Antarctic Cruise Itineraries

Antarctica – The Cruise Of A Lifetime!

Antarctic cruise season is in the southern hemisphere’s. Summer and most cruise itineraries a set for late January to early March Those cruises are always very popular so don’t wait…

Fall in the northern hemisphere is springtime in Antarctica and a number of cruise companies are posting new Antarctic cruise offerings. If you enjoy cruising, if you are looking for more exotic destinations, this is a cruise not to miss!

It still seems hard to believe but we can now visit Antarctica on a cruise. Each year thousands of passengers now stand in awe as the snow and ice covered mountains of Antarctica slide by while whales and penguins break the water all around their ship.

Antarctic Itineraries – The major cruise companies offer cruises to Antarctica with Buenos Aries being a favorite departure port. You can find itineraries that include several ports of call in South America like Montevideo, Porto Madryn, the Falkland Islands and Ushuaia, Argentina. Most large cruise ships going to Antarctica will sail into the peninsula region of Antarctica spending a day in Paradise Bay, along with a cruise around the famous Elephant Island.

Porto Madryn is specially noted for wildlife viewing (it’s the place where Orcas are known to chase seals up on the beach) and the Falklands are a major breeding ground for sea lions and six species of penguins. Ushuaia is a fast growing city that sits at the entrance to Tierra del Fuego and the end of the world with incredible wildlife watching found in the nearby Beagle Channel.

Ships bound for Antarctica docked at Ushuaia

Visiting Antartica is controlled by an international association setting rules for private tour operators. It seems that eight countries have made territorial claims in Antarctica and no country recognizes the claim of any other country. That leaves it very unclear what authority is in charge of the continent. As world travel and exotic destinations grew in popularity more and more businesses realized there was a serious opportunity for Antarctic tourism. This has left the Antarctic tourism industry largely self-regulated but they’re working hard at being responsible. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) was founded in 1991 by seven companies growing to around a hundred members today.

*Under existing IAATO rules, only ships carrying fewer than 500 passengers are allowed to make landings at approved sites and only 100 people allowed ashore at a time and must be accompanied by certified guides with a ratio of 1:20. They must not bring food ashore or leave anything behind or take anything back.

An expedition ship docked in Ushuaia next to a large cruise ship

There are also hundreds of smaller expedition boats that can actually take visitors ashore to walk on the ice sheets and visit penguin colonies but be warned, they are usually expensive. The most popular departure port for the smaller expedition ships is Ushuaia, Argentina.

As an example of an average small boat expedition cruise, consider “Journey to Antarctica” for 12 days from $15,840 per person sponsored by National Geographic.

Currently there are several cruise ships that regularly cruise to Antarctica mostly in January and February, the Southern Hemisphere’s Summer. Pictured below is a recent itinerary offered by Celebrity Cruises.

It’s time to explore those Antarctic options and get ready for the cruise of your life!

Cruising Antarctica is the newest experience for travelers. Sailing on luxury ocean liners or smaller expedition boats it is an experience not to be missed.