Itineraries for
Antarctica cruise ships
in general

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Ushuaia departures

Most Antarctica cruises sail from and return to Ushuaia, Argentina (see map below).

There are three basic sea routes from Ushuaia:

Short itinerary
You sail to the Antarctica Peninsula and, likely, will stop at one of the South Shetland Islands. Typical cruise duration is normally 7 to 10 nights. Note: One of the drawbacks of the short itinerary is you have to cross the sometimes stormy Drake Passage twice. It is 650 kilometers (400 miles) of open sea between South America and Antarctica.

Mid-length itinerary
The Falkland Islands is added to the short itinerary. Cruise duration averages 11 or so nights. As my map shows, it (and the long itinerary) makes only one straight-across trip through the Drake Passage.

Long itinerary
South Georgia Island is added to the mid-length itinerary. Cruises are normally 14 to 20 nights, though some last four weeks. Unlike the Falkland Islands, the rugged South Georgia Island scores high marks from both passengers and lecturers. It's renowned for spectacular wildlife.

My recommendation

Take either the short or long itinerary. The Falkland Islands has some interesting facets, but overall, not enough to warrant the extra sailing time. However, if you're heading to South George Island, you might as well visit the Falkland Islands because the extra cruising time it entails is relatively small).

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Other  departure ports

A minority of Antarctica cruises depart from other South American ports, including Buenos Aires in Argentina and Punta Arenas in Chile. They also leave from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

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Antarctica Itineraries - Page 2

Antarctica Peninsula destinations

Destinations beyond the peninsula

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CLIA

IAAT0

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