Antarctica – A Taste of the Frozen Continent

Some facts:

• Antarctica is called the Frozen Continent or the White Continent, because it’s covered by a thick layer of ice that measures about 2,000m (6,500ft) and all the snow gives it a white appearance.
• It is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on earth.
• Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent on earth at almost twice the size of Australia.
• It’s the only continent without year-round inhabitants – While there are research stations on Antarctica, no permanent human population lives there due to the harsh climate and remote location.
• The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 by twelve nations, is a unique and unprecedented agreement to keep peace in Antarctica and act towards its best interests. It applies to the area south of latitude 60°S.
• The Antarctic Peninsula makes up a small fraction of the continent, but is the area where tourism is concentrated, due to its unique landscape, abundant marine life, milder climate, and decent accessibility.

My fascination

I don’t like being cold, so I can’t say going to Antarctica has been a life-long dream, but my interest about it started when travel became my life (which it has been for 20+ years) and I discovered “the world was my oyster.” My curiosity about new experiences and places is insatiable. The few people who visited this continent a decade ago, raved about it and their photos were stunning.

In 2015, I discovered the UK had a post office on the continent that needed staff. After some research, I applied for a job as a Port Lockroy assistant to work in Antarctica for five months during the 2016-2017 season. I don’t know what I was thinking. The logistics would be quite difficult for us and only four candidates would make the cut. Needless to say, I didn’t even reach the second round, but my fascination to visit grew.

At some point (December 2019), my blogging friends Steven and Annie Berger posted about their journey to Antarctica (here, here, here, here, and here) and my heart jumped. They inspired me to keep the desire alive. I recently discovered they were actually on the same ship (Ushuaia) than me!

And then, in November 2022, the three of us arrived in South America with the goal of driving all the way to “the end of the world,” namely Ushuaia, which is the gateway to Antarctica. I’d never come this close to the seventh continent and I would never be able to visit for less money than from there. Overlanding friends had enjoyed a cruise to Antarctica in the 2023-2024 season for the last-minute price of $5,000 or less, depending on the comfort level of the ship. I could swallow that; I had savings. The plan was hatched for austral summer 2024-2025. We only had to find a solution for Maya. Or so we thought.

The reality

I mentioned before that Mark and I are slow travelers. Usually, that’s a good thing. We take our time, immerse ourselves in the local cultures, enjoy our surroundings, combine work and leisure, and live more than travel in the places we pass through. But, just like arriving a year too late to take advantage of Argentina’s low cost of living, we arrived too late for “cheap” cruises to Antarctica.

From the moment we reached Ushuaia, we looked into a boarding facility for Maya (not the greatest idea for her frantic, scared, and emotional state of mind) and asked at the visitor center which travel agencies offered “last-minute” deals to Antarctica. They gave us a list of addresses – some existed, some didn’t, but none of the agents offered cruises for $5,000 or less. The term “last-minute” was also wrong, as they had “discounted” tours for February and March. It was December. Being put on a cancellation list and then paying a better price, since cruise ship companies had made their money already (fees are non-refundable and cancellation policies would refund the customer) is not a thing.

The bottom line was that a luxury 10-day cruise on so-called premium ships would cost around $8,500 per person, at a discount. Way above our budget. Since this was the style Mark had in mind, he was out.

The only other “deal” available was a bunk bed in a two-person cabin with a shared bathroom (for four people) for $6,200. Or, the agent could put me on a waiting list for a 3-person female share for $5,700. This room was full, but there might be a cancellation. I asked her to put my name on the list for this trip from January 8^th to 18^th. I’d pay the extra $700 to be able to go. These cabins were located on the ex-expedition ship MV Ushuaia, a basic research vessel that was converted for tourism. Not the cruise anyone had in mind…

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Within the week, it became clear that my chances to obtain a bunk in the triple were as good as zero. My agent told me she’d booked a twin room for me, as they were filling up fast. I’d have to decide over the weekend if I’d take it. I texted her that my (new) budget was $5,700 and I would not go above it.

