Polar Cruises & Expeditions

Voyages To The Ends Of The Earth

Expedition Cruise Routes

Cruises to the Arctic, Antarctica, and Patagonia offer more than one way to explore. Sail across the wild Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, or skip the crossing via fly-cruise options from Chile. Journey through the storied Northwest Passage, follow the Greenlandic coast, or circumnavigate Svalbard. In Patagonia, voyage along the Chilean fjords to Cape Horn or into the icy arms of the Southern Ice Field.

Each route has its own rhythm, its own signature, its own stories—and each is a chance to witness one of the planet’s most remarkable natural theaters unfold before your very eyes. Multiple paths there may be, but all share one destination: the extraordinary.

Antarctic Peninsula Cruise
Avg Length: 11 Day / 10 Night

Antarctic Peninsula Cruise

Explore the iceberg-cluttered waterways, bustling penguin rookeries, and iconic Kodak Alley, Paradise Bay, and Deception Island of the Antarctic Peninsula, the most accessible, wildlife-rich, and dazzling northernmost extremity of the White Continent.
Avg Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Embarkation Ports: Ushuaia
Sites: Beagle Channel, South Shetland Islands, Paradise Bay, Cuverville Island, + 4 More
A vessel navigates a calm, icy bay in front of a large glacier and towering, snow-dusted mountains under a clear sky.
Svalbard Cruises
Avg Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
A vessel navigates a calm, icy bay in front of a large glacier and towering, snow-dusted mountains under a clear sky.

Svalbard Cruises

Cruise the Svalbard archipelago in search of polar bears, sailing among sea ice, glaciers, and untouched Arctic tundra teeming with wildlife.
Avg Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
Embarkation Ports: Longyearbyen
Sites: Longyearbyen
Antarctica town aerial view
Antarctica Fly-Cruise
Avg Length: 7 Day / 6 Night
Antarctica town aerial view

Antarctica Fly-Cruise

Fly the Drake from Punta Arenas to the Antarctic archipelago of the South Shetlands, in one or both directions, and avoid its long sailing days and stormy seas to minimize your chances of seasickness and maximize your cruising time in Antarctica proper.
Avg Length: 7 Day / 6 Night
Embarkation Ports: Punta Arenas
Sites: Cape Horn, Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, King George Island, + 1 More
View from the bow of a ship sailing through calm, deep blue water surrounded by towering, rocky cliffs under a blue sky.
Arctic Circle Cruises
Avg Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
View from the bow of a ship sailing through calm, deep blue water surrounded by towering, rocky cliffs under a blue sky.

Arctic Circle Cruises

Venture beyond the Arctic Circle into a world of midnight sun and drifting icebergs, where polar bears roam and glacial scenery stretches as far as the eye can see.
Avg Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Embarkation Ports: Longyearbyen, Reykjavik, Kangerlussuaq
Sites: Sørøya, Senja Island, Bear Island (Bjørnøya), Svalbard, + 1 More
Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia Cruise
Avg Length: 21 Day / 20 Night

Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia Cruise

Embark on an epic odyssey to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia en route to the Antarctic Peninsula, sub-Antarctic islands home to breathtaking landscapes, stirring heritage, and colossal colonies of southern elephant seals, fur seals, penguins, and more.
Avg Length: 21 Day / 20 Night
Embarkation Ports: Ushuaia
Sites: Tierra del Fuego, Beagle Channel, South Shetland Islands, King George Island, + 6 More
Colorful houses dot a rocky hillside overlooking a calm blue bay with icebergs and snow-capped mountains under a clear sky.
Greenland Cruises
Avg Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Colorful houses dot a rocky hillside overlooking a calm blue bay with icebergs and snow-capped mountains under a clear sky.

