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Cruisers wanting bragging rights for crossing the Antarctic Circle -- many expeditions don't venture that far south -- or to see the rare king, or even rarer, Emperor penguins. Some begin in Buenos Aires; others start in Santiago and include more of South America, such as Patagonia and the Chilean fjords. The line also offers coveted sailings that include time inside the Antarctic Circle, not just out on the Peninsula. A&K Antarctic cruises appeal to luxury cruisers and A&K devotees who prefer all-inclusive sailings, staterooms with balconies and included pre-cruise hotel stays with sightseeing. Expect lectures, not just by scientists, but by historians and Polar Medal winners too. Families seeking a family-friendly cruise during school holidays, with youth-focused activities.
Ocean Endeavour
I've sailed on nearly all of these new vessels, in many cases in polar regions, and have been consistently amazed by just how much of an upgrade they really are. On the morning of the final day of our voyage, we will arrive back at the pier of Ushuaia, Argentina. Trees, grass and a busy city may seem strange to you after the white wilderness of Antarctica!
Related Itineraries
The bays you’ll visit during your Antarctica cruise are a startling shade of blue and remarkably clear, making for some of the most beautiful unspoiled views you’ll get anywhere on the planet. Admire towering icebergs as your ship navigates slowly through the icy waters. You’ll see icebergs in mesmerizing shapes and sizes, and colors from brilliant white to sapphire blue.
Ponant brochures
These cruises are popular with anyone looking for a slightly more affordable Antarctic option, who enjoys the activity level and amenities of large mainstream cruise lines. Think casinos, specialty restaurants and flashy entertainment when you aren’t out nature-watching. Handpicked experts from a range of backgrounds, you'll soon discover their passion and energy for Antarctica is infectious.
Everything You Need to Know About Antarctica Cruises - Cruise Critic
Everything You Need to Know About Antarctica Cruises.
Posted: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Both on the ground and in the air, king penguins, gentoos, southern rockhoppers, and chinstraps, along with albatrosses and petrels, jump and frolic to complete the show. Situated off the coast of Antarctica, Elephant Island is named after the elephant seals that populate it and due to the island being shaped like an elephant head. Rugged mountains, glistening sheets of ice and unique wildlife add to the mystique of this remote destination. Despite its seemingly unforgiving, yet hauntingly beautiful landscape, legions of tuxedoed-looking penguins waddle across the rocky terrain while giant elephant seals lounge on its shores. Scenic is for cruisers seeking the ultimate hybrid of a luxury cruise ship and a small environmentally conscious expedition vessel. It is also attractive for adventurers wanting to try more unusual Antarctic experiences, such as snowshoeing, viewing wildlife from a submarine or soaring above ice floes in a helicopter.
Witness the largest animal to ever exist, the blue whale -- species in Antarctica have been measured to be as big as three school buses! Don’t forget to get your camera ready for Emperor Penguin and other rare bird sightings. A sister vessel to Viking Octantis, Viking Polaris, will debut in August 2022 and also will sail to polar regions.
You must be an experienced climber, and be able to prove it, before a company will accept your booking for these challenging adventures. Imagine sleeping under the Antarctic sky, surrounded by snow and ice, with the distant calls of penguins lulling you to sleep. If you love the idea of kayaking but don’t want to do it every single day on your trip, many companies now offer what’s called ‘day paddle excursions’, where you sign up for a once-off and jump in an inflatable kayak for an hour or two. Some of the animals you could see are many penguin species such as gentoos, adélie penguins, Magellanic penguins, rockhoppers, chinstraps, king penguins, emperors (if you’re super lucky) and macaronis.
More about Antarctica
Let our experts take you deep into the heart of this majestic environment so it can get into yours. Whether you cross the Drake Passage in a small expedition ship or do a "sail by" on a larger vessel, this magical voyage will not only impress your friends, the otherworldly scenery will touch your soul. What you see and do during your Antarctic expedition will depend on when you go.
From the Falkland Islands to the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic cruises are an opportunity for unforgettable encounters with marine mammals. It's not uncommon to encounter many seals, including subantarctic fur seals and elephant seals, as well as killer whales. A pioneer in polar travel, Ponant has a long tradition of operating voyages to Antarctica, and this series of ship was specially designed for such trips. They all are hardy (with 1C ice class ratings from Lloyd's Register) but also stylish, with contemporary interiors and comfortable rooms. Lindblad was the original pioneer of tourist trips to Antarctica, and it has years of experience in the region that has helped shape the way it designed these nearly identical vessels, both specifically built for polar travel.