On Monday: “Liesbet, I have good news for you. The shipping company is willing to take $5,900 for the berth.” Nope. “I’m sorry, Mariana, my limit is $5,700.”

Eventually, she said that was fine but I had to pay by bank transfer within 24 hours (there was a steep fee for credit card payments) – luckily, we had set aside my money for this beforehand – and the agency was not able to provide free rental gear for the trip within that negotiated price.

Yay! After believing it wouldn’t happen, I was going to Antarctica after all. I’d figure out warm clothing.

The logistics

Mark, Maya, and I had to kill two weeks in/around Ushuaia before my departure on January 8^th. Luckily, the area offers a lot of great trails and beautiful wild camping. Then, Mark and Maya needed to entertain themselves for another ten days, which added up to five weeks in the same locale! They had horrible, cold and rainy weather and needed to move when a river was flooding.

This “cruise” (I prefer to call it trip, journey, or adventure) was advertised as an 11-day package, but in reality, I boarded the ship at 4pm on the first day and left around 8:30am on the last day. So, in actuality, this was a 10-night/9-day sail.

All meals were included and contained of a buffet breakfast, a three-course sit down lunch and dinner in the shared dining room that fit all of the 88 passengers, and tea time around 4pm, which involved pastries and/or cookies. Tea and coffee were available in the lounge 24/7. There were 43 crew members including the engine, kitchen, and cleaning staff.

The MV Ushuaia is ran and maintained by the company Antarpply (here is their website for anyone interested in more details). Travel agencies in Ushuaia offer a discount of around $1,500.

Renting gear like winter parkas, waterproof pants, hats, scarfs, and insulated boots was pricy (around $150 for the lot), so I came up with other solutions. Our friend Jeff was willing to part with his waterproof-fleece pants for $20, Sheri generously gave me her leggings (I must be the only woman who didn’t have a pair) and fluffy scarf, and I discovered my rain jacket fit over my down coat. Armed with that, two pairs of gloves (one fingerless alpaca set from our US friend Denise), two hats (one gifted by my tour agency Rumba Sur), wool socks, and normal clothes, I was all set! Rubber boots were provided on board.

The trip

Usually, the nine days are divided into four days to cross the infamous and tumultuous Drake Passage – two to get south and two to return to South America (everyone, including a very-prone-to-seasickness me, dreads this part) – and five days on the frozen continent. But the brochure and information urge you to be flexible, because EVERYTHING is weather dependent; from the times of the crossing to the stops in Antarctica.

To my dismay, conditions were too rough to start the passage that first night, so we “sat” in the sheltered waters of the Beagle Channel for an extra ten hours, leaving on this journey half a day late. The good thing: I could enjoy my first three-course meal, a shower, and a decent night sleep, despite the rolling of the ship, which was caused by a storm.

Then followed a day and a half of misery in bed. Thanks to the seasickness medicine provided on board, I was relatively okay in my little sanctuary, meaning I didn’t puke. Once I stumbled out, my nausea became too dreadful. So I stayed in bed, with “normal” nausea and food delivered to me. My roommate, Rita, checked in on me. She is Swiss, a little younger than me, and we got along well.

The last 12 hours, the Drake Passage mellowed out and I could move around the ship again. The only common spaces were the lounge and the smaller TV “room.” When the weather was rough, the outside decks were closed. Once in protected waters, we could roam everywhere, even on the bridge.

My main disappointment came on what was to be our last evening in Antarctica. In the Captain’s briefing, we learned that really bad storms were predicted in the Drake Passage, so we’d be leaving twelve hours earlier than planned. This meant we missed our last – fifth – day at our destination.

The return journey on the open ocean was quite miserable, with the ship pitching heavily. This is a video made by a friend of mine during that crossing.

The sounds and movements were worse than ever before and we got tossed around in our bunks. I was sick for most of this crossing and even skipped meals. The crew told us later it had been the worst passage of the season, with winds over 40 knots and seas of ten meter (33 feet).

