Cover Image Photo: Silversea Endeavour By Mary Jean Tully at Tully Luxury Travel
Much To Consider When You Plan For An Antarctica Cruise
We did not realize all we needed to consider to plan for an Antarctica cruise. There were many decisions needed to get us to a booked cruise. And then so much more to think about before we cruised.
We hope this guide will help you through planning a cruise to Antarctica that is perfect for you.
What You Want To See Drives When You Visit Antarctica
One of the first things we considered was what we wanted to see. This decision largely drove when we visited Antartica.
Many people suggested our Antarctica cruise include stops in the Falkland Islands and the South Georgia Islands. Penguins seemed to be the big draw. But we had amazing penguin experiences at Bluff Cove Lagoon on our first visit to the Falklands. And saw even more penguins on our visit to the Magdalena Island in Chile. So for our first trip to Antarctica we wanted to spend all of our excursion time in Antarctica. That limited the cruises available.
The next thing we considered was what we wanted to see in Antarctica. Did we want hatching penguins or baby seals? Was whale watching the big draw? Did we want to be entranced with the snow and ice? The sights in Antarctica varied by season and this determined the best month to visit Antarctica.
The cruising season in Antarctica went from about November to mid-March. In this summer season the temperatures were higher, the ice fields more open and the days longer. We were less interested in birds, seals and penguins. Although I am sure the photos we shoot would not support that.
We had some amazing whale watching experiences on our travels. And saw glaciers on a cruise to Alaska and then again cruising in the Fjords in Chile. For this trip, we wanted to go as far south as possible for more great ice scenery and we wanted the whales to be all fed and playful. So February through to March was the perfect time for us. Luckily we had several cruises to choose from.
The first step on our plan for an Antarctica cruise was complete when we finalized when we wanted to go.
The Route To Antartica
We found different routes offered for cruises to Antarctica. Many of the expedition cruises started in Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina in South America. We explored Ushuaia when we did our cruise around South America. We knew getting to Ushuaia required us to plan a multi-stop trip with limited options.
Many of the cruises we looked at began in a South America gateway city – Santiago in Chile or Buenos Aires in Argentina. Both of those were direct flights for us from Toronto. Some of the cruises, often at the start or end of the season, cruised right to or from these destinations. But many of the cruise itineraries and prices included a hotel in the gateway cities at the beginning and end. The cruise package also then included a private charter to Ushuaia or nearby Puerto Williams to board the cruise ship.
All of the Antarctica cruise ships that started from South America sailed for several days in both directions crossing the Drake Passage. This section of water was often referred to as either the “Drake Shake” for very rough crossings or the “Drake Lake” when the seas were calm. When we circumnavigated Cape Horn on our cruise around South America, we got the Drake Lake and were delighted we saw the most southern point in South America.
To avoid risking delays or bad weather on the Drake Passage, some cruise lines offered Antarctica cruises that started right in Antarctica. From a South American gateway city, a private charter flight took passengers to King George Island in Antarctica to board the cruise ship.
We wanted as much time as possible in Antarctica and the cruises offering this all included the Drake crossing. But we prepared for seasickness. This route choice was a key early activity on our plan for an Antarctica cruise.
The final route option we did not consider for this first visit was to travel to Antarctica from Australia or New Zealand. But we have not crossed that option off our future travel planning board!
What Cruise Line Do You Want To Travel With
Antarctica was on our travel wish list for some time. Three times we looked into an Antarctica cruise but never hit “book”. But we are getting older and wanted this adventure when we could fully experience it. So we finally booked an Antartica cruise with just a few months to plan.
What we wanted to see, our desired route and time of year limited our choice of cruises lines when we booked a cruise for the current season.
We considered many different sizes of ships from the smaller, rougher expedition ships to the new custom-built luxury ships. We decided we wanted ships with less passengers. Landing party sizes for Antarctica were limited and more passengers meant more waiting time or less availability of excursions.
We also assessed cruise line loyalty benefits. We have elite loyalty status with Oceania Cruises but they did not offer real expedition cruises to the Antarctica. Our one cruise with Viking Cruises offered a trivial loyalty benefit. We considered Lindblad Cruises for the hotel night credits we might get with Hyatt Hotels. In the end, loyalty benefits did not factor into our decision.
