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The type of Antarctica ship you choose will very much depend on your budget and type of experience you’re looking to book. Albatros Expeditions is the polar expedition arm of the Denmark-based Albatros Travel conglomerate. The family-owned expedition company’s parent organization was founded by biologist Søren Rasmussen in 1986. Albatros started running Antarctic expeditions in 2017 and it has since become a leader in the industry.
I took a cruise on a ship with 107 versus 7000 passengers: here's how they compared - Cruise Blog
I took a cruise on a ship with 107 versus 7000 passengers: here's how they compared.
Posted: Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Ross Sea & East Antarctica Cruise
In 2025 Aurora Expeditions will also be welcoming the brand new, 154pax X-BOW vessel, the Douglas Mawson, to their fleet, which will prove to be one of the most capable, luxury ships in the industry. “We pride ourselves on innovation and pushing the boundaries of discovery to provide unique, immersive experiences for our expeditioners while maintaining a light footprint. EXCLUSIVE – We have partnered with the world’s top polar tour operator, Quark Expeditions, to offer readers of NOMADasaurus a very special deal on any trip to Antarctica or the Arctic! Contact us () if you’d like to learn more about this exclusive Quark Expeditions discount. From the more than 100 different companies that operate down there, different ship sizes and amenities and of course the nuances of itineraries and activities, every detail plays a big part in shaping your journey. Our own group tour on the trio includes the most amount of days in each location available.
Antarctica Cruise Themes
There's never been a better time to travel to Antarctica -- at least when it comes to getting there in comfort and style. We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures. Only every book a trip with a company that is registered of IAATO, which is an official organisation that designates Antarctica purely for the purpose of science and research. Details are often available in cruise itineraries, and early registration ensures you’re part of these enriching experiences. Diving in Antarctica is a very unique experience where you can see marine mammals, krill and ice, but it does require advanced PADI certification, ice-diving certs and at least 20 logged ice dives.
When is Best to Visit Antarctica?
By the end of this article you will have a great understanding of the differences between the best Antarctica cruises and which companies we recommend based on personal experience and intimate industry knowledge. We’ve been travelling and working in Antarctica since 2017, first as photographers and content creators, then as tour guides taking our own groups to this beautiful part of the world. While we aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, Antarctica Cruises makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information in our guides or found by following any link on this site.
For that reason we don’t recommend booking a trip on a vessel that carries any more than 200 people total, and ideally less than 100 people if you can find one. The average age onboard an Intrepid trip is around 45, so it’s an entirely different atmosphere compared to something like Ponant or Lindblad that has an older average age. Intrepid is famous around the world for organising amazing small group tours around the world, and as of recently have now moved into the polar regions.
Your experienced guides will look for wonderful opportunities for you to enjoy a paddle, and hopefully push you beyond your comfort zone, safely. However, there is often ample time to gain the required experience before you depart. We may be able to recommend a reputable sea kayak operator in your area for some tuition prior to the trip. Led by experienced guides, you and your small group of like-minded adventurers will paddle between ice floes, brash ice and icebergs of all shapes and sizes.
The Akademik Shokalskiy ship is a fully ice-strengthened vessel designed for Polar oceanographic work. The ship carries 48 passengers and since becoming an Antarctic cruise vessel has undergone complete refurbishment. It offers a spa program, numerous activities, a pool, wrap around deck for wildlife watching, and dedicated modern lecture theatre. The Jansonnius is a purpose built expedition vessel and one of the first Polar Class 6 civilian ships in the world. Its twin motors are state of the art an utilise a power management system that reduces their carbon impact dramatically.
Antarctica Cruise Routes: Which Itinerary Is Best For You?
The island of Tierra del Fuego is a hiker’s paradise with rugged snow-capped mountains, glaciers, flower-filled meadows and rich boggy wetlands. In inimitable French style, the vessels are simply gorgeous and sleek, conjuring up the ocean and its array of moods and colors. Among the big-ship cruise lines sailing to Antarctica, Princess Cruises sits right about in the middle of the pack with pricing that is highly flexible, allowing you to add all-in style fare options that make your cruise almost all inclusive.
In your path, lies one of the world’s most violent bodies of water, the Drake Passage, where three seas converge in a frenzied cocktail of inconceivably strong currents and cyclones, whipping up ferocious waves and winds of frightening magnitudes. Crossing this legendary waterway is a rite of passage, following in the wake of many of history’s greatest explorers. With over 100 years of Antarctic experience between us, we can help guide you to exactly the right trip for you.
Anyone interested in going on this trip, I would be sure to tell them about our experience. Glad we were on a smaller ship with only around 120 guests so we never felt overcrowded on any of the shore landings. The highlight was having humpback whales feeding within five meters of the Zodiac! The Zodiac drivers were very professional and ensured that we got a good position to see them without disturbing them.
While the scenery is mesmerising throughout, the choice of month can tailor very different wildlife encounters and unique experiences. As the season progresses into February and March, the continent witnesses the awe-inspiring migrations of thousands of humpback whales and penguins shedding their feathers in the molting season. December and January are the peak months of the Antarctic summer, with the warmest temperatures (sometimes never dropping below freezing except at night), very long daylight hours, and the heartwarming sight of penguins nurturing their freshly hatched chicks. A quick Google will show that there are over 100 operators registered to IAATO, the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, to run trips down here, and then there are a handful of private enterprises and sailers that visit each year as well. We’ll carefully listen to your aspirations and curate an impartial shortlist of personalized polar cruise recommendations—and pre- and post-cruise extensions—to match your desired experience.
The New Zealand-based Heritage Expeditions is one of the few companies that specializes in voyages to the Ross Sea and the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands. Heritage was founded in 1985 by a family of biologists and the company is still family-run out of its offices in Christchurch. Currently, Albatros operates a fleet of two ships, including Ocean Atlantic and Ocean Victory, which can accommodate 186 to 199 guests. Ocean Victory’s equally luxurious sister ship, Ocean Albatros, is scheduled to sail in 2022.
There are several types of stabilizer, each with varying degrees of effectiveness, correlated to the degree of lateral roll (the disorienting side-to-side motion common in rough sea conditions) experienced by the ship. Traditional ship stabilizers, also known as bilge keels, are long strips of metal attached to the outer hull of the ship just below the water line. These add physical resistance in turbulent waters to counter any rolling pressure.
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