Any decent company, like the ones we recommend above, will also have daily onboard seminars from guides, scientists, biologists and historians to share information about the continent. Setting foot on the Antarctic mainland, or one of its many islands, is an indescribable moment. There are no ports in Antarctica that allows for a ship to dock, so the only way to get off the ship and explore land is on a small, inflatable boat called a Zodiac. Some are included in the price for everybody, and others have limited availability for an additional cost. You’ll then have a massive three sea days to get to the Peninsula for your 4 days hanging around here. All of the operators we recommend though include daily excursions, all meals and gear rental included, regardless of price and itinerary.
While you can't embark on an expedition to the world's seventh continent alone, you can travel solo on a group tour to Antarctica. Antarctica was formed around 35 million years ago and remained undiscovered until around 1820 when Russian explorers spotted the mainland. However, this may have only been the first documented discovery of Antarctica, as it's believed that Pacific Islanders may have reached the white continent in 650 AD. While plenty of animals live in Antarctica (such as various species of whale, penguin, seal and bird), there are very few humans that call Antarctica home, instead using the region as a base for research. There are no cities in Antarctica but there are several research stations positioned on the continent belonging to various countries like Russia, the United States and Australia.
Cross the Drake Passage and explore expedition-style as we seek out remote landing sites for nature encounters. An HX trip includes everything from daily excursions and activities to our onboard Science Centre, meals, gratuities, drinks and more. Patagonia is a sparsely-populated, wildlife-rich region in the southern part South America. The Andes Mountains form the natural divide between Argentine Patagonia and Chilean Patagonia, where Quark Expeditions focuses its explorations. This western part of Patagonia that lies in Chile is known for its glaciers, fjords, mountains, channels, waterfalls, lakes, verdant forests and abundant wildlife. Torres del Paine National Park, the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, Cape Horn and the Diego Ramirez Islands are popular destinations for visitors to Patagonia.
Donations from our trips help their pioneering whale research and conservation efforts to establish marine protected areas around Antarctica and save whale species from extinction. If you have an average fitness level (and above) you are compatible with Antarctica travel, so you don't need to spend hours in the gym before considering booking a trip. Your cell phone will not work during your Antarctica cruise as the continent is still considered extremely remote and doesn't have the right telecommunication infrastructure in place. This means you'll still have plenty of free time to do your own thing (and use the ship's excellent amenities) but also have the comfort of knowing expert leaders are handling the pesky logistics.
In all honesty, as amazing as Antarctica is, most people who visit South Georgia end up saying that this spectacular island is their real highlight of the trip. It’s known as one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences, and has the price to match. Some Antarctica tours go to the eastern side of the Peninsula and enter the Weddell Sea, which promises a different experience again and is not often visited by travellers. If stepping foot on the Antarctic continent isn’t enough, you can become one of the 0.001% of the human population who will ever cross the fabled Antarctic Circle at 66º southern latitude. So if you’re unlucky and just so happen to get two days of bad weather in either Punta Arenas or Antarctica during your scheduled days of departure, your entire trip can be cancelled. Just because it’s the most common tour doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.
Whether you’re ready to book, doing more research or simply interested in the idea of visiting Antarctica, there’s some very important things you need to know before dropping your hard-earned money on an expedition to the 7th continent. Little known and completely preserved, New Zealand's subantarctic islands are among the last remaining areas completely unspoilt by human presence on the planet. Some of these little pieces of land dotted around the ocean are inaccessible and therefore totally protected from human activity.
These new vessels feature many of the amenities favored by Viking fans, such as a light airy Scandinavian design, Nordic spa and king bed staterooms and suites with spacious baths and heated floors. Long-known for its luxury ocean liners, Seabourn introduced its devotees to Seabourn Venture, its first expedition vessel in 2022 and its second, Seabourn Pursuit in 2023. These 264-passenger sister ships feature many of the amenities of Seabourn’s more traditional ships. Le Commandant Charcot is environmentally sensitive; it’s powered by liquified natural gas among several green attributes.