Cancellation policies were reviewed in detail. We were past the final payment deadlines for all the cruises we considered because we booked so late. But the down payment required and the penalties for cancellation (both timeline and amount) varied greatly between lines. When we booked so late and paid in full, the cancellation penalties drove us to ensure we had trip interruption and cancellation insurance in place when we booked.
On our plan for an Antarctica cruise, we looked carefully at the Covid cancellation policies. We found they varied all over the board for Antarctica cruises. With the pandemic still not over, we wanted the best option to cancel if we got Covid before our trip or if we tested positive on boarding the ship.
What Cabin To Plan For An Antarctica Cruise
We knew from years of cruising that the best cabins were booked very quickly when a new itinerary was announced. So we knew we had limited cabin choices.
We often looked for mid-ship cabins. And for a rough crossing we might choose a lower deck. Even when we cruised in colder areas like Alaska, we loved a balcony view. But we also knew the small expedition ships had lots of great outdoor spots for views.
For the several cruises we checked out, there were no perfect cabin choices. But even at the last minute we had several options in the cabin class we were prepared to pay for.
Adding On Pre and Post Cruise Travel
Once we decided our route preference, we knew where our cruise started and finished in South America. We then looked at options to add a pre or post cruise trip to our plans.
Our trip started in Santiago in Chile. We would have liked to spend some time there before our cruise. But we really were determined to test negative for Covid when we boarded the cruise ship. We had travel insurance and a great cruise line Covid policy so we felt our financial risk was managed. But we really did not want to miss this cruise to Antarctica. So we planned our travel to Santiago to limit exposure as much as possible.
We wanted to take a direct flight from Toronto with no connections. Unfortunately flight availability and prices meant we flew into Santiago only one day early. This cut our pre-departure time to much less than we normally were comfortable with.
Flying out of Canada in the winter added an extra stress about weather delays that we worried about until we finally were on our way. Snow and ice shut down airports and impacted aircraft availability.
But once we finished our cruise to Antarctica, we felt free to add on some time in South America. On our first cruise around South America, we missed a chance to visit the Iguazu Falls. So we planned a return visit to Buenos Aires with a 3 day stay at the falls.
We considered other good pre or post cruise options. We loved our first visit to Patagonia and would have loved to explore more. Many of the stops on our cruise around South America deserved more days to explore. But in the end we included only an extra 10 days in South America on our plan for an Antarctica cruise.
What To Pack For An Antarctica Trip
Most people worried about what to pack for an Antarctica cruise. A suggested packing list for the expeditions was provided by the cruise line. Some gear like jackets were typically provided. And other gear like boots were available for rent. Several layers were required for warmth and to keep dry.
As Canadians we owned lots of cold weather gear. So we shopped from our closets first. In the end we purchased very little outer gear for our adventures in Antarctica.
Packing for the Antarctica expeditions was pretty similar for all cruise lines. But packing for day and evening wear varied by cruise line. Most of the cruise lines required casual clothing only. But the more luxury lines required a little more elegance. Packing for this part of our cruise days probably required more thought.
The one thing we knew without checking any packing lists was that we needed cameras for many different purposes. So our camera and electronics pack did not change much from any of our adventure trips. That didn’t stop us though from buying some new pieces.
The final packing requirement was driven by planned pre and post trips. The additional 10 days in Argentina were after our cruise and in March it was very hot. So our bags contained cold weather clothes and summer wear.
If there were no baggage limitations, packing was easy. But in the end the charter flights drove baggage limitations. It was a good thing there was laundry onboard.
Insurance Was On The Plan For An Antarctica Cruise
For some people, the required insurance was offered by the cruise line. As Canadians this was not the case so we had to source the right insurance as part of our plan for an Antarctica cruise.
Antarctica was a very expensive trip. And was subject to many things that could disrupt the plan. So we didn’t hesitate to pay for Trip Interruption and Cancellation insurance. Even though we had some existing travel health insurance we added more health insurance to the policy we bought. Cruise companies or countries required a high limit for emergency evacuation. And the insurance policy we bought included this in the health insurance portion.
