Antarctica Cruise and Travel Guide - Page 1 - The Basics

There is no indigenous government, management of the Antarctic is organised through the legal framework of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. Forty-three nations are now party to this agreement, and seven of those - UK, Norway, Chile, France, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand - have historic claims on parts of the continent as national territory. The 1959 Antarctic Treaty preserves the status quo of the continent by neither recognizing nor rejecting the claims of these countries and by not allowing expansion in any way on the continent.

Antarctica currently has no economic activity apart from offshore fishing and tourism, and these are carried out by other nations (i.e. not the continent of Antarctica)

The ships are ice strengthened and sail primarily to the Antarctic Peninsula region sometimes also including South Georgia and the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas).

Most trips take about 10 days to 3 weeks from port to port, though occasionally longer or shorter trips are possible.

Fly - Cruise trips are about 6-7 days

There are now "Air Cruise" trips to Antarctica whereby you can fly to Frei Station (Chilean) on King George Island in around two hours flying from Punta Arenas, Chile.

You then embark on your ship where you follow the Antarctic part of the cruise for around 6 days along the Antarctic Peninsula before returning to King George Island and flying back to Punta Arenas again.

Advantages:

Avoid crossing the Drakes Passage by ship - this can be a very rough crossing which for some people may prevent them going to Antarctica at all if they feel ill on ships.

Time saving - two sailings across the Drakes Passage saves about 4 days in all meaning that is possible to go to Antarctica without spending so much time getting there and back.

Disadvantages:

You don't get to cross the Drakes Passage - there is something magical about arriving in Antarctica by ship where the weather and ice change slowly over a longer period, spotting albatrosses following the ship, the first ice-bergs, first penguins and seals etc.

Delays to your trip - While no Antarctica Fly and Cruise departure has been cancelled due to weather conditions (yet), some departures in the past have experienced delays of up to three days. The current estimate is that the chances of delay are in the range of 5-10%. Ships can operate in conditions in Antarctica that leave planes grounded. In particular you will need to have some flexibility in your return journey timings.

Minimum about US$5,000 for a place in a twin cabin (triples may be available for 15-25% less) plus the cost of air fares and other sundry costs to and from your point of embarkation and then up to US$50 000 and even beyond. These are for regular scheduled trips. Of course you pay more if you want the best cabins on the more luxurious vessels.

Antarctic visits are mainly concentrated at ice-free coastal zones over the Antarctic summer, the five-month period from November to March, in high summer there will be 20+ hours of daylight.

Tourist ships possibly could get in and out earlier or later in the season, but there is the all too real danger of not being able to get to the places on the itinerary, or more importantly of being stuck in the sea-ice and having an enforced winter (for an extra 8 months or more) as has happened on scientific bases occasionally. So apart from the odd ice-breaker trip that may leave in October, tourist ships just don't risk it outside of these months.

Temperature Range;   December to February 20°F to 50°F  / -6°C to +10°C

November & Early December (Late Spring / Early Summer)

• Courting season for penguins and seabirds - see spectacular courtship rituals.

• Seals visible on fast ice.

• Spring wildflowers in the Falklands and South Georgia.

• Elephant and fur seals establish their breeding territories

• Winter pack ice is starting to melt and break up. The scenery is white, clean and pristine with pack ice and giant icebergs

Mid-December and January (Mid Summer)

• Normally Antarctica's warmest months.

• Longer days create great light conditions and fabulous photo opportunities at midnight.

• Antarctic chicks hatch.

• South Georgia and the Falklands - first penguin chicks emerge and fur seals are breeding.

• Seal Pups visible on South Georgia and the Falklands.

• Receding ice allows for more exploration.

February and March (Late Summer)

• Whale sightings are at their best on the Peninsula.

• Penguin chicks start to fledge, most Adelie and Gentoo penguin colonies are nearly vacated by late Feb to early March.

• Blooming snow algae prevalent.

• Receding pack ice allows ships to explore further south.

• More fur seals on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Peninsula voyages generally depart from Ushuaia in Argentina, other South American ports are rarely used. The great majority of trips leave from South America, those that leave from elsewhere tend to be longer and more expensive - considerably so.

For trips to the Ross region and Eastern Antarctica, commonly used ports are: Hobart (Australia), Invercargill / Bluff (New Zealand). These trips may involve two different ports sometimes departing from one and returning to another.

Departures very rarely set out from from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth (South Africa) and Fremantle / Perth (Australia), i.e. they have done in the past, though do not do so every year.

No documentation or visas are required to visit Antarctica, but if your cruise stops off at other countries en route, visas and documentation may be required for them.

It is worth thinking about what you will do on your Antarctic trip beyond icebergs and glaciers. Trips that take in the Falkland Islands or South Georgia for instance can add significantly to the experience. Once you have decided to make the long journey (and for the vast majority of the planets inhabitants it is a long journey) to get there, you should aim to make the most of where you are.

There are passenger ships of a variety of sizes that sail to Antarctica and the choice of ship can make a big difference to your journey and experiences.

First of all Antarctic cruises aren't like other more well known cruises to warmer climates with professional entertainers, though the larger the ship, the more likely there is to be entertainment provided.

What you will find are a number of very well informed and experienced cruise guides working on the ship who will give lectures on a regular basis about various aspects of Antarctic history and natural history. These will also often be around to socialize in the evenings along with some of the ships crew and captain.

There are rules laid down by the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) covering such things as the size of cruise ship allowed to enter Antarctic waters and covering conduct at landing sites in Antarctica. This is a voluntary organization and is well respected, you should always make sure that the ship / tour company you go to Antarctica with is a member of IAATO.

Taken from the Cool Antarctica forum:

It is the experience of a lifetime.

2 weeks is never enough, but is a good introduction to the landscape, scenery and wildlife. I came back about 2 weeks ago and it surpassed all my hopes - none of the books you read, photos you see, prepare you for actually being there in the most spiritual, beautiful landscape in the world. You will no doubt go on a cruise ship - don't choose a big one, or you'll never get ashore - go with a small ship (less than 50 passengers) and make sure they are members of the IAATO (Antarctic tour operators association) as this will guarantee your trip does not adversely impact the environment there.

If you can afford it (and it's not cheap), then a voyage on an icebreaker rather than just an ice-strengthened ship is the way to get to the places others can't, and the helicopters do add a whole extra dimension to the possible range of shore landings (plus sight-seeing flights as well).

Email received:

"Our weather was perfect. Cape Horn could have been rounded in a rowboat (which rather now spoils reading adventure stories). The Antarctic Circle and the Midnight Sun were more than exciting. A new appreciation of the continent and the need to protect it environmentally are now part of my being.

I know from reading your site that you are concerned about the tourist industry and Antarctica, and justly so. We were tourists on a ship (Holland American - Amsterdam - 1100 passengers) that simply came to look. Since there were so many people we could not set foot on the continent due to the logistics of getting 100 people at a time on land and off. I was very impressed by the quality of the scientists who lectured to us - an ice pilot, a biologist, a man who had led a polar expedition several years ago, a geologist with 40 years experience in the polar regions.

As soon as we entered the Antarctic waters the tone of the trip changed to one of an expedition - no fancy entertainment, no talk of fun and games but a delighted seriousness of being in a very special place. (the food and comfort however remained probably not one of a serious expedition)

I have printed your What's it like in Antarctica? pages 1 and 2 to put with my photo album. Thanks so much for getting that information into one place. I know it represents many hours of hard work. It is appreciated."

Phyl Weaver - USA