Compare 43 expedition ships side by side: operator, class, passenger capacity, ice class, lowest from-price and voyage length. When one looks right, a free quote request goes to a partner travel agency.
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The quote is free, the site never takes payment, and you are under no obligation. Replies arrive by email.
A dash means no figure was published. Fares are the lowest found per person.
Three quick questions narrow the table: budget and class, ship size in passengers, and voyage length. Every ship stays in by default, and the filters reset at any time.
1. Budget and class
2. Ship size
3. Voyage length
Showing all 43 ships
| Ice class | Departs from | Enquire | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Plancius |
Oceanwide Expeditions | Small-Ship Budget | 108 | 1976 | 1D | from $7,050 | 10 to 33 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Plancius |
 Expedition (G Adventures) |
G Adventures | Small-Ship Budget | 128 | 1976 | Ice Class 1A | from $7,439 | 11 to 14 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Expedition (G Adventures) |
 Hondius |
Oceanwide Expeditions | Small-Ship Budget | 170 | 2019 | Polar Class 6 | from $7,800 | 11 to 19 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Hondius |
 Ortelius |
Oceanwide Expeditions | Small-Ship Budget | 108 | 1989 | UL1 | from $7,800 | 11 to 25 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Ortelius |
 Sea Spirit |
Poseidon Expeditions | Small-Ship Budget | 114 | – | ice-strengthened hull | from $8,846 | 12 to 23 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Sea Spirit |
| SH Diana | Swan Hellenic | Standard Expedition | 192 | 2023 | PC5 | from $9,800 | 9 to 23 days | Cape Town, Ushuaia | Enquire about SH Diana |
 MS Fridtjof Nansen |
HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) | Standard Expedition | – | 2020 | – | from $10,485 | 15 to 19 days | Valparaíso, Buenos Aires | Enquire about MS Fridtjof Nansen |
 MS Roald Amundsen |
HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) | Standard Expedition | – | 2019 | – | from $10,863 | 12 to 16 days | Buenos Aires, Ushuaia | Enquire about MS Roald Amundsen |
 SH Minerva |
Swan Hellenic | Standard Expedition | 152 | 2021 | PC5 | from $11,675 | 9 to 23 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about SH Minerva |
 National Geographic Endurance |
Lindblad Expeditions (with National Geographic) | Standard Expedition | 138 | 2021 | PC5 | from $11,900 | 12 to 22 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about National Geographic Endurance |
 National Geographic Resolution |
Lindblad Expeditions (with National Geographic) | Standard Expedition | 138 | 2021 | PC5 | from $11,900 | 12 to 25 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about National Geographic Resolution |
 World Navigator |
Atlas Ocean Voyages | Upscale Expedition | – | – | Ice Class 1B, Polar Category C | from $12,150 | 10 to 12 days | Ushuaia, Buenos Aires | Enquire about World Navigator |
 Ocean Explorer |
Quark Expeditions | Upscale Expedition | 138 | – | 1A, PC6 | from $12,236 | 8 to 20 days | Ushuaia, Buenos Aires, Punta Arenas | Enquire about Ocean Explorer |
 Ultramarine |
Quark Expeditions | Upscale Expedition | 199 | – | 1A+, PC6 | from $12,236 | 12 to 14 days | Buenos Aires, Ushuaia | Enquire about Ultramarine |
 World Voyager |
Quark Expeditions | Upscale Expedition | 168 | – | 1B | from $12,236 | 8 to 14 days | Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas | Enquire about World Voyager |
 National Geographic Explorer |
Lindblad Expeditions (with National Geographic) | Upscale Expedition | 148 | – | Ice-reinforced hull | from $12,250 | 10 to 22 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about National Geographic Explorer |
 Magellan Discoverer |
Antarctica21 | Fly-Cruise | 88 | – | PC6 | from $13,795 | – | Punta Arenas (fly) to King George Island | Enquire about Magellan Discoverer |
 Magellan Explorer |
Antarctica21 | Fly-Cruise | 96 (88 in Antarctica) | 2019 | LR PC6 | from $13,795 | 8 days | Punta Arenas (fly) to King George Island | Enquire about Magellan Explorer |
 World Traveller |
Atlas Ocean Voyages | Upscale Expedition | – | – | Ice Class 1B, Polar Category C | from $14,114 | 8 to 19 days | Ushuaia, Buenos Aires | Enquire about World Traveller |
 MS Fram |
HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) | Upscale Expedition | 200 | 2007 | – | from $17,208 | 12 to 23 days | Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas | Enquire about MS Fram |
 L'Austral |
Ponant | Luxury | 264 | – | – | from $18,700 | 11 to 19 days | Ushuaia, Buenos Aires | Enquire about L'Austral |
 Greg Mortimer |
