Antarctica - Anyone been to Antarctica?

I really want to get to all 7 continents before I die and obviously Antarctica is the hardest. I would like to go during southern hemisphere summer, thinking Jan of '13 and I would like to do it as cheaply as possible. Any advice?

Friends of mine just got back. They went on the Celebrity Xpedition cruise, out of Buenos Aires, and had a great time.

I don't think it's all that cheap. Brace yourself.

Yeah, I didn't think it would be cheap in an absolute since. I just don't want to anymore then I have.

I can't seem to find anything about an Antarctica tour on the Celebrity Xpedition cruise website. Do you know if you're friends booked online or through an agent?

Scroll way down to "Antarctica". There are some great posts there. And yes, I have been there on the Clipper Adventurer. It was a fabulous trip. :)

Yes, it is expensive.

Yes, it is the trip of a lifetime.

Yes, it really is worth it!

Really do your homework. You'll most likely depart from Ushuaia. There's no quick way to cross the Drake, and you will cross it coming and going, so that's an unavoidable chunk of time right there. On a good ship, it will pass faster than you think.

I was blown away by the diversity of Antarctica. I thought I sort of knew what to expect - it was so very very much more than that!

BTW, January is a good idea. Christmas to New Year's tends to be the busiest (and most expensive) time to go. Of course, that's true for many destinations.

Don't forget to get your passport 'stamped' (it's not a 'real' border stamp, but it's still kind of cool) at Port Lockroy.

It used to be possible to fly from Punta Arenas in Chile....get off the plane set foot on Antarctica, take in the view then get back on the plane. :D

No idea if it's still possible or not.

It used to be possible to fly from Punta Arenas in Chile....get off the plane set foot on Antarctica, take in the view then get back on the plane. :D

No idea if it's still possible or not.

But did you get FF miles? any upgrade possibilities?

But did you get FF miles? any upgrade possibilities?

:D

I never did it myself but would have loved to. They used some propeller job, a DC6 or similar....may still do for all I know. One class with no inflight service and a good chance of having to wait several days for the weather to clear before it could depart. Fellow passengers consisted mainly of bearded geologists and explorers.
It landed at one of the polar bases. Unless you had business to do there they wouldn't allow you inside. :D
Much more exciting than some fancy cruise ship surely? ^

That sounds awesome! I would do that flight. :D

I can't seem to find anything about an Antarctica tour on the Celebrity Xpedition cruise website. Do you know if you're friends booked online or through an agent?

I do not know how they booked. I do know that my friend researched cruises on the cruisecritic website. They were on the Celebrity Infinity. I just looked in cruisecritic and one of the member reviews said that the large cruise ships will be banned from Antarctic waters after June, 2011. I can't confirm that, but the fact that the Celebrity website has nothing about Antarctic voyages might be indicative.

I know for a fact that just before my friends left, I checked out the Celebrity website and did, indeed, see Antarctic voyages.

Antarctica on my "to do" list, as well. Sadly, it will have to wait until after I retire for good. With the consulting jobs I have now, I can travel but cannot be out of reach of wifi.

I do not know how they booked. I do know that my friend researched cruises on the cruisecritic website. They were on the Celebrity Infinity. I just looked in cruisecritic and one of the member reviews said that the large cruise ships will be banned from Antarctic waters after June, 2011. I can't confirm that, but the fact that the Celebrity website has nothing about Antarctic voyages might be indicative.

I know for a fact that just before my friends left, I checked out the Celebrity website and did, indeed, see Antarctic voyages.

Antarctica on my "to do" list, as well. Sadly, it will have to wait until after I retire for good. With the consulting jobs I have now, I can travel but cannot be out of reach of wifi.

Alas it looks as though Celebrity no longer goes to Antarctica but I'm glad you told me about them because now I just added their Galapagos cruise to my wishlist. Thanks :)

FT has an Antarctica forum and I'll move this there. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

I'll just add this comment. My friends are the scientific type, in fact the husband has a PhD. They really enjoyed all the scientific talks aboard the Infinity concerning the plant and animal life, geology, etc. If you are the nerdy type (like I am), you might find that interesting, too.

Been there done that. We did it NOT cheap. See trip report (under 30 days), search under "ranles". Wife took great pictures during the 3 days of crusing the AA. One can take a few day tour out of the south, but the cost is still high, and the conditions tough.

My advise...wait until you can afford to go.

Been there done that. We did it NOT cheap. See trip report (under 30 days), search under "ranles". Wife took great pictures during the 3 days of crusing the AA. One can take a few day tour out of the south, but the cost is still high, and the conditions tough.

My advise...wait until you can afford to go.

Who said I couldn't afford to go?

Kyonn,

I'm sorry, I gave you a bum steer. I just talked with one of my friends.

The cruise they took, Feb 2011, was THE LAST "large ship"cruise into Antarctica on a big ship. Apparently international regs have tightened up so that only small expedition type ships can go into Antarctic waters. Future cruises on the Infinity will be from Buenos Aires, around Cape Horn to Valparaiso and back.

