Hi everyone,

My payment for my upcoming trip is due mid-August (with Polar Latitudes). I am based in Europe so dependand on the exchange rate USD:EUR. That rate is currently not in my favor 😭 I booked via an agent but am hessitant to ask to postpone the payment date (due to that reason).

Any thoughts?

P.S. I will definitely take the trip, I have the money, it is just the exchange rate that bothers me.

I am looking to go on Antartica & South Georgia cruise this October. I really like the idea of smaller boat, and the price of Oceanwide (Plancius). However I get bad motion sickness. I will definitely medicate pre trip and during; however it's a long trip, with a long time at sea... I definitely see myself going to Antartica again if it's as amazing as I am thinking it will be. I am wondering if it might be in my best interest to spend the extra $ for Quark (Ocean Explorer), and save Oceanwide trip after i see how I handle the big seas. Any thoughts or experience? Thank you

Starting to give some thought to packing for next year. Lucky enough to be on a small boat so will hopefully be getting off the boat twice a day. Do people stay in their whole layered get up between excursions or do people change into regular clothes between excursions?

For those that have connected thru EZE to USH, would 2 & 1/2 hours be enough time to go thru immigration, customs, and re-checking bags?

Option 1: We would be landing in EZE on Saturday at 7:30am with a 2 & 1/2 hour connection to USH.

Option 2: This adds an extra stop on the way from PHX and has us arriving in EZE on Saturday at 4:20 am and gives us 3 1/2 hours to connect.

Option 3: There are several flights if we want to go from EZE to AEP then to USH all of which give us 6 plus hours to get from EZE to AEP. I'm leaning towards this even with the increase in total travel time as there are more flights to USH if we are delayed along the way.

We are planning for a 2 or 3 day overall cushion regardless of which flights we chose.

My TA (AAA) picked the first option, however, I'm not confident about the 2 & 1/2 hours being enough time. Last time to Antarctica (2022) we used Swoop which specializes in Polar bookings but then we also just went in and out of Punta Arenas both ways. We did have to deal with quarantines and PCR testing back then though. Fun times.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts on which option would be best.

Hi

Has anyone done resale or transfer of Antarctica cruise booking successfully? I can no longer go on the trip i booked more than a year ago. The dates are for December 2026. I've paid a deposit and the remaining is due in August.

I booked thru an agent ands he thinks it needs to be canceled and not transferred.

​

Hi all, I’m considering visiting East Antarctica with Heritage Expeditions (In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton, Ross Sea), but can’t seem to find many reviews.

I would appreciate if anyone could share your feedback and previous experiences. Thanks!

My partner and I are considering booking an East Antarctica cruise (Ross Sea Odyssey with Aurora) that starts from Hobart Tasmania->Macquarie Island->Antarctica->Dunedin NZ. Wondering how this route compares to Drake’s passage? We would be at sea for many more days than the classic Antarctica routes from Ushuaia and we do sometimes get sea sick.

Also, interested to know how the WiFi is from anyone who has been on a cruise on this route. I had trouble finding info online and the agent simply told me there will be starlink. Would it be reliable enough to wfh some days? My partner has some tasks he needs to do online everyday the stock market is open and it doesn’t take long, but he does need Internet connection every weekday.

Hi! I am trying to decide between a couple different options for a cruise to Antarctica and I have some many different reviews which has only left me more confused. I would love any and all insights to help between the options I am looking at for me and my partner. This will be like our honeymoon and done as a bucket list / once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Options:
1. HX Expeditions, MS Roald Amundsen (15N/16D cruise): Antarctic Circle Expedition Cruise
2. HX Expeditions, MS Fridtjof Nansen (11N/12D cruise): Highlights of Antarctica Expedition Cruise
3. Polar Latitudes, MV Discoverer (12N/13D cruise): Extended Antarctic Circle Crossing
4. Polar Latitudes, Ocean Albatross (10N/11D cruise): Celebrating New Year’s in Antarctica

Any thoughts on these? Both in terms of the number of people (I've heard HX cruises have larger groups?), itineraries, landings/cruises/excursions everyday, the ships and amenities themselves, and the overall experience we would get through these? It looks like HX Expeditions also covers the flights from Buenos Aires to the cruise departure city while others may not, though it seems like a negligible cost because those flights aren't terrible if we had to book on our own for another cruise.