Greenland Cruises

Embark on a cruise along Greenland’s rugged coastlines, where colossal glaciers calve into iceberg-filled fjords beside vibrant Inuit settlements.
Avg Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Embarkation Ports: Nuuk, Ilulissat, Kangerlussuaq
Sites: Copenhagen, Sisimiut, Qeqertarsuaq, Disko Bay, + 4 More
Patagonia & Antarctica Cruise
Avg Length: 23 Day / 22 Night

Patagonia & Antarctica Cruise

Journey through the dramatic landscapes and ethereal majesty of Patagonia and Antarctica on an icebound voyage exploring remote Chilean fjords and polar shores teeming with towering glaciers, remarkable species, and unbridled adventure.
Avg Length: 23 Day / 22 Night
Embarkation Ports: Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt, Ushuaia, Valparaíso
Sites: Punta Arenas, Antarctic Peninsula, Cape Horn, Chilean Fjords, + 4 More
Satellite view of a partially frozen Arctic landscape showing islands, waterways, and ice formations under cloudy skies.
Northwest Passage Cruises
Avg Length: 23 Day / 22 Night
Satellite view of a partially frozen Arctic landscape showing islands, waterways, and ice formations under cloudy skies.

Northwest Passage Cruises

Trace the legendary Arctic route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific through the Canadian Arctic, with stops at historic sites and remote Inuit communities.
Avg Length: 23 Day / 22 Night
Embarkation Ports: Anchorage, Nuuk, Nome, Reykjavik
Sites: Nuuk, Sisimiut, Disko Bay, Ilulissat, + 3 More
Penguins on the iceberg
Weddell Sea Cruise
Avg Length: 16 Day / 15 Night
Penguins on the iceberg

Weddell Sea Cruise

Travel the lesser-visited eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula into the rarely seen wilderness of the Weddell Sea to be awe-struck by its astonishingly large tabular icebergs, emperor penguins, and sea life, including various ice seals, whales and orcas.
Avg Length: 16 Day / 15 Night
Embarkation Ports: Ushuaia
Sites: Tierra del Fuego, Beagle Channel, Point Wild – Elephant Island, Weddell Sea, + 11 More
Penguins on the ice
Ross Sea & East Antarctica Cruise
Avg Length: 30 Day / 29 Night
Penguins on the ice

Ross Sea & East Antarctica Cruise

Visit one of the most scenic, remote, and history-rich shorelines of Antarctica in the Ross Sea, marvel at the world’s largest ice shelf and Adélie penguin rookery, its southernmost active volcano, and the unbelievably well-preserved huts of Scott and Shackleton.
Avg Length: 30 Day / 29 Night
Embarkation Ports: Port of Bluff, Hobart
Sites: Port of Bluff, The Snares, Auckland Islands, Enderby Island, + 12 More
A large glacier with a blue ice face meets calm, dark water, with snow-capped mountains rising in the background under an overcast sky.
Canadian Arctic (High Arctic) Cruises
Avg Length: 14 Day / 13 Night
A large glacier with a blue ice face meets calm, dark water, with snow-capped mountains rising in the background under an overcast sky.

Canadian Arctic (High Arctic) Cruises

Explore the untamed beauty of the Canadian High Arctic, where ice-choked channels reveal dramatic fjords, Arctic wildlife, and ancient Inuit heritage.
Avg Length: 14 Day / 13 Night
Embarkation Ports: Iqaluit, Nuuk
Sites: Flatey Island, Westfjords of Iceland, Denmark Strait, Prince Christian Sound, + 34 More
Icebergs and ice floes drift in a calm, reflective body of water under a vibrant, colorful sunset sky.
Iceland Cruises
Avg Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
Icebergs and ice floes drift in a calm, reflective body of water under a vibrant, colorful sunset sky.

Iceland Cruises

Circle the Land of Fire and Ice on an unforgettable expedition cruise, discovering geothermal wonders, icy fjords, black sand beaches, and puffin-covered cliffs.
Avg Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
Embarkation Ports: Reykjavik, Ísafjörður
Sites: Westfjords of Iceland, Siglufjörður, Húsavík, Borgarfjarðarhöfn, + 2 More
Close-up of a map centered on the Arctic Ocean with a red pushpin marking the North Pole.
North Pole Cruises
Avg Length: 15 Day / 14 Night
Close-up of a map centered on the Arctic Ocean with a red pushpin marking the North Pole.

