC
IB
IA
IA Super
Finland / Sweden
Category II
IC
IB
IA
IA Super
Finland / Sweden
Category II
IC
IB
IA
IA Super
Finland / Sweden
Category II
IC
IB
IA
IA Super
Finland / Sweden
Category II
IC
IB
IA
IA Super
01285 880 980