Choosing an Antarctic Cruise

Choosing an Antarctica Cruise

Antarctic Peninsula | Falkland Islands | South Georgia | Ross Sea

Planning a trip to Antarctica may seem like a daunting task; after all, there are more than forty ships operating in the space, with many well-known expedition operators claiming to offer the best experience. It is hard to decide where to begin. A good place to start would be to ask yourself what sort of trip best suits you. While many of those questions range from deciding on your budget, to thinking through what types of activities or amenities you may want to experience, a really critical decision is what length of trip you want to experience. Antarctica is vast, and itineraries can range from 6 days to 31 days, so knowing the differences is important.

See below guidance on the differences between the shorter versus longer itineraries to Antarctica. To help assist you in your decision, we can help walk you through the plethora of reputable operators and choices, and identify the best experience for you.

Short Antarctica Cruises

Antarctica Peninsula | South Shetland

A shorter trip to the frozen continent lasts anywhere from 8 to 12 days, taking you to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. Some variants of these shorter cruises will tack on a few days to go further south and cross the Polar Circle, or venture eastward into the Weddell Sea to explore. These can vary in length up to 15 days long.

Classic Peninsula Trip: These cruises are the typical way to visit the Antarctica Peninsula from Ushuaia, Argentina traveling through the Beagle Channel. This area is protected by the Andes with calmer waters, but then it opens up to the exciting swells of the Drake Passage. Named for the 16th-century explorer, Sir Francis Drake, this passage is known for some of the rockiest waters in all the oceans. Enjoy the adventure, and be sure to hold on!
The Classic Peninsula Trips typically are comprised of 4 full at-sea days, two on the way down, and two on the way back, and 4-8 days exploring around the various sites of the peninsula. Some well-known sites you may visit include the Lemaire Channel, Paradise Bay, Port Lockroy, Hope Bay, and Wiencke Island. Zodiacs transport visitors from the ship to land to explore. Located just north of the peninsula are the South Shetland Islands. Here you may visit Elephant, Livingston, King George, and Deception Island of the South Shetlands. The peninsula and its surrounding islands are a favorite breeding ground for a vast variety and number of seabirds, penguins, and seals. The Classic Peninsula cruises sometimes venture into the Weddell Sea as well, an area on the eastern side of the Peninsula known for more impressive ice formations.
Depending on your itinerary, you may have the opportunity to kayak, camp, stand-up paddleboard, or even possibly snorkel or scuba dive. Please keep in mind the extreme conditions of this unique continent; such options may be more suitable for only the sufficiently experienced.

Fly cruise option: These cruises are designed for those who are short on time, or strongly prefer to avoid the four days of potential ‘Drake Shake’. You will board a flight typically out of Punta Arenas, to fly down to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands where you embark the vessel from there. Your time spent exploring the areas in the Antarctic Peninsula then are typically the same as you would receive on the Classic Peninsula trip, however you do run the risk that the weather doesn’t cooperate, delaying the flight and possibly cutting into (or expanding) the time for exploration.

Some more unique options that fly the Drake will combine sailing the Drake Passage one way and flying the other way. These options are typically 12 days in length and offer its intrepid and curious travelers the chance to experience the Drake Passage once, but not have to do it a second time!

Express Fly Cruise: There is one other option worth mentioning here for those who truly are short on time or simply need to fly due to concerns about crossing the Drake Passage but need to also keep the budget at a lower end, and that is the Express Fly Cruise. To be fair, this option does not involve a continental landing in the Antarctic continent itself. So, for those wanting to say “I’ve visited my 7th continent,” this will miss the mark. For those wanting to just see roughly the landscapes in the area of the South Shetland Islands, however, which are teeming with wildlife, this is an affordable option!

Long Cruises

Antarctica Peninsula | South Shetland | Falkland Island | South Georgia | Ross Sea | Macquarie Island

Most longer Antarctica itineraries include a Classic Antarctic Peninsula cruise route combined with visits to the Falkland Islands and/or South Georgia if embarking out of Argentina, or visits to the Subantarctic Islands if embarking out of Australia or New Zealand. Longer packages last from 15 to even 34 days for the longer itineraries out of Australia and New Zealand!

Embarking in Argentina: As with a shorter trip, your ship departs from Ushuaia, and travels through the Beagle Channel. On the third day, you should reach the Falklands. Explore the large East and West Falklands, or visit the tiny Sea Lion Island. Trek lightly among the wildlife, including the Gentoo and Rockhopper penguins.

After a couple days at sea, arrive at South Georgia. Known historically for its connection with the sealing and whaling industry, South Georgia also offers fantastic sightseeing with its sharp and commanding mountains. During the right season, the seal population of South Georgia can reach over three million. Five million pairs of macaroni penguins also nest on this island. Similar to some of the shorter Antarctica trips, kayaking, camping or scuba diving may be offered in your travel package.

Next, travel on to the Antarctica Peninsula, crossing the Drake Passage, to explore the peninsula areas the same as you would on a Classic Peninsula Cruise. This route offers a lot of opportunity to participate in lectures on board during the at sea days. The continent's natural history, weather, wildlife, and safety tips are just some of the topics covered. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for albatross. These large seabirds love to soar in the updraft of the ship, their wings casting impressive shadows along the deck's surface.

Embarking in New Zealand and Australia: Visiting the Great White continent from this side of the world by venturing into the Ross Sea and enjoying visits to other islands. Most of these cruises vary in length from 20-28 days for those visiting the Continent itself, but some cruise lengths even as short as 12 days will offer the chance to cruise around the Subantarctic Islands on this side of things.

Spend a day at sea typically to arrive at subantarctic islands or sail between them. Visit various islands including Balleny islands, Auckland Islands, Campbell island. Which islands are visited depends on the specific route or itinerary. Many routes spend two days at sea to reach Macquarie Island, known for being home to 3.5 million pairs of breeding seabirds, including four species of penguins. This globally recognized wildlife refuge is also home to seals, elephant seals, and a variety of other wildlife.

Next, cross the Antarctic Convergence in multiple days at sea to arrive to the Ross Sea. Here you will have the opportunity to visit a number of sites that may include the Ross Ice Shelf, Franklin Island, McMurdo Sound, Cape Washington, Cape Hallet, and possibly Cape Adare, home to the world’s largest Adélie colony.

In the austral summer, expect at least 20 hours of sunlight a day. As a result, you may experience some insomnia for the first day or two. Another sun-matter to keep in mind is sunburn. The increased amount of daylight, combined with the reflection off the ice and snow, can make the sun particularly dangerous in Antarctica travel. Be sure to wear sunscreen.

Ready to plan? Contact one of our Trip Planners who can walk you through the options to suit your preferences.