Category: Planning & Tips

In recent years, Swan Hellenic have burst onto the Antarctic expedition cruise scene with great energy. Although they were the original pioneers of cultural cruises way back in the 1950s, it’s only in the last decade that they’ve turned their attention to polar waters. Their collection of three purpose-built expedition vessels, the sister ships SH […]

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to cruise to Antarctica nearly a dozen times. I’ve sailed on old-style expedition cruise ships, boutique ships with modern X-Bow designs and skipped the Drake Passage altogether on a Fly & Cruise trip to the Antarctic Peninsula.  On my most recent trip, I joined the Scenic Eclipse for […]

The polar fleet has always been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to expedition cruise ships – something that can be most visibly seen in its rapid adoption of X-Bow ship designs, with their unique profile designed to ease a ship’s passage through rough waters. I recently experienced my first voyage aboard one […]

Launched in 2018 and specially designed for expedition cruising by operator HX Expeditions, the Fridtjof Nansen is one of the most advanced ships in the polar fleet. Its 490 berths puts it on the larger side of expedition cruise ships that are allowed to visit Antarctica and still let passengers put their boots in the […]

Since the first pioneering departure over 20 years ago, Fly & Cruise trips to Antarctica have grown in popularity. They skip the two day voyage across the famous Drake Passage from Ushuaia in Argentina by simply flying over it, so that travellers join their cruise ship in Antarctica and get straight into the important action […]

When it comes to planning a cruise to Antarctica, one of the questions that comes up most frequently is what’s the best size of ship to sail on? There’s no perfect answer of course, but if you want to maximise your time exploring off the ship, then we generally recommend ships that carry fewer than […]

Since its launch in 2021, the expedition cruise ship Ultramarine operated by Quark Expeditions has rapidly become a popular choice for Swoop Antarctica passengers. Its modern design, 1A+ ice class rating (putting it just shy of being an actual icebreaker), 199 berths and broad suite of adventure activities have all helped establish its place in […]

Quick Answer: Best Time to Visit Antarctica The best time to visit Antarctica is between November and March, during the austral summer when expedition ships can access the continent. Each month offers slightly different experiences: Table of contents Antarctica’s white wilderness has an irresistible magnetism for adventurous souls the world over. Around 40,000 travellers make […]