An Antarctica cruise on an expedition ship starts around $9,268 per person, and the typical classic voyage is about $17,300. Here is the full picture from 924 live sailings: by voyage type, cruise line, cabin and month, and what the fare leaves out.
Reviewed by Craig Pavlus, Founder & CEO, Pavlus Travel & Cruise. 55+ years in travel · Travel Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award.
The biggest single choice is whether you land. Ships carrying more than 500 guests may not put anyone ashore, which is why the cheapest fares are on big ships that cruise past.
| Type of voyage | Sailings | Fares from | Typical fare | Typical length | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scenic cruising on a large ship | 28 | $3,252 | $5,500 | 17 nights | Several days cruising past the Peninsula on a longer South America voyage. No landings. |
| Classic expedition, sail the Drake | 550 | $9,268 | $17,300 | 11 nights | Ushuaia, the Drake both ways and four to six days of Zodiac landings on the Peninsula. |
| Fly the Drake | 215 | $9,700 | $17,900 | 8 nights | A two-hour flight from Punta Arenas replaces the crossing; more of a short trip on the ice. |
| Luxury expedition (Seabourn, Silversea, Ponant, Scenic) | 330 | $9,700 | $22,600 | 12 nights | Small luxury ships, most of them all-suite, with butlers, submarines or helicopters on some. |
| Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica | 129 | $9,775 | $30,000 | 21 nights | The long polar safari, with king penguin colonies and Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken. |
Published cruise-line fares per person, double occupancy, from live inventory that refreshes nightly. “Typical” is the median sailing, so half cost less and half more.
Expedition lines first, ordered by typical fare. Each line name opens its Antarctica sailings.
| Cruise line | Style | Sailings | Fares from | Typical fare | Typical length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HX Expeditions | Expedition | 100 | $9,268 | $13,300 | 15 nights |
| Tauck | Expedition | 4 | $13,685 | $14,300 | 12 nights |
| Swan Hellenic | Expedition | 57 | $9,775 | $14,400 | 10 nights |
| Atlas Ocean Voyages | Expedition | 62 | $12,150 | $16,800 | 9 nights |
| Viking | Expedition | 62 | $12,999 | $17,000 | 12 nights |
| Lindblad Expeditions | Expedition | 163 | $12,250 | $18,500 | 10 nights |
| Quark Expeditions | Expedition | 118 | $12,610 | $19,200 | 10 nights |
| Silversea | Expedition | 112 | $9,700 | $19,500 | 9 nights |
| Ponant | Expedition | 65 | $14,650 | $20,800 | 10 nights |
| Seabourn | Expedition | 70 | $14,298 | $22,000 | 13 nights |
| Scenic | Expedition | 83 | $17,982 | $28,000 | 19 nights |
| Princess Cruises | Scenic cruising | 5 | $4,314 | $4,500 | 17 nights |
| Celebrity Cruises | Scenic cruising | 10 | $3,252 | $4,700 | 14 nights |
| Holland America Line | Scenic cruising | 8 | $5,269 | $6,800 | 22 nights |
| Azamara | Scenic cruising | 3 | $7,569 | $9,700 | 21 nights |
| Regent Seven Seas | Scenic cruising | 1 | $14,799 | $14,800 | 18 nights |
| Oceania Cruises | Scenic cruising | 1 | $19,399 | $19,400 | 33 nights |
A line’s typical fare reflects its mix of voyages as much as its prices: a line selling mostly long South Georgia voyages shows a higher figure. Compare the lines for ship size, landings and what’s included.
Expedition ships only. Many small ships have no inside cabins at all, so the entry level is an ocean view. All-suite lines such as Silversea and Seabourn call every cabin a suite, which is why the lowest suite fare can sit below the lowest balcony.
| Cabin | From | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean-view cabin | $9,268 | $17,300 |
| Balcony cabin | $9,775 | $18,200 |
| Suite | $9,700 | $23,000 |
Expedition ships only, by departure month. Peak-season December and January sell first.
| Departs | Sailings | From | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 36 | $9,642 | $21,900 |
| November | 165 | $9,268 | $16,900 |
| December | 206 | $10,662 | $18,500 |
| January | 214 | $9,736 | $20,600 |
| February | 186 | $9,922 | $19,000 |
| March | 87 | $9,274 | $16,000 |
The cruise is most of the cost, but not all of it. Plan for these before you compare prices.
A round trip from the U.S. to Buenos Aires or Santiago, then on to Ushuaia or Punta Arenas. Some lines include the charter to the ship, and fly-the-Drake voyages include the Antarctic flight. We book the flights with no planning fee.
Arrive at least a day early: a missed connection in South America can mean a missed voyage. Many lines include one hotel night in Buenos Aires, Santiago or Punta Arenas; check before you book your own.
Most expedition lines require it, because there are no hospitals in Antarctica. Buy a policy with high emergency evacuation limits and cancellation cover; Antarctica fares are large and mostly non-refundable close in.
Luxury and all-inclusive lines include them; on others, budget for gratuities and bar charges. The expedition program itself, landings, Zodiac cruises and lectures, is part of the fare on every expedition ship.
Sea kayaking, a night camping on the ice, snowshoeing, or helicopter and submarine time on the ships that carry them. Some lines include these; others charge, and places fill early.
Most expedition lines lend waterproof boots and give you a parka to keep. You still need waterproof pants, warm layers, gloves and sunglasses. The packing list.
The cabin category, because on the expedition ships the typical suite runs about 30% above the typical ocean-view fare. How early you book, because the best cabins on the small ships sell a year or more ahead, and that is when the strongest pricing is available. Whether you sail or fly the Drake, because a fly-cruise packs a similar fare into fewer nights. And then there is the price the cruise lines don’t let us publish: ask, and we will put yours in writing, usually the same day.
The lowest published fare today for a classic expedition, a fly-cruise, a luxury expedition and a South Georgia voyage. Ask for your Pavlus price on any of them.
Also from Pavlus: All expedition cruises · White Desert fly-in camps (the South Pole & emperor penguins) · Ushuaia port guide · Punta Arenas port guide · South Georgia port guide · Live cruise ship tracker
Tell us the season, the line, or just how much ice you want to see. We’ll send your Pavlus price and the cabins still open, usually the same day. Antarctica sells early: the best cabins on the small ships go a year or more ahead.
Your Pavlus Antarctica price will be emailed to you quickly. No obligation.