North Pole Cruises

Break through sea ice aboard a remarkable icebreaker to reach 90° North, and stand at the the top of the world, where adventure and exploration heritage peaks.
Avg Length: 15 Day / 14 Night
Embarkation Ports: Longyearbyen
Sites: Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, North Pole, Ny-Ålesund
Dramatic view of icebergs
Antarctic Circle Cruise
Avg Length: 13 Day / 12 Night
Dramatic view of icebergs

Antarctic Circle Cruise

Cruise in the wake of Captain James Cook far off Antarctica’s main tourist circuit to cross the fabled Antarctic Circle, the southernmost of the globe’s great lines of latitude at roughly 66 degrees, realm of the midnight sun and true bottom of the world.
Avg Length: 13 Day / 12 Night
Embarkation Ports: Ushuaia
Sites: King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Sound, Gerlache Strait, + 2 More
Sunset over the rough sea
Drake Passage Cruise
Avg Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Sunset over the rough sea

Drake Passage Cruise

Traverse one of the world’s most fabled seaways, the legendary Drake Passage separating the tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego, from the Antarctic Peninsula, on a high-seas adventure across the waves of this mythic ocean road rich in wildlife and icebergs.
Avg Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Embarkation Ports: Ushuaia
Sites: Beagle Channel, South Shetland Islands, Paradise Bay, Cuverville Island, + 4 More
A large, arched iceberg dominates a cold, choppy sea dotted with smaller ice chunks, with a red-sailed boat in the distance under a cloudy sky.
Iceland & Greenland Cruises
Avg Length: 14 Day / 13 Night
A large, arched iceberg dominates a cold, choppy sea dotted with smaller ice chunks, with a red-sailed boat in the distance under a cloudy sky.

Iceland & Greenland Cruises

Sail from volcanic Iceland to Greenland’s icy wilderness, where colorful villages meet towering glaciers and ancient Inuit culture thrives.
Avg Length: 14 Day / 13 Night
Embarkation Ports: Reykjavik, Ísafjörður, Kangerlussuaq, Nuuk
Sites: King Frederick VI Land
Aerial view of a snow-covered, mountainous landscape meeting a dark blue body of water, partially obscured by clouds.
Pole-to-Pole Cruises
Avg Length: 80 Day / 79 Night
Aerial view of a snow-covered, mountainous landscape meeting a dark blue body of water, partially obscured by clouds.

Pole-to-Pole Cruises

Embark on an epic journey from the Arctic to Antarctica, crossing the equator and visiting the world's most remote landscapes and biodiverse regions.
Avg Length: 80 Day / 79 Night
Embarkation Ports: Longyearbyen, Reykjavik, Ushuaia
Sites:
Sample
Fly
Cruise
Cruise ship sailing away into the ice covered sea

Expedition Cruises

Unlike traditional ocean or river cruises—where stifling itineraries serve up a prescribed platter of observation from afar, overcrowded port cities, and a circus of onboard entertainment for swollen manifests—expedition cruises are intimate, inimitable adventures by small-ship designed for flexible and active discovery at the edge of the world, voyages of immersion with like-minded explorers into Earth’s last great wildernesses. Though profoundly different in mood and form, each destination embodies the essence of expedition cruising: raw beauty, intimate wildlife encounters, and the thrill of exploring where few—if any—have ever been.

A baby emperor penguin chick huddles between two adult penguins in a snow-covered landscape.

Antarctica

Antarctica is not simply a place on a map—it’s an idea, a dream, a pristine realm that rewrites the rules of reality. This is a land of paradoxes: a frozen desert teeming with life, a place so vast it feels like another planet, yet so intimately moving it changes all who visit. Towering tabular icebergs drift silently through steel-blue waters; glacier-fringed mountains glow in the midnight sun; and beneath the surface, a thriving marine world pulses with energy. Whether standing in the company of chinstrap penguins or kayaking past cathedral-like ice formations, you’ll come to realize Antarctica is less about where you go, and more about who you become in its presence.