When we cruised to the Caribbean as the pandemic restrictions started to wane we purchased extra Covid insurance. Between the cruise ship policies and what was covered in the insurance policy we purchased, we did not need a separate Covid policy for this Antarctica cruise.
In some cases insurance requirements were dictated by the cruise company or the country. It took some time to understand what was mandatory versus what we felt was necessary. This changed over time so was something that we looked into very early.
Getting In Good Enough Shape
In the short lead times we booked our cruise to Antarctica, we could not make major changes in our fitness levels. But we were healthy and felt able to do most of the excursions.
Once we booked our cruise we ensured we walked regularly and improved our endurance. Normally Toronto was cold and snowy in the winter and ideal to prepare for Antarctica. But when we hit a mild spell, we went north to Muskoka for winter conditions. It was the perfect training ground for a trip to Antartica. We worked on our fitness and our capacity for spending time in the cold outdoors. In fact, we often walked in Canadian weather conditions far worse than Antarctica.
We also added daily yoga into our routine to help with flexibility and stability. We knew that climbing in and out of zodiacs needed both.
Booking the cruise to Antarctica before we were “too old” was important to us. And spending some time on fitness before our cruise ensured we got the most out of excursions we chose.
Understand All The Requirements And Timing
As detailed planners we made sure to understand all the requirements for this trip and the timing for each. Our planning process included detailed notes, to-do lists and calendar alerts to ensure we did not miss a step.
Just some of the things we needed to keep track of:
- Payments and cancellation timing for the cruise and any other trip plans (e.g. hotels and post trip excursions)
- Insurance needed to be done at booking time so we needed to understand insurance requirements and options first
- Once the cruise was firm we booked any flights and travel plans related to the whole trip
- Once the cruise was firm we booked onboard things like dining and spa. For our cruise, there were no excursion bookings in advance.
- Often for Antarctica cruises, a medical questionnaire was needed to be completed before the cruise was even “final”. And for some, a doctor’s physical exam may be needed.
- Equipment provided by the cruise company needed to be ordered
- Any other clothing or equipment was obtained to meet the timeline
- Covid requirements were verified, re-verified and completed in advance.
- Visa requirements were verified, re-verified and completed in advance.
In some cases like Covid and Visa requirements, we checked regularly. Once our travel re-started in a major way in 2022, we learned how quickly things changed.
Get Ready To Be Adaptable
We are planners by nature and loved to plan a complete itinerary. We always build in flexibility to our plans and are adaptable to changes. But cruising in the Antarctica had so many variables. We knew the general outline of the planned cruise. But we knew the day-to-day agenda was driven often by the weather. The cruise we booked did not even allow booking excursions in advance.
So getting ready for Antarctica we limited our daily plans for the cruise portion of our trip. We knew our days would be filled with exciting opportunities. Our smaller ship gave us lost of options and availability. And we also knew that with 14 days in the deep Antarctica, we had many days to make up for missed weather days. Our biggest challenge might be planning some down days to just relax and take it all in.
On our plan for an Antarctica cruise we left large sections of our day open to be filled with new adventures.
Budget For The Trip Of A Lifetime
No matter how we did the cruise to Antarctica it was an expensive trip. But it was a trip of a lifetime and was one we always had on our travel planning board. So we set aside enough money to do this when we could.
The all-in costs added about 50% to the cost of just our cruise. We booked our own international flights. Our trip included an extra 10 days in South America with a 3 day excursion to the Iguazu Falls. We had some costs for new gear but our new camera additions were much greater. And insurance added about 10%.
Doing an all-in budget early in the planning process helped us make choices on our plan for an Antarctica cruise. This trip was a great adventure to budget for. But when we talked to people about their visits to Antarctica we learned that many people went back more than once! So we might have to start a new budget for a return visit.
A Lot To Plan For An Antarctica Cruise
So what did we choose for our cruise to Antarctica? We picked a the 20 day cruise with a Drake crossing with Silversea Cruises. The cruise was onboard the Silver Endeavour, a brand new expedition ship (recently built for Crystal Cruises). Most of the cruise time was deep in the Antartica starting in mid-February. Our balcony cabin met most of our requirements.
