Antarctica is one of the most remote locations on earth. So, it should come as no surprise that it's not just a "hop, skip, and a jump" away from home - more like 2-3 plane rides and two days by sea! Regardless of where you live on the globe, it is not a simple, short journey. For most travelers coming from anywhere that is not southern South America, several days are needed prior to the trip to make the journey to the point of embarkation - either Ushuaia, Argentina, or Punta Arenas, Chile.
Our flight was scheduled to depart the U.S. on February 23rd, giving us four days to fly to Argentina and spend time in Buenos Aires and Ushuaia before embarking on our cruise. As it goes with winter travel in North America, we were hit with weather delays. Stuck in Dallas, Texas, for 24 hours, we had to reschedule both of our flights and miss a full day in Buenos Aires. Luckily, we had given ourselves a buffer and still made it in time to explore Ushuaia for a day and make it to our cruise! We also had purchased travel insurance, which covered trip delay/interruption. And of course, empanadas help ease the pain of long travel days.
A must-have upon arrival in Argentina: empanadas! (Molly Hutchison)
Moral of the story? Plan to arrive in Ushuaia at least two days prior to your cruise, and purchase travel protection!
What to do with a few days in Ushuaia? See my next post!
Pro tip: Enjoy the outdoor hot tubs at the Arakur for some epic views of the city (Molly Hutchison)
Adventure Life has been an extraordinary travel resource for us over the years and today was no exception. Our River Cruise booking was handled by Jess (who has been our personal trip planner for several years) the same day as our inquiry. Suggestions were given for cabin choice and pre-trip options (that were not shown on the cruise line's website) like airport transfers and prepaid gratuities. Trip insurance recommendations followed and we were assigned a travel co-ordinator till the end of the tour. All we have to do is show up! Great service from friendly folks.
APtravelwell
1 day ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
1 day ago
Although there was a lot of paper work, I received help and guidance when I needed it.
Donna Kirby
2 days ago
Our travel was flawless! The rider pickup (airport, hotel, ship) was seamless. Jane's recommendation for Emerald Cruise Sakara was everything I wanted but the experience was soooo much more. Adventure Life took care of each and every detail and this was the easiest of all my travels.
Anne Petty
3 days ago
Follow up was effective any questions were answered in a timely manner
