Antarctic Cruise Costs Explained

Antarctic boat operators tend to reward those who book early (+10 months in advance) with discounted cruise costs rather than slash back prices at the last minute. These smaller boats don’t suffer from the same inventory issues as larger cruise ships, so availability is often a bigger issue than price.

Early booking incentives can be $1,000 - 1,500 off the voyage price per person, a hefty potential saving for those travellers that can book ahead.

Note that not all ships offer an early booking incentive and these offers always have a deadline. Get in touch to find out what's available.

In Antarctica, the best deals are to be had by those willing to commit early.

Not only do certain boat operators offer an early booking discount of up to $1,500 off per person for a specified period, but booking early also ensures that you secure your preferred voyage and cabin, rather than sifting options at last minute which may present limited leftover choices.

No, your cruise will cost exactly the same whether you book directly or through an agent like Swoop. The prices of Antarctic voyages are set, and many ship operators don’t accept direct bookings.

There are in fact compelling benefits of booking through a specialist agent like Swoop:

• A far broader choice of voyage options, not just what a single ship can offer
• Access to objective, impartial and knowledgeable advice
• In-depth first-hand knowledge of all of the ships - not just a select few
• We can point out any special offers which you could take advantage of
• Assistance with booking flights, hotels, transfers etc - in short, a full travel service
• ATOL - Financial protection through our bond (UK travellers only)

Budget is always important but needs to be considered in the wider context of what you are looking to achieve. There are so many other variables involved, that the cost itself isn’t an accurate measurement for good decision making. To ensure that you end up choosing exactly the right Antarctic voyage for you, many other factors need to be taken into account.

This is where a specialist like Swoop is invaluable by taking the time to listen and understand your ‘brief’ and what’s important to you, and then handpicking a small selection of carefully chosen options for you to consider.

There’s no way around it, any trip to Antarctica is expensive and this is simply down to the remoteness of the destination and the costly logistics to get there.

Ice-strengthened ships are very expensive to build and maintain, there's the ship's staff to look after (which can easily total more than 80 people) and then there's the actual fuel to run the ship.

Fuel is a significant operating cost and is much more expensive to purchase in the remote areas where they can only re-fuel due to the added transportation costs.

It's a costly endeavour for all concerned, however, Swoop has never had anyone return from Antarctica who didn’t think that it was well worth the investment.

On any Antarctic voyage the following are typically included:

Included

• Accommodation on full board basis
• All guided landings and excursions while on board ship
• A programme of lectures by leading experts
• Loan of a pair of rubber boots

Depending on which ship you choose, some or all of the following may also be included:

• Complimentary parka jacket (to keep)
• Flights to/from Antarctica
• Pro/Post voyage hotel accommodation
• Additional activities such as snowshoeing, camping and photography workshops
• Beverages with meals

Optional extras on select trips

• Camping in Antarctica
• Sea kayaking
• Reserved seating on the charter flight to Antarctica

Additional costs, not included

• Return flights from the start and end points of your trip
• Travel insurance
• Drinks and souvenirs on board ship
• Internet data cards
• Discretionary tip to the staff (approx. $15-20 per person per day)