A great route and a brand new small ship made us happy. The luxury cruise line provided a little splurge. And offered some of the best Covid policies we read.
Once we got started we quickly learned there was a lot on our plan for an Antarctica cruise. Our plan grew as we learned more. And we were sure the trip for our 7th continent on an Antarctica Cruise would provide some new points to update this planning process.
Did you have other things on your plan for an Antarctica cruise? Did you miss anything on your plan?
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Wow – I can imagine that deciding on an antarctica cruise is very difficult. You really want to make sure that it fits your requirements and expectations when you spend so much money. But it seems you managed quite well. I have been dreaming of going to Antarctica for ages (I read so many books about Anarctic exploreations). But to be honest, recently, I got a bit reluctrant because of the climate change…..we will see. I enjoyed your post and your pictures very much.
We have put this off too many times. And really want to do this while we are still able to really enjoy the experience. Just counting the days!
This was such a well thought-out and planned post. We went to Antarctica with Quark and absolutely loved them. And we used Allianz as our travel insurance. That said, we didn’t think of half the things you did…so thanks for bring us back to earth!
We tried to plan this trip 3 times so we learned a lot as we tried different routes and cruise companies. But we are sure we still missed something in our planning thoughts. We will see!
This would be a once in a lifetime trip for me, and honestly I’ll probably never get to do this. You gave really great tips on planning this trip, it’s definitely not easy or cheap to get there! I also suffer from sea sickness so I would need to prepare for this too. Owning winter gear is helpful, we get cold weather in north Italy but not like Canada!
It was indeed a lot to plan for our cruise to Antarctica. But we are methodical in our planning and we hope we covered most of the things to consider. At least the cold won’t be too much of a shock for us.
What a super insightful guide. Antarctica is a destination one can only dream of and yet you have done it, and in style aboard a Silverseas cruise (my uncle swears by them!) It is a place I want to visit and your post has made it easier to understand all the planning required (including getting fit). My friends in NZ have an Antarctica cruise booked heading out from South America, not sure they could find any leaving from there or OZ. I will hopefully reach this icy wonderland one day and combine it with travelling around South America as it is a continent I am yet to visit.
We sure learned a lot through our planning process for the Antarctica cruise. Maybe why we did not get it booked the first two times we tried. But we will have taken care of all the details in advance so we can just enjoy the whole Antarctica experience. Hope you do get to visit one day.
I had no idea there is so much to consider. Thank you for sharing this guide. This is indeed very helpful. It’s a awesome that you add pre/post trips to your cruise. Thank you for mentioning about the insurance. Will make sure to keep this in mind.
We always try to add on to our cruise plans to enjoy the areas we travel too. Helps to amortize some of the flight costs. This time we did not arrive in advance because we were being super careful. But it was fun to add on some time in Argentina.
A very well planned trip to Antarctica on a cruise ship and it’s nice to have pondered upon all the pros and cons before embarking on the trip. It’s great that you had prepared on fitness level by doing yoga and the Canadian weather was an advantage. It’s great to have loyalty benefits for stays when you’re traveling frequently and also also backed by a COVID insurance policy when tested positive. And whale watching and penguin hatching is a bonus for such cruises and you have had loads of it which is wonderful.Carrying proper gears, jackets, boots, etc is absolutely essential while traveling to Antarctica.
We sure did have a lot to think about when planning our cruise to Antarctica.
This seems like an amazing trip! I have seen so many things about Antarctica lately that now I feel like going myself. But I’m worried how see sick I would get at Drakes Passage. What a great point that during different season you will see different things, so you need to choose the time of the visit wisely.
We are hoping for a smooth crossing of the Drake but are planned for a rough ride. So happy to be headed south in February.
This is such a comprehensive guide to help plan a cruise to Antarctica. So much to consider! The packing list is especially helpful. What a fun adventure!
Our cruise to Antartica will definitely be an amazing adventure. We will be happy to have this detailed planning phase behind us.
