Antarctica

The most unique trip you will ever take

Antarctica was always the big goal for me because it was so unusual. When people ask why I wanted to go to Antarctica, my answer is that there are three big reasons. First, few trips take you to a place that is for the most part not inhabited or developed by people. Second, the wildlife is amazing and unlike anywhere else. Some of the animals have not seen humans before and are curious. Third, it's authentically rare. Many iconic places across the world have become homogenized, but Antarctica is very different.

Duration: Approximately two weeks total with arrival and return

Budget: $15,000 (flight, all-inclusive cruise and equipment)

Planning

There is a lot to consider when planning your Antarctica trip. The first is budget and this mostly comes down to trip length, the company you go with and the type of room that you choose.

The minimum time to make it worth it is about 10 days (even that time will go by fast) but other standard trips are about a week longer. Related to the trip length is deciding how far you want to travel. The standard tours go across the Drake Passage and to the Antarctica Peninsula. Extended trips slightly cross the Antarctic Circle a bit down the coastline. Though there are no guarantees in traveling there because everything is weather dependent. I decided that I wanted to do the standard trip as it was a good experience without potentially spending unnecessary money.

As far as company, I primarily looked at Quark and SilverSeas, but there are other groups like Seabourne that focus on a trip dedicated to Antarctica (others might make it as a stop on a longer voyage of countries). Be careful of some companies that are really just the marketing on an existing cruise (which add unnecessary costs). I decided to go with SilverSea, which is a luxury cruise line but honestly it didn't cost anymore than the other options (all cruises have offers and you just need to get the right one). SIlverSea's luxury was exactly the balance for some of the rougher elements of the trip. Plus, you will likely do this trip once, so make it great on a reasonable budget. The representative made it easy, the accommodations were great, and all excursions and costs were all inclusive.

The room type will be your biggest difference in cost (after the time of year you purchase). The prices are generally advertised as per person assuming two people per room. If you are traveling with someone that you can share a room with, this will help quite a bit. This was a trip where I preferred to travel semi-alone (a friend ended up joining but we had separate rooms). One thing I've learned about myself is that when traveling in an environment where I will be doing lots of activity, I like to have a place to myself where I can recharge in peace. Most companies will require you to buy both spots in the room to have that solitude. This is one of the reasons SilverSea stood out to me. It allowed me to have a room to myself for only 25% additional cost compared to the single price. But sharing a room with a stranger just to make the budget work is not worth it to me. The last thing I wanted was to be roomed with someone that annoyed me for two weeks.

The room types will also vary and have a big impact on cost. This is one of those once in a lifetime trips that just isn't worth saving a few dollars to make it as cheap as possible. You may never return so jump up and spend enough to enjoy the trip and be happy. More recommendations are in the "staying" section below.

Another decision is the month to travel. It is a short window in the Antarctica summer months (most trips are November to March) and yet each month can offer a slightly different experience. There is information out there on what might be the best time for you to go based on your preferences, but icebergs are best earlier and whales are out later. Penguins hatch a bit earlier and are more grown by the later times. The mid-February to start of March was the perfect balance and right time for me.

Going

Your journey getting to Antarctica will largely be dictated by the cruise you choose as many of them include the flight as part of the package or require a specific starting point. Most of the trips will originate in either Santiago, Chile or Buenos Aries, Argentina. But there are some things to consider in planning your journey there.

One suggestion is to work out a day or two layover in your pass though city and add to the experience. When I booked my trip, I only had to pay for the extra hotel nights as long as the ticket hadn't been purchased yet (reasonable change fee if adjusting days later). I had one additional full day in Santiago and really enjoyed exploring.

The other preparation is the famous Drake Passage. It is well known for rough seas and once you are on the way, there is no turning back for a couple days. I was very worried about this- to the point of where I considered not going because I get sea sick. I've had bad side effects from the prescription patch and didn't want to take that. You can get a prescription for Meclizine, but I found the prescription with insurance was more than the over the counter version at half strength. It was a cheap insurance policy. Luckily, we had an incredibly smooth sailing on the way there (the way back wasn't too bad either) and made wonderful time. But the rough seas are something to seriously plan for. Once you make it to Antarctica, you will be protected by inlets and bays and won't have an issue with waves.

