How To Plan For A Cruise To Antarctica (Plus Helpful Tips)
It’s a safe bet that the world’s most intrepid travelers have a cruise to Antarctica on their bucket list. It’s high and dry, windy and cold, and extremely frigid, yet it attracts around 170,000 visitors each year, the vast majority of whom arrive by boat. Travelers choose the southernmost continent for its spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife, including several species of whales including humpback, fin, baleen and blue whales, as well as seals, seabirds and an estimated 12 million penguins.
The landmass of Antarctica is about 5.5 million square miles, and even in summer its ice sheet spreads out over about 1.2 million of those square miles. The continent’s location in the southern hemisphere means that the tourist season falls during the warmest months from November to March. And since Antarctica, which is primarily a destination for scientists and researchers, is not owned by any single country, no visa is required. Still, there’s a lot to plan before boarding a cruise ship to Antarctica.
How to choose the right expedition cruise for you
Several cruise lines and expedition ship operators offer cruises to Antarctica. They differ in length, port of embarkation, route and excursions around the continent, and they have different levels of service on board the ships.
For example, on the ultra-luxury Silversea line, cruisers will experience the high-end service, amenities and cuisine the line is known for, while other lines offer a basic sub-luxe level of service. Prices will reflect the difference. Cruise lines considering an Antarctica cruise must also decide how long a voyage to book, as some voyages can be as short as nine days and others as long as 23 days.
The cost of the cruise will help narrow your choices. Fares vary widely by cruise line, with the cheapest generally being around $8,000, rising to over $20,000 for the top luxury lines. (Add to these costs expenses for appropriate clothing and airfare to and from the port of embarkation if the cruise fare does not include them.)
The best way to make a decision is to go through the itinerary details provided by the different cruise lines and look for the formula that best suits a traveler’s budget and expectations. Hiring the services of a travel agency specializing in Antarctic cruises would be a smart move given the financial investment such a trip requires.
Find the itinerary that best suits your expectations
A look back at a handful of Antarctic cruises shows clear differences in the travel offer. For example, Quark Expeditions, which specializes in polar exploration and has been in the niche of the industry for 30 years, markets an 11-day trip with a base price of about $8,200 per person. On this journey. Guests embark on the expedition ship in Ushuaia, Argentina, a port city at the tip of South America. The ship transits the Beagle Channel and then crosses the famous Drake Passage, known for its rough waters and massive waves that can test even the most seaworthy cruiser.
Once in Antarctica, guests use Zodiacs to reach landing sites and get an up-close look at glaciated bays and channels. With three full days in Antarctica, cruisers can visit a research station and spot wildlife such as chinstrap, Adélie and gentoo penguins, as well as seals and whales. On the way back to Ushuaia, the Drake Passage is crossed a second time.
The Hurtigruten cruise line offers a different itinerary on its 18-day Antarctic cruise, which comes with a cruise fare of around $12,000 per person. Departing from Valparaiso, Chile, the ship transits the Chilean fjords and waterways in Patagonia before crossing the Drake Passage. This cruise also spends three days in Antarctica, offering guests up to 20 possible landing sites in and around the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. Return to Valparaiso via the Drake Passage. For cruisers wanting to avoid the notoriously rough seas of the Passage, luxury line Silversea offers a new option: fly through the Drake Passage and embark the ship in Antarctica.
These tips can make an Antarctic cruise a success
Silversea Cruises has compiled a list of tips to offer its luxury guests en route to Antarctica. These five include:
- Be flexible. In Antarctica, daily itineraries are largely determined by the weather, which changes rapidly and is often unpredictable. Leave your preconceived plan and home and trust the ship’s captain and expedition leaders.
- Respect the weather. It can change very quickly, sometimes forcing a ship to change course and even cancel some shore excursions due to difficult landing conditions. Make as many shore excursions as possible on days with stable weather.
- Know your own limits. Since excursions can be physically demanding, e.g. Whether it’s hiking over snowy or rocky terrain or kayaking in choppy waters, be realistic about your ability and choose excursions wisely.
- drink enough The air in Antarctica is very dry; In fact, it is the driest continent on earth.
- Dress in layers. It is recommended to wear three layers of clothing and each traveler should carry a backpack. When a layer of clothing needs to be removed, the backpack is the place to do it. For example, wind chills on a Zodiac are different than on land. Sunscreen and hand warmers are also recommended.