Originally Posted by
QueenOfCoach
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.