Our Expedition Cruise to Antarctica
In February this year (2023) myself and my husband, along with 4 friends, embarked on an adventure to Antarctica. We chose the new Viking Polaris expedition ship, which was launched in September 2022.
Before embarking on our cruise expedition, we spent a few days in Buenos Aires.
This helped us to adjust to the time difference. The majority of Australian tours only allow you to spend one day in Buenos Aires, but I would strongly advise staying a couple of days before travelling to Ushuaia in the south. We took in the sights of Buenos Aires, which made the couple of additional days well worth it. This is a really lively city with fantastic food, a rich culture, and a lot of history. Visit a tango show too, they are incredible.
We went because it's a place you should visit while you're still healthy and impressionable.
It requires physical exertion because you must enter and exit zodiacs and be able to step on the snow-covered ground and rocks. You must be able to navigate snowy terrain and occasionally climb slopes while keeping an eye out for penguins. They're constantly glancing your way, so don't worry.
When should I visit Antarctica?
There are 3 seasons in Antarctica.
Early season from October to November.
Being first to arrive is a fantastic way to take in Antarctica's beauty. As a visitor in the early part of the season, you'll be rewarded with clean landing places, impressive ice formations, animal courtship rituals, and fantastic photo opportunities thanks to the setting sun. In the Sub-Antarctic Islands, elephant and fur seal groups may be marking their breeding grounds, and if you're lucky, you might see the first significant iceberg calving of the year, a truly stunning spectacle. Have your camera at the ready.
Mid-Season from December to January.
The most popular season to visit Antarctica is in the middle of the summer. There are more prospects for landings because of the longer days and highest temperatures of the year. Seals lazing in the sun, cute penguin chicks, and more whales migrating south for the summer are all to be expected. You can see why a lot of people decide to travel at this time of year when you consider that the seas are calmer and there is less sea ice to impede you from getting to the shore. Early reservations are strongly advised because the middle of the season is the busiest.
Late Season from January to March.
Even though it's becoming colder outside, the late season offers lots of animal attractions. Peak whale-spotting season occurs in February, seal populations are rising on the peninsula, and penguin rookeries in South Georgia are overflowing. The shorter days offer breathtaking sunsets, incredible stargazing at night and some of the most cost-effective adventures ever.
How to visit Antarctica.
This season, more than 45 expedition ships are in the area south of Ushuaia. The number of ships will undoubtedly rise as more are built this year. There is a cap on the number of people who can alight simultaneously. Additionally, the number of ships that can enter the bays, islands, and waterways each day is limited. As a result, only the Captain and his crew are aware of your daily destination. As a result, each cruise will have a unique schedule. Safety is the most important factor because the weather is ALWAYS a concern. We were supposed to visit a specific Bay one day, but the wind changed and we ended up at a different Bay. It ended up being the best day we had, and here is where the baby penguin came up and had a look at me. This was a very special moment!
Because there are few flights available right now (at the time of writing), getting to South America from Australia is currently pricey. Qantas have reduced the capacity and days that they operate. There are currently no flights with Air New Zealand there. We flew with LATAM Airlines, which offers more affordable flights than its rivals and currently operates frequent service to Australia. We can only hope that there will be more availability to South America for the 2024–2025 seasons once airlines have recovered from the pandemic disruptions.
Please enjoy my videos and if you would like me to help you organise an amazing Expedition Cruise to Antarctica, please give me a call.
Sue from Mimosa Cruise & Travel