A close-up of a white harp seal pup with large dark eyes and a black nose, lying on snow.

Arctic

Once the domain of fur traders, indigenous pioneers, and intrepid explorers, the Arctic’s stark grandeur spans polar desert, fjord, and ice pack. Here, the northernmost reaches of our blue planet beckon with ephemeral beauty: dazzling polar skies swathed in auroral light, great white expanses where musk ox and polar bear roam, and ocean passages where narwhal and beluga weave through pack ice. Visits to remote communities tether you to human resilience and ancient ways, while the silence of frozen seas, broken only by crackling floes and the distant echo of calving glaciers, stirs something primal. Austerity transforms into warmth, humility, and inspiration to reveal a realm that exalts above all others in more ways than one.

Sealions in Patagonia

Patagonia

At the southern extremity of South America, Patagonia reveals a wild canvas of jagged peaks, glasslike lakes, and glaciers calving into cold Pacific waters. The air tastes of ancient stone and snowmelt; condors wheel above. Here, the Southern Hemisphere’s windiest landscapes cradle Magellanic penguins, guanacos, and Andean creatures adapted to life on the edge. Trekking across feather‑soft lenga forests into the shadow of granite towers awakens a reverence for the raw, unbridled power of nature. Whether tracing ancient indigenous paths or riding Zodiacs through channels edged with glacier-tongues, expect an immersion that’s at once visceral and transformational—landscapes and stories carved over millennia, alive with elemental beauty.

Best-Selling Expedition Cruises

Some journeys have earned their legendary status. Whether it’s a classic Antarctic Peninsula voyage, an epic trip to Antarctica via South Georgia and the Falklands, or the Arctic odyssey tracing polar bear territory in Svalbard, our best-selling expedition cruises have captured the hearts of thousands.

These itineraries plot popular paths through the planet’s most pristine places, and offer the perfect balance of comfort, accessibility, and immersion—curated, intrepid, once-in-a-lifetime journeys brimming with adventure.

Antarctica Cruises

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica (21D) - Photographic Special

Length: 21 Day / 20 Night
Ships: Hondius
USD$ 14,800 - USD$ 26,400
Per Person
Up to 30% savings

Across the Antarctic Circle (13D)

Length: 13 Day / 12 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle, Greg Mortimer
USD$ 14,236 - USD$ 32,041
Per Person

Quest for the Antarctic Circle

Length: 14 Day / 13 Night
Ships: MS Expedition
USD$ 10,159 - USD$ 22,399
Per Person
Up to 20% savings

Antarctic Peninsula: Fly the Drake

Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
Ships: Douglas Mawson
USD$ 21,436 - USD$ 37,036
Per Person
Up to 26% savings

Antarctica All Access (11D)

Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Ships: Ocean Albatros
USD$ 8,475 - USD$ 18,220
Per Person

Inaugural Air-Cruise

Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
Ships: Magellan Discoverer
USD$ 18,995
Per Person

Galapagos of the Southern Ocean: New Zealand and Australia's Subantarctic Islands

Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Ships: Heritage Adventurer
USD$ 9,990 - USD$ 23,000
Per Person

Best of Antarctica: Whale Journey

Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Ships: Ocean Nova
USD$ 9,575 - USD$ 18,145
Per Person
Up to 15% savings

In Shackleton’s Footsteps

Length: 20 Day / 19 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle
USD$ 22,776 - USD$ 36,376
Per Person

Christmas & New Year in Antarctica (12D)

Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Ships: Sea Spirit
USD$ 11,795 - USD$ 26,795
Per Person

The Emperor Penguins of the Weddell Sea (14D)

Length: 13 Day / 12 Night
Ships: Le Commandant Charcot
USD$ 32,410 - USD$ 74,790
Per Person

Antarctica & Falklands Expedition (Northbound)

Length: 19 Day / 18 Night
Ships: MS Fridtjof Nansen
USD$ 11,781 - USD$ 18,393
Per Person
Up to 30% savings

The Ultimate Antarctica Experience - Quest for The Circle

Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Ships: Ocean Victory
USD$ 9,237 - USD$ 16,867
Per Person

