Antarctica Cruise Deals Check Our Top 10 Expeditions

Table Of Content

• Camping Amundsen Night
• Celebrity Cruises: May Be Your Least Expensive Antarctic Cruise Line Option if You Book Early
• Travel to Antarctica
• Polar Plunge
• Pre: Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
• When is the Best Time to Go on an Antarctica Cruise
• Is there internet, wi-fi, email or telephone access available on the ships?

We’ve been travelling and working in Antarctica since 2017, first as photographers and content creators, then as tour guides taking our own groups to this beautiful part of the world. An Antarctic cruise means visiting a part of Earth that has remained largely unchanged since Aristotle first gave rise to the notion of Terra Australis, or the ”Land of the South”. Antarctica has two large indentations which are the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea. The total surface of Antarctica is 14.2 Million square kilometres (about 5.5 million square miles) in summer.

Camping Amundsen Night

They're also loaded with observation areas for viewing the passing scenery. They carry kayaks, snowshoes and cross-country skis for polar exploring in addition to Zodiac boats for landings, and they have remotely operated vehicles -- just in case you want to see what's going on down below. Scenic is for cruisers seeking the ultimate hybrid of a luxury cruise ship and a small environmentally conscious expedition vessel. It is also attractive for adventurers wanting to try more unusual Antarctic experiences, such as snowshoeing, viewing wildlife from a submarine or soaring above ice floes in a helicopter. With no set itinerary in Antarctica, this voyage offers adventurous travellers the chance to experience Antarctica as it was meant to be – flowing with the wind, sea and ice, and taking the best opportunities Mother Nature provides. This voyage departs in the first half of the brief Antarctic summer, when sea ice is at its maximum – this offers us ample opportunities to explore in the icy wilderness of the last continent.

Celebrity Cruises: May Be Your Least Expensive Antarctic Cruise Line Option if You Book Early

The average temperature throughout the year is about -57°C, with the minimum temperature being -130°F (-90°C) during the winter season. The South Geographic Pole is in Antarctica, and most of the continent lies within the Antarctic Circle, at 66.5 degrees south of the Equator. Refurbished as part of the Norwegian Edge program in 2018, Norwegian Star shines with upgrades.

Travel to Antarctica

Cross the Drake Passage and explore expedition-style as we seek out remote landing sites for nature encounters. An HX trip includes everything from daily excursions and activities to our onboard Science Centre, meals, gratuities, drinks and more. Encompassed by the Antarctic convergence (an uneven line of latitude where the cold waters of the Antarctic merge with the warmer waters of the world's oceans), Antarctica is both cold and remote, located in the Southern Hemisphere. Due to its south-polar position, the Antarctic continent is covered in ice and experiences very harsh conditions unsuitable for permanent human residency.

Spent $19,000 to travel to Antarctica via the Drake Passage, worth it - Business Insider

Spent $19,000 to travel to Antarctica via the Drake Passage, worth it.

Posted: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Of course you can sometimes find trips for as long as USD$5,000 per person if you book it super last minute on a special deal, and ones as expensive as USD$50,000 or more. Essentially, you get what you pay for when it comes to the ship; the more you pay, the nicer the onboard experience. For that reason we don’t recommend booking a trip on a vessel that carries any more than 200 people total, and ideally less than 100 people if you can find one. If price is a major factor for you they are a good option and they do have a great product, but the size of their ships is something to consider. Their itineraries are fantastic and the service for guests is excellent. Their trips however are on the pricier side, which is something to consider.

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The 13-day cruises sail roundtrip Buenos Aires; 19-day voyages include South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, while 22 days include the Chilean fjords. Scenic also offers a 24-day Antarctica and the Ross Sea sailing deep inside the Antarctic Circle. Quark's 172-passenger World Explorer’s amenities include all-suite accommodations, polar library, gym, pool, sauna and spa, plus activities such as kayaking, camping and stand-up paddleboarding. Quark also offers options for those fearful of the roundtrip two-day Drake Passage crossing, which may involve turbulent seas with a “fly the Drake” cruise. A&K Antarctic cruises appeal to luxury cruisers and A&K devotees who prefer all-inclusive sailings, staterooms with balconies and included pre-cruise hotel stays with sightseeing. Expect lectures, not just by scientists, but by historians and Polar Medal winners too.