Highly interesting since this is one of my serious travel dreams. However, other than planning, I rather wonder how to save up for the trip. Was ist costly – like neckcuttingly costly? Also, I would have never thought of getting physically fit for the cruise – very helpful aspect here. No matter what, Antarctica remains on top of my list 🙂
We did plan a luxury trip and paid a premium for our cryuise to Antarctica. And we are also cruising for 20 days. So there are ways to get the cost down to a less extreme number. But still costly. We sure hope this will be a trip of a lifetime.
This is such a useful blog post. Antarctica is definitely on my bucket list, but didn’t realise just how much you need to consider, especially the ‘what we want to see or experience’ to start with. That’s such an important question and I never really thought about it before. I’ll definitely use your guide for our future dream trip.
I am glad this post was helpful to get you thinking about the things to consider when planning to cruise to Antarctica. But we are glad we will soon be moving to “packing”.
I didn’t even think of half of these things – so this guide is hugely useful. The part about being flexible and fit enough for the zodiacs is excellent advice. It’s on my bucket list for sure!
Glad to know this was a helpful post for planning for Antarctica. It took us a long time to finally get the cruise we wanted booked. Hope you get to visit one day.
Judging from the location and the cost, I would think there are so many things to prepare for the cruise to Antarctica. It’s a smart thing to get an insurance because you don’t want to loose money if something happen before the D-day. You opened my eyes about what to prepare for the cruise to Antarctica and it’s not like other cruises.
I have to agree that planning for Antarctica required more thought than we expected. But we stepped through it quite methodically and got what we hope will be the prefect cruise booked. I will let you know as we go on.
I’ve only done one cruise so far and I loved it. I would love to do an Antarctica cruise, as I feel the scenery would be amazing.
It looks like you had a great vacation.
We are definitely looking forward to this coming Antarctica cruise.
Thanks so much for all the useful information. This is just right up my alley so i’m saving this to my travel bucketlist. Thank you!
I hope this guide will help when you finally get to booking an Antarctica cruise.
These penguins are just the cutest! With all that ice landscape, whale watching, breathtaking views, and adorable creatures, Antarctica cruises appear to be enjoyable. Those who intend to take this trip will undoubtedly find this comprehensive information beneficial. I’ve already taken note of all your advice, so thanks!
We are definitely looking forward to all the amazing sights we will get in Antarctica. Hope the advice helps others making a plan to cruise there.
Such great tips on how to plan Antarctica Cruise. I had no idea that there were so many factors to consider. I would love to do such a cruise to see penguins, whales, and glaciers.
I hope you guys do get to Antarctica one day – even if cruising really isn’t your thing. But lots of outdoor adventures you will love.
It really looks like an adventure of a lifetime! Penguins, whales, glaciers and fjords, even the whole preparation process sounds quite adventurous. Thanks for sharing this post, if I ever plan to make an Antarctica cruise (and I really hope I will), I will jump back to this guide!
It will be a great adventure. There is a lot of planning. But it is all getting us quite excited too!
This has put taking a Cruise to Antartica on my bucket list. Have never really cruised before, but this year I did a Liveaboard trip. And I loved it, so I guess, Cruise is the next thing to do.
You have actually managed to jot down all the important points, one needs to consider while taking that Cruise of a Lifetime to Antartica.
I am glad this post has piqued your interest about doing a cruise. Antarctica is certainly a great one for plan for.
I never thought about an Antartica cruise but I’d go just for the penguins!
We are definitely excited about all the penguins we will see!
This is so helpful! It’s been a lifelong dream to visit Antarctica and your posts helps so much with all the planning. Thank you!
We were surprised with how much we had to think about when planning for a cruise to Antarctica. But now we can sit back with anticipation.
Antarctica is definitely on my bucket list and sounds like the trip of a lifetime! I can only imagine the amount of planning that goes into a trip like this, and you’ve certainly confirmed that for me. Good to consider what time of year to visit based on what you’d like to see; it reminds me a bit of our trip to Kenya, which had already been planned by another couple, but offered us the opportunity to see all the newborn baby animals! By the way, your photos of the penguins and that whale are just incredible – wow! Great post! Xx Sara
Thanks Sara. I think there is a lot to think about for big trips so that you get the trip you really want. We are looking at a safari trip and starting to see the planning needed. We will certainly report as the trip happens on what we may have missed in our pre-planning.
