Cruising in Antarctica

Cruising to Antarctica isn’t your average holiday. Towering icebergs, king penguins by the hundreds, and a silence so vast it makes you feel like the last human on Earth.

Antarctica is the final frontier of cruising: wild, remote, and unforgettable. If you want to book an Antarctic cruise, there’s a lot to consider: when to go, who to sail with, and how rough the Drake Passage is. 

So, if you’re dreaming of standing on the edge of the world and watching a humpback breach against a backdrop of ice, we’ve got the essentials covered.

---

What Is the Best Month to Cruise to Antarctica

The Antarctic circle isn’t a year-round destination. The cruising season runs from late October to March, and each month has its own beauty. Here’s a rundown:

November is crisp, icy, and quiet, perfect if you want those postcard-perfect snow shots before anyone else gets there. The penguins are out and about, the snow’s fresh, and it all feels untouched.

December is when things start buzzing. It’s peak baby penguin time (adorable chaos), and with nearly 24 hours of daylight, you’ve got all the time in the world to kayak, hike, and gawp at glaciers.

January hits that’s the sweet spot. It’s the warmest it’ll get down there (but still cold), and the wildlife is everywhere. Penguin chicks are growing, fur and elephant seals are lounging, and humpback whales slowly start showing up too.

February is your go-to if whales are on your wish list. It’s peak season for sightings: humpbacks, minkes, maybe even orcas if you’re lucky. Plus, you can get deeper into the continent as more sea ice melts away.

March winds things down. Fewer crowds, golden sunsets, and a peaceful vibe. It’s also still great for whales and late-season penguin action.

The bottom line: December and January are your best bets if you want sunshine and wildlife. February wins for whales. And if you want a more intimate, end-of-season feel, March is your moment.

---

What Cruise Lines Go to Antarctica

The Antarctic Circle isn’t a year-round destination. The cruising season runs from late October to March, and each month has its own beauty. Here’s a rundown:

1. Ponant

Ponant sails elegant, boutique yachts like Le Commandant Charcot, Le Lyrial, and Le Boréal into the Antarctic Peninsula—and some even venture into East Antarctica on departures from both Ushuaia and Hobart. These voyages are the definition of sophisticated polar travel, mixing French joie de vivre with real-deal exploration. Think gourmet meals, luxe cabins, and optional helicopter or kayaking adventures alongside expert-led excursions. It’s chic, but still plenty wild.

2. Royal Caribbean

For those accustomed to mainstream cruising, Royal Caribbean is bringing the Antarctic into its world-voyage mix aboard big ships like Serenade of the Seas and possibly Serenade or Symphony. You can expect stops in the Gerlache Strait, Paradise Bay, and Elephant Island, but all from the comfort of a cruise-liner experience. Think Broadway-style shows, pools, and broad onboard amenities. It’s Antarctica, but with water slides in the background.

3. Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity brings its Equinox (a Solstice-class ship) down from Buenos Aires on 14–19-night trips that hit all the Antarctic classics, Elephant Island, Paradise Bay, Schollaert Channel and more. Expect Kimpton-level style: plush lounges, wine bars, high-end dining and good tunes. And you’ll still get that wilderness immersion, just without roughing it.

4. Princess Cruises

Princess is rolling out Royal-class ships like Majestic Princess over a season running from November 2025 through early 2027. These voyages cruise the Drake Passage, sail past Cape Horn, and visit hotspots like the Gerlache Strait and Falklands. The onboard vibe is relaxed, Aussie-friendly dining, steel-and-glass atriums, and a large ship feel, all combined with proper polar scenery, and maybe even an Antarctic sunset in your fine-print itinerary.

5. Holland America Line

If slow travel is your style, Holland America delivers 14–22-day voyages from Ushuaia into the Antarctic Peninsula, mixed with South American fjord exploration. Expect broad-ship layouts, verandah cabins, and lots of lectures. Landings depend on weather and permits, so it’s part of the charm (and challenge) of polar cruising.

6. Norwegian Cruise Line

NCL will send Norwegian Star to Antarctica in early 2025 on a 14-night South America–to–Antarctica run. It’s not an expedition ship, so expect big-ship dining options, entertainment, and general cruise swag, but with some glacier backdrop thrown in. Word on future Antarctic plans is still up in the air.

7. Oceania Cruises

Oceania’s Marina and Allura are heading south on their 20-night “Antarctic Triumph” itineraries in late December or January. These trips hop between Chile and Argentina, take in the Peninsula and Falklands, and are all about refined food, style, and sophistication, with iceberg-filled horizons to match.

8. Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival doesn’t run full-scale Antarctic sailings, but they do market thematic cruises from New Zealand ports like Christchurch and Lyttelton that dip into icy seas and visit Antarctic-style attractions. No iceberg landings or Peninsula stops are currently programmed for 2025/26.

9. Silversea Cruises

Silversea’s Silver Endeavour (formerly Crystal Endeavor) is desk-to-deck polar opulence, with all-suite comfort, fly-cruise options via King George Island, and full Drake Passage sailing. Expect high-end service, expert guides, and fully inclusive voyages to both the Peninsula and remote Antarctica.

