Destination Antarctica really has to be the pinnacle of any Southern Hemisphere travel. It really is indescribably awesome. Antarctica cruise booking isn’t cheap, but if you happen to be passing through Tierra del Fuego (and admittedly, that’s not an everyday kind of place to pass through) you could do a last minute Antarctica for far less dosh than you would have to shell-out if you tried to arrange it from UK, USA, Timbuktu, wherever.
So… you may be thinking… how does one benefit from such a generous discount? We won’t try to set out here a full guide to how to get the bargain of a lifetime. The detail changes all the time, the internet will have far more up-to-date information than we can put here. But we can pass on a bit of info and tips based on our experience and experience of other travellers we’ve spoken to (click here for our Antarctica blog, photos and video).
When to go? Antarctica cruise booking
Most Antarctica trips start in Ushuaia, where there are many agencies selling last-minute discounted deals to fill up the vacancies on the ships. First thing is to time your arrival in Ushuaia to coincide with the season you want to see Antarctica. The season runs from about late November, to late February/early March. The early, mid and late seasons each offer a different experience.
- Early season (late Nov to mid Dec) is more pristine, there is lots of land wildlife, but fewer whales.
- Mid-season (late Dec to mid Jan) you see more whales. The penguins are nesting, but it’s peak-season, prices are higher and availability of last-minute bookings is lower.
Late season (late Jan to late Feb) you’re likely to see penguin chicks, but the landing sites are no longer pristine. There are only so many permitted landing sites and most sites are visited by two cruises per day. Each cruise off-loads between 100 and 200 people visiting the landing site. Imagine how many people have trodden those snow-paths in the weeks before you. The ice and snow has melted a bit, the landing sites become well-trodden and muddy, no longer looking like the pristine, untouched white wilderness that you may be expecting.
On balance of all this, we decided to go in early-mid December. The pristine, untouched ice-fields and landing sites were important to us. Only one or two ships had been to most of the sites before us that season. We saw lots of wildlife, especially penguins. However, we didn’t see as many whales as other travellers that went later in the season and we saw no penguin chicks, which would obviously have been amazing.
Do your homework
Successful Antarctica cruise booking requires a bit of on-line research to decided what you want from your cruise. It is important to do this well in advance and have an idea of the options. Once you start discussing availability with the agents, you will have very little time within which to make a decision. The best deals are snapped up within hours (sometimes minutes) of release and you will have to make a decision promptly. We found the sales agents to be helpful, but they are trying to shift vacancies on particular ships and may not give you balanced advice, so it helps to know your stuff:
Ship size?
A larger (say, over 150 pax) or smaller (around 95-120 pax) ship? Larger can be more luxurious, better facilities and have a more stable crossing of Drakes Passage. Smaller ships (‘expedition ships’) often provide a more bespoke service and potentially more time on ice/land when you get there. Smaller boats also get into the smaller inlets and potentially go to more interesting places.
Ship quality/capability?
Some are large cruise ships brought in from other parts of the world for the lucrative Antarctic season but have no ice-breaking category. Other ships are refitted ice-breakers (eg former research vessels). Ours was a purpose-built ice-breaking cruise ship. Ships with a good ice-breaker category can go further into the channels, particularly in earlier season before the ice has melted. Ships with a low, or no ice-breaker category are likely to have to turn around sooner and you’ll miss the thrill of hanging over the bow smashing through ice-sheets.
Destination?
Just Antarctica? Or a longer trip to include The Falklands and South Georgia too? If your dream is to cross the Antarctic Circle, check whether your ship goes that far south. Many don’t go that far. In early season, even those which plan to go there can’t make it through the ice and have to turn around. Check out the details before you book.
Activities?
Decide what you want to do there: some trips offer kayaking, camping on the ice, lang-lauf skiing and so on. Spending a night on the ice (the cruise provides all the equipment for this) was something we really wanted to do but had to forego due to lack of availability. Sometimes these ‘extra experiences’ get booked-up in advance by the full-fare passengers.