Then, we arrived a day too early in the Beagle Channel, close to Ushuaia, and remained there until the end of our “vacation.” I was three hours away from Mark and Maya, but I was stuck on the ship for another 24 hours. The good thing was that the seas were calm and the passengers could enjoy good meals and entertainment. We received a certificate of bravery as well.

Because of the weather and the change of plans, we only stayed four full days in Antarctica. Here is a break-down of those. I’ll let the photos and videos do most of the talking.

Day one

We arrived in Antarctica to visions of ice bergs under a cloudy sky and entered the South Shetland Islands through the Mac Farlane Strait. To everyone’s surprise, a rainbow welcomed us. A briefing revealed what was to come… something I’d been thinking and joking about that very morning!

I watched our tricky entrance into the protected bay of Deception Island. It was dead quiet on the bridge as the captain and his officers focused on bringing the ship safely inside the caldera.

That afternoon, we went ashore at Whalers Bay, an abandoned whaling station. It was still very chilly and grey outside and, slightly to my surprise, it started snowing. This was the perfect place and climate for a … polar plunge!

I had been thinking about this silly feat ever since I booked this journey. Of course, I was going to do it. Because it’s crazy (Dare me!), exhilarating, and special. And I had to compare the Antarctic waters to the Arctic ones. Twenty years ago, I skinny dipped in the Arctic Ocean in Deadhorse, Alaska. I’d wear a bathing suit for this public display! The worst part was putting all those layers of clothing back on a wet, salty, and sticky body. (PS: The Arctic water felt colder.)

Late afternoon and into the evening, the ship cruised further through the South Shetland Islands.

Day two

We were awoken early to enjoy the scenery of the Gerlache Strait as the ship navigated its calm waters. The original plan to make a continental stop after breakfast changed because the ice in the bay did not allow us to reach the shore.

Instead, we visited Hydrurga Rocks under partly cloudy skies. We mingled with Chinstrap penguins and saw Weddell seals.

I enjoyed watching the small penguins jump through the water and the individuals navigate the rocks.

Because our ship and our group are relatively small, everyone always gets to land and spend as much time ashore as possible. Usually, I stayed for three hours.

In the afternoon, we made a landing at extraordinary Palaver Point, where, again, we had plenty of time to observe a Chinstrap penguin colony and slosh through the snow.

In the evening, I spent hours on the bridge watching our movements in and the views of Freud Passage.

We dodged a little bit of ice and sailed into the sunset. What a day!

Day three

After breakfast, I went on deck to take in the surroundings of Paradise Bay. The snow, mountains, ice bergs, and glaciers were a sight to behold. It was sunny and the idea was to spend the day here.

Our continental landing took place at Vidt Point, where our bar-tender-dressed-as-a-penguin welcomed everyone with a sign. I was literally on the last dinghy (they call them Zodiacs) to shore. As I witnessed the weather turn, I was worried about not making it. This stress was erased by a thrilling ride through ice floes and a humpback whale breaching close by.

Once ashore, we witnessed our first Gentoo penguins. The Argentinian research station “Brown” was located here as well. The idea was to do a Zodiac cruise around it in the afternoon.

Unfortunately, that plan changed as the sea ice started to advance rapidly through the bay, potentially preventing an exit for the Ushuaia. The crew quickly hauled the dinghies and came up with a new itinerary.

The ship entered Neumayer Channel to reach Damoy Point in Dorian Bay, a small cove on Wiencke Island. On our dinghy ride ashore, I was shocked and impressed by the two sailboats that were anchored here. Can you imagine crossing the Drake Channel and sailing in these waters on your own boat?

Apparently, the sailors were in this particular, protected bay to ski! I was still in awe of Antarctica being a sailing destination. During our eight years of sailing (in the tropics), we never met anyone venturing this far south.

Ashore, we visited a Gentoo penguin colony, but I didn’t spot any chicks yet. We walked around the island under grey skies. The weather had turned fast.

