Antarctica and Patagonia for Christmas

No. Antarctic treaty rules allow no landings from ships carrying more than 500 guests, so Nieuw Amsterdam spends its four Antarctic days on scenic cruising: close to glaciers, ice and wildlife, seen from the deck and your verandah. If stepping onto the continent matters to you, look at the expedition ships on our Antarctica page.

November to March, the southern summer. November brings fresh snow and penguins courting; December and January have the warmest weather, penguin chicks and up to 20 hours of daylight; February and March are the best months for whales. Every month in the season is a good one, and the earliest and latest voyages are often the best value.

It is the stretch of open ocean between Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula, about two days’ sailing each way. Some crossings are calm (the “Drake Lake”), some are lively. The expedition ships have stabilisers and the crossing days are filled with lectures from the expedition team. If you would rather skip it, a sail and fly voyage flies you over it in about two hours instead.

On an expedition ship, yes: Zodiac landings on the continent and its islands, conditions allowing, usually twice a day. Antarctic treaty rules (IAATO) allow no more than 100 people ashore at a site at once and no landings from ships carrying more than 500 guests, so a larger cruise ship, such as Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam, sails the same waters and glaciers but views them from the deck. It costs far less, and you see Antarctica without setting foot on it.

Antarctic voyages leave from the tip of South America. From Sydney and Melbourne there are direct flights to Santiago, about 13 hours, and on to Buenos Aires, Punta Arenas or Puerto Williams. We price the flights and a hotel night before the voyage with the cruise, so it all fits together, and we allow a day spare in case a flight runs late.

Layers: thermal underwear, a fleece and a waterproof outer layer, plus gloves, a warm hat and sunglasses (the glare off the ice is fierce). Most expedition lines give you a parka to keep and lend you waterproof boots for the landings. We send a full packing list with your booking.

Yes. Expedition lines require cover that includes emergency medical evacuation from Antarctica, which ordinary policies may not. We can arrange a policy that meets the line’s requirement.

Twelve to eighteen months is usual. The expedition ships carry only a few hundred guests and the best suites and the December and January dates go first. Fares generally rise as a voyage fills, so the line’s best offers are usually early in the booking window.