Adventure ships are expedition vessels that offer adventure options for travelers who seek a more active trip. Available adventure options depend on the specific ship and trip, and all options are not available on all ships. There is an additional fee for these optional adventures (except for camping), and they limit the number of participants on each departure. In some cases, previous experience is necessary to participate. . . More »

Name	Description	Prices Starting at	Activities Offered
Professor Molchanov	The Professor Molchanov and the Professor Multanovskiy are modern and comfortable oceanographic research vessels. Built in 1983 in Finland, both were designed as ice-strengthened vessels, and have been converted for passenger use and are ideally suited for expedition cruising.	$6,160	D
Professor Multanovskiy	They have a good anti-roll system, a range of 70 days independent operation and are ISM certified. The vessels are built of steel with an ice strengthened hull (ice-strengthened from the bow until about 1/4 of the ships length), perfect for polar seas. They have the Russian ice-class notation LU(1), which is identical with Lloyds Register 1D.	$6,640	D
Plancius	The 267-ft Plancius was built in 1976 for the Royal Dutch Navy as an oceanographic research vessel, the Hr. Ms. Tydeman. This ship is ice-strengthened with bow and stern thrusters for maneuverability. It is currently undergoing complete reconstruction to commence Polar cruises and Antarctic adventure tours for 112 guests in October 2009. . .	$6,240	D
Ushuaia	Originally built for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 279-ft ice-strengthened Antarctic polar vessel, Ushuaia, has been refurbished for private commercial use to accommodate a maximum of eighty-four passengers on Antarctica expeditions.	$4,655	D
Peregrine Mariner	The 385-ft Peregrine Mariner (registered as the Akademik Ioffe) is a working scientific research vessel that also operates as an Anatarctic expedition-style Polar cruise vessel offering passengers unique Antarctica travel experiences. The cruise ship was built in Scandinavia for the Russian Academy of Science. The Peregrine Mariner accommodates up to 118 passengers though normally carries no more than 110 for the comfort of its guests.	$5,365	K,C
Peregrine Voyager	The sister ship to the Akademik Ioffe, this 385-ft Scandinavian vessel was built for the Russian Academy of Science, designed for quiet travel during hydro-acoustic research. Akademik Sergey Vavilov cruise ship has an ice-strengthened hull and is exceptionally stable, yet maneuverable, with external stabilizers and a built-in trimming system.	$4,820	K,C
Polar Pioneer	The 235-ft Polar Pioneer was built in Finland in 1985 as an ice-strengthened research vessel and for many years navigated the waters of the USSR's northern coast before beginning its Antarctica tours. In 2000, the ship was refurbished in St. Petersburg to provide accommodations for fifty-six passengers on Antarctica adventure cruises.	$6,440	K,M,D,A
Akademik Shokalskiy	The forty-eight passenger Akademik Shokalskiy was originally designed and built in Finland for polar and oceanographic research. This 216-ft ship is nimble and ice-strengthened, capable of reaching some narrow passages on Antarctica tours and Arctic expeditions that many larger cruise ships cannot. Cruising speed in open water is 10 knots.	$5,720	K,C
Ocean Nova	Built for the icy waters of Greenland, this 239-ft polar ship has clean Scandinavian lines and an ice-strengthened hull. The Ocean Nova accommodates sixty-eight passengers on Antarctica cruises and has a cruising speed of twelve knots in open water.	$5,820	K,C,X,M

Expedition Class Cruises

Expedition ships are the bread and butter of Antarctic exploration. Though the ships themselves aren’t small – they displace from 2000 to over 5000 tons – they are designed to carry small groups of passengers for a more intimate travel experience. . . More »

Name	Description	Prices Starting at	Activities Offered
Polar Star	An ideal expedition ship for your Antarctica travel, this Class 1A cruise ship is owned by Karlsen Shipping Norway and operated by Karlsen Shipping Company of Halifax, Canada. The 284-ft vessel cruises at 11.5 knots and is certified for Antarctica voyages worldwide, complying with all international safety and environmental regulations. This cruise ship has the exceptional redundancy of four engines.	$6,110
Antarctic Dream	This 272-ft former Chilean Navy ship is a Dutch-built ice-reinforced vessel. The M/V Antarctic Dream was reconfigured as an unrestricted, worldwide passenger vessel suitable for Antarctica travel and Artic expedition and completely refurbished in July 2005. The cruise ship accommodates eighty-four passengers and cruises at 12 knots in open water.	$6,900
Clipper Adventurer	Built in 1975, this ship underwent a $13 million conversion in 1998 to transform it into the handsome well-appointed A-1 Ice Class Antarctic expedition ship it is today. The 330-ft Clipper Adventurer accommodates 122 passengers on Antarctica adventure tours and cruises at twelve knots in open water.	$4,720

