Impressions of My Cruise to Antarctica

I’ve just returned from a fantastic expedition cruise to Antarctica with Swan Hellenic, and these are my main impressions from the journey.

A cruise to Antarctica

For quite some time, I had set my sights on a cruise to Antarctica, as it was the only continent I had yet to visit.

Due to Antarctica’s challenging geography — its remote location, unpredictable weather, and lack of port facilities — all cruises to the continent are so-called expedition cruises.

An expedition cruise is a specialised voyage designed to explore remote and often inhospitable regions, usually aboard smaller ships with expert guides.

Due to the terrain and lack of port facilities in Antarctica, these cruise ships cannot dock directly, meaning passengers must be ferried ashore using small landing craft.

Due to Antarctic environmental protection regulations limiting the number of tourists allowed ashore at the same time, expedition cruises to the continent are always small-scale affairs.

First Antarctic journey

My first Antarctic journey was on board the SH Diana, the largest and most modern ship in the Swan Hellenic fleet, and truly a beautiful and highly comfortable vessel to sail on.

The cruise I was on was a repositioning voyage, with the ship starting its itinerary in Cape Town, South Africa, and finishing in Ushuaia, Argentina.

The first part of the 20-night cruise was fantastic, with stops at the remote islands of Tristan da Cunha and South Georgia.

Sadly, just before reaching Antarctica, one of the ship’s engines developed mechanical problems that were impossible to fix on the high seas.

As the captain deemed it irresponsible on safety grounds to continue the journey to Antarctica on just one engine, it was decided to skip all Antarctic ports of call and sail directly to Ushuaia at half speed.

Although this was, of course, a huge disappointment for all passengers — many of whom had saved for years for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — the decision was fully understandable, as you really don’t want to take any risks when sailing in such remote waters.

It really shows that even on a modern, state-of-the-art cruise ship, an expedition to Antarctica is no easy feat and can still present many challenges!

Some passengers were so upset by this decision that they went on a hunger strike — an act that made headlines around the world.

Second Antarctic voyage

With Swan Hellenic graciously offering a partial refund or future cruise credits to passengers after they were forced by unforeseen circumstances to skip the Antarctic portion of the voyage, I was able to make a second attempt to visit Antarctica.

This time, I was sailing on the SH Vega, another beautiful Swan Hellenic ship, on a cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina.

My second Antarctic voyage went extremely smooth, as even in the infamous waters of the Drake Passage, known for bad weather and choppy seas, it was unbelievably calm.

We managed to complete all landings in Antarctica as scheduled, and due to the calm seas we experienced during the journey, we even had time to make a bonus landing at the Melchior Islands, home to an Argentine Antarctic base.

It was certainly a great feeling to finally set foot on Antarctica, completing my visit to all of Earth’s continents.

The scenery of Antarctica with its mountains and icebergs was amazingly beautiful and it was great fun seeing so many penguins and even a humpback whale from up close.

With so many unforgettable travel impressions, I eventually arrived back in Ushuaia after a wonderful cruise with Swan Hellenic.

Swan Hellenic

I have taken quite a few expedition cruises before in other parts of the world, and I must say Swan Hellenic is my favourite company.

The Swan Hellenic ships I sailed on—the SH Diana and SH Vega—are beautiful and have all the facilities you need, a combination not often seen on expedition cruises, as one of the two is usually lacking.

The actual expedition — the guided landings on Antarctica — was professionally handled by the Swan Hellenic guides, who were a vast resource of information about the continent’s history, geography, and wildlife.

I was also highly satisfied by the comfort of my cabin, food and drinks on board (which were included in the fare), and the friendly staff.

If you plan to make an Antarctic cruise, I can therefore highly recommend Swan Hellenic!