Thursday, April 18, 2024

Get to Antarctica on a Budget: 4 Ways With 2023 Prices

antarctica cruise cheap

You can visit the US Antarctic Program or the Australian Antarctic Program for more information about employment opportunities in the science industry. These jobs range from 3-12 month contracts to permanent positions. If you’re still on the fence, check out my post on the top reasons to visit Antarctica to help you make your decision. Drake’s Passage has two nicknames, the Drake Shake and the Drake Lake. It’s hard to predict how rough or calm this notorious passage will be.

All Inclusive Flight Package Shackleton's Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica Expedition

In 2023, we paid $4,605 per person for our budget small-ship cruise. Lowest pricing is based on our 3rd party pricing supplier and valid as of April 23rd, 2024. While cruising to Antarctica does present some challenges to protecting it, they also serve a significant importance to its preservation. When people visit and experience the beauty of the continent, they become more invested in protecting and saving it. It is also considered more of a luxury ship vs an expedition ship.

Consider Fares That Include Flights and Hotel

Booking in advance online using a credit card will result in you paying – you guessed it – about 50% more. Luxury cruises, on the other hand, often include all of your gear and may even let you keep the parka at the end. There are very strict rules and regulations for anyone traveling to Antarctica. Most of the area around the White Continent is protected and a sanctuary for wildlife. Additionally, there are several organizations that regulate tourism in the region.

Antarctica Small Ship Expedition: Ocean Nova

Another option that can save money is to bypass the Drake Passage, which might be a good thing for some travelers, by flying to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands and meeting your ship there. (Or, in some cases, you'll sail one way and fly the other.) Swoop Antarctica and Antarctica 21 are two tour companies that operate these "express" itineraries. You’ll also have more time for landings and scenic Zodiac cruising in Antarctica if you fly two hours each way rather than spending 48 hours or longer (depending on the weather) in each direction on the Drake Passage. A second way to to score a deep discount is to work with a local tour companies. Several such companies in Ushuaia have been authorized to market the unsold inventory of expedition cruise companies. If you’re a bit of a gambler, you can fly to Ushuaia, walk into one of these tour companies, and book a last-minute walk-on cruise.

Other Options for Finding Deals on Antarctica Cruises

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises). Begin a journey to the seventh continent with these Antarctica cruises from Ushuaia, a Patagonian outpost at the end of the earth. Explore nearby Tierra del Fuego National Park, uncover the history of this unusual settlement at the Maritime Museum, or fuel up for a journey to Antarctica with an Argentinian steak and a glass of red wine. Follow in the footsteps of legendary explorers as you sail down the Beagle Channel, cross the Drake Passage, and make unforgettable landfall on the Sub Antarctic Islands. Unlike most other Antarctic expedition companies, Heritage doesn’t regularly offer voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula. Rather, all of the organization’s month-long voyages sail from New Zealand and stop over at the Subantarctic Islands and the historic Ross Sea region.

antarctica cruise cheap

Hurtigruten Expeditions 17 Night Cruise

Nowadays, with more people traveling to Antarctica and more ships available, that balance has shifted somewhat. Compromise on comfort.Although there is not always an appreciative price difference between 3-star and 5-star ships (yes, really!), there are still savings to be made here. The less salubrious ships will offer twin, triple, and even quad cabins with shared facilities, but even these are snapped up quickly by budget-conscious expeditioners.

How Do I Book My Trip to Antarctica?

Upcoming Princess Cruises: 2024 Prices, Itineraries + Activities on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic

Upcoming Princess Cruises: 2024 Prices, Itineraries + Activities on Cruise Critic.

Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:30:45 GMT [source]

But a larger ship also means more passengers, up to 500 in some instances. The Europa only sails to Antarctica once or twice during the summer season, so snagging a place on one of these voyages isn’t always easy. But if you do manage to secure a berth, you can expect a small group expedition with plenty of Zodiac cruises, landings, and opportunities for spotting wildlife. Silversea offers a plethora of voyage options to Antarctica on the Silver Cloud, Silver Explorer, and Silver Wind.

In line with IAATO protocol, ships carrying more than 500 passengers cannot disembark their guests. Sightseeing is done from the ship, and passengers still cross the Drake Passage, which means four days travelling there and back. Death on a cruise – it happens more often than you might expect and it’s a grizzly fact that most cruise ships have morgues. In February 2024, @ruinedvacation posted on TikTok that a cruise line had made a last-minute name change to its itinerary via its app. We work with over 40 cruise ships that sail to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands. No, there are no hotels in the traditional sense, however, there are several camps for tourists which are the next best thing, some are very close to a hotel in terms of the level of luxury.

What is it like travelling solo on a cruise to Antarctica?

This period of time is high summer in Antarctica, so you'll get to experience up to 20 hours of sunlight each day. Most Antarctic cruises are at least 10 nights, and include a variety of destinations like Chile, the Falkland Islands, and King George Island. One look at the expansive, white wilderness of Antarctica and your vacation will most certainly be worthwhile. Each cruise line will have separate inclusions and exclusions in the cost of their voyages. For the cruises that made this list, I’ve included that information above.

Believe it or not, Antarctica itineraries range from one day to more than a month. The shortest visit entails a two-hour flight from Punta Arenas, Chile, to King George Island, followed by a five-hour tour and a flight back to Chile, all on the same day. The latter is a 35-day cruise from New Zealand, which is beyond the scope of this article. Other than those two outliers, the most common itineraries for Antarctic cruises leaving from Ushuaia or Punta Arenas range from seven to 10 days in length.

Ensure your cabin awaits on the date you expect so you can arrange your travel and flights to fit. We will carry details of last minute deals here, but not until the last minute! You can catch one of our early booking deals months in advance to avoid the uncertainty. WWF-Australia is a well-established conservation organisation helping protect our natural environment. 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.

Holland America hires scientists and experts to make your journey a truly enjoyable one.

Tea and coffee, as well as soft drinks and juices, are ready to greet you when you come back from a shore landing and at meal times, while alcoholic beverages are also available, but for an additional price. Antarctica is the ice-packed secrets of the Ross or Weddell Seas. It is the snowy southern islands as well as the lush, bird-filled flora of the sub-Antarctic.

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