Ice-Breaker Cruises

An Icebreaker offers the unique experience of negotiating through ice conditions that no other ship can handle. These ships provide a highly experienced and knowledgeable crew and expedition staff, including the expedition leader, naturalists and lecturers. Icebreakers carry an entire fleet of Zodiac landing craft for shuttling passengers from ship to land. Onboard helicopters make flights and excursions to the continent’s interior possible. . . More »

Name	Description	Prices Starting at	Activities Offered
Kapitan Khlebnikov	This 112-passenger vessel is a polar-class icebreaker, combining power and technology with comfortable accommodations for Antarctica trips and travel. Originally designed for the waters of northern Siberia, the 402-ft Kapitan Khlebnikov is one of a few vessels of its kind in the world. It cruises at 15 knots in open water.	$13,890

Luxury Expedition Cruises

Luxury Class doesn’t have to do with the size of the ship, but rather the class of travel. A luxury ship to Antarctica offers luxurious accommodations, spacious public spaces and lounges, and Five-Star amenities such as a TV/VCR, mini-refrigerator, choice of bed type (twin or queen), elevator, as well as Butler Service and verandas in select cabin types. It carries you in style to the most remote wilderness destination in the world. . . More »

Name	Description	Prices Starting at	Activities Offered
Corinthian II	The distinguished 114-passenger Corinthian II offers a classic, yacht-like atmosphere and deluxe cruise accommodations for its Antarctica tours. Built in 1992 and refurbished in 2004, this 297-ft Antarctic luxury cruise ship provides fine service and 5-star amenities. The vessel is ice-strengthened for the waters encountered during Antarctica travel.	$7,570
Clelia II	The 290-ft Clelia II has been completely refurbished into an all-suite, luxury cruise ship and was re-launched for Antarctica tours and Arctic cruise expeditions in 2009. This private, yacht-like ship with ice-strengthened hull accommodates 100 guests.	$8,660
Minerva	Originally built for Soviet research in 1989, the 436-ft Minerva (formerly the Explorer II) set a new standard in Antarctica travel when it launched its passenger service in 1996. The cruise ship's attention to detail with fresh flowers, polished wood and brass décor, and original works of art make the Minerva seem more country-house hotel than rugged polar vessel.	$6,423
NG Explorer	The National Geographic Explorer is a state-of-the-art, fully stabilized Antarctic expedition ship with ice-strengthened hull that debuted in August of 2008. Designed for 21st century Antarctica touring, the 367-ft cruise ship offers adventure, comfort and informality. The National Geographic Explorer accommodates 148 passengers on Antarctica cruises.	$10,760

About Antartica Cruise Options

A classic Antarctic Icescape

Off the beaten track is a relative term. Though tourists are allowed to visit some 200 sites in Antarctica, most choose to stop at the top thirty-five. Even these sites receive only hundreds of visitors each year, not thousands, attracting seasoned travelers with environmental and wildlife interests, who aren’t deterred by a little cold weather and some polar blasts. Antarctica is one of the least visited tourist destinations on the planet.

Emperor Penguins coming ashore

The shortest route to Antarctica is from Argentina’s most southerly city, Ushuaia, a 386-mile cruise across Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula that juts out from the mainland. The peninsula is the primary destination of Antarctica tours due to its proximity, and because, here, the coast tends to be free of ice during the five month November to March Antarctic tourist season.

Many Antarctica travel itineraries embarking from Ushuaia also visit islands in the vicinity that lie within or just beyond the Antarctic Convergence, including South Georgia, the South Shetland Islands and the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). Antarctic travelers and visitors come to South Georgia to observe its abundant wildlife that arrive during the summer season, including 95% of the world’s fur seals, 50% of the world’s southern elephant seals, and millions of penguins and other marine birds. The South Shetlands have many accessible landing sites rich with Antarctica historic significance, and the islands provide an opportunity to see a wide array of marine animals and bird species. The two Falkland Islands are a haven for seals, penguins and albatrosses as well as being home to a small human population, primarily of British descent.

The largest Antarctic cruise ships travel to more distant destinations in Western Antarctica such as the Weddell Sea that borders the peninsula and the Ross Sea. Ships that travel to East Antarctica in the Indian Ocean depart from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, all much longer Antarctic trips with less frequent departures. All of the cruise ships on Southern Explorations’ Antarctica tours embark from Ushuaia.

Snowy Sheathbills

In accordance with the strict environmental protection guidelines of the Antarctic Treaty, Antarctica tour itineraries must be approved in advance and may be suspended, modified or canceled if deemed a threat to the Antarctic ecosystem and wildlife. Antarctica tour ships must acquire permits to enter government-protected areas, must ensure adequate passenger supervision by trained, experienced Antarctic guides and have approved management and monitoring plans for emergencies and waste disposal. Cruise ship operators are required to inform passengers about the Antarctic Treaty’s provisions, conduct evacuation and other safety drills onboard and submit a follow-up report detailing the activities that took place during the cruise.

To give you a general idea of the types of Antarctica trips and vacations we offer, please read about our itinerary categories.

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