This remote, icy frontier promises unparalleled adventures and sights, but the vast array of cruise options available can be overwhelming. “AE Expeditions has pioneered expedition travel to the world’s most remote places for more than three decades, and we know that exploration is not just about what you see, but how you see it. Heritage Expeditions is one such operator that runs two trips a year to the Ross Sea, via the Subantarctic Islands. Our own group tour on the trio includes the most amount of days in each location available.

I cruised to Antarctica in a cabin that costs $1340 per night: take a look inside my lavish, cozy stateroom - Cruise Blog

I cruised to Antarctica in a cabin that costs $1340 per night: take a look inside my lavish, cozy stateroom.

Posted: Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

All vessels provide kayaks and Zodiacs, and they possess ROVs (unoccupied remotely operated underwater vehicles) capable of reaching 1,000 feet (far beyond a diver's reach) to reveal vast stretches underwater. Videos captured are shared with passengers and transmitted to aid scientific research. We feel like almost anyone who would enjoy a Princess cruise in any scenic part of the globe would enjoy a Princess Antarctic cruise.

Is there internet, wi-fi, email or telephone access available on the ships?

Witness some of Earth’s most beautiful scenery in one of Earth’s least hospitable environments. Antarctica is the coldest, highest, windiest, and driest of all Earth’s continents, though it grants our cruise passengers access to many of the most dazzling sights our planet has to offer. Gray rock peaks punch out of the wind-carved snow, passing icebergs dot the dark blue waters, and wildlife abounds that can be seen nowhere else – all serving to remind us that we are truly in another world.

So really, in most situations you’re paying more money for a nicer ship and cabin. Adventure activities, such as kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding and camping, usually have an additional cost no matter which company you’re with too. At the budget-friendly end, less extravagant ships may lack the luxurious amenities, but they often deliver an authentic, intimate connection with the Antarctic wilderness.

It would be the obvious first choice of devotees of Viking’s ocean liners and river cruises. Cruisers who appreciate the inclusive nature of Viking journeys will find high value in the line’s fares to Antarctica. It’s ideal for anyone wanting to partake in citizen science experiments and spend time with research scientists. The cruise includes time to explore Buenos Aires, a visit to Tierra del Fuego National Park and up to nine full days exploring the Antarctic Peninsula.

Passengers seeking a gentler-on-the-wallet experience, preferring some cruise ship comforts, but care little about private verandas or butlers. Quark’s passengers tend to be uber-active cruisers eager to camp overnight, snowshoe, go mountaineering and cross-country skiing while still traveling upscale. This time of year, expect to see penguins carefully tending their fluffy chicks, while their partners frantically hunt for food at sea. Antarctic fur seals start to arrive in their summer feeding grounds, and humpback whale numbers increase as more of these gentle giants arrive at the end of their long migration. Perhaps the ice will retreat far enough to allow us access to the unknown islands south of the Antarctic circle – where the midnight sun never sets. Let our experts take you deep into the heart of this majestic environment so it can get into yours.

Expeditions beginning in Ushuaia will usually involve sailing across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula or sailing to the Subantarctic Islands of the Falklands or South Georgia, before continuing to Antarctica. Deception Island is a mountainous, horseshoe-shaped destination located off the coast of Antarctica in the South Shetland Islands. Home to an active volcano and eight nesting seabirds, Deception Island is a wildlife lover’s paradise.

A smaller ship often means a shallower draft too, so they can get into some areas that may not be deep enough for larger vessels. Besides that, there’s other considerations when it comes to ship size and choosing the best Antarctica expedition. So as you can see if you are booking a trip to Antarctica on a large ship, you run the risk of not even getting off the ship. The average age onboard an Intrepid trip is around 45, so it’s an entirely different atmosphere compared to something like Ponant or Lindblad that has an older average age.

These 264-passenger sister ships feature many of the amenities of Seabourn’s more traditional ships. Antarctic itineraries on Lindblad-National Geographic run between eight and 25 days. The shortest (and most economical) are the Fly the Drake cruises that let you skip sailing across the Drake Passage, thus allowing you to spend the entire cruise actually in the waters of Antarctica. On the twin ships, passengers can stay overnight in a geodesic glass igloo perched atop the observation deck.