Antarctica

Discover another world beyond our own

Experience the ultimate adventure on an Antarctica cruise

Are you ready for a real adventure? Then set out on one of our thrilling expedition cruises to Antarctica, where you’ll experience the ultimate in polar exploration.

Our Antarctica cruises fully immerse you in the otherworldly polar environment, introducing you to an exotic variety of Antarctic wildlife – whales, seals, penguins, and many other seabirds that can be seen in few other places on the planet.

Not only that, you’ll enjoy exhilarating outdoor activities like kayaking, hiking, mountaineering, scuba diving, and even camping. On our Antarctica cruises, there is never a dull moment.

What you’ll do and see on your cruise to Antarctica

An Oceanwide Antarctica cruise takes you to another world. Enchanting icescapes, beautiful wildlife, and exhilarating shore landings will bring out your inner explorer.

Because you won’t just experience Antarctica from the decks of a vessel; you’ll explore it firsthand, either on foot or in one of our Zodiacs. Our cruises to Antarctica take you as close as possible to every glacier front, iceberg, and mountainous shoreline.

Not to mention all the humpback whales, gentoo penguins, fur seals, and wandering albatrosses you may encounter along the way. On an Antarctic cruise, epic is just the beginning.

Antarctica cruise destinations, activities, and options

Our cruises to Antarctica are as varied as the wildlife. Do you want to take a helicopter flight to a Weddell Sea emperor penguin colony? Do you want to walk the stunning shores of South Georgia, surrounded by elephant seals and king penguins? Or is an activity-filled Basecamp cruise more your speed?

Whatever expedition experience most appeals to you, we have the Antarctica cruise for it. Check out our current list of available cruises to Antarctica, and take the first step in an unforgettable adventure.

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Cruises to Antarctica

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica
Up to $10500 OFF

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species

HDS26-25 This Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula cruise is an animal-lover’s dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

4 Jan - 22 Jan, 2025

Berths start from:

9450 USD

Atlantic Odyssey
Up to $6200 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey

This far-ranging expedition voyage sails the breadth of the Atlantic, visiting several of the remotest islands in the world!

HDS31-25 The Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

23 Mar - 15 Apr, 2025

Berths start from:

5100 USD

Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage
Up to $3350 OFF

Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage

Classic Antarctica including Deception Island

PLA26-25 This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

6 Jan - 16 Jan, 2025

Berths start from:

6050 USD

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde
Up to $2775 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde

PLA31B26 The Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

23 Mar - 4 May, 2026

Berths start from:

16380 USD

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde
Up to $2500 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde

HDS30D25 The Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

14 Mar - 25 Apr, 2025

Berths start from:

12375 USD

Antarctica cruise video

Latest blog and customer story

Antarctica blog

Oceanwide Expeditions donates €1060 to nature charities

This year we will donate €1,060 to the following conservation charities based on guest reviews: World Wildlife Fund, BirdLife International, 4Ocean, and the Falklands Conservation.

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Antarctica story

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Antarctica

Antarctica cruise photos

Antarctica cruise reviews

by Bernhard Kischnick

Meine 1. große Kreuzfahrt die die Erwartungen bei weiten übertroffen haben. Ein tolle Crew von bis die, uns eine solche Reise mit ihrem Einsatz und freundlicher Bedienung ermöglicht haben. Hauptärgernis was sich immer wieder durch die gesamte Reise zog, war das ich einer der wenigen auf dem Schiff gewesen bin der den vollen Preis und auch sonst keine Vergünstigungen bekommen habe.

by Duncan Wilson
A fantastic early season voyage on the Plancius with abundant wildlife and magnificent destinations. The entire crew and staff did a great job throughout, and the Expedition Leader, Ali, worked tirelessly to ensure we made the most of the opportunities to land or Zodiac cruise. As a keen birder, I found the Plancius to be an exceptional platform for seawatching, with abundant outside deck space throughout the vessel. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this trip.
by Martina Herz
Unsere Reise auf der Plancius war perfekt. Das gesamte Team des Schiffes hat alles getan, um uns die Tier und Pflanzenwelt, die Geschichte und Gegenwart der Region zu vermitteln und Tierbegegnungen "hautnah" zu ermöglichen. Begeisterte Empfehlung.
by Colin Williams
An excellent early season journey. The staff were superb.
by Christine Segers
It was a fantastic trip!! The way how Oceanwide managed everything is extraordinary. The landings ashore were so well organised: plenty of SPACE and TIME !!!!!! Fantastic how we could do our own thing. It was my fifth trip with Oceanwide, and this one I enjoyed the most! Thanks a lot to the staff for their patience and help during the landings and a special thanks, to the expeditionleaders.
by Henri Letort
Tout fut parfait : équipage du bateau, personnel de service bar restaurant, équipe de guides de Ali, exposés, promenades à terre pour côtoyer la faune sur leur plages, leurs rivières, leurs glaciers, oui j'ai une photo à partager : cliente gravement malade évacuée avec professionnalisme à un hôpital Argentina, bravo

