Antarctica - The Bucket List Trip

Antarctica sounds like a distant location and distant opportunity for travel.  I receive a lot of travel emails and lately, there have been many about travel to Antarctica.  Some are basic.  You start from Ushuaia, Argentina, which is the southern-most port in South America, and board a ship that takes you through the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula.  This journey takes about 2 days one-way.  The trip is usually for 8 to 11 days.  Prices range from $8,000 to $15,000.

However, there are a few upscale cruise companies that are now offering luxury cruises to Antarctica.  Obviously, there have been a lot of interest and demand.  Most of these cruises last longer than 10 days and include other itineraries.  If you can afford it this might be a good way to cross Antarctica off your bucket list.  Here are six companies that offer luxury cruises to Antarctica.

Two companies that I have been eyeing for awhile are National Geographic/Lindblad and Hurtigruten.  National Geographic bought Lindblad a few years ago and have been heavily promoting their so-called expedition cruises around the world.  Hurtigruten is a Norwegian company that has been sailing the Norwegian waters for over 100 years.  A few years ago they decided to expand their itineraries to most popular cruise areas:  Galapagos, Alaska, South America, Iceland and Greenland, Europe, etc.  I traveled with Hurtigruten on one of my most memorable trips in September 2016:  cruising along the coast of Norway.  The service and food impressed me.

When I saw a deal to waive the single supplement for an Antarctica and Falkland Island cruise I immediately decided to check into it.  This deal saves me at least $5,000 to $6,000 because that's what travel company usually charges extra for those traveling solo.  Instead of paying about $20,000 I am paying about $13,000.  Still, adding in the airfare, travel insurance, and hotel, we are looking at at least $15,000 to $16,000.  In late 2021 and early 2022 the world was still in the throes of the COVID pandemic.  The Delta variant was waning but a new Omicron variant started to infect more people.  All people could think of was doomsday, not travel.  Travel companies were dangling deals.  

Thinking, and hoping, that the pandemic will start to slow down in a couple of months, I took a risk and booked the cruise in late December 2021.  It turned out to be a good bet.  At the time of writing this post, on January 22, 2022, and a few days before leaving for Santiago, Chile, then Punta Arenas, to embark on the MS Roald Amundsen, many countries are starting to loosen travel restrictions.  The Omicron variant has proven to be contagious but caused mild symptoms among those who are fully vaccinated, either with 2 or 3 vaccine shots.

Here is complete information about the cruise, from the Hurtigruten website:

Antarctica, Chilean Fjords and Falklands – Great Explorers and Wildlife (18 days) 2021/22

Map of Itinerary

MS Roald Amundsen

 

Aune Restaurant

Small Expedition Boats

In a few days I will be boarding my flight from Phoenix to Santiago, Chile.  But before I can do that I have to cross several hurdles.  I have to:

1. be certified by my doctor that I am medically fit to travel on this trip.
2. send records of my 3 vaccination shots to the Chilean authorities to get a Mobility Pass.
3. take a PCR test before I board my flight.
4. take another PCR test when I arrive at Santiago airport
5. take another antigen test before I can board the ship.

I will stay in Santiago for a couple of days before Hurtigruten flies a charter flight to take its passengers to Punta Arenas where the cruise will begin.

This is the first time in all my travels that I have to jump through so many hoops to go on a trip.  These are unusual times.  Hopefully, the world will figure out how to tackle this COVID-19 virus.  I will keep updating this blog as my journey continues.