Antarctica cruise ship Antarctica is a perfect cruise destination!
A real Antarctica cruise ship will take you to visit a once in a lifetime great cruising experience, combining a unique blend of adventure and comfort to view Antarctic penguins, icebergs, and
other wonders of Antarctica.
Choose an expedition operated by a company with a solid reputation, either large or small ships that must be purpose-built for polar waters.
The ships are varied from basic supply vessels to small expedition ships to mainstream cruise ships to small luxury cruise ships such as the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators
requires its members to pledge to send no more than 100 persons ashore at any one time. Any cruise line disregarding it would probably not get a permit to sail to Antarctica again.
Large ships such as those operated by Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises do not allow passengers to go ashore in Antarctica. They provide wonderful Antarctic experience from the deck of the ship via vistas of the spectacular Antarctic scenery and helps to keep the price down.
There are one great advantage of taking large cruise ships, they have deeper hulls and stabilizers making the cruise a smoother ride. These are especially important when cruising in the rough waters of the Drake Passage and South Atlantic.
Smaller ships are available for those who want to do "touch down" in Antarctica, If landing on Antarctic soil is important to you. They have either ice-strengthened hulls or qualify as ice breakers.
The ice-strengthened ships like the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises - Hanseatic, can sail further south into the ice flows than a traditional ship.
But ice breakers can venture close into shore in the Ross Sea. If seeing the famous Ross Island explorers' huts is important to you, make sure you are on board a ship that is qualified to traverse the Ross Sea and includes it in the itinerary, like Kapitan Khlebnikov operated by Quark Expeditions
NOTE: Ice breakers have very shallow drafts which actually makes them ideal for sailing in icy waters, but not for sailing in rough seas. You will get more motion on an ice breaker than on board a traditional ship.
Or, you can go for tidy and well cared for "soft" expedition cruise vessels with National Geographic Endeavour and National Geographic Explorer, operated by Lindblad Expeditions.
Ushuaia in Argentina is the most popular port of embarkation, it is the southern tip of South America.
Most ships traveling to Antarctica
start in South America, the passengers flying in here from North America and Europe pass through Buenos Aires or Santiago. It is about a 3-hour flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.
The voyage from Ushuaia to Antarctic Peninsula will take another 36 hours of sailing.
There are some ships sail from South Africa, Australia or New Zealand to Antarctica, like Orient operated by Orient Expedition Cruises depart from Australia and New Zealand. Those locations are further than from South America to the continent, it means that the juorney will involve more sea days.
Note: Cruise itineraries to Antarctica are subject to change due to weather or wildlife conditions.
There are no cruise ship docks in Antarctic, passengers are sending ashore by Zodiac boats. This small, inflatable, rubber motorized craft powered by outboard engine is swift, stable and maneuverable; it is ideal for navigating rocky shallow waters.
Zodiac boats are ideal for the "wet" landings on the undeveloped shores of Antarctica, they can easily carry from 9 up to 14 passengers plus a driver and a guide. You can get close-up views of places that the regular boats cannot access.
Antarctica is an amazing cruise destination,
most of the wildlife is concentrated on the shoreline, making cruise expeditions a perfect way to explore the edges of the Antarctica continent.
Antarctica cruise ship - Visiting the last Ecological Reserve on Earth. Antarctica is a perfect cruise destination!
Antarctica Cruise Ship - Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Antarctica Cruise Ship - Voyages of Discovery
Antarctica Cruise Ship - CruiseWest
Antarctic Cruises The demand
of people taking Antarctic cruises are increasing every year, they all go as a part of an organized expeditionary cruise.The Antarctica voyages are very popular!
A real Antarctica cruise ship will
take you to visit a once in a lifetime great cruising experience, combining a unique blend of adventure and comfort to view Antarctic penguins, icebergs, and other wonders of Antarctica.