Staying

Since it is a cruise, your accommodations are part of your overall planning with meals and travel. At a very minimum, get a veranda with a deck so you can sit out and watch icebergs as you sail. Otherwise you are going to have regrets for not getting the full experience. If you can't afford to do it at a level that makes you happy, perhaps save up another year. Not having a window or a small porthole will likely make you feel like you spent the money to check a box instead of enjoying the experience. Luckily, SilverSeas has balconies in each room at a minimum. The basic veranda was a perfect size for a solo traveler to have a studio room feel without unnecessary frills and costs (I've shared a veranda size with my wife on other cruises and it just fine too, but I'd feel uncomfortable sharing that type of room with a different person).

Doing

On the ship during an Antarctica cruise there will likely be a number of educational sessions to learn more about the continent or get advice. It's a great use of time while on the water or in the evenings and it is highly recommended that you take a look at the ship's entertainment and activities schedule to maximize the value on the time.

Most of the activities will be excursions off the ship and onto land and primarily a set of tourist-friendly destinations to unload the ship and provide a range of different sights or experiences (though the actual stops will be dependent on weather). They were generally two per day- one set in the morning and one set in the afternoon. The cruise I was on had everyone divided into four groups that took turns loading onto zodiacs, walking around the destination, then returning in about an hour for the next group (total number of people are regulated on the continent at one time). The groups generally rotated order so if you were the 8am group one excursion, you would be 9am the next.

Experienced Tip: As the days went on and people had seen enough penguins to where they might skip an excursion, the groups were not full. It is recommended to go a bit earlier in a different group and give yourself some flexibility in the event you might not need to return exactly on that hour.

The first arrival destination was the South Shetland Islands (pictured). You will likely be extremely excited to finally accomplish the feat of being there. Resist the temptation to take 1,000 photos of penguins and instead enjoy the experience. Pretty much what you will do twice a day for the next week is walk around penguins. Too many people went crazy thinking this was the one opportunity to capture the experience and they exhausted themselves for other good opportunities ahead or just missed the experience in general because they lived it through a lens. This is true about most tourist destinations, but extremely common here.

That said, each location is a bit different and not all the same species of penguins will be everywhere, so capture and enjoy each destination as unique. We only had one of our excursions dedicated to only riding in zodiacs around icebergs (more were mini hikes) and I wish I had experienced that more. Appreciate each excursion as unique because it will be- whether view or environment.

My other favorite destination was the Neumayer Channel in the Gerlache Strait, which is a common destination (the Gerlache Strait is the main waterway you will travel down). It was simply stunning to sit on the boat and look at the mountains as we sailed through sort of a gorge. I've never been so mesmerized and captivated by the land around me. If your boat is planning it, get a good seat somewhere on the boat. Pictures didn't do it justice, so just enjoy it.

Eating

This will largely be set based on the cruise you choose as there are no other options. Another strong argument for stepping it up on the quality level of the cruise is to provide better options. The SilverSea cruise's base level all-inclusive meals and beverages were some of the best fine dining and wines I've had even compared to being on land. You can reserve times in some of the ship's higher level restaurants for a cost, but I did not regret skipping those.

Photography Tips

The photography opportunities in Antarctica are amazing. The lighting is wonderful and the subjects are breathtaking. It's hard to take a bad shot. If you are new to basic photography, it's a great trip to learn some features beyond point and shoot. See the packing page dedicated to Antarctica for photography essential items to bring.

One of the reasons the trip is ideal for photography is that you have an hour or so to take a ton of pictures and try things out, then hours of downtime on the boat to download them, sort through the best ones and play with editing features to sharpen them up. You will really develop your skills.

If you love wildlife photography you are in for a treat. You will likely see more penguins than you ever imagined, as well as a number of seals and other similar creatures. Most of them are in abundance so don't over stress about the perfect shot or getting too many of the first thing you see. Try some different angles and be patient- trust the journey.

What to Bring

The planning and preparation on what to pack is a bit more complicated than other standard vacations. It took me months of preparation and stress, but it doesn't require it. On this site is a page dedicated to packing tips for this particular experience called "Antarctica: What to Bring".