I loved reading your post! Antarctica is truly a once in a lifetime travel destination and I appreciate the time you spent in piecing together pertinent information to help make the travel there seamless. Great tips!
If you get to visit Antarctica, I hope these tips will help smooth out your planning process.
Wow what a great post! A trip to Antarctica would be a huge under taking so I appreciate all the details you shared.
A cruise to Antarctica is indeed a big trip and we really wanted to make sure we planned it well. Did not realize in advance what this meant. But we feel well prepared for our coming trip.
I want to go to Antarctica so bad in my lifetime. My husband doesn’t want to though because he doesn’t want to be on a cruise and gets nausea easily (knowing our luck we’d probably get the Drake Shake). It’s so expensive too! I also have lupus and get sensitive to cold weather really easily. But I still totally want to do it!
I can understand why Antarctica might not be a feasible trip for you. It has been on our list for a long time and we just want to do it while we are still relatively fit and healthy. Hopefully you can follow along and enjoy some of the experience. Maybe a cruise that starts with a flight to Antarctica might work?
It sounds amazing. And the pic of the whale breaching is stellar. Kudos to the photographer.
We are hoping for more great wildlife enchunters on our coming trip to Antarctica. Playing with new gear now to be ready for more great shots.
My sister went on a cruise to Antarctica and she LOVED it! I didn’t think it was for me because I don’t like the cold but she told me it wasn’t as cold as you’d think. Thank you so much for the tips. I’m MUCH more open to the idea now and I’m saving this for future reference.
We too were surprised when we researched the temperatures. And it is cold but dressed properly it is totally managable. Hope you do get to go one day.
Great post! I so want to do this, but apart from the expense, but hey once in a lifetime, I’m terrified of the drake shake. I’m not good on boats, not so much being sick, but I’ve seen Titanic too many times, lol!
We are not looking forward to the Drake but are hoping for the “lake”. But a cruise to Antarctica has been on our wish list for a long time and it was time to do it. We will see if once is enough!
Antartica is definitely on my bucket list. It’s not in my budget at this point in my life, but one day!! This has so many helpful tips, even though I knew you have to go Nov-Mar, I hadn’t thought about how which part of the cruising season would effect what you want to do.
The trip to Antarctica is definitely a bucket list item worth saving for. We are so excited to finally be doing this.
Visiting Antarctica sounds like such an incredible “bucket list” type experience, and this guide is so informative about how to make it happen. My husband would love this trip so I am saving this for later. The photo of the humpback whale is incredible!
I hope you get to do a cruise to Antarctica one day. It was a real learning experience to go through the planning process. But it should be amazing when we get there.
Before reading your travel story I honestly knew so little of all the details one needs to think of before the Antarctica cruise, but as an experience it’s been on my travel bucket list forever! The view of Amalia Glacier look so so stunning, you post gave me some serious wanderlust! Saved for the future planning
I am glad this post will help you when you start to plan your own Antarctica adventure.
Antarctica is on my radar so I was very pleased to read this post. Thanks for all the fantastic planning tips.
I am glad this post timing was good. Hope you do get your Antarctica trip planned.
You have such good advice. For a once in a lifetime trip, I wouldn’t want to miss anything. While I’m good with all the packing and planning, I didn’t think about getting in shape
We had a lot to think about planning our cruise to Antarctica. And we were glad we planned our trip when we got good winter walking experience before our trip.
Thank you for this planning guide! A cruise to Antarctica is on my bucketlist, and I’m hoping to do it soon, but need to save for a while first. Saving this for later.
We were glad we finally got our cruise to Antarctica planning. Glad this was helpful to start you thinking as you save for this amazing trip.
Every year we talk about Antarctica but we haven’t actually put it on the calendar yet. Maybe 2025?? This is full of useful information, I had no idea there was so much to consider.
We tried to book Antarctica a few times. So glad we finally got it done. But it did take some thought and planning.