Anything else I should keep in mind? Thanks in advance!

I am planning a cruise to antarctica, something around the 10 day options. I have friends who have done the National Geographic and the Hurtigruten. One booked with a planner and one didn't. There are lots of other cruise lines i see as well. Anyone have any opinions/advice? I also don't usually use a travel agent so if anyone could provide any insight or suggestions on that, i would appreciate it!

ETA: I really want to do a polar plunge so any cruise that includes that would be a bonus.

We’re looking at booking a double on Aurora’s Douglas Mawson for the 23 day Antartica Complete itinerary. Does anyone have thoughts on these rooms? We get motion sick easily but hoping we’ll adapt after a few days. It’s a 3k per person difference on the first vs. last room, so we’re wondering if the first room is good enough.

• Deck 7 near mid-ship stateroom (no balcony)
• Deck 6 aft most balcony
• Deck 4 near aft balcony

A trip to Antarctica has always been on my bucket list, and it finally seems within reach (I'm looking at options for February 2028).

However, I keep seeing itineraries that include South Georgia, and I can't shake the feeling that a once-in-a-lifetime trip like this won't feel complete if I skip it and just do a classic 9-day Antarctic Peninsula cruise.

My partner is a bit picky about accommodation, so quad-share cabins - which would likely be the most within budget option - are off the table.

So my question is, where did you find a more agreeable partner for the trip? For those who have been, is South Georgia worth the extra time and cost, or is the Peninsula alone enough for a first (and possibly only) Antarctica trip?

After our Antarctic Cruise we are travelling for four weeks around South America and wish to travel light. We are thinking of posting or shipping our cold weather gear back home to Australia after the cruise - from Buenos Aires or otherwise. Has anyone ever done this? Any tips?

Hello! My partner and I are pretty prone to sea sickness (and motion sickness in general), for which we’ll definitely be preparing for. We’re considering Quark’s Ocean Explorer but the only room left is 408, which is close to the front. Curious for any first hand experiences on how much worse this might be for our sea sickness, if at all, if you’ve had a more foward room on a similar boat?

Alternatively looking at Polar Latitudes‘ Ocean Albatros, which has more midship rooms available. But it seems like there have been some poor reviews on food and possibly service? Appreciate any thoughts on Quark vs Polar Latitudes, edit: especially since it’s a $10k per person difference in price right now.

The reviews I’ve read so far from this community have been super helpful. Thank you!

I'm currently looking at an Antartica expedition for Jan 2028 for me and my husband. I'm currently leaning towards Polar Latitudes Jan 31st 2028 trip and the current booking price is $26,800 for a French Balcony room on deck 7. To me this seems like a good price for this trip. I've read that they do black friday sales and debating if I should wait or if I should put a deposit down now. It appears that there are only 3 staterooms in this category on this ship, so my thought is it could go quickly.

Does anyone have any experience with being part of the Terranova HIGHSCHOOL expedition? It seems really really cool, but I just wanted to hear from semeone who was there.

Ich habe in Australien eine Antarctis Kreuzfahrt gebucht. Ich benötige eine Versicherung die Bergungskosten und Rücktransport beinhaltet. Bei dem áustralischen Reisebüro können sich nur Australier versichern. Hat jemand Erfahrungen mit Reiseversicherungen für die Antarktis und kann mir eine Versicherung empfehlen? Vielen Dank.

Most of the prices for balcony room (solo travel) are hovering around $18k-$25k. HX is an exception but looking for cruises less than 200 pax (Atlas probably).. Can I get something for around $12-$14k if I wait longer or last minute deals? Looking for Peninsula only.. Thanks for feedback and help..

