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Designed to explore the extreme regions of the Northern and Southern hemispheres, it can safely cut through ice more than 8-feet deep and may reach destinations previously unimagined by polar cruisers. It’s loaded with amenities like a heated indoor resistance pool and spa with a nail bar. 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. Families are welcome, too, with many activities designed for multigenerational cruisers to enjoy together throughout the Antarctic cruise season, not just during the December holidays.
How to Choose Your Cruise: Antarctica
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. 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. Viking Expeditions has entered into the expedition genre with two custom-built vessels, Viking Polaris and Viking Octantis.
Related Itineraries
Only every book a trip with a company that is registered of IAATO, which is an official organisation that designates Antarctica purely for the purpose of science and research. A couple of companies now also offer skiing and snowboarding trips to Antarctica. Most expedition ships that offer kayaking in Antarctica have a limited number of kayaks, so early reservation is crucial. As icebergs loom majestically overhead and seals laze on floating ice, you can navigate through a surreal world rarely experienced by others. You can see lots of whales too such as humpback whales, minke whales and orca (killer whales), and occasionally blue or southern right whales in the Southern Ocean. Once you’ve used a zodiac to get to shore you have a few other included activities – landings and hiking.
Antarctica
IAATO, the body that regulates tourism in Antarctica, has strict rules around the number of passengers from any one ship that can leave the vessel at any one time. You might be tempted to book a tour onboard a larger cruise ship for a number of reasons. Quark has an impeccable safety record and has a fleet of ice-class vessels, including the new, luxurious MV Ultramarine, which allows them to execute really unique itineraries.
As above, you need to prove you have backcountry skiing/snowboarding experience, all the right gear and avalanche rescue training before you can sign up. With the guidance of expert mountaineers, you can ascend icy peaks or navigate glacial routes for an epic bucket list adventure. It’s also only suited for those with some prior sea kayaking experience. Gliding silently through the icy waters, kayakers get an intimate perspective of Antarctica’s coastlines. You wander down the gangway, strap a harness and rope to you, and literally jump off a perfectly good (and warm) ship into the icy water.
Discover Your Antarctic Adventure
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I found Goldilocks in Antarctica with this big little ship that’s just right - The Points Guy
I found Goldilocks in Antarctica with this big little ship that’s just right.
Posted: Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
While almost all Antarctic cruises offer shore landings and Zodiac cruises as standard, there’s a whole bunch of optional activities for those eager to try something different down in the continent. And if you like seals in their natural habitat, there’s southern elephant seals, weddell seals, ross seals, leopard seals, crabeater seals and Antarctic fur seals. The frequent Zodiac landings, integral to most Antarctic cruises, transport passengers from the ship to the very heart of the continent. But if the company you’re looking at doesn’t have any obvious benefits such as helicopters or more days at sea, most of the price increase is for better food and nicer rooms. On the other hand, luxury cruises offer plush accommodations, gourmet dining, spa services, and even onboard entertainment.
What is the time zone in Antarctica?
Antarctica Cruise Atlas Insider Expeditions - Not Quite Nigella
Antarctica Cruise Atlas Insider Expeditions.
Posted: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Antarctica isn't owned by one single country, instead governed internationally through the Antarctic Treaty system signed in 1959 by 12 countries who had sent scientists to Antarctica during and around that time. These countries included Argentina, Australia, France, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Get closer to the action with, not one, but two daily excursions on land and, via Zodiacs, at sea. For those with unlimited budgets who long to see Antarctica while traveling in the lap of luxury (think pampering butlers) and in spacious accommodations, Scenic’s entry-level suites begin at 344-square-feet. The environmentally conscious ships feature GPS dynamic positioning and customized zero-speed stabilizers up to 50 percent larger than other ships.
To bypass the notoriously rough waters of the Drake Passage, passengers can book an Antarctica Bridge sail. Passengers fly business class to and from King George Island in the South Shetland Islands and board Silver Endeavour from there. 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.
During your last evening onboard, join the Captain and Officers for the Farewell Cocktail Party, followed by a presentation of photos and video by our onboard photographer – the ideal opportunity to re-live your Antarctic adventure. You can contact us 24 hours 7 days a week, with any burning (or shall we say freezing?) questions. WWF-Australia is a well-established conservation organisation helping protect our natural environment.
Canadian company Quark Expeditions is one of the true pioneers in polar adventures. And if you ask for opinions from a travel agent, they’ll just tell you the one that either a) pays them the most commission or b) is going to offer them a free trip if they sell X number of spots. With more than 100 operators running trips to Antarctica it’s very easy to be overwhelmed with who to go with. Choosing the right Antarctic cruise is essential for crafting an unforgettable polar experience. As of 2025 Aurora Expeditions, the award-winning Australian polar company, will be returning to the Eastern side of Antarctica from Hobart on their newest X-Bow ship, the Douglas Mawson. One thing to note is that there isn’t really anything ‘different’ once you cross the circle – the landscapes and wildlife are more or less same.
Our Ocean Endeavour is built tough; designed to handle the harsh Antarctic wilderness with ease while ensuring your safety at every step of the adventure. Photography enthusiasts, who want to learn from and shoot pics with a National Geographic photography expert are next in line, as are active explorers, who care more about adventure than fancy cruising. You might assume that the Drake Passage was first sailed by British explorer Sir Francis Drake, but the truth behind this waterway’s somewhat misleading name is just one of many interesting facts about the passage. Science is at the core of our voyage into the heart of the natural world in Antarctica. Learn about geology, climatology and ornitholgy, and collect samples and take part in experiments with our onboard scientific experts. 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”.
No, the remote location, frozen landscape, and unpredictable weather can make tourism operations in Antarctica tricky, but Oceanwide Expeditions has the right experience, knowledge, and expertise to stay safe in the Antarctic. Next we’ll place a free, no obligation, 24-hour cabin hold on your preferred cruise option whilst we discuss the final details. Book and relax safe in the knowledge you’ll be paying the lowest price guaranteed.
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. 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. Our exact route will be subject to careful planning by the Expedition Leader and Captain – however we will aim to visit a range of sites which showcase the best of this staggeringly beautiful region. Embark on one of the longest Antarctica-only cruises, this 13-day Antarctica Explorer voyage, and discover in depth the breathtaking scenery, glacier-clad peaks, and extraordinary wildlife of the Great White Continent.
You still need to verify visa requirements for any country you may pass through en route to your embarkation point or ones you visit before or after your expedition. Wildlife enthusiasts can observe at least five species of penguins in the Falkland Islands. We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures. Diving in Antarctica is a very unique experience where you can see marine mammals, krill and ice, but it does require advanced PADI certification, ice-diving certs and at least 20 logged ice dives.
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. Our state-of-the-art expedition vessels feature hybrid propulsion technology, ice-class hulls and advanced onboard waste-reduction systems.
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