Getting to Antarctica: The Pros and Cons of Flying vs Sailing

At one time, travelers could only reach Antarctica by ship from South America, and crossing the notoriously rough Drake Passage was considered a rite of passage for adventurous explorers. Although 90% of travellers to the Antarctic still arrive by ship, some cruise lines now offer the option of flying across the Drake, saving time, and reducing the risk of seasickness for those affected by rough seas. Choosing between an all cruise, fly/cruise or fly/fly expedition will be a personal decision. There is no right or wrong answer.

Helping your clients plan a trip to Antarctica and deciding between a fly/cruise, fly/fly, and an all-cruise option? Here a few things they should know, along with the pros and cons of each option.

All-cruise
Most people who travel to Antarctica reach the Antarctic Peninsula on a cruise ship departing from South America. An all-cruise trip typically involves embarkation in Ushuaia (Argentina) with a two-day crossing of the Drake Passage between Ushuaia and the Antarctic Peninsula, and a two-day crossing on the return. Most Antarctica cruise itineraries are a minimum of 10 days.

While the Drake can have gentle swells of up to 10 feet, sometimes called the Drake Lake, it can experience waves of up to 40 feet, along with gale force winds, tossing ships from side to side like toys, and causing many people to experience seasickness for the entire crossing. When the Drake has these conditions, it’s referred to as the Drake Shake.

All-cruise advantages

• Cruising along the Beagle Channel leaving Ushuaia, and during the Drake Passage, can offer a wildlife and birders’ paradise with giant albatrosses and multiple seabirds, and often there are whale pods seen from the ship along the way.
• The two days at sea provide loads of time to attend lectures with the expedition team, subject matter experts, and scientists, ahead of arriving on the White Continent. Guests can also enjoy the time to decompress and disconnect from their normal lives since internet can be a challenge in the Drake.

All-cruise disadvantages

• On a 10-day itinerary, crossing the Drake takes up four of the precious days, leaving six days in the Antarctic to venture off the ship and onto the land.
• If you are prone to seasickness, four of the crossing days could be considered “lost time” as you stay in the cabin until the seasickness passes.
• For people looking for a shorter holiday, the extra days at sea equal more days off work.

Fly/cruise and fly/fly
Fly/fly expeditions allow travelers to skip the two-day crossing of the Drake Passage, instead flying between Punta Arenas, Chile and King George Island in just two hours. A fly/fly Antarctic itinerary can be just eight or nine days.

For those wishing to cruise the Drake one way only and fly the other, some cruise lines offer a fly/cruise option. Such itineraries can be 10 to 13 days, or longer.

On arrival at King George Island a bus takes guests to the bay front where Zodiacs are used to transfer passengers to their ship. In the past it was necessary to walk from the aircraft to the bayfront, however, bussing is now more convenient. Once aboard their ship, the expedition leader will likely explain that it will be necessary to cruise across the Bransfield Strait overnight. Crossing from King George Island to the Antarctic Peninsula can be quite rough, and seasickness can occur. That said, the crossing takes only takes a night and by the next day, the waters are calm again. It is much easier and shorter than the two-day Drake crossing.

Fly/cruise and fly/fly advantages

• On an eight-day fly/fly itinerary, with the flight in each direction taking only two hours, passengers typically have five days on the ship to take Zodiac excursions and hike on land in the Antarctic Circle.
• Fly/fly options are ideal for those who are short on time but still want to experience Antarctica as fully as possible.
• Passengers do not have to stress about getting seasick over a two-day crossing of the Drake in each direction.
• The view from the plane offers breathtaking aerial views of the mountains, water, glaciers, and icebergs, and is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
• A fly/cruise itinerary provides the opportunity to experience the Drake Passage just in one direction and enjoy a short flight in the other direction. It’s the best of both worlds.

Fly/cruise and fly/fly disadvantages

• Weight restrictions on charter flights limit checked baggage to 15 kg and carry-on baggage to 5 kg. Packing light with only the essentials is critical. (One exception to this weight restriction is with Silversea Cruises, which offers business class flights between Punta Arenas and King George Island with a more generous weight limit of 23 kg for checked baggage and 8 kg for carry-on baggage.)
• Charter flights into and out of King George Island can be canceled and delayed due to prevailing weather conditions, potentially causing delays in departing from Punta Arenas to King George Island, cutting time short on the ship, or delaying clients’ return home by hours or even days.
• Onward travel planning needs careful consideration due to possible delays. Clients should read the fine print in the cruise lines’ materials and in their booking confirmations to be aware of contingency plans, delays, and cancellations due to weather.
• The cost for a fly/cruise or fly/fly itinerary is typically much higher than an all -cruise expedition, due to the use of charter flights and additional hotel nights in Chile.

Cruise lines offering fly/cruise and fly/fly options
Several cruise lines offer Fly/Cruise and Fly/Fly options in addition to traditional all-cruise options during their 2024/25 Antarctic season. Note that some cruise lines show pricing for the cruise portion in Antarctica separate from the cost of the flight between Chile and King George Island. These include:

Quark Expeditions offer fly/fly itineraries between Punta Arenas and King George Island with trip durations between eight and 10 days. Pricing includes charter flights and a pre- and post-hotel stay in Punta Arenas.

Silversea offers fly/fly cruises, called Antarctic Bridge Cruises, using business class private jets from Punta Arenas.The line’s cruises are of varying trip lengths onboard Silver Cloud and Silver Endeavour. Longer itineraries include crossing the Drake on the ship in one direction with stops in South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, with disembarkation in Puerto Williams.

Lindblad Expeditions is offering fly/cruise options starting in Nov. 2024, where clients cruise the Drake Passage aboard National Geographic Explorer and then fly from King George Island to Puerto Natales.

Antaractica21 offers four variations of its fly/cruise and fly/fly expeditions departing from Punta Arenas, Chile, onboard the Magellan Explorer and the Ocean Nova.