Antarctic Cruises: Guide, options, map

What is an Antarctic cruise like?

You might expect to jump in a Zodiac boat to follow a pod of whales, or walk amongst thousands of penguins, capturing them on photo as they jump into the sea from Brown Bluff Volcano island. You'll get up close to floating icebergs and sail past huge towering icepacks (the skyscraper proportioned chunks of ice which surround the Antarctic continent). On some cruises you'll follow in the footsteps of Shackleton himself and on others you'll visit Antarctica's key landmarks such as the South Shetland Islands and remote South Orkney Islands. Prepare yourself for an action-packed adventure, particularly if you choose to do an extra cruise activity such as ice camping, sea kayaking, or ice hiking, where you'll discover Antarctica from a different angle.

Typically you'd spend between 10 and 20 days cruising in Antarctica which would include sailing time to and from Argentinian Patagonia. The ships themselves vary in capacity and luxury but check out each trip to find out what kind of facilities you can expect on board. Plus, we only show trips where you'll definitely set foot on Antractica...not all cruises do this because of environmental restrictions. See our blog post for more about actually getting onto the Antarctic ice during an Antarctic Cruise.

How do I get to Antarctica?

If you don’t have much time to spend away but you’re willing to pay a little extra, some Antarctica cruise companies offer a ‘fly and cruise’ option, which includes a flight to Antarctica itself and means you can avoid crossing the notoriously choppy Drake Passage which sometimes sees waves of 20 metres. However, you do return to Ushuaia by boat. In this case, people fly from London Heathrow to Punta Arenas (PUQ) in southern Chilean Patagonia via Santiago. From here, you fly directly to the Chilean government base on Antarctica or King George Island, which is the largest of the South Shetland Islands. From here, passengers are transferred to a waiting ship and your cruise begins.

If the thought of 20-metre-high waves doesn't phase you, board a cruise in the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, which lies in Tierra del Fuego in Argentinian Patagonia. The simplest way of getting there is flying from London Heathrow to Ushuaia via Buenos Aires and vice versa upon your return. You can also see our guide for more information on flights to Patagonia.

If you’d like to see a bit of Chilean Patagonia before your cruise starts, you could fly from London to Punta Arenas and visit the Torres del Paine National Park, which lies 5 hours to the north. This is arguably Patagonia's top trekking destination with the 4 day 'W Circuit', or the 8-9 day 'Full Circuit', and some wonderful kayaking opportunities for novices and pros alike. From here you’d go back to Punta Arenas and fly to Ushuaia before boarding your cruise to Antarctica.  

When should I go?

A very exciting and special time to visit Antarctica is during Christmas and New Year when a couple of operators offer special departure dates. Some people also like to go at the start of the season to avoid the rush, and sometimes get a cheaper deal, so look out for dates available at the end of October or start of November.

In Antarctic winter ice forms over much of the sea, so it's impossible for most ships to travel through the water. Spring sees the ice rapidly melt as everything warms up, making it a great time to set sail.

See our month by month guide in the top right of this page or find Antarctic Cruises 2012 or Antarctic Cruises 2013.

What’s the weather like?

In Antarctica the weather is cold but normally bright and sunny, and the light is very good for photographers. Seasons are back-to-front in Antarctica, as they are in Patagonia, with the ‘summer’ months running from November to April. December and January are the warmest months, when the temperature will reach about 0 degrees. Winter starts in May and goes through to October, and the harshest months are August and September. There are about four months of 24-hour daylight (that's "summer"), four months of 24-hour night ("winter"), and two months on either end where the sun is either coming or going.

What type of wildlife will we see?

On your journey across the Drake Passage, you'll spot a great number of seabirds including huge albatrosses. And if you visit in the early spring (beginning in November), you'll see countless penguins marching from the sea to their inland nests. All of the operators we work with make visiting penguin rookeries a priority, and if you visit the Weddell Sea, you'll have the pleasure of watching many Weddell and crabeater seals flap around on ice floats. Plus, if you come in high-to-late summer, not only will you still see plenty of seabirds, you'll also be likely to spot whales and more seals than you ever thought possible, all fattening up in Antarctica's food-rich waters before their winter migration north.

How far in advance do I need to book?

Booking in advance is recommendable with Antarctic cruises as the very popular departure dates (during November, December, January) get booked up quickly. However, you can still find some available dates for Antarctic cruises in 2012.

People often make enquiries and begin the reservation process upto a year in advance, enabling them to find the best availability and take advantage of a range of cruise styles. For the solo travellers amongst you, if you plan to share a cabin in order to avoid paying the single occupancy, book as early as possible so that the cruise operator can find someone to pair you up with. For the pick of the crop, you can start looking at Antarctica cruises for 2013 now.

You're still fine to book from 6 - 3 months in advance although cruise availability may be reduced by then. But, if you really have left it til the last minute, it may be possible to book up to 2 weeks before a cruise departs. The very lucky few manage to pick up a late deal, but with such fixed capacity on the boats and such huge demand, not least of all because of the Frozen Planet series, this sadly isn't a reliable option. Along with your cruise comes flights and it's best to get these booked as soon as possible because the cost of internal flights can soar in the months leading up to a departure date.

What of Antarctica's History?

Antarctica was first discovered in 1773 by Captain James Cook who came across it while crossing the Antarctic Circle on board the HMS Resolution. Although Cook did not actually visit the continent, but rather 'dipped' into the Antarctic Circle, he was the first to see it's huge icebergs and sprawling icepacks. It wasn't until 1819 that an attempt was made to sail to the Antarctic by William Smith, and in 1820 by James Bransfield, who discovered the South Shetland Islands and the shore of the Antarctic Peninsula.

I've heard of the Drake Passage, what is it?

The Drake Passage (named after Sir Frances Drake), lies between the southern tip of Patagonia, the region of Tierra del Fuego, and Antarctica. It's the huge body of water which connects the two seas together. The current that flows through the Passage is known as the 'Antarctic Circumpolar Current' and it's about 600 times greater than that of the Amazon River, making the Drake notorious for its tumultuous waters.

In an effort to avoid crossing it, some operators have designed 'Fly and Sail' cruises where instead of boarding the ship in Ushuaia and crossing the Drake Passage, you instead fly from the town of Punta Arenas in southern Chilean Patagonia and land in Antarctica itself at King George Island. Some of our cruises allow you to fly back too, taking 4 days of travel in the open seas off your journey.

The Fly and Sail trips can be a bit more expensive, but if you choose not to Fly and Cruise, it takes between 36-48 hours to cross the Drake depending on the speed of the ship that you're travelling on. Most operators use this time to run informative lectures on the history, flora and fauna of Antarctica and it's also a great time to spot seabirds and get to know the other people you'lld be cruising with.