Antarctic Cruises, Tours
Antarctica Tour Operators

Tours | Antarctic Tours/Cruises

These tour operators operate cruises to the chilly but wildlife-rampant and spectacularly bleak Antarctic, the only continent in the world without 'owners' and the one at the southern tip of the planet. The world's fifth largest continent and the coldest place on earth.
The Antarctic has no permanent human population but plenty of other mammals as well as marine life, wildlife and scenery.
Get seasick? There are no boatless options, but - apart from anti-nausea drugs - there are quite effective acupressure wrist bands, as well as keeping looking outside and even stuffing cotton wool into one ear! [nausea is apparently caused by an imbalance between the ears, so stuffing one ear reduces hearing but also potential imbalance]

Antarctic cruises, beware:
"Cruising in Antarctica is inherently dangerous." Denise Landau, Director, International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators.
With demand increasing some large cruise ships are now touring polar waters without proper ice protection.
While all ships carry enough boats/rafts for all passengers, in the event of a major accident many passengers of super-capacity ships would be obliged to jump into ice waters and swim to rubber rafts.
So, when investigating an Antarctic Cruise, ask questions about the crew's polar experience and the ship's ice protection rating. If in doubt, choose a small, dedicated ice vessel.

Depending on the length of the voyage, some cruises visit the Antarctic Peninsula, Falkland Islands and/or mountainous South Georgia. Zodiac excursions permit close encounters with wildlife and icebergs in the surrounding waters while some tours offer Antarctic kayaking or onshore camping. Experts lecture visitors on natural history, wildlife and other features of Antarctica.
Our ships travelling Antarctic waters range from Russian icebreakers to expedition cruise ships with strengthened hulls.
We recommend Antarctic cruises between the months of November- March.

Antarctic cruises from Ushuaia

Expedition Cruise Ships:
These are spacious, comfortable passenger vessels designed for smooth sailing in Antartic water, with deluxe accommodation and services including public areas, lounges, bars, gift shops and fitness facilities.

Luxury Expedition Ships:
These Antarctic cruise ships offer 5-star amenities but still allow travelers the opportunity for adventurous land excursions and close wildlife viewing without sacrificing the comforts normally found on larger cruise ships.

Explore operate Antarctic cruises to the last frontier on earth, inhabited by sculptured icebergs, breaching whales and millions of penguins, this profound region will leave an indelible impression.
The MV [ship] Polar Star is the first icebreaker to be fully converted and upgraded for expedition cruising and is one of the safest and most comfortable ice class vessels available for polar cruising today. With its ice-breaking capabilities, M/V Polar Star can safely explore areas that can't be reached by most other Polar operators.
Onboard facilities include: large panoramic lounge/lecture room affording fine views; library; shop; laundry; gym; bar; comfortable restaurant serving superb variety of international cuisine; friendly and attentive hospitality staff; onboard team of expert guides.
The ship's 'open bridge' policy offers general freedom of access on board throughout our voyage.
When possible we run two excursions a day. Some will be land based, with the opportunity to investigate the suprisingly diverse flora and fauna of the area, while others will be water-based exploration by Zodiac, perhaps cruising amongst icebergs or along coastlines marvelling at the marine life and dramatic landscapes around us.

Click above to see all cruise tours or below for examples:

Antarctic Classic:
This 11 day cruise takes us across the Drake Passage, over the Antarctic Convergence, to the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we explore the channels and isles of the archipelago, observing the mountains, marine mammals, seabirds and ice formations that abound in this area.

Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland:
This is a 12 day expedition cruise exploring Antarctica and the South Shetlands with excellent wildlife viewing opportunties on both land and sea and the freedom of being in the vast, ice-sculpted Antarctic wilderness on a safe ship with very knowledgeable and experienced crew.

Check more of Explore's Polar Regions Holidays.

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