Are Drones Allowed in Antarctica?
Drones are prohibited on most Antarctic expedition voyages. A small number of operators allow them under specific conditions, but the default answer is no.
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Gratuities: How Much Should I Tip?
Tipping on expedition ships is one of those topics that generates more anxiety than it deserves, partly because nobody tells you the norms clearly. Here is the straightforward version.
Things They Don't Tell You Before You Go To Antarctica
There are things operators mention in passing, things buried in the terms and conditions, and things nobody mentions at all until you're already on the ship. Here are the ones worth knowing before you leave.
What to Expect on the Last Day
The last operational day is typically spent returning to Ushuaia or King George Island. Disembarkation takes time. Plan your homeward flights accordingly.
What Activities Are Available in Antarctica?
Most people picture Antarctica as one long wildlife documentary viewed from the deck. The reality is considerably more active and more varied.
What Is Zodiac Cruising?
If there's a single activity that defines the expedition experience, it's this one. Zodiacs are the reason small ships can do what large ships can't, and they're how you spend a lot of your time off the ship in Antarctica.
What Is a Shore Landing?
Stepping off a zodiac onto Antarctica is the moment most people have been imagining for years. It tends to live up to it.
Kayaking in Antarctica
Kayaking in Antarctica is for people who look at the zodiac queue and think: there must be a better way to be out here. There is.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Antarctica
Stand-up paddleboarding in Antarctica is not for everyone. It requires balance, a tolerance for cold, and a willingness to look slightly ridiculous in an extraordinary place.
Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Antarctica
Antarctica's underwater world is strange and beautiful, and almost nobody gets to see it. That's not an accident. Getting below the surface here requires planning well before you book your voyage.
Overnight Camping in Antarctica
Spend one night on the ice in a bivouac, with all equipment provided, for an additional fee of roughly $150–$300.
Hiking in Antarctica
Hiking is available on most voyages as part of shore landings, led by expedition guides, and ranges from casual walks to more demanding terrain depending on the site and your fitness level.
Snowshoeing in Antarctica
Snowshoeing is a group activity led by expedition guides, requires no prior experience, and is available on many ships as an included or low-cost add-on.
Mountaineering in Antarctica
Most activities in Antarctica are accessible to almost anyone. Mountaineering is the exception. It's also the one that puts you in terrain no other passenger on the ship will reach.
Skiing in Antarctica
Skiing and ski touring in Antarctica are offered by a small number of operators on select departures, primarily in the early season, and require prior ski experience.
What Is the Polar Plunge?
The polar plunge is a voluntary jump into near-freezing seawater. It's free, it's brief, and it's one of the more universally beloved moments of any voyage.
Helicopter Flightseeing and Landings
Helicopter flightseeing and heli-landings are available on a small number of ships, at additional cost, and are subject to weight limits, medical clearance, and weather conditions.
Submarine Excursions in Antarctica
Submarine excursions are available on a small number of ships, carry roughly six passengers per dive, run 40–60 minutes below the surface, and cost $499–$1,000 per person depending on the operator.
Photography in Antarctica
Antarctica is one of the most extraordinary places on earth to make photographs, with conditions and access unlike anywhere else, and a few rules that are non-negotiable.
What Is Citizen Science in Antarctica?
Citizen science programs invite passengers to contribute to real, active research projects in wildlife monitoring, ocean health, and climate data, at no additional cost, no experience required.
What to Do If Something Goes Wrong
If something goes wrong before, during, or after your voyage, the sequence is simple: get sad if you need to, then call your travel agent, then call your insurance provider. In that order. Document everything.
Medical Emergencies at Sea: What to Expect
Medical emergencies happen on Antarctic ships every single season, are more common on larger ships by simple probability, and are handled by capable professionals in limited conditions. If your trip is interrupted by one, the appropriate response is empathy, not outrage.
What Visiting Antarctica Does to People
Antarctica tends to reorder people's sense of scale, both literally and figuratively. Most travelers return quieter about some things and louder about others.
How to Describe Your Antarctica Trip
At some point after you return, on the plane home, in the car from the airport, a week later when the laundry is done and the bags are put away, you’ll try to explain what Antarctica was like to someone who wasn't there. This is harder than it sounds.