Remote Weddell Sea Explorer Including SGSSI & Helicopters

Length: 28 Day / 27 Night
Ships: Ortelius
USD$ 26,500 - USD$ 37,000
Per Person

Classic Antarctica (10D)

Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
Ships: St. Helena
USD$ 7,990 - USD$ 17,280
Per Person

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Elephant Island - Antarctica - Polar Circle

Length: 23 Day / 22 Night
Ships: Hondius
USD$ 16,950 - USD$ 31,000
Per Person

Antarctica Classic in Depth

Length: 13 Day / 12 Night
Ships: MS Expedition
USD$ 10,334 - USD$ 18,999
Per Person
Up to 40% savings

Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula (22D)

Length: 22 Day / 21 Night
Ships: Douglas Mawson, Sylvia Earle
USD$ 19,197 - USD$ 47,276
Per Person

Voyage to Antarctica

Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Ships: National Geographic Resolution, National Geographic Endurance
USD$ 13,584 - USD$ 43,437
Per Person
Up to 25% savings

South Georgia & Antarctic Odyssey

Length: 21 Day / 20 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle, Greg Mortimer
USD$ 19,121 - USD$ 43,856
Per Person
Up to 31% savings

Weddell Sea - In Search of the Emperor Penguin

Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Ships: Ortelius
USD$ 9,050 - USD$ 17,850
Per Person
Up to 34% savings

Classic South Georgia

Length: 22 Day / 21 Night
Ships: MV Ushuaia
USD$ 8,190 - USD$ 20,390
Per Person
Up to 13% savings

Whale Season in Antarctica

Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Ships: Seaventure
USD$ 11,275 - USD$ 14,435
Per Person
Up to 20% savings

Subantarctic Discovery

Length: 15 Day / 14 Night
Ships: Douglas Mawson
USD$ 12,556 - USD$ 21,196
Per Person
Up to 30% savings

Epic Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica

Length: 19 Day / 18 Night
Ships: Ocean Albatros
USD$ 30,377
Per Person

Arctic Cruises

Epic Northwest Passage: Iceland to Japan

Length: 70 Day / 69 Night
Ships: National Geographic Resolution
USD$ 108,285 - USD$ 214,189
Per Person
Up to 15% savings

Iceland & East Greenland: Through the Lens Photography

Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle
USD$ 13,766 - USD$ 25,836
Per Person

Svalbard: In Search Of Iconic Arctic Wildlife

Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
Ships: National Geographic Resolution, National Geographic Endurance
USD$ 14,420 - USD$ 29,120
Per Person
Up to 20% savings

Spitsbergen: Realm of the Ice Bear

Length: 8 Day / 7 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle, Greg Mortimer
USD$ 11,516 - USD$ 32,956
Per Person

Sailing the St. Lawrence Seaway and Canadian Maritimes

Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Ships: National Geographic Explorer
USD$ 12,688 - USD$ 26,980
Per Person
Up to 20% savings

Northwest Passage

Length: 16 Day / 15 Night
Ships: Greg Mortimer
USD$ 20,396 - USD$ 38,396
Per Person
Up to 20% savings

Northern Lights Explorer

Length: 18 Day / 17 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle
USD$ 17,036 - USD$ 54,141
Per Person
Up to 15% savings

The Arctic Women's Expedition: Svalbard & Greenland

Length: 15 Day / 14 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle
USD$ 19,546 - USD$ 36,716
Per Person
Up to 15% savings

Svalbard Circumnavigation

Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
Ships: Ocean Albatros
USD$ 7,895 - USD$ 16,146
Per Person
Up to 20% savings

Svalbard Odyssey

Length: 12 Day / 11 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle, Greg Mortimer
USD$ 14,956 - USD$ 42,071
Per Person

South Greenland Exploration: Fjords, Waterfalls and Fishing Villages

Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Ships: National Geographic Explorer
USD$ 11,690 - USD$ 24,250
Per Person

The Geographic North Pole (13D)