10. Scenic

Scenic returns with its ultra-luxury Scenic Eclipse and Eclipse II, both departing from Hobart and Ushuaia in late 2025. These Discovery Yachts bring helicopters, submarines, and small-boat landings to the Peninsula (and even East Antarctica) wrapped in spa-level comfort and six-star service.

---

Popular Ships Visiting Antarctica

Not all ships are built the same, especially when it comes to Antarctica. If you’re wondering which ships are actually worth getting excited about, here’s a look at the standouts for the 2025/26 season.

• Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II are sleek, ultra-modern yachts that carry just 200 people and come with two helicopters, plus a submarine for underwater exploring. You’ll find all the usual luxuries too (spa, butler service, high-end dining, etc), but the real flex is the access: Zodiac landings, kayaking, and even diving.. Their Peninsula itineraries often include South Georgia and the Falkland Islands for good measure.

• Douglas Mawson is Aurora Expeditions’ newest ship, launching in late 2025,  and it’s doing something that’s actually pretty rare. Instead of heading to the usual Peninsula route, it’s going to East Antarctica. The voyage is 24 days long, starts in Hobart, and includes a visit to the historic Mawson’s Huts. It’s proper explorer territory, with fewer crowds and a bigger sense of remoteness.

• Silver Endeavour is one of the most luxurious ships ever to set foot in Antarctica. It’s got spacious all-suite cabins, a massive crew-to-guest ratio, and fine dining that wouldn’t be out of place in Europe. But what makes it stand out is how nimble it is. With reinforced ice-class design and fewer than 200 guests, it gets you up close without feeling packed.

• Viking Octantis is for travellers who like a mix of education and comfort. Built in 2022, it has its own onboard lab, underwater drones, and a “Hangar” (a garage for launching Zodiacs). Their Antarctic Explorer route runs 13 days and includes lectures, research dives, and loads of expert-led excursions.

• National Geographic Endurance by Lindblad is purpose-built for Antarctic exploration. With a striking X-Bow design for smoother sailing and a team of National Geographic photographers, marine biologists, and naturalists onboard, this one’s ideal if you’re into learning, documenting, and being outdoors as much as possible.

• SH Diana from Swan Hellenic is all about understated luxury. It’s a newer ship with stylish interiors, big windows everywhere, and a more intimate guest list. The vibe is quiet elegance, and the itineraries offer deep dives into lesser-known spots on the Peninsula.

• Hondius and Ortelius from Oceanwide Expeditions are for those who want to feel like they’re on a true expedition. These ships do ice camping, mountaineering, and Zodiac landings in places other ships can’t even reach. If you want to pitch a tent on the ice or climb a snowy ridge, this is your crew.

• Heritage Adventurer is going full-on remote this season with voyages into the Ross Sea, one of the least visited and most dramatic parts of Antarctica. It’s a long trip (30+ days), but you’ll see places most Antarctic cruisers never even hear about. Think emperor penguins, historic explorer huts, and pure, wild silence.

---

Popular Ports in the Antarctic Peninsula

Ports in Antarctica are more like natural landing sites where you hop off your ship into a Zodiac and head for icy, jaw-dropping terrain. Still, some spots pop up on itineraries again and again, and for good reason.

• Neko Harbour is one of the few places where you can actually set foot on the Antarctic mainland. It’s surrounded by towering glaciers that occasionally calve with a thunderous crash, and the gentoo penguins are everywhere.

• Deception Island is something else entirely. It’s the flooded caldera of an active volcano, which your ship can sail into. The black sand beaches stem from geothermal vents, and some people even take a quick dip in the near-freezing water. 

• Cuverville Island is a penguin paradise. It’s home to one of the biggest gentoo colonies on the Peninsula, and the icebergs surrounding it look like they’ve been plucked from a sci-fi movie. Great spot if you’re into wildlife photography.

• Paradise Bay lives up to its name. Calm, mirror-like water, towering cliffs, and blue-white glaciers glowing in the light. It’s a favourite for Zodiac cruising, especially when the sun hits just right and everything goes all pastel and surreal.

• Lemaire Channel is a narrow, dramatic passage often called “Kodak Gap”. Sailing through here feels like threading a needle between sheer cliffs and glaciers. There’s often sea ice, so it’s not always navigable, but when it is, it’s magic.

• Port Lockroy is a tiny British outpost turned museum and post office. You can buy a stamp, send a postcard, and meet a few very unfazed penguins loitering near the buildings. It’s a quirky little detour with a surprising amount of charm.

• King George Island, part of the South Shetland Islands, is the most “populated” bit of Antarctica, and by that, I mean there are a few research stations scattered about. It’s also where most fly-cruise trips start or end, since there’s a basic landing strip.And if your itinerary includes Ross Island, lucky you. This one’s for the serious explorers. It’s way out in the Ross Sea and home to Mount Erebus (an active volcano) and the historic huts of Scott and Shackleton. These trips are longer, rarer, and absolutely unforgettable.

---

Frequently Asked Questions