Antarctica Cruises and Holidays - Leaving from the USA - United States

Most trips to Antarctica are cruises that leave from the port of Ushuaia in Argentina visiting the Antarctic Peninsula and the islands of the (largely undersea) Scotia Arc (fig 2) that stretches east from the southernmost tip of Tierra del Fuego, through South Georgia, the South Shetland Islands and back to the west again through the South Orkney Islands before joining the northernmost tip of the Peninsula.

A smaller number of trips leave from Australia or New Zealand and visit the eastern region of Antarctica, sailing time is about 6-7 days there and the same back again. These trips are longer and therefore more expensive, they usually leave from Hobart, Australia or Invercargill, New Zealand, often leaving from one and returning to the other on alternate trips.

 

	Fig 1. Trips to the Antarctic leaving from the USA most commonly leave from the port of Ushuaia, Argentina at the tip of South America and visit the Antarctic Peninsula and often some nearby islands. There are a smaller number of trips that leave from Hobart, Australia or Invercargill, New Zealand (frequently leaving from one and returning to the other) that visit the more remote Eastern part of Antarctica. 1 - New York, USA 2 - Dallas Tx, USA 3 - Miami Fl, USA 4 - Ushuaia, Argentina 5 - Antarctic Peninsula Distances - miles / km New York - Ushuaia, Argentina 6,580 / 10,590 Dallas - Ushuaia, Argentina 5,590 / 9,000 Miami - Ushuaia, Argentina 6,260 / 10,080  New York - Hobart, Australia 10,320 / 16,610 New York - Invercargill, NZ 9,370 / 15,070 Leaving from New York the trip to Ushuaia takes around 20-30 hours and will cost in the region of $1,500-$2,000 per person return (2012/2013), the return journey takes around 20-40 hours.
	Fig 2. Trips to the Peninsula region of Antarctica and South Shetland Islands. Shorter trips visit the Peninsula 6 only and some nearby islands such as the South Shetlands 5. Longer trips may also take in the Falkland Islands 3 and / or South Georgia 4 and possibly some other landings en route. Cruises usually go down the western side of the Peninsula where there is less problematic sea ice that is more likely to be encountered on the Eastern side in the Weddell Sea. 1 - Ushuaia, Argentina 2 - Punta Arenas, Chile 3 - Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas 4 - South Georgia 5 - South Shetland Islands 6 - Antarctic Peninsula Distances - miles / km Ushuaia - Falklands 480 / 770 Ushuaia - South Georgia 1,255 / 2,020 Ushuaia - South Shetlands 610  / 980 Ushuaia - Peninsula tip 724 / 1,165 Punta Arenas - Peninsula tip  870 / 1,395 Peninsula top to bottom 765 / 1,230 Peninsula top to Antarctic Circle 280 / 450
	Fig 3. Trips to Eastern Antarctica from Australia and New Zealand. These trips usually leave from Invercargill / Port of Bluff in New Zealand 2 (Invercargill has the airport, Bluff, 30km away has a deep-water port) or Hobart in Australia 1. It takes about seven days sailing to reach Antarctica from Australia or New Zealand, the journey there and back is usually broken up with visits to the wildlife rich Macquarie Island 3 and others. Once in Antarctica trips usually spend their time either in the Commonwealth Bay area 4 or the Ross Sea region between Cape Adare 5 and McMurdo 6 with possibly a short trip along the front of the Ross Ice Shelf R. 1 - Hobart - Australia 2 - Invercargill / Port of Bluff - New Zealand 3 - Macquarie Island 4 - Commonwealth Bay 5 - Cape Adare 6 - McMurdo / Scott bases R - Ross Ice Shelf Distances - miles / km Hobart - Commonwealth Bay 1,640 / 2,640 Invercargill - Commonwealth Bay 1,720 / 2,760 Hobart - Macquarie Island 940 / 1,500 Invercargill - Macquarie Island 690 / 1,110 Commonwealth Bay - Cape Adare 805 / 1,300 Cape Adare - McMurdo 470 / 760 Each leg of New York to Hobart or New York to Invercargill takes 20-40 hours with 30 hours being typical, the cost to either is around $2,500 return per person (2012/2013).

The distance to be travelled means that trips to the Eastern side of Antarctica take longer than trips to the Peninsula region from South America and are also subsequently more expensive.

There are also a lot less trips departing from this region than there are from South America meaning less choice of dates and of ship.

On the other hand, Eastern Antarctica is entirely within the Antarctic Circle and a different kind of Antarctica, as remote as it's possible to get on the planet. It is colder than a Peninsula trip and with a higher chance of rough seas at some point. Getting to Antarctica and back again is more of an expedition than the traditional kind of cruise. You will probably not see any other ships during your cruise at all and other than visits to research bases, you won't see any people other than those on your ship.

Comparison of cruises to the Ross Sea region of Antarctica to the Peninsula region

Advantages Remoteness - You will see little if any other shipping and get a greater feeling of isolation and being at the end of the world. You are going where the world's biggest icebergs are and most extreme weather conditions. Visit the huts of Mawson, Scott and/or Shackleton depending on where your particular cruise goes. This is the area where much of the early exploratory history of Antarctica was played out and where historical remains still stand. Exclusivity - of the people who go to Antarctica, only a small proportion visit regions other than the Peninsula.

Disadvantages (though may also be advantages depending on how you see them) These should be seen as "extreme cruises", they are more of an expedition than other Antarctic cruises, even if your ship is luxurious, conditions encountered might not be! You will be at sea for three weeks or more, there is a high chance that at some point you will experience rough seas, getting there and back is not a guaranteed easy ride. A long way to sail which means it takes longer and costs more, these trips are more expensive, even the "cheaper" cabins. There are not many cruises each year to the Ross Sea  region, so limited dates and availability, cruises are often booked up well in advance and have significant waiting lists - book early!