Length: 13 Day / 12 Night
Ships: Le Commandant Charcot
USD$ 36,190 - USD$ 86,300
Per Person
Up to 25% savings

Iceland: Circumnavigating the Land of Fire and Ice

Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Ships: Greg Mortimer
USD$ 12,446 - USD$ 23,541
Per Person

Southeast Greenland: Exploring At The Edge Of The Ice Cap

Length: 10 Day / 9 Night
Ships: National Geographic Resolution, National Geographic Endurance
USD$ 15,679 - USD$ 29,436
Per Person

The Geographic North Pole (16D)

Length: 16 Day / 15 Night
Ships: Le Commandant Charcot
USD$ 44,900 - USD$ 101,260
Per Person

Northwest Passage: Greenland To Alaska (Eastbound)

Length: 24 Day / 23 Night
Ships: National Geographic Resolution
USD$ 57,728 - USD$ 129,382
Per Person

The Geographic North Pole and the east coast of Greenland

Length: 18 Day / 17 Night
Ships: Le Commandant Charcot
USD$ 51,150 - USD$ 120,300
Per Person

Northwest Passage: Greenland To Alaska (Westbound)

Length: 23 Day / 22 Night
Ships: National Geographic Resolution
USD$ 57,728 - USD$ 129,382
Per Person
Up to 20% savings

Iceland & East Greenland - Under the Northern Lights

Length: 11 Day / 10 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle
USD$ 13,596 - USD$ 25,596
Per Person

Disko Bay

Length: 8 Day / 7 Night
Ships: Ocean Albatros
USD$ 7,695 - USD$ 16,695
Per Person

Arctic Odyssey: Iceland, Greenland & Canada

Length: 15 Day / 14 Night
Ships: National Geographic Explorer
USD$ 28,405 - USD$ 47,844
Per Person

Total Solar Eclipse in The Far North

Length: 14 Day / 13 Night
Ships: Le Lyrial
USD$ 45,270 - USD$ 66,280
Per Person
Up to 25% savings

Arctic Golden Autumn & Northern Lights

Length: 17 Day / 16 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle
USD$ 21,971 - USD$ 38,096
Per Person

Total Solar Eclipse from Iceland to Ireland

Length: 9 Day / 8 Night
Ships: Le Lapérouse
USD$ 13,430 - USD$ 27,910
Per Person
Up to 15% savings

Polar Bears in the Changing Arctic: New Scientist Discovery Tours

Length: 8 Day / 7 Night
Ships: Greg Mortimer
USD$ 12,236 - USD$ 23,031
Per Person

Patagonia Cruises

Up to 25% savings

Essential Patagonia: Chilean Fjords & Torres del Paine

Length: 15 Day / 14 Night
Ships: Ultramarine
USD$ 12,901 - USD$ 29,091
Per Person
Up to 15% savings

Patagonia & Chilean Fjords

Length: 15 Day / 14 Night
Ships: Sylvia Earle
USD$ 11,556 - USD$ 23,796
Per Person

Antarctica & Patagonia: Legendary Ice & Epic Fjords (18D Southbound)

Length: 18 Day / 17 Night
Ships: National Geographic Resolution
USD$ 17,388 - USD$ 32,644
Per Person

Kaweskar Route

Length: 5 Day / 4 Night
Ships: Skorpios III
USD$ 2,590 - USD$ 3,800
Per Person

Nomads of Patagonia

Length: 8 Day / 7 Night
Ships: Skorpios III
USD$ 3,200 - USD$ 3,950
Per Person

Patagonia & Chilean Fjords (Southbound)

Length: 9 Day / 8 Night
Ships: Magellan Explorer
USD$ 4,995 - USD$ 7,995
Per Person

Patagonia & Chilean Fjords (Northbound)

Length: 9 Day / 8 Night
Ships: Magellan Explorer
USD$ 4,995 - USD$ 7,995
Per Person

The Expedition Cruise Experience

Every expedition begins with a calling. My own began years ago—not with a compass, but with a question: What does it mean to truly experience the ends of the Earth? I founded Antarctica Cruises to help people connect with the world in its rawest, purest forms.