Aurora Expeditions | Upscale Expedition | 130 | 2019 | – | from $19,521 | 12 to 26 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Greg Mortimer |
 Sylvia Earle |
Aurora Expeditions | Upscale Expedition | 130 | 2022 | – | from $19,566 | 12 to 20 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Sylvia Earle |
 Le Boréal |
Ponant | Luxury | 264 | – | – | from $23,020 | 19 days | Ushuaia, Buenos Aires | Enquire about Le Boréal |
 Le Lyrial |
Ponant | Luxury | 245 | – | – | from $26,780 | 18 days | Ushuaia, Buenos Aires | Enquire about Le Lyrial |
 Le Soléal |
Ponant | Luxury | 264 | – | – | from $32,320 | 22 days | – | Enquire about Le Soléal |
 Douglas Mawson |
Aurora Expeditions | Upscale Expedition | 154 (130 in Antarctica) | 2025 | – | – | 34 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Douglas Mawson |
 Heritage Adventurer |
Heritage Expeditions | Upscale Expedition | 140 | 1991 | 1A Super | – | 28 days | Queenstown/Invercargill New Zealand | Enquire about Heritage Adventurer |
 Ocean Albatros |
Albatros Expeditions (sold via Polar Latitudes) | Standard Expedition | – | – | 1A | – | 10 to 11 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Ocean Albatros |
 Ocean Endeavour |
Intrepid Travel / G Adventures | – | 198 | 1982 | – | – | 11 to 14 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Ocean Endeavour |
 Ocean Nova |
Albatros Expeditions (sold via Polar Latitudes) / Antarctica21 | Standard Expedition | 80 | – | – | – | – | Ushuaia | Enquire about Ocean Nova |
 Ocean Victory |
Albatros Expeditions (sold via Polar Latitudes) | Standard Expedition | – | – | Ice Class 1A | – | – | Ushuaia | Enquire about Ocean Victory |
 Scenic Eclipse |
Scenic | Luxury | – | – | – | – | 13 to 22 days | – | Enquire about Scenic Eclipse |
 Scenic Eclipse II |
Scenic | Luxury | – | – | – | – | 13 to 22 days | – | Enquire about Scenic Eclipse II |
 Seabourn Pursuit |
Seabourn | Luxury | – | – | – | – | 10 to 21 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Seabourn Pursuit |
 Seabourn Venture |
Seabourn | Luxury | – | – | – | – | 10 to 21 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Seabourn Venture |
 SH Vega |
Swan Hellenic | Standard Expedition | 152 | 2022 | PC5 | – | 9 to 23 days | Ushuaia, Cape Town | Enquire about SH Vega |
 Silver Cloud |
Silversea | Luxury | 254 | – | – | – | 9 to 15 days | Puerto Williams | Enquire about Silver Cloud |
 Silver Endeavour |
Silversea | Luxury | 220 | – | PC6 | – | 6 to 13 days | King George Island, Puerto Williams | Enquire about Silver Endeavour |
 Silver Wind |
Silversea | Luxury | 274 | – | – | – | 9 to 15 days | Puerto Williams, King George Island | Enquire about Silver Wind |
 Ushuaia (Antarpply) |
Antarpply Expeditions | Small-Ship Budget | 90 | – | 1C ice-strengthened | – | 9 to 22 days | Ushuaia | Enquire about Ushuaia (Antarpply) |
 Viking Octantis |
Viking | Upscale Expedition | 378 | 2022 | Polar Class 6 | – | – | – | Enquire about Viking Octantis |
 Viking Polaris |
Viking | Upscale Expedition | 378 | 2022 | Polar Class 6 | – | – | – | Enquire about Viking Polaris |
No ship matches those answers.
A dash means the figure was not published where we read it. From-prices are the lowest fare found per person in US dollars, and they move with the date and cabin, so the quote is what confirms the real price.
Antarctica ships fall into four fare tiers: luxury, upscale expedition, standard expedition and small-ship budget. Fly-cruise is a format, not a fifth tier.
The luxury class holds 11 ships. From-prices range from $18,700 to $32,320 per person across the four ships with published fares. Passenger capacity runs 220 to 274 where operators publish it.
Thirteen upscale expedition ships carry 130 to 378 passengers, with lowest from-prices of $12,150 to $19,566 per person across the nine ships with published pricing.
Ten standard expedition ships carry 80 to 192 passengers, with lowest from-prices of $9,800 to $11,900 per person across the six ships with published pricing.
Six small budget ships carry 90 to 170 passengers, with lowest from-prices of $7,050 to $8,846 per person across the five ships with published pricing.
Format: fly-cruise 2 ships, from $13,795 per person. Two ships run fly-cruise voyages: guests fly from Punta Arenas to King George Island and skip the Drake Passage crossing entirely. Show them
Antarctic travel runs on strict rules set by the Antarctic Treaty parties and IAATO. These limits shape which ships can land you ashore, and how your time there is spent.
The most passengers one vessel may put ashore at a time, unless a specific site requires fewer.
One guide for every 20 passengers ashore, the staffing ratio applied to landings under IAATO rules.
Vessels carrying more than 500 fare-paying passengers are prohibited from making landings in Antarctica.