The fact this was the last possible cruise was incentive for my friends to hop on it when they did. She said that the future alternatives on small expedition type ships would be upwards of $15k per person.

I'm sorry to get your hopes up for nothing. Maybe you can find a small expedition type ship for a price you can afford.

Kyonn,

I'm sorry, I gave you a bum steer. I just talked with one of my friends.

The cruise they took, Feb 2011, was THE LAST "large ship"cruise into Antarctica on a big ship. Apparently international regs have tightened up so that only small expedition type ships can go into Antarctic waters. Future cruises on the Infinity will be from Buenos Aires, around Cape Horn to Valparaiso and back.

The fact this was the last possible cruise was incentive for my friends to hop on it when they did. She said that the future alternatives on small expedition type ships would be upwards of $15k per person.

I'm sorry to get your hopes up for nothing. Maybe you can find a small expedition type ship for a price you can afford.

I'd do some serious shopping around. It really depends on what you want. I did not go on a big cruise ship and I paid about half that for 21 days. I am a solo traveler and fortunately I had the option (not always available on large cruise ships) to share a bunk room with two other people I'd never met (but that I have continued to keep in touch with). We went places that the large cruise ships couldn't possibly go - Deception Island, for example (we spent the night inside. There are also often limitations on how many people can be on shore at one time (including guiding crew members) - often a 100-person max. That can mean landings are in shifts. On a smaller ship (100 passengers), everyone can spend max time on shore.

As far as safety, yes, a smaller ship got into trouble a few years ago and fortunately other ships were nearby and the rescue went smoothly. But size is no guarantee - a large cruise ship got into trouble down off the coast of California last year, I believe, (engine fire) and everyone had to be evacuated back.

I admit, I wanted good sleep, good food, and as much up-close-and-personal time in Antarctica as I could get, and a smaller (and much less costly) ship worked great for me. (I am now saving up to do it again). YMMV.

Kyonn,

I'm sorry, I gave you a bum steer. I just talked with one of my friends.

The cruise they took, Feb 2011, was THE LAST "large ship"cruise into Antarctica on a big ship. Apparently international regs have tightened up so that only small expedition type ships can go into Antarctic waters. Future cruises on the Infinity will be from Buenos Aires, around Cape Horn to Valparaiso and back.

The fact this was the last possible cruise was incentive for my friends to hop on it when they did. She said that the future alternatives on small expedition type ships would be upwards of $15k per person.

I'm sorry to get your hopes up for nothing. Maybe you can find a small expedition type ship for a price you can afford.

No worries. Going into this I was sure it was going to cost much more than a standard vacation and in my mind I had budgeted about 10K for this trip.

It's still a long way off so I'll keep looking around. Thanks for all your help.

Looks like a good combo Flight/Cruise...

http://www.polarcruises.com/antarctica/ships/expedition-ships_3/fly-cruise_62.htm

Looks like a good combo Flight/Cruise...

http://www.polarcruises.com/antarctica/ships/expedition-ships_3/fly-cruise_62.htm

Search who is the actual organizer for that flight/cruise combo and one can most likely get a better deal directly. When talking directly with the organizing company, you'll also get all the details.

Others may have had different experience but we and several others on our cruise didn't find this reseller spectacular, apart from the great web site. Most of the folks on the ship had booked directly or through a local TA in their country.

The best way to see what *all* your options are is to check the website of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators, www.iaato.org

Do not even consider going with any organization that is not a member of IAATO if you care at all about protecting and preserving the unique environment. (And if you don't care and just want bragging rights, I'd be happy to lecture you in a more appropriate forum.)

I went back in 1996 with a company that is no longer in existence, by the way. The advice I got at the time was to go on the smallest ship I could, which I think was useful given that gave me much more time on the ice itself.

You can check out the norwegian "Hurtigruten". They do Antarctica cruises.
http://www.hurtigruten.us/Antarctica/

If you are fit why not walk the last degree to the pole? It's usually abou 80 miles, so very doable. I number of organisations organise such trips but I would recommend Fiona Thornewell -just google. The cost's significantly higher but you stand a chance of sponsorship for such a challenge and you also get a story to tell your grandchildren.

If you are fit why not walk the last degree to the pole? It's usually abou 80 miles, so very doable. I number of organisations organise such trips but I would recommend Fiona Thornewell -just google. The cost's significantly higher but you stand a chance of sponsorship for such a challenge and you also get a story to tell your grandchildren.

80 mile walk to the pole...how many days does that take? Then there's the walk back! I'm guessing you'd need to charter your own boat to get them to wait for you that long.

I'm going at the end of the year with Quark Expeditions. Just booked last week.

Excited :D

I'm a rock doctor, so really looking forward to the scientific talks on board!

And this will make it all 7 continents!

80 mile walk to the pole...how many days does that take? Then there's the walk back! I'm guessing you'd need to charter your own boat to get them to wait for you that long. People usually fly to Patriot hills. But this still leaves you at about 80degS or 550 miles or so from the pole IIRC. So then there is another flight to the drop off point, a walk/ski and a flight out. In the summer the last degree can be done in 10 days allowing for poor weather.