The polar regions and Patagonia remain some of the last true wildernesses—places where silence echoes, wildlife reigns, and nature still remains untamed by mankind. Our mission is simple: to share these places with those who seek meaningful adventure, to educate and advocate for their preservation, ensuring every journey leaves an indelible impression on both heart and mind.

Jeremy Clubb, Antarctica Cruises' Founder & Director
Jeremy Clubb
Founder & Director
A seal barks from atop an ice floe during a sunset over a sea filled with chunks of ice. An Atlantic Puffin with a colorful beak holds a small stick, silhouetted against a bright orange sunset.
Passengers in a zodiac during snowfall

Explore With Experts

Expedition cruising is defined not only by where you travel—but with whom. Each voyage is accompanied by a team of hand-selected experts: glaciologists, ornithologists, marine biologists, polar historians, and local guides whose life work has been dedicated to understanding these remote corners of the world.

They lead excursions, deliver lectures, and bring scientific insight to every sighting—from the patterns in an iceberg to the behavior of a seal colony. It’s a masterclass in exploration, where learning is constant and discovery, inevitable.

Meet The Locals

From the thunderous crash of a breaching humpback whale to the curious gaze of a waddling penguin, wildlife in the polar regions is both abundant and unafraid. In the Southern Ocean, you’ll share shores with elephant seals and colonies of Adélie, gentoo, and emperor penguins. In the Arctic, gaze across sea ice for polar bears on the prowl or watch a pod of belugas slice through frigid waters.

Patagonia, too, offers encounters with majestic condors, elusive pumas, and playful sea lions. These are not zoo-like sightings—they are wildlife encounters that will steal your breath and your heart, moments of mutual recognition between you and the wild, fleeting and unforgettable.

Black and white photo of five male Antarctic explorers in heavy winter gear, three standing and two sitting, with flags behind them.

Follow In Their Footsteps

The polar regions are hallowed ground for the adventurous soul, where legendary explorers once carved paths through the ice. Trace the icy wake of Shackleton, whose heroic voyage in the Endurance has become expedition lore. Visit preserved huts used by Scott, Amundsen, and Mawson during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration—time capsules of courage, grit, and fortitude.

In the Arctic, reflect on the journeys of Franklin and Nansen as you pass through legendary waterways like the Northwest Passage, or ponder the pioneering voyages of explorers like Magellan and Moreno in Patagonia as you traverse its majestic glacial waterways. To travel here is not only to witness the extremes—but to join a centuries-old lineage of those who dared to go further.

A Gentoo penguin sits on a rocky nest with a large cruise ship and snow-covered mountains in the background

The Essence of Expedition Cruising

Expedition cruising defies traditional travel logic. There are no fixed ports, no pre-planned sightseeing. Instead, every day is dictated by weather, wildlife, and opportunity. No itinerary. No clock. Just the call of the wild. One morning might bring an unexpected whale pod at dawn; another, a perfect landing spot unveiled by retreating fog.

Your captain and expedition leader work in real-time to shape the journey, responding to ice conditions and wildlife sightings with flexibility and finesse. It’s travel at its most spontaneous and rewarding—a true voyage of discovery where nature writes the script.

An adult Emperor penguin with a yellow patch on its neck stands tall among a group of fluffy grey chicks on snow

Becoming an Ambassador

Few return from an expedition cruise unchanged. To stand amid melting glaciers or witness a mother penguin feeding her chick in a warming world is to confront both nature’s grandeur and its fragility. Our expeditions don’t just show you the planet—they ask what role you’ll play in protecting it.

Learn from onboard experts about climate change, conservation, and indigenous knowledge. Then return home not just as a traveler, but as a steward—a polar ambassador committed to preserving these vanishing frontiers for their own sake, and for future generations.

Expedition Cruise Ships

Our expedition cruise vessels are built for extremes but designed for experience, combining the latest in polar technology with thoughtful, low-impact design. Small in size but mighty in capability, these ships can navigate narrow fjords, break through sea ice, and explore uncharted waters where larger vessels cannot go.

