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There's also wifi and an onboard laundry service for those that wish to pay a little extra for some creature comforts from home. All cabins feature a private bathroom and flatscreen TV and can feature a refrigerator, windows, and separate seating areas with a sofa depending on the cabin category. Given the previous point, as you’d expect, the farther south you sail the more expensive your cruise will be, given the vessel will have to come back on itself, effectively doubling the distance sailed.
Clothing & Other Costs to Bear in Mind
Nowhere on Earth feels as remote as Antarctica, yet the wildlife here is abundant and spectacular. The icy shores are a haven for millions of penguins, as well as seals and seabirds, while the deep blue waters support a huge population of whales. Your Expedition Team will help you spot and photograph iconic animals, and there will be lectures on ornithology and natural history from our wildlife experts.
Night In The Wake Of The Beagle Through The Chile's Fjor...Details
The price of a voyage to Antarctica with Aurora Expeditions starts from around $12,500 USD per person twin share in an Aurora Stateroom. Antarctica cruises usually span between 9 to 21 days, with most falling within the 10 to 14-day range. The duration of an Antarctica cruise can vary based on factors like the departure point and the specific itinerary chosen. Viking Octantis is designed to carry 378 passengers, which is on the high side for Antarctica cruise ships. Like Hurtigruten's Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, it isn't able to land all or even most of its passengers at once in Antarctica. Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina that allows passengers to transfer to small Zodiac boats for landings while still in the protected interior of the ship.
Weddell Sea – In search of the Emperor Penguin, incl. helicopters
The extensive enhancements include upgrades to staterooms, public spaces, restaurants, bars and lounges. Start the day at Mandara Spa, where you can revive, refresh and recharge. Enjoy delicious dining, from Irish pub classics at O'Sheehan's to classic hibachi at Teppanyaki. If you become aware of any change in your health and fitness that may be likely to affect your participation on the trip (e.g. pregnancy, mental illness, heart or bronchial disorder, broken limbs, etc.), you should notify us in writing immediately. Travelers should consult with their healthcare providers to ensure they are physically prepared for the Antarctica cruise. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.
What's Included
Whereas your average cruise ship is built for short cruises of perhaps a week to ten days, expedition vessels often need to travel for three weeks or more (certainly those Antarctic cruises from Australia and New Zealand) without the opportunity to stock up. This means a larger proportion of space is dedicated to storage rather than fare-paying passengers than on conventional ships, whether that be for fuel, food, equipment or technical consumables. Embark on an extraordinary journey to Antarctica in 2023 and immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring beauty of the world's last pristine wilderness. Our carefully curated selection of cruises offers unrivaled experiences, from thrilling zodiac excursions to up-close encounters with penguins, seals, and whales. Explore the magnificent icy landscapes and witness the mesmerizing colors of the polar skies. Plan your expedition to Antarctica with Polartours.com, where our expert guides and comfortable expedition ships ensure a safe and unforgettable adventure.
Cheap Antarctica Cruises: Find the Best Antarctica Deals - Cruise Critic
Cheap Antarctica Cruises: Find the Best Antarctica Deals.
Posted: Mon, 02 Jan 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Hear the beautiful 'symphony of the ice' as you glide silently past nature's frozen works of art in a sea kayak. Designed for close-up polar exploration, there's no better way to encounter the wildlife of Antarica and to enjoy its soul-stirring scenery. For reference, the higher the number, the more premium the cabin with category 1 representing a basic cabin and category 10 being the most expensive cabin you can choose. It’s important to note that this means you may need to budget for an additional USD$2,000 – USD$4,000 on top of the cost of your cruise. Below, we have provided a breakdown of what you might expect to pay for your Antarctica trip.
With this budget you’ll get a solid vessel, up-close explorations, great guides and the trip of a lifetime. You will sleep soundly knowing your expedition cruise was worth every penny. A pioneer in polar travel, Ponant has a long tradition of operating voyages to Antarctica, and this series of ship was specially designed for such trips. They all are hardy (with 1C ice class ratings from Lloyd's Register) but also stylish, with contemporary interiors and comfortable rooms.
