Experience the White Continent on a luxury Antarctica cruise with Adventure Life. Below is a selection of the most luxurious small ship Antarctic cruises hand-picked by our Antarctica experts. These cruises have been chosen for their unrivaled level of service, style, and small size which permits superior wildlife viewing on zodiacs and sea kayaks compared to large cruise ships. Luxury-class small ships boast the most spacious accommodations, top-level cuisine, superior service, and best naturalist guides available. Choose from the National Geographic Explorer, National Geographic Orion, Silver Explorer, or the newly remodeled Hebridean Sky, for the ultimate luxury Antarctica cruise experience. Contact one of our Antarctica luxury cruise experts for help designing the perfect trip to Antarctica.

10 Best Antarctica Luxury Cruises for 2020-2021

Top Antarctica Cruises (172 Results)

Top Antarctica Cruises

Antarctic Peninsula

12 Days from $9,995

On this 12-day Antarctica cruise aboard the luxurious Hebridean Sky sail to the Antarctic Peninsula visiting historical sites and viewing penguins, albatrosses, seals, dolphins, whales & more. Embark in Ushuaia, sail to Drake Passage, Antarctic Peninsula, and wildlife-rich Lemaire, Neumayer & Penola Channels. A spectacular tour of Antarctica.

Classic Luxury Antarctica Air Cruise

8 Days from $12,995

Fly from Punta Arenas Chile, over the Drake Passage to King George Island and board the Hebridean Sky, your small luxury cruise ship where we will follow in the footsteps of explorers on the Antarctic Peninsula spotting penguins, orca, humpback whales, and much more with the help of expert guides.

Travelers among penguins during Antarctica tour

Emblematic Antarctica

Buenos Aires to Port of Ushuaia
11 Days from $13,310

Marvel at the impressive ice fields and cross the legendary Drake Passage on this extraordinary 11-day cruise aboard L'Austral. Sail from Ushuaia to an enchanting polar desert, a final frontier where penguins number in the thousands and humpback whales patrol the icy waters.

Icebergs reflected in Antarctica's Paradise Bay

Explorer's Antarctica

19 Days from $20,970

Follow in the footsteps of early explorers on this 19-day expedition cruise on board the luxury Silver Explorer. Encounter a myriad of wildlife and learn about the history of each region as you visit the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, South Shetland, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

The Great Austral Loop

Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
17 Days from $17,005

Board luxurious L'Austral expedition ship for a 17-day Antarctica cruise. Flying from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina this round-trip cruise heads first for the wildlife rich Falkland and South Georgia Islands, where birds abound, before reaching the legendary Antarctic Peninsula and then crossing the Drake Passage.

Seals in Antarctica with zodiac in background

Christmas In Antarctica

Buenos Aires to Port of Ushuaia
12 Days from $12,100

Embark on an unforgettable 12-day voyage and succumb to the enchantment of the breathtaking landscapes inhabited by astonishing wildlife and spend a magical Christmas to the heart of the icy realm that is the Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctica and Climate Change

Buenos Aires to Port of Ushuaia
12 Days from $11,680

There is no better way to gain an in-depth understanding of climate change and Antarctica's role in it than experiencing it in person with New York Times science writers Henry Fountain and James Gorman on this 12-day expedition to the heart of the Antarctic Peninsula on the luxurious L'Austral.

Emblematic Antarctica

Buenos Aires to Port of Ushuaia
12 Days from $10,790

Embark on an unforgettable 12-day voyage and succumb to the enchantment of the breathtaking landscapes inhabited by astonishing wildlife. L'Austral invites you on a polar expedition cruise to the heart of the icy realm that is the Antarctic Peninsula.

Zodiacs during Antarctic tour in Paradise Bay

The Antarctic, in the wake of the Belgica

Port of Ushuaia to Port of Ushuaia
10 Days from $12,107

Travel with the L'Austral and rediscover the incredible adventure of the famous Belgian explorer Adrien de Gerlache de Gomery and his crew, and succumb to the enchantment of the breathtaking landscapes of Antarctic inhabited by astonishing wildlife.

Antarctic Sound Expedition

13 Days from $12,960

Join an unforgettable adventure to the 7th Continent and attempt to cross the Antarctic Circle on board the Silver Explorer. Cruise among icebergs and glaciers, hike ashore to see huge penguin colonies and seals, and discover the natural wonders of the Antarctica by Zodiac boats excursions.

Antarctica Luxury Cruise Guide

Choosing a Luxury Antarctic Cruise
Our Antarctica cruise experts have already selected only the finest vessels with the highest level of service for the discerning traveler. Here are some of the criteria used to help travelers decide which luxury class cruise to choose.

Small vs. Large Cruise Ships
One of the biggest factors when choosing an Antarctic cruise is the size of the cruise ship. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) guidelines dictate that ships with over 500 passengers cannot take passengers on shore, so larger ships spend several days cruising through scenic scapes, but without setting foot on Antarctica. Whereas with a small ship, we simply board a zodiac and land where the guide determines optimal. Other reasons we only offer cruises on small ship are because they have the ability to go further south through deeper ice, have more knowledgable, specialized guides, superior lectures, and cruisemates highly interested in the geography, natural history and wildlife of Antarctica. Here are our top choices for small luxury ships:

National Geographic Orion: 102 passengers
Hebridean Sky: 114 passengers
Silver Explorer: 132 passengers
National Geographic Explorer: 148 passengers
Le Boreal (CDP): 260 passengers

Cruise Length and Itinerary
Our luxury Antarctic cruises vary in length from 6 to 23 days departing from Ushuaia, Argentina or Punta Arenas, Chile. Most cruises are around 12 days long, and depart from Ushuaia, pass Drake's Passage, Cape Horn and onward to the Antarctic Peninsula where travelers spend 4-7 days exploring the white continent. Longer trips of 18-23 days additionally sail to the Falkland Islands and the wildlife rich South Georgia before setting sail for the Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctic Fly/Cruise vs. Traditional Cruise
If you have limited time, then a flight/cruise combination where you fly from Punta Arenas, Chile to King George's Island to save a few days of sailing the high seas in transport. On King George's Island we board the Hebridean Sky where days 3-6 of the itinerary are spent sailing between South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula before returning to King George's Island for the flight back to Chile.