There was a time when touring to Antarctica meant roughing it a bit. Lots of the journey journey corporations that pioneered vacationer journeys to the White Continent initially used comparatively spartan, generally repurposed ships to get individuals there.
However these days are lengthy gone.
Now you possibly can journey to the world’s most distant vacation spot in luxurious and elegance — assuming you are prepared to pay the usually steep value of such journeys.
Two particular luxurious cruise corporations — Silversea Cruises and Ponant Explorations — have carved out a distinct segment over the previous 20 years providing high-end voyages to Antarctica on upscale vessels the place you will sleep in cabins and dine in onboard eateries which can be each bit as spectacular because the Antarctic surroundings. A number of extra high-end cruise manufacturers have gotten into equally upscale cruising to Antarctica in simply the previous few years.
The newcomers embody luxurious purveyor Scenic Luxurious Cruises & Excursions, which launched two very upscale expedition ships since 2019 — a kind of cruise ship particularly designed for journey to distant, hard-to-reach locations.
Additionally comparatively new to upscale cruising to Antarctica are Atlas Ocean Voyages, which has supplied Antarctica sailings since late 2021 on purpose-built expedition vessels, and Viking, which launched voyages to the continent with new expedition ships in early 2022.
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Luxurious line Seabourn has been providing Antarctica cruises since late 2022 with its first luxurious expedition ships.
Right here, we check out these six cruise manufacturers which can be main the way in which in luxurious journeys to Antarctica.
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Silversea Cruises
Silversea has been the chief among the many major luxury cruise lines in increasing into expedition cruises to distant, hard-to-reach locations, and it is a massive participant in luxurious journeys to Antarctica.
The Miami-based line’s 18-year-old expedition cruise division at the moment operates high-end sailings to the White Continent on three vessels — the 220-passenger Silver Endeavour, the 254-passenger Silver Cloud and the 274-passenger Silver Wind.
Along with conventional sailings from South America that cross the Drake Passage, Silversea additionally provides its signature Fly Cruise program, permitting company to fly over the Drake with out sacrificing time spent in Antarctica. The journey will develop into much more seamless with the debut of The Cormorant at 55 South in Puerto Williams, Chile, Silversea’s new lodge designed to streamline the Antarctic journey expertise, together with new constitution flights connecting immediately from Santiago to Puerto Williams.
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Whereas older than lots of the luxurious ships crusing to Antarctica, Silver Cloud and Silver Wind provide a luxurious expertise with all-suite lodging, upscale delicacies and luxurious touches resembling butler service for each suite. Silver Endeavour is a more moderen vessel with much more superior choices.
The main points: Fares for 10-night Antarctica journeys begin at $10,920 per individual, based mostly on double occupancy.
Ponant Explorations
A longtime chief in expedition cruises, Ponant is thought for its array of truly once-in-a-lifetime small-ship adventures to locations no different passenger ships go, together with epic voyages to the North Pole, the only winter expedition cruises to Canada and a variety of prolonged sailings to Antarctica.
Among the most uncommon sailings the road provides to the White Continent happen on Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first and solely luxurious icebreaker. Unveiled in 2021, it is by far the hardest passenger vessel ever constructed, able to reaching ice-clogged components of Antarctica that no different ship can attain.
The road additionally takes well-heeled, intellectually curious vacationers to Antarctica on 4 different upscale expedition ships, all sister vessels, that have been purpose-built for such voyages: Le Boreal, Le Lyrial, L’Austral and Le Soleal.
Unveiled between 2010 and 2015, these 264-passenger ships are glossy and trendy, with up to date decor, giant rooms with balconies and a number of eating places. However additionally they characteristic a sustainable design with ice-strengthened hulls and cutting-edge know-how, permitting them to soundly entry harder-to-reach areas resembling Antarctica.
Whereas Ponant is a France-based line, its sailings are bilingual with bulletins in each French and English, and it attracts a global crowd along with many People.
Associated: The ultimate guide to Ponant ships and itineraries
The main points: Fares for 12-night Antarctica journeys begin at $17,320 per individual, based mostly on double occupancy. Fares embody a precruise lodge keep in Buenos Aires and round-trip flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia.
Scenic Luxurious Cruises & Excursions
Lengthy recognized for high-end river cruises, luxurious purveyor Scenic Luxurious Cruises & Excursions has made a giant transfer into high-end expedition journeys to Antarctica since 2019 with the debut of its first two expedition vessels, the 228-passenger Scenic Eclipse and sister ship Scenic Eclipse II.
Billed as “discovery yachts,” the super-swanky vessels provide all-suite lodging (and we’re speaking actual suites with separate residing rooms), butler service for all and a variety of onboard eating choices together with a sushi restaurant. Additionally they have whiskey bars stocked with greater than 110 whiskies and different high-end liquors, plus a spa and a yoga studio.
The preliminary vessel on this sequence, Scenic Eclipse, was notably the primary Antarctica-bound cruise vessel to boast helicopters to take passengers on epic (and dear) Antarctica excursions. Scenic Eclipse II debuted with helicopters, too. Each vessels even have submarines for underwater exploration.