Kayaking
Many travelers find the experience of an Antarctica cruise to be a dream come true. Both of these vessels sail with a maximum of 500 passengers when operating in Antarctica, which is on the high side for an Antarctic-based vessel. If you're eager to make a lot of landings in Antarctica during a trip to the continent, Hurtigruten's newest ships may not be the best choice.
All Antarctica Expedition Cruises in 2023
Browse our top affordable trips using the price-range filter to find trips in your price range. Our experts specialize in helping clients find the right trip at the best price, so don’t hesitate to contact us for a personalized recommendation. Put it all together and the average cost to go to Antarctica is $7,000-$10,000 per person.
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. The South America port of Ushuaia serves as the primary launchpad for Antarctic trips, with some 98% of visitors sailing to Antarctica from Argentina’s shores. For example, flying to Ushuaia from the US will set you back somewhere in the region of USD$1,200 – USD$1,600, from Europe between USD$1,500 – USD$2,000, and from Africa between USD$900 – USD$1,500. If you are flying to New Zealand or Australia, the price from Europe will be around USD$1,500, and between USD$1,200 – USD$1,500 from Africa. In some rare instances, the cost of the domestic flight between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, or Santiago de Chile and Punta Arenas, may be included in your cruise cost.
Child and teenage discounts can vary considerably, with the most generous offering 25% off young travelers under 18 and 15% for those between 18 – 21 years old. In conjunction with an early booking discount, the savings can be really quite significant. Those travelers coming from Oceania will find far fewer operators and vessels to choose from, and getting to Antarctica will take much longer, with crossings of typically around a week or more, depending on the weather. Well that depends on how far in advance you are booking your trip. If your cruise departs sooner rather than later, usually within 120 days, then you’ll be expected to cough up the entirety of the total amount due in one fell swoop. However, should your cruise depart beyond that timeframe, typically a deposit of 25% will need to be made to secure your booking, with the balance payable 120 days prior to departure.
Cruise lines sometimes offer discounts of a few thousand dollars to fill empty cabins several weeks in advance of departure, and they'll advertise such sales online. You may also find discounted expeditions like the one mentioned above by the new yacht-style cruise line, Atlas Ocean Voyages. We've also seen discounts given by tour companies when private charters cancel their sailings at the last minute. In all cases, there's no easy way to find these deals other than by checking the cruise lines' or tour operators' websites regularly, signing up for their email newsletters and/or following them on social media for updates. 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.
Luxury Antarctica cruises will feature Jacuzzis, a full-service spa, gourmet cuisine and five-star service. Cabins and suites are larger and can include large view windows or even balconies. Guides and science-based tools for exploration, such as underwater rovers and video microscopes, are the best available. As summer arrives the sun returns to Antarctica, and with it comes rafts of penguins, pods of whales and herds of seals. Sea ice drifts or melts away from the Antarctic Peninsula coastline, allowing expedition vessels access into many sheltered bays and harbours to marvel at the splendor of the frozen continent.
The simpler the expedition ship and the fewer the inclusions, such as chartered flights or expedition gear, the less an Antarctica cruise costs. Vessels with the least frills -- such as those offering tiny cabins (possibly inside) with twin or triple beds, and basic but substantial meals -- cost the least. These ships focus on exploration rather than onboard amenities and pampering. If that works, you can save a substantial amount of money and absolutely make polar dreams come true. Budget-minded cruises will not include flights or pre-cruise hotel overnights.
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. Finally, although most ships offer complimentary shore excursions, some offer special outings for a fee. So, if it's really important to go kayaking or snowshoeing, find a cruise that offers these activities complimentarily, or expect to fork over some extra dollars. If your expedition line isn't hosting a one-night pre-cruise hotel stay, say, in Buenos Aires, you can find many hotel rooms at about $200 per night, plus taxes and meals per night.
