Cruises to Antarctica Offer Amazing Experiences

If you want to undergo the cruise of a lifetime—a cruise that many travelers never have the pleasure of experiencing—then you should opt for a cruise to Antarctica. The sights you will see while on a cruise to Antarctica will be unlike those you can see anywhere else in the world!

Cruises to Antarctica are not as common as cruises to other locales; therefore, many travelers are not able to find one being offered at a time during which they can travel. Also, cruises to Antarctica tend to be more expensive than other cruises because they are not offered by as many cruise companies—and, the companies which do offer them do not have as many ships traveling to that destination. So, many people who would like to go to this icy continent are simply unable to for reasons of scheduling and/or cost.

Travelers wanting to cruise to Antarctica must be prepared to travel during the tourist season. This is from November to February. Traveling to the continent at any other time would be foolhardy because the entire continent is encased in darkness (or nearly so) for the rest of the year. Additionally, outside of tourist season, temperatures in Antarctica drop very low—as low as 50 degrees F below zero!

Taking a cruise during the correct season, however, is an excellent idea for anyone with a sense of adventure. The way that water currents mix at Antarctica—called the Antarctic Convergence—cause an abundance of plankton to come together in the area, drawing a great variety of sea creatures and birds to the continent. It is fascinating to see just how many different types of animals have found a way to live in the harsh environment of the Antarctic.

Depending upon the month in which you travel, the sights you see in Antarctica will vary (apart from the glacial ice, of course…that remains). Here is a guideline of what you can see during each month of tourist season:

• November: It is courting and mating season, so you can see the Emperor Penguins performing their mating rituals.
• December: This is when the female penguins are working on hatching eggs. You will see large groups of penguins standing side-by-side.
• January: Penguins chicks are beginning to hatch during this month, so this is the best time to travel if you want to see the little penguins.
• February: During this month, Antarctica is as warm as it ever gets and the ice has melted some. This means that it may be possible to walk on top of the ice. February is also the best time for whale sighting. Many cruises will try to get extremely close to the whales, which is really a sight to see.

It is important to note that some Antarctic cruises—generally ones with more than 100 passengers--do not allow people to disembark from the ship. This is because of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators pledge, which says that no more than 100 passengers may come ashore on the continent at one time. If disembarking is important to you, select one of the small Antarctic cruises.