For those like me who want to "touch down" in Antarctica, many of the smaller ships have either ice-strengthened hulls or qualify as ice breakers. The ice-strengthened ships like the Hapag-Lloyd Hanseatic we sailed on can go further south into the ice flows than a traditional ship, but only ice breakers can venture close into shore in the Ross Sea. If seeing the famous Ross Island explorers' huts is important to you, you might make sure you are on a ship that is qualified to traverse the Ross Sea and includes it in the itinerary. One disadvantage of ice breakers is that they have very shallow drafts, which makes them ideal for sailing in icy waters, but not for sailing in rough seas. You will get a lot more motion on an ice breaker than a traditional ship.
There are no cruise ship docks in Antarctic. Smaller ships such as the Hanseatic that take passengers ashore use inflatable Zodiac boats powered by outboard engines rather than tenders. These small boats are ideal for the "wet" landings on the undeveloped shores of Antarctica, but anyone with mobility problems might have to stay onboard the cruise ship. The Zodiacs normally carry from 9 to 14 passengers, a driver and a guide.
Getting to Your Ship
Most ships traveling to Antarctica start in South America. Ushuaia, Argentina is probably the most popular embarkation point. Passengers flying from North America or Europe pass through Buenos Aires or Santiago on their way to the southern tip of South America. It's about a 3-hour flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and another 36 hours of sailing from there to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Some ships sail from South Africa, Australia or New Zealand to Antarctica. If you look at a , you can see that it is quite a bit further from those locations to the continent than from South America, which means the trip would involve more sea days.
Itinerary for Cruising to the Falkland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula
Cruise itineraries to Antarctica are subject to change due to weather or wildlife conditions. However, this itinerary of our cruise on the Hapag-Lloyd Hanseatic will give you an idea of a typical Antarctic cruise on a small ship.
Fly in the late evening on an overnight flight to Buenos Aires.
Take a very early morning 3-hour charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina. Spend day touring area and board Hanseatic in late afternoon.
Day at sea
Explore the Falkland Islands
We visited New Island, Carcass Island, and the capital city of Port Stanley. New Island is one of the most scenic and most visited of the Falkland Islands. It is the home of one of the world's largest seabird colonies, with thousands of black-browed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins. Carcass Island is only five miles long, and it is covered with rolling hills. The island was named for the HMS Carcass, a Royal Navy ship that sailed to the Falklands in 1766. Carcass Island has well-established hedges and trees, which is much different than the other Falklands. These hedges and trees on Carcass Island are home to numerous small birds, and a large penguin colony on the south end of the island is a popular site to visit. Most cruise ships (large and small) anchor in the harbor of Port Stanley, the capital city of the Falklands, and allow passengers to go ashore.Day at sea crossing the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Convergence. We saw many sea birds and enjoyed lectures from the onboard experts.
Explore the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula - Hanseatic Cruise Log of Antarctic Cruise
We used the Zodiacs to go ashore several times in Antarctica and also spent time cruising iceberg alley and sightseeing from the Hanseatic. Although it was cold, many of us stayed outside on deck whenever possible--just to take in the magnificent views. Be sure to read my Antarctic logbook to get the details of our five days in Antarctica.Day at sea
Arrive in Ushuaia in early morning and disembark. Fly to Buenos Aires and transfer to International Airport. Fly home on late evening flight.
Arrive home in the U.S. in the morning.
For anyone who has a sense of adventure and who loves the out of doors and wildlife viewing, I think a trip to the sixth continent of Antarctica can be an experience you will remember for a life time. If you enjoy adventure but love luxury, the Hanseatic might be a perfect match!
