If not, then you will want to consider the following factors, among others: If you have specific departure dates in mind, these may guide your decision, as availability for Antarctica cruises can be quite limited. On King George's Island we board the Hebridean Sky where days 3-6 of the itinerary are spent sailing between South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula before returning to King George's Island for the flight back to Chile.
If you have limited time, then a flight/cruise combination where you fly from Punta Arenas, Chile to King George's Island to save a few days of sailing the high seas in transport. Longer trips of 18-23 days additionally sail to the Falkland Islands and the wildlife rich South Georgia before setting sail for the Antarctic Peninsula.Īntarctic Fly/Cruise vs. Most cruises are around 12 days long, and depart from Ushuaia, pass Drake's Passage, Cape Horn and onward to the Antarctic Peninsula where travelers spend 4-7 days exploring the white continent.
Our luxury Antarctic cruises vary in length from 6 to 23 days departing from Ushuaia, Argentina or Punta Arenas, Chile. National Geographic Explorer: 148 passengers.National Geographic Orion: 102 passengers.Here are our top choices for small luxury ships: Other reasons we only offer cruises on small ship are because they have the ability to go further south through deeper ice, have more knowledgable, specialized guides, superior lectures, and cruisemates highly interested in the geography, natural history and wildlife of Antarctica. Whereas with a small ship, we simply board a zodiac and land where the guide determines optimal. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) guidelines dictate that ships with over 500 passengers cannot take passengers on shore, so larger ships spend several days cruising through scenic scapes, but without setting foot on Antarctica. One of the biggest factors when choosing an Antarctic cruise is the size of the cruise ship. Here are some of the criteria used to help travelers decide which luxury class cruise to choose. 6.Our Antarctica cruise experts have already selected only the finest vessels with the highest level of service for the discerning traveler. Resilient Lady will also have plenty of wellness options and nightclubs for cruisers to enjoy. Unfortunately, the ship’s unusually small pool will most likely not be changed. Entertainment will continue to be unique and diverse, similar to Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady. Non-standard fun is at the heart of Virgin’s ships, including the first ever Tattoo Shop at sea. Virgin's ships will continue to forgo the traditional main dining room and instead offer multiple restaurants and specialty dining options for cruisers to enjoy. This class of ships features an adult-only environment with plenty of places to dine and drink. The cruise line’s newest ship, Resilient Lady, will be launching from Athens, Greece in July 2022 before repositioning to its homeport of San Juan for the winter cruise season.ĭesigned by the innovative Richard Branson, Virgin Voyages is breaking barriers when it comes to cruise ships. The newest cruise line to hit the sea is Virgin Voyages. Wonder of the Seas will feature the all-new Wonder Playscape, which is an underwater world with slides, climbing walls, puzzles and games on the ship’s top deck.
The pool deck also features a redesigned AquaTheatre and Boardwalk. The ship’s pool has been totally redesigned to offer more space for swimming and chilling in the shade. The line is also debuting an all new neighborhood that’s dedicated entirely to suite guests called Suite Neighborhood. The massive ship will feature 8 unique neighborhoods onboard. The ship has 18 decks, which is enough capacity for nearly 7,000 passengers. Originally slated to launch in the Asian market for full-time sailings from China, Wonder of the Seas will redeploy to the Caribbean and sail instead from Fort Lauderdale. The new ship is the fifth of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships and will be the biggest cruise ship in the world when it sets sail in March 2022. Royal Caribbean fans have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the fleet’s newest ship, Wonder of the Seas.