Having skilled a helicopter tour from one in every of these vessels, I can say that it is actually a once-in-a-lifetime expertise. On the draw back, the helicopter pads and hangars on these ships eat up quite a lot of area on their prime decks, as do the suites alongside the vessel’s sharply sloping entrance. The mix leaves much less obtainable room for commentary areas. The result’s a ship with much less outside area for viewing surroundings than is typical for small vessels working polar journeys.
The main points: Fares for 12-night Antarctica journeys begin at $17,868 per individual, based mostly on double occupancy. Fares embody a precruise, one-night lodge keep in Buenos Aires; round-trip flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia; drinks, together with spirits and effective wines; and pay as you go gratuities.
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Atlas Ocean Voyages
Launched in 2021, Atlas Ocean Voyages is a comparatively new model that makes a speciality of luxurious sailings on small, yacht-like vessels to a number of the world’s most off-the-beaten-path locations, resembling Antarctica and the Arctic. Additionally they function in additional mainstream cruise locations resembling Europe and Asia.
The model at the moment fields three almost equivalent, 184-passenger ships (World Navigator, World Traveller and World Voyager), all of which spend at the very least a part of their time in Antarctica.
Constructed powerful for polar exploring (they every have a PC 6 ice class score), these three ships are designed to be upscale with elegant, Forties-influenced decor, and pampering touches resembling L’Occitane-branded spas (the primary at sea) and butler service in prime cabins.
The vessels, which I’ve given high marks after previous sailings, are additionally loaded with indoor and outside commentary areas, together with modern, close-to-the-waterline exterior deck areas with heated seating referred to as The Water’s Edge. Excessive-tech touches embody GPS techniques that allow them hover in delicate areas with out dropping anchor.
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The main points: 9-night voyages to Antarctica begin at $11,748 per individual, based mostly on double occupancy. Fares cowl drinks, together with spirits and effective wines; shipboard Wi-Fi; pay as you go gratuities; and emergency medical evacuation insurance coverage for each passenger (the latter being a uncommon providing amongst corporations cruising to Antarctica).
Viking
Viking is a relative newcomer to expedition cruising in Antarctica — it is solely been working within the area since 2022. However it’s gotten quite a lot of consideration from cruise-industry watchers.
That is as a result of the 2 new expedition ships the road has constructed for Antarctica sailings — the 378-passenger Viking Octantis and sister ship Viking Polaris — have a number of uncommon options.
Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina on every of the vessels that permits passengers to switch to a particular touring boat whereas nonetheless within the protected inside of the ship. A primary for expedition ships, it is one thing that makes it simpler for vacationers with mobility points to expertise the area.
In one other first for polar expedition cruise vessels, each cabin on the 2 vessels has floor-to-ceiling glass partitions that slide partially open from the highest to create a balcony-like really feel.
Like all Viking ships, the general public areas and cabins on Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris boast a sublime Scandinavian design. Their eating places embody a model of Viking’s signature Italian spot, Manfredi’s, and the Scandinavian-inspired Mamsen’s outlet. Additionally acquainted are top-of-the-ship, glass-walled Explorers’ Lounges promising beautiful views of passing surroundings.
One other standout public area is The Aula, a dramatic panoramic auditorium designed for lectures, day by day briefings and different occasions that encompasses a display screen that retracts to disclose floor-to-ceiling home windows and sweeping 270-degree views. Additionally notable is The Science Lab, a working moist and dry analysis facility the place visitor scientists perform actual analysis all through voyages. Passengers are invited to look at, ask questions and achieve a deeper perception about scientific work associated to the locations the ship sails.
Associated: The ultimate guide to Viking ships and itineraries
As is typical for expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris are powerful vessels, with strengthened bows that allow them bump by ice in polar areas and further tanks for gas and meals. Along with touchdown craft on board to convey individuals ashore, they carry kayaks and even submersibles for exploring (the latter being one thing that’s comparatively uncommon on cruise vessels of any sort).
The main points: Fares for 12-night Antarctica journeys begin at $14,995 per individual.
Seabourn
Like Viking, Seabourn has solely just lately added its first expedition cruise ships for expedition cruising to Antarctica.
The 2 vessels — Seabourn Enterprise and Seabourn Pursuit — each carry 264 passengers at most occupancy and are ice-rated vessels with all the posh touches that Seabourn followers have come to know, together with eating places serving elegant delicacies.
Each room on each of the ships, notably, is a set with its personal balcony — one thing that is not usually the case with expedition ships.
As well as, the ships provide quite a lot of high-end journey. Out of doors tools for off-ship exploring contains kayaks in addition to Zodiac boats. However maybe their standout journey options are two, six-person submarines that enable passengers to discover the world underneath the water in polar areas in addition to what’s above the waterline.
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Amongst different uncommon options of the ships that make a distinction in polar areas is a high-definition Cineplex digital camera that may decide up wildlife as much as 5 miles away and streams the footage into an onboard “discovery heart” whereas leaving the wildlife undisturbed. The ships sail with 23 expedition guides, together with scientists, historians and naturalists who lecture often on board and lead guided excursions on land.
The main points: Fares for Antarctic sailings begin at $11,899 per individual, together with flights in Argentina to achieve the ship.
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