Popular Antarctica itineraries

Antarctica cruise itineraries

plus general itinerary tips & insights

Minerva
itineraries

11 and 14 nights

The first itinerary (11 nights) is popular because you visit the Falkland Islands. However, the second (14 nights) is even better because you also visit rugged South Georgia Island, which scores high marks from both passengers and lecturers. It's renowned for spectacular wildlife.

Itineraries for
Antarctica cruise ships
in general

Ushuaia departures

Most Antarctica cruises sail from and return to Ushuaia, Argentina (see map below). The three basic Ushuaia-based routes are:

Short itinerary- You sail to the Antarctica Peninsula and, likely, will stop at one of the South Shetland Islands. Typical cruise duration is normally 7 nights. Note: One of the drawbacks of the short itinerary is you have to cross the sometimes stormy Drake Passage twice. It is 650 kilometers (400 miles) of open sea between South America and Antarctica.

Most-popular itinerary - The Falkland Islands is added to the short itinerary. Cruise duration averages 11 nights. As my map shows, it (and the long itinerary) makes only one straight-across trip through the Drake Passage.

Long itinerary - South Georgia Island is added to the most-popular itinerary. Cruises are normally 14 to 20 nights, though some last four weeks.

Other

departure ports

A minority of Antarctica cruises depart from other South American ports, including Buenos Aires in Argentina and Punta Arenas in Chile. They also leave from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Popular
Antarctica Peninsula

destinations

Half Moon Island - Named for its lunar-like shape. Visitors see a variety of wildlife, including chinstrap penguins and seals.

Hope Bay - Situated at the peninsula's northern point. There are many adelie penguins. The adjoining waters earned their sobriquet, "Iceberg Alley".

Lemaire and Neumayer Channels - Your ship sails through two narrow, steep-sided, spectacular icy waterways.

Paradise Bay - Many a visitor calls it Antarctica's most photogenic spot.

Wiencke Island - Home of Port Lockroy. Part of this former British military base was converted into a museum. Many gentoo penguins inhabit the area.

Destinations

beyond the

Antarctica Peninsula

Deception Island (South Shetland Islands) - It's a ring-shaped island with a super-sized natural harbor in its center. Tourists in bathing suits relish the thermal-heated waters.

Elephant Island (South Shetland Islands) - Stranded crew members of explorer Shackleton's ship survived a cruel winter here in 1916. The isle was named for its large elephant seal population. There are penguins, too, including the chinstrap species.

Sea Lion Island (Falkland Islands) - This small island teems with wildlife, including penguins and sea lions.

South Georgia Island - Millions of macaroni penguins breed here. The island has rugged, glacier-clad, snow-capped mountains - and was once a major whaling center.

Falkland Islands - They teem with wildlife, including rockhopper penguins and sea lions. There are some striking landscapes.

Click these buttons
for more tips & insights

Pages specific to the
Minerva cruise ship

Antarctica cruises
in general

Clickable Antarctica

wonder map

My "What it's Like"
cruise ship sections

to view

My general
cruise ship section

Click the button below for Regent's website for Minerva itineraries with maps, a list of cruise-specialist travel agents near you, plus other useful trip-planning information.

Pages specific to the
Minerva cruise ship

Antarctica cruise
ships in general