Landed visits across the 2025-26 season, counted by the industry body that tracks Antarctic tourism.
The austral summer window, October to April, when nearly all tourism voyages to the continent run.
Three route families cover most voyages: the Antarctic Peninsula, the Antarctic Circle, and South Georgia with the Falklands. Each card shows the voyage lengths ships list.
8 to 12 days30 of 43 ships list a voyage this long
The classic first trip. Thirty ships list a Peninsula voyage of 8 to 12 days, the shortest sailings out of Ushuaia, and the most visited stretch of the continent.
13 to 16 days20 of 43 ships list a voyage this long
Twenty ships list a voyage of 13 to 16 days. These run longer than the standard Peninsula trip and push further south, adding days on the water toward the Antarctic Circle.
19 to 23 days23 of 43 ships list a voyage this long
The longest option. Twenty-three ships list voyages of 19 to 23 days, pairing the Peninsula with sub-Antarctic island stops in South Georgia and the Falklands.
Almost every ship crosses the Drake Passage by sea from Ushuaia. Two fly-cruise ships skip the crossing entirely, flying passengers from Punta Arenas in Chile to meet the vessel on the far side.
| Feature | Sail the Drake | Fly the Drake |
|---|---|---|
| Crossing | 18 to 24 hours in good conditions, 36 to 48 hours in rougher seas | No sea crossing: a flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island |
| Departs from | Ushuaia (31 ships), Buenos Aires (11 ships) | Punta Arenas, Chile |
| Ships | 41 ships | 2 ships: Magellan Discoverer and Magellan Explorer |
| Lowest fares | from $7,050 | from $13,795 |
| Voyage length | 6 to 34 days | 8 days |
Crossing times are an expedition operator's own figures.
By the operator's own figures, the sea crossing takes 18 to 24 hours in good conditions and 36 to 48 hours in rougher seas. Flying trades that for a flight and a smaller ship.
Antarctica tourism runs October to April, and about 98% of tourism voyages sail in those seven months.
98% of tourism voyages sail in the seven austral summer months, October to April (Antarctic Treaty Secretariat).
Pick your dates inside that October to April window first. Which month suits you best depends on the ship and route, and the free quote lists departures that match your dates.
Start with price tier, because ship class drives the lowest fares. Small-ship budget berths start around $7,050 per person, while luxury ships run up to $32,320.
Small expedition ships carry under 120 passengers, larger ones over 200. Landing rules cap shore groups at 100 people, so smaller ships often get more guests ashore per outing.
Voyage length follows the route. Peninsula trips are the shortest, South Georgia and Falklands combinations the longest, with lengths running from 6 to 34 days across the ships.
Most sailings cross the Drake Passage: 18 to 24 hours in good conditions, 36 to 48 in rougher seas, an operator's figures. Fly-cruise ships skip it, flying from Punta Arenas to King George Island.
Send your shortlist through the free quote form on this site. The partner travel agency replies by email with real prices, cabin availability and departure dates for the ships you picked.
No two operators price a voyage the same way. Before you commit, read the quote line by line and check which of these basics are covered.
Short guides on the ships, the routes, what a voyage costs, the Drake Passage crossing and how to plan the trip, plus direct answers to the questions US travellers ask most.
Guides
Answers
Across the 26 ships with published starting prices, fares run from $7,050 to $32,320 per person. Where a ship falls in that range depends on the departure date, the cabin class and the length of the route. The free quote confirms the real price for the dates you want.
A traditional ship crossing of the Drake Passage takes about 18 to 24 hours in good conditions, and 36 to 48 hours in rougher seas, according to one operator's figures. Two fly-cruise ships skip the crossing entirely by flying from Punta Arenas to King George Island.
The season runs October to April, seven months in total, and about 98% of tourism voyages sail within that window. Any free quote you request will therefore list departures falling between October and April.
Antarctic rules cap landings at 100 passengers ashore from a vessel at one time, and some sites allow fewer. Ships carrying more than 500 passengers do not make landings at all. On shore, guides accompany groups at a ratio of one guide to every 20 passengers.
Yes. US citizens visit by joining an operator's voyage, and the operator files the required environmental paperwork with the US EPA. A valid passport is needed, and tourist stays of up to 90 days in Argentina or Chile require no visa.
Yes. Two fly-cruise ships skip the Drake Passage entirely: guests fly from Punta Arenas in Chile to King George Island and board the ship there. It is a premium option, with fly-cruise voyages starting from $13,795 per person, and a free quote will show current pricing.
Oleg G. has travelled to Antarctica once and spent two years researching every ship, route and booking option for this site. Cruises In Antarctica is an independent comparison of expedition ships; it does not sell voyages. The free quote request goes to a partner travel agency, which may compensate the site, and the site itself never takes payment.
Tell us your preferred dates and budget, and a partner travel agency will reply by email with voyage options matched to what you want. The consultation is free and carries no obligation, and nothing is sent until you complete the final step.