On board, you’ll find expert lecture rooms, Zodiac embarkation points, observation decks, and comfortable quarters. Some ships feature science labs, wellness spaces, or luxury touches—but all are united by a single purpose: getting you safely and sustainably to the world’s most remote destinations.

Up to 30% savings

Ocean Albatros

8-20 Days, 23 Itineraries
175 Guests, Mid-Range
USD$ 5,495 - USD$ 44,281
Per Person
Up to 29% savings

Ultramarine

12-23 Days, 7 Itineraries
199 Guests, Luxury
USD$ 12,901 - USD$ 78,781
Per Person
Up to 30% savings

Greg Mortimer

8-29 Days, 16 Itineraries
132 Guests, Mid-Range
USD$ 11,516 - USD$ 120,396
Per Person
Up to 30% savings

Ocean Victory

9-20 Days, 11 Itineraries
189 Guests, Mid-Range
USD$ 7,417 - USD$ 39,861
Per Person
Up to 25% savings

World Explorer

8-18 Days, 5 Itineraries
172 Guests, Mid-Range
USD$ 12,556 - USD$ 35,996
Per Person
Up to 25% savings

Sylvia Earle

8-23 Days, 21 Itineraries
132 Guests, Mid-Range
USD$ 11,516 - USD$ 60,795
Per Person
Magellan Explorer Cruise

Magellan Explorer

6-20 Days, 9 Itineraries
96 Guests, Mid-Range
USD$ 4,995 - USD$ 38,995
Per Person

MS Expedition

11-22 Days, 5 Itineraries
128 Guests, Mid-Range
USD$ 6,299 - USD$ 36,399
Per Person
Up to 30% savings

Ocean Explorer

8-20 Days, 9 Itineraries
138 Guests, Mid-Range
USD$ 13,226 - USD$ 41,756
Per Person

MS Fridtjof Nansen

12-19 Days, 2 Itineraries
530 Guests, Luxury
USD$ 10,132 - USD$ 18,393
Per Person

MS Roald Amundsen

12-18 Days, 7 Itineraries
532 Guests, Luxury
USD$ 9,496 - USD$ 22,199
Per Person

MS Fram

23 Days, 2 Itineraries
318 Guests, Mid-Range
USD$ 17,003 - USD$ 53,866
Per Person

Polar Cruise Reviews

LS A large white and gray expedition cruise ship sails through calm, ice-strewn water, surrounded by snow-covered mountains.
Lynn S.
November 2024
Expect exceptional, excellent service with whatever our heart desires. I only cared about the offerings and found a representative that took care of us throughout the booking process, to the details of the cruise, and following up after the cruise. Gareth was knowledgeable, kind, and patient. It's more than enough to h...
MS
Meg S.
December 2024
We went on a cruise to Antarctica in December 2024 and had an experience of a life time. We got to see breathtaking views, encounter many wild animals especially penguins, and enjoy luxurious days filled with exceptional services and delicious food. We truly recommend this trip to anyone interested. Last but not least,...
GC
Gary C.
February 2025
I just got back from an Antarctic Expedition cruise on the Ocean Albatros ship. Cruise embarked from Ushuaia Argentina from February 19 - March 3, 2025. Not surprisingly, the Drake lived up to it infamous reputation as we stayed anchored for about 2 days in Beagle channel. Regardless, I worked thru Joel and he was supe...

Expedition Cruise Guide

Embarking on an expedition cruise is not like planning a typical vacation. Such off-grid odysseys require a lot more preparation. In our complete Expedition Cruise Guide, we detail everything from the best travel seasons and wildlife calendars to packing lists, visa requirements, and physical fitness considerations.

You’ll find comparisons between ship styles, expert tips for photography, and advice on selecting the right itinerary for your interests. Consider this your compass to navigating the world of polar travel—practical, inspiring, and essential.

EXCLUSIVE 30% OFF on the last Superior Balcony Staterooms – Antarctic Peninsula & Extreme Weddell Sea 12D

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