Consider all these and you will be well prepared to decide. With a last-minute booking you obviously won’t have a full choice of all the ships, but you should be well informed as to which of the available options suits you best and which (if any) you really want to avoid. Even with the discounts, you’re still spending a lot of money. So make sure you get as close to your preferred experience as you can.
When to book?
In terms of short-notice booking, the general rule is that the further in advance that you book, the less discount you receive. You can email the agents in advance of your arrival in Ushuaia, but we found that the lowest prices seem to be released around 8-10 days before departure. Contacting the agents any earlier than this is not likely to get you better prices, but there’s no harm in touching-base with them if you want to introduce yourself and seek advice. If you have time, try to get to Ushuaia up to two weeks before your preferred sail date, visit the agents and then be prepared to be flexible. You could get an opportunity that leaves the next day!
Considering the offers
Whether to accept the first offer or hold-out for what you really want is a difficult judgement call. The agents naturally want to sell the next available departures which they are running out of time to sell. They could try to put you off the later sailings, even if the discount prices on these sailings have been, or are about to be, released. Not all ships are offered at discount (some cruise companies don’t participate in the last-minute deals) or they may of course be full by advance bookings. It’s a tricky balance to get what you want, but If you hold-out for your ‘perfect cruise’ you may wait a long time and miss out on a great deal as an alternative to your first choice.
What to take?
Cold weather gear
Check-out what is provided on the ship and what you need to take. Our company (Quark, which we can highly recommend) gave us excellent arctic-quality jackets to keep afterwards, and loaned us super-warm, waterproof boots. The leg covering was up to the passenger, but we are very glad that we had our own good-quality Gortex trousers. You’ll be sitting in a zodiac boat, being splashed by ice-cold water, potentially in falling snow. Getting freezing wet legs before you even start your land-excursion makes for a pretty miserable day on the ice. Obviously, you’ll need all the appropriate under-layers and good gloves. There are various shops selling good quality gear in Ushuaia if you need it. They’re expensive, but don’t underestimate the potential conditions down there. Even when it’s sunny, it’s very cold; when the weather turns, it can get very unpleasant. Be prepared.
Cameras
There are few places on earth as photogenic as Antarctica. The ice scenery, the wildlife and the light are all extraordinary. Even the least talented photographer (as we are), with the most basic equipment will get great shots. But if you want to take away the best memories, don’t rely on your phone-camera. Take something with a reasonable zoom. Many of the best shots are some distance away. You’re not supposed to get too close to wildlife on land (penguins, sea-lions etc), and for safety reasons, the zodiac boats don’t go too close to the icebergs, so a zoom capability will help you get the best shots from a safe distance.
Swimming costume
Whaaat? Are you crazy?? Well if you are crazy, most Antarctica cruises offer the opportunity to do the Polar Plunge. If you’re not crazy and prefer to watch crazy people from a warm deck with a drink in your hand, you can leave the swim suit behind 😉
Can I go with kids?
There was one child of around 10 years old on our cruise. We have overlander friends Steve and Gilly Snaith who took their two girls the year before we went (see the great blog of Overlanding Family). We understand that it’s down to: (i) general policy of the cruise company; and (ii) the professional judgement of the ship’s doctor. If you want to take kids, it would probably be best to contact the agents to ask about it.
Where to leave your vehicle?
The agent said it would be fine to leave our truck in the port car-park, but we didn’t agree. It’s a public car-park, open to the street with no security. Leaving a UK registered camper- truck unattended, in an Argentinian port with anti-British posters around, didn’t seem a bright idea. We found a camp at Rio Pipo on iOverlander, but it seems to be closed now. Have a look to see what’s available before you book.
Click here for our Antarctica blog, lots of photos and video
Note: our experience is from December 2015. Some details will have changed, but we have only covered above the generalities that are unlikely to change much over the years. Pricing is changing over the years and will depend on various things. The cruise ship/company, the number of days, whether you are a couple wanting a cabin, or a single person prepared to share a cabin. Contact the agents to check the last minute Antarctica going rates for your forthcoming season.
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