Is this the next big destination
for the festive season – or the
ultimate “last family holiday”?
It’s an unbeatable White Christmas – on ‘the
white continent’ surrounded by ice and snow
– and many Australians are snapping up this
once-in-a-lifetime experience.
More than 10 cruise lines are visiting the
region this month, while short-term visitors
such as Seabourn, sailing to Antarctica for the
first time this year, have timed voyages for a
landing on Christmas Day.
Even APT, which specialises in every other
continent, predicts Antarctica will become its
top new Christmas destination.
“Our 20-day Antarctic Complete itinerary is
attracting a lot of interest,” said Debra Fox,
general manager marketing.
Departing 27 December 2014, it incorporates
a land journey through South America with
a small-ship expedition cruise through South
Georgia and the Falklands.
Long-term experts, Australia’s Aurora
Expeditions, has also moved away from
the classic Antarctic Peninsula expedition
at this time of year, instead responding to
the increased demand for cruises via South
Georgia.
Over Christmas and New Year 2014/15,
Aurora offers an 18-day expedition that visits
both South Georgia and Antarctica, departing
from Punta Arenas, Chile, including a flight to
Puerto Williams, where passengers embark
the Polar Pioneer and return to Stanley in
the Falkland Islands for a flight back to Punta
Arenas or Santiago (priced from US$13,660 per
person triple-share).
“Christmas has definitely become a favourite
time for our passengers to experience
Antarctica; particularly families, with many
touting it as the ‘last family holiday’,” Lisa
Bolton, ceo, Aurora Expeditions, told Cruise
Weekly.
“Extended annual leave, the good Aussie
dollar and visiting mid-season when wildlife
is flourishing, are all factors that influence
people to take a Christmas cruise.”
Other ships operating in the Antarctic this
festive season include Silversea’s Silversea
Explorer, One Ocean Expeditions’ Navigator/
Akademik Ioffe, Heritage Expeditions’ Spirit
of Enderby, Lindblad Expeditions’ National
Geographic Explorer and Orion, Quark
Expeditions’ Ocean Diamond, Sea Spirit
and Sea Adventurer, Hurtigruten’s Fram, G
Adventures’ MS Expedition and Compagnie du
Ponant’s L’Austral and Le Soleal.
Several other lines visit as part of a larger
South American or world voyage itinerary.
