An interesting (and far more expensive) alternative to an expedition cruise. Some cruise operators, such as Silversea, now offer 'bridge' trips which fly you from Punta Arenas to King George Island, avoiding sailing the Drake Passage. Ships can show you many more areas than White Desert and on my trip I saw tens of thousands of penguins in vast colonies, many hundreds of seals and whales plus jaw-dropping, ever-changing landscapes, including South Georgia. White Desert can offer emperor penguins, which I never saw. There are now dedicated 'emperor' cruises and also some itineraries which sail from New Zealand to Ushuaia. White Desert is an interesting option, though, for people with limited time available and many thanks dval44 for your report. I'm not sure many here could tolerate the bathroom facilities!

Forgot to ask, does White Desert provide clothing? On high-end expedition ships you are generally given outer parka, inner puffer jacket and beanie to keep. Top-of-the-range Wellington boots - essential for wet landings - are rented at reasonable prices. Clothing is a massively important factor in going to Antarctica. As we all know, there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

Some ships now offer submarines and helicopters.