FAQ's about Antarctica cruises

Antarctica is the fifth largest of the seven continents. Antarctica has two large indentations which are the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea. The nearest continent is South America. The total surface of Antarctica is 14.2 Million square kilometres (about 5.5 million square miles) in summer.

The time zone in Antarctica is the same as the time zone in New Zealand:  GMT + 12 hours. On regular Antarctic trips we operate in the same time zone as Ushuaia, Argentina: GMT – 3 hours. 

No, the remote location, frozen landscape, and unpredictable weather can make tourism operations in Antarctica tricky, but Oceanwide Expeditions has the right experience, knowledge, and expertise to stay safe in the Antarctic. 

Antarctica is the coldest and also the windiest continent in the world. The lowest temperature on Earth was recorded in Antarctica. There are three climatic regions in Antarctica:

The interior of the continent: This is the extremely cold area of Antarctica. The coastal areas: These areas have milder temperatures and much higher precipitation rates. The Antarctic Peninsula: This is the region which has a warmer and also wetter climate; above freezing temperatures are common in the summer months.

During the summer months temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula range between -2°C - +5 °C. In the Ross Sea it can get significantly colder with temperatures down to -20°C. 

Yes, but only if the expedition leader considers local conditions safe. In that event, we may offer this swimming activity from shore under the supervision of our guides. For safety reasons, we do not do the polar from our vessels or Zodiac boats.

We follow the protocol advised by IAATO. Before leaving for your voyage, please make sure anything you bring that may come into contact with the environment (clothes, equipment, etc.) is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. We ask that you do not sit, kneel, or lay down during our landings. Please also do not place anything on the ground. You will receive a document with further information after booking.

On this page you find all information you need to know about the avian influenza outbreaks, including biosecurity protocols.

About Antarctica cruises

Weather you can expect on your cruise to Antarctica

Your Antarctica cruise will show you some of Earth’s most beautiful scenery in one of its least hospitable environments: Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and driest of all the continents, though it grants travelers access to some of the most dazzling sights the planet has to offer.

Grey peaks stab out of the wind-carved snow, passing icebergs dot the dark blue waters, and wildlife that can be seen nowhere else reminds you that you’re truly in another world when you are on an Antarctica cruise.

Along the Antarctic coastline, temperatures can reach as high as 10°C (50°F) during a hot summer day. On a regular day, it can plummet to barely above freezing. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be uncomfortable. Our vessels are designed to make your cruise to Antarctica as pleasant as possible, and we’ll give you all the packing info you need to stay warm and dry from beginning to end.

Fun facts to prepare you for your Antarctica cruise

  • Antarctica is larger than Europe
  • Because Antarctica experiences so little precipitation, it is technically a desert
  • The name “Antarctica” comes from a Greek phrase meaning “opposite to north”
  • Almost 62% of the freshwater ice on Earth exists in Antarctica, enough to raise the oceans by about 60 meters (197 feet) if it melted today
  • The coldest temperature ever recorded was at the Antarctic research station Vostok, on July 21, 1983, when the thermometer dropped to -89.2°C (-128.6°F), cold enough to shatter steel
  • Despite the cold, the biggest documented mass of living creatures — a 10,000,000-ton school of krill — was spotted in the Antarctic
  • The first confirmed sighting of Antarctica was in 1820, though it would take almost a century — until 1911, to be exact — before a human being set foot on the continent

Join us on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise to Antarctica

An Antarctica cruise introduces you to a seldom-seen side of our planet. It means visiting a part of Earth that has remained largely unchanged since Aristotle first wrote of Terra Australis, or the “Land of the South,” centuries before Antarctica would be seen by human eyes.

Taking a cruise to Antarctica also means acquainting yourself with the real survivalists of the Antarctic: the seals, whales, penguins, and other seabirds who call the region home.

Our Antarctica cruises offer you an experience unlike any you have ever had. Whether you’re kayaking among towering icebergs, hiking near inquisitive penguins, or camping beneath the wild polar skies, your cruise to Antarctica will redefine your notion of adventure.

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