The cost does really add up, but there is a similar option for those in the northern hemisphere to the north pole. The issues are different though with the going being tougher (ice pack drifts, normally in the opposite direction to where you want to go, and can be thin, ice for water which is not salty can be hard to find and there are more pressure ridges). Then there is the wildlife (big white paddingtons). And you tend to have to fly with (drunk) Russians which is an 'experience' in itself!

I haven't been but my 2nd cousin is Sir Wally Herbert. Use my name and email him if you want.

I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. Sir Wally died peacfully after a number of years of illness about 4 years ago.

I met my husband aboard a Quark ship on our way from Ushuaia to Antarctica. Trip changed my life! :) We both want to go back at some point in the future as well. It's truly the most spectacular place either of us has ever been.

Fortunately, it's now no longer a possibility to go on the large cruise ships. It's small ships only, and as others have mentioned, this is a good thing. It means you get the maximum ice time possible as there is a limit of 100pp on the ice at a time. Trust me - you'll want as much time as you can get! It takes hours to climb up the massive snow drift hill....and minutes to slide down on your bootie!

Also there are only a handful of actual operators for the cruise ships - and a whole host of other tour agencies taking a cut to sell slots on those few ships. Look at the actual ship owners websites for pricing and availability to cut out the middle man. I know of two owners - Gap (wouldn't recommend) and Quark (highly recommend). There are a couple of others that were listed in Ushuaia, but I can't recall the names.

If you have a specialty skill you could work the ships for a free ride - such as a MD, geologist, marine biologist, etc but you would have to commit to multiple trips or even the whole season. Speaking of, early in the season (late Nov - early Dec) is penguin mating season. Late is when the chicks hatch. So pick what you want to see and go. It will be amazing no matter what!

When we stepped on the continent, I reached a goal I never thought would happen .... visiting all 7 continents in 7 years.

A spectacular trip .... altho we had miserable conditions crossing the Drake. We literally were harnessed in bed .... and crawled on our hands and knees to the bathroom to puke. Nothing helped. Patches. Ginger. Wrist bands. Sitting on deck in the fresh air.

Very expensive .... but you only live once.

We used Quark .... and I recommend them highly.

I would love to go back again ..... if I could guarantee a smooth sailing over the Drake. (Or when the offer air service)

However, I would saw that Antarctica was my second most spectacular trip -- the time we spent in Africa was ^ :-: ^ the best.

The last time I went to Antartica I was the Navigation Officer on a Holland America cruise ship, and it some of the best, if not the most challenging sailing of my career to date. The cruises sailing from Rio to Valparaiso via the Falklands and Antartica and the fjords offer so much to see, from penguins and whales to magnificant glaciers. I recall the face of an iceberg shearing off as we passed, and thanking myself that I'd given it enough distance... But, I'd definately say there is an elevated level of risk involved when entering the Antartica on a ship, and whilst precautionary measures are introduced, you can never escape that risk fully.

For lots more on Antarctica, set your Display Options (bottom of the front page of any forum) to something over 100 days - 1 year, beginning, etc.

N.B. Large cruise ships (500 or more passengers) are no longer allowed in Antarctic waters, effective August 2011, per the International Maritime Organization. That's a good thing for many reasons, IMO, but one is large cruise ships do not ever put you on the ground. Landing in wild places and research stations is part of the reason to go this far.

Choose wisely - National Geographic Expeditions/Lindblad, Quark Expeditions and Abercrombie & Kent are probably the three best, but be sure to research well. One ship (MS Explorer) went down not that long ago, the cruise ship Clelia II late last year had a pretty awful trip (link (http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2010/12/antarctica-clelia-ii-cruise-ship-wave-damage-power-loss/134434/1)) and companies have gone bankrupt (Canadian company Marine Expeditions is one).

Be sure the company is a member (and subscribes to the policies of) the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators <link (http://iaato.org/)>. Waves of 35-40 feet and 80 kt winds are not uncommon, and of course lots - more than you can imagine - of ice as icebergs, bergy bits, tabular bergs, you name it.

Our 22 day voyage on the Russian Academy of Science research vessel Akademik Ioffe was the most amazing, spectacular voyage...

And please do not bother Sir Walter William "Wally" Herbert (24 October 1934 – 12 June 2007) because it will take quite some time to get a reply. ;)

Somewhere I read that you may be able to grab a spot on a ship in Ushuaia, due to last-minute cancellations. Anyone have information on that?

I think that's more of a myth than a fact, but if one has lots of time on their hands they could check at the Dirección Provincial de Puertos de la Provincia de Tierra del Fuego or the Oficina Antárctica at Lasserre y Prefectura Naval (at the gate of the Port of Ushuaia) for information.

Of course, you might at that point find out the ship's crew is unable to accept passages independently or find the ship is full. This is not a recommended course of action. If there are last minute cancellations, you will probably be best able to find one via one of the providers (like Quark). (In fact, Quark has some decent discounts on some trips, but they tend to be closer tothe date of departure, not so great for long range planning.


Somewhere I read that you may be able to grab a spot on a ship in Ushuaia, due to last-minute cancellations. Anyone have information on that?