Are Antarctica expedition cruises right for you?

Expedition cruises offer the quintessential Antarctica experience. On an expedition cruise you can look forward to a variety of off-ship adventures including heli-flightseeing and kayaking in addition to on land excursions and zodiac boat trips, allowing you to truly make the most of the incredible scenery, wildlife and terrain. Some expedition cruises offer more immersive polar adventures than others, with more landing sites, so be sure to check the individual itinerary for the correct inclusions.

What are the benefits of an Antarctica expedition cruise?

Expedition cruises are equipped with top-notch expedition teams who are experts in everything from geology to ornithology and marine biology to photography. The team guide zodiac boat trips, seek out the best wildlife on excursions and answer any questions you may have along the way. Back on board they provide daily briefings, recaps and insightful lectures to ensure that you get the most out of your trip and immerse yourself in the incredible surroundings.

Expedition cruises are also smaller in guest capacity than scenic Antarctica cruises, ranging anywhere between 13 and 500 guests on board, making for a more personal and tranquil experience, as well as allowing for vessels to get nearer to land for optimal wildlife viewing.

Do bear in mind that some expedition cruises offer twice as many landing sites than others. Those that are limited to a smaller range of landing sites come with the restriction of not being able to easily pivot and adapt to weather or wildlife changes, potentially getting stuck for a little while. This is a useful factor to consider when choosing which cruise supplier to book.

What are the best cruise lines for an Antarctica expedition cruise?

 Viking boasts a fleet of new, state-of-the-art ocean ships featuring modern and stylish Scandinavian style. All rooms on board are spacious veranda staterooms (with balcony) and Viking provides a bonus of a complimentary excursion in every port of call.

 Though more widely known for its range of guided group tours, G Adventures also boast a fantastic range of Antarctica cruises. These are a great choice for adventurous and budget conscious travelers, and with capacity for only 128 passengers on board, your smaller ship will be able to get closer to the shoreline than many larger vessels. Check out a couple of G Adventure’s most popular Antarctica itineraries, ‘Antarctica Classic’ and great value 'Quest for the Antarctic Circle'.

Specialising in cruises to the polar regions, AE Expeditions aims to offer  transformative journeys to the world’s most remote regions. Similar in size to G Adventures, AE ships host a maximum 130 guests on polar cruises meaning that the guide-to-guest ratio is 1:7. You can look forward to two to three landings per day, making it one of the more truly immersive cruise lines to visit the region.

For the ultimate luxurious, all inclusive experience, Silversea is a perfect choice. Enjoy intimate, boutique ships, with all accommodation on board, suites with ocean view (and more than 80%, veranda style with balcony). Butler service comes as a standard in every suite, for complete peace of mind.

Seabourn is for those after the ultra-luxury Antarctica experience. On board, guests can look forward to “Seabourn Moments” designed to surprise & delight guests, in addition to a fascinating array of on-board educational enrichment. Guests are served by an award-winning crew numbering nearly as many as the guests.

Recognized as a leader in polar travel, HX Expeditions are often touted as the top expedition cruise line to visit Antarctica, thanks to its 130 year heritage, environmental and sustainability focus, along with expert teams. HX has a working science centre on many of its ships. One of our favourite HX Antarctica cruises is the ‘Highlights of Antarctica’.

 Ponant offer a luxury small ship experience with a commitment to promoting sustainable tourism. Their modern intimate ships are designed with a classic ‘French touch’, along with an elegant yet casual onboard atmosphere. All accommodation on board is Oceanview Staterooms and worth noting - numerous sailings have no single supplement for solo travellers.

 Quark (part of Exodus Adventure Travel) only operate in the polar regions, and are known for their high levels of staff training, making the team’s Antarctica knowledge is second to none. Quark’s 6:1 guide-to-guest ratio allows for brilliant access to their Expedition Teams and more opportunities to get off-ship to take part in all the thrilling polar activities and adventures on offer.

What can you expect on board an Antarctica expedition cruise?

To learn more about what to expect on board an Antarctica expedition cruise, check out these blogs from two of the Trailfinders’ team who provide an eye-opening insight into the experience:

- Just Back From... An Antarctica Cruise with Ponant

- Cruising in Antarctica with Silversea Expeditions

Each cruise line will vary in terms of standard, inclusions and more, so your Trailfinders travel consultant is on hand to advise, help explain the differences and find the best suited to you.

Are Antarctica scenic cruises right for you?

The main difference between expedition and scenic cruises is that scenic cruises do not offer on foot visits to Antarctica, being a cruise-by only. This means that while guests will still be able to experience the scenic beauty of Antarctica, the journey will be less immersive.

The other main difference is the size of the ships for scenic cruises, as they tend to offer accommodation for over 500 guests on board, which is a significantly larger capacity than expedition cruises.

What are the benefits of an Antarctica scenic cruise?

Scenic cruises to Antarctica generally incorporate a visit to a few different locations in South America, meaning that they appeal to those wanting to visit the continent as a part of a broader cruise itinerary. Scenic cruises also typically work out at a lower price point than expedition cruises, for those who are more budget conscious, but this does vary. This style of cruise will also suit less mobile travelers, or those less keen to venture out into the snowy/icy conditions, on foot, but who still wish to appreciate this beautiful area of the world.

What are the best cruise lines for an Antarctica scenic cruise?

 Princess cruises offer comfortable accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, with a wide choice of vessels from medium to large size offering choice to suit different guests. Learn more in our guide, ‘Making the Most of Your Days at Sea with Princess Cruises’.

Celebrity cruises are recognised for offering ultra-modern architecture and design-led interiors with high-end amenities, décor and atmosphere, along with fantastic entertainment and dining options. On an Antarctica cruise with Celebrity, your cruise will call at popular South American ports including Montevideo, Uruguay, Puerto Madryn and Ushuaia in Argentina, as well as Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. Cruises depart during the Southern Hemisphere summer months of January and February. We highly rate the Antarctica & The Falkland Islands scenic cruise with Celebrity.

What can you expect on board an Antarctica scenic cruise?

Inclusions vary according to cruise line - your consultant is on hand to advise. Scenic cruises often include on board naturalists and an expert guided commentary. As the ship size is bigger than expedition cruises, this may come with the advantage of additional facilities, entertainment and dining options to enjoy.

For taking in the impressive Antarctica scenery, guests can look out from open decks, and, for some booking categories on board Celebrity, guests may be invited to the helipad to enjoy the views. Balcony rooms come with clear advantages on scenic cruises, bearing in mind that public viewing areas on the ship can often get crowded, particularly when passing by an impressive viewpoint. On scenic cruises it may still be possible to see wildlife such as whales, penguins, and a variety of seabirds.

For more inspiration, take a look at our Antarctica Cruise page.