7 posts — Safety, emergencies, medical situations, and trip disruptions.
Medical evacuation coverage is required by virtually every operator and is relatively affordable. Trip cancellation insurance is a different matter entirely, and the cost can surprise people who discover it after they have already booked.
Deaths happen on Antarctica expeditions every year, and the overwhelming majority are health-related, not accident-related.
Fill out your health form completely and accurately. Failing to disclose a condition doesn't just put you at risk. It can disrupt a shipful of people and void the insurance that was supposed to protect you.
The health form is not bureaucratic box-ticking. It is the operator's primary tool for understanding what medical situations they may need to manage at sea, hundreds of miles from the nearest hospital.
Most of the physical demands in Antarctica happen at the transitions: getting on and off the ship, and getting in and out of Zodiacs. These are the moments worth planning for.
Most ships now offer some form of onboard WiFi, ranging from just enough for email to good enough for video calls. Cellular service does not exist in Antarctica, with the exception of King George Island. Be aware of those roaming charges!
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.