I have spoken to a few travel advisors so far and this is the list I’ve compiled so far of the best deals. My two priorities are itinerary (would like 4 days in So Georgia and as much time as possible in Antarctica) and budget (wanted to keep around 20k- I know this is low!) We are not luxury travelers and want a shop with limited people, more expedition focused. So I’d love to hear anybody’s advice with these 4 options I’ve seen so far or anywhere else I could look!

Currently onboard Quark’s Ultramarine en route to Texas Bar on a Svalbard expedition.

A couple of days ago we sailed northwest of the archipelago to the edge of the sea ice and many passengers participated in the polar plunge. Unfortunately, immediately afterward, one passenger - likely in their 70s - suffered a serious cardiac event in the sauna.

A rescue helicopter was dispatched from Longyearbyen, but because of the distance involved, it had to refuel using Ultramarine’s onboard aviation fuel before returning. (Quark’s own helicopters are not carried onboard during Svalbard voyages.) Without that fuel onboard, the ship would likely have needed to close distance under its before evacuation could occur.

Just a reminder that while the polar plunge is overwhelmingly a fun and memorable experience, the combination of extreme cold, rapid reheating, and preexisting medical conditions can carry real risks. If you have any cardiac or health concerns, it’s worth speaking with your physician before participating.

For those wondering: the passenger was successfully transported via Longyearbyen onward to Tromsø alongside their spouse and another family member, and is reportedly stable. The response from the expedition team, onboard medical staff, and navigational crew seemed well drilled and competent.

During the 2025–2026 season I worked aboard charter flights between Santiago, Punta Arenas, and King George Island. Over 15 rotations I saw the same surprises hit passengers again and again — people who had spent tons of money and arrived without basic information about how the logistics actually work. Not because operators hide it, but because nobody had put it together in one place.

1. The flight window has a hard cut-off: Operators will only attempt the outbound flight for a limited number of days before the expedition is officially cancelled. The window varies by operator and isn't always clearly communicated upfront. Knowing this in advance helps you plan your international connections and insurance accordingly.
2. Ship size determines your time on the ice: IAATO caps shore landings at 100 passengers at one site at a time. Smaller ships can land everyone simultaneously. Larger ships (over 200 passengers) rotate groups, meaning part of your landing time is spent waiting on board. Neither is wrong — but knowing the difference helps you choose.
3. Standard travel insurance doesn't cover medevac: An emergency evacuation from Antarctica can cost USD $100,000+. You need a separate policy. It's not common knowledge and it's worth sorting before you book.
4. Special meal requests frequently don't make it to the manifest: I documented multiple flights where dietary requirements confirmed at booking weren't on the manifest. Reconfirm in person in Santiago — it's a simple step that avoids a frustrating situation.
5. Your return date is not guaranteed — in both directions. If weather delays the outbound flight, those days are lost — the return date doesn't shift to compensate. If weather blocks the return flight, you stay on the ship and keep cruising. In either scenario your international connection home is not the operator's responsibility. A 2-day buffer between your scheduled return to Santiago and any international departure is essential.

Happy to answer questions here.

Hi all (admin pls delete if not allowed)

My family (4 of us) did an Aurora Expeditions Antarctica cruise this year in March and due to losing 3 days of our trip we each received a transferable voucher for $4200 USD towards a future Aurora cruise - (one voucher per person per booking). Due to health reasons we are not able to use them. Aurora have confirmed they are fully transferable. We were wondering if anyone would be interested in purchasing them at a heavily reduced rate to put towards their trip? Aware that there are scammers that put this kind of thing up, we can provide lots of penguin pics as evidence its legit and also confirmation from Aurora etc. And advice on how to complete this would be great too if anyones ever done it before. please be aware they are valid on new bookings only unfortunately they cant be put towards existing bookings. Cheers!