We also walked to a historic site, a hut established in 1975 and used as a transit station to fly staff and stores south from the ski way on the glacier above, when sea ice prevented access by ship. The well-preserved bunkroom, kitchen/lounge area, and store room gave us an idea of how the Antarctic pioneers lived. But the highlight here was a Gentoo penguin roosting underneath the rafters.

In the evening, after the briefing for the next day, the crew showed us a funny commercial for Old Smuggler whisky that had been recorded years ago by Argentinian scientists in Antarctica. Of course, when they offered shots of this local liquor, I had to try it and treat my roommate. I joined others in a celebration of visiting our seventh continent, after realizing this was so.

Day four

This was my favorite morning of the trip, since the weather was gorgeous and I witnessed one spectacular scene after the next. We reached the most southern point of our journey and were able to explore an area rarely visited, thanks to the favorable ice and weather conditions.

We were called on deck by 7am to gaze at the awe-inspiring scenery along the Lemaire Channel, heading south. Majestic glaciers embraced us on each side, the Antarctic Peninsula in the east and Booth Island to our west. I was so impressed and content that I stayed on deck well into our breakfast time slot. I now understand why this is called “one of the most scenic navigations of Antarctica.”

In the morning, our group disembarked carefully on the slippery stones of Petermann Island for a three-hour excursion. We met a new-to-us penguin species, the Adelie, two of which waddled towards me with open arms.

I think these are the cutest ones! This is their most northern location, so we were happy to have the chance to greet them.

The Adelie penguins share their nesting site with a colony of Gentoo penguins, whose chicks were much cuter. It was a fantastic experience to watch the activity in the rookery and the behavior of the fluffy babies.

Because the weather was so nice – and temporarily settled – and we had time, the expedition team forged a new path to the other side of the island, where breathtaking panoramas awaited. We stared at ice bergs, a leopard seal in the distance, breaching whales, and preying Skuas (birds).

Back at the ship, the cooks were preparing a grilled lunch (asado). This is one of the most spectacular settings to eat a BBQ meal.

In the afternoon, everyone prepared for a Zodiac cruise. The first group set out (excursions always happened in two groups that switched order every day) an hour before my group, but had to return swiftly when the wind picked up. They got soaking wet and the captain called for an immediate exit. The dinghies had to be hauled up as quickly as possible and our ship needed to leave to not get stuck by the encroaching, floating ice.

The scene looked very differently when we returned north in the channel. I was disappointed to miss this attractive Zodiac cruise, but the crew would take our group elsewhere.

Dinner was postponed, to allow our group a first Zodiac cruise in Flandres Bay. On a calm sea, we motored through the ice, surrounded by mist and a mysterious atmosphere.

Our guide pointed out a big chunk of “black ice,” which the dinghy driver picked out of the water (bare handed), so we could see its crystal-clear consistency and diamond-like structure. These leftover chunks of ice bergs are hundreds or even thousands of years old and are called black ice, because they reflect the depth of the ocean when seeing them float by.

In that evening’s briefing, we learned that we were about to leave Antarctica already the following morning, after a before-breakfast Zodiac ride among the Melchior Islands, which put me in a sad and melancholic mood.

On the evening of that last day in Antarctica, the crew organized a karaoke event, which is not really my thing, but it was fun to watch, until passengers from the upper deck complained about the noise.

By then, it had snowed and the decks were white. Was it really time to leave?

My conclusion

Am I happy I joined this expedition cruise to Antarctica? Yes! Was it worth the price ($5,700)? I think so, especially if I would have never gotten another chance to discover the Frozen Continent. I do think there are specials (that include plane fare from Buenos Aires) and early-bird booking prices that might match what I paid, but not for a more comfortable trip or a chance to “skip” the Drake Passage.

All in all, this was an amazing experience; despite the four days of bouncy seas and seasickness. I mostly wished we could have stayed on the continent for the full five days. I would have happily gone ashore two more times to soak up Antarctica’s beauty, which comes in the scenery as well as the wildlife. As always, flexibility is key!

Next up: Our expense report for February 2025 (These months are flying by!)

Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir: