Is A Cruise to the Antarctic Circle Worth It? Pros and Cons
Are you struggling to decide if crossing the Antarctic Circle is worth it? I’m here to help! I had the same dilemma. While crossing the Circle is undoubtedly an incredible experience, it’s expensive, takes more time, and can also mean seeing less wildlife.
After months and months of deliberating, I opted for an Antarctic Circle cruise with the wonderful Intrepid on board the Ocean Endeavour. Sadly, we had a string of events which meant we didn’t end up crossing the Circle itself. We were so close… so close… mere hours away from crossing. After dealing with medical emergencies, extreme storms and huge swells, a giant iceberg blocked our route and with a storm out at sea, we had to turn around.
Our expedition leader told us that not many ships attempt the Circle crossing. More often than not, it ends this way.
Despite not making it across the Circle, I feel I’m in a good position to share the pros and cons of attempting to cross it with you. Not only did I make it close to the Circle itself, but I experienced the reality of what happens when ships spend the entire time trying to cross it.
In this post, I’ve shared the pros and cons of attempting to cross the Antarctic Circle and answered the question – is an Antarctic Circle cruise worth it?
What is an Antarctic Circle cruise?
The Antarctic Circle is one of five circles of latitude on Earth (the Arctic, Tropic of Cancer, Equator and Tropic of Capricorn being the others). The Antarctic Circle (66.5°S) is the southernmost of these and also the least visited.
Most cruises to Antarctica stick to the Antarctic Peninsula which is further north. While visiting this area is an incredible experience, some travellers like to go one step further and cross the Antarctic Circle itself.
Only a handful of expedition ships attempt the crossing every year. Reaching the circle takes more time and can be much more expensive.
Antarctic Peninsula vs Antarctic Circle Cruise
Most expedition cruises to Antarctica stay around the Peninsula area (and perhaps the South Shetland Islands).
The Peninsula itself is where you’ll find most of the famous wildlife Antarctica is known for. It’s fair to assume that the further south you travel the more wildlife you’ll see, but this isn’t the case. Most whales and penguins stay in the Peninsula area.
After spending a few days in the Peninsula, most ships turn around and head back north to Argentina.
On the other hand, Circle cruises continue travelling south in an attempt to cross the Antarctic Circle. This normally means an extra two days or so in Antarctica. If conditions are favourable, the Captain might decide to cross the Circle at the beginning of the trip before spending time in the Peninsula.
By choosing a cruise which crosses the Antarctic Circle, you’re normally not sacrificing any time in the Peninsula as the Circle cruises tend to be longer. Having said that, it’s worth checking the itinerary when you book as every company is different.
The pros of going to the Antarctic Circle
More time in Antarctica
In my opinion, the biggest advantage of choosing an Antarctic Circle expedition cruise is getting to spend more time in Antarctica.
In most cases, ships will spend four or five days around the Peninsula before turning around and heading back north. However, if you opt for an Antarctic Circle cruise, you normally spend a few days longer in Antarctica. This allows you to explore the Peninsula as a normal tour would before heading down to the Circle (or vice versa).
Even if you don’t make it to the Circle itself, you’ll still have spent a significant amount of time in Antarctica.
I spent seven full days exploring Antarctica, plus four additional sea days which involved travelling to and from Antarctica.
Go further South than most
Most trips to Antarctica stick to the Antarctic Peninsula and maybe the South Shetland Islands. With a trip to the Antarctic Circle, you’ll travel much further South.
This means you’ll see a side of Antarctica that most people don’t experience. There will be different wildlife, diverse scenery, and the opportunity to do more Continental Landings (landing on the Continent’s mainland).
It’s more of an adventure
Any trip to Antarctica is going to be an adventure. No itinerary is set in stone and you have to be open to last-minute changes and extreme weather.
However, attempting to cross the Antarctic Circle is really an adventure. Your captain’s one mission is to cross the Circle, and they will do all they can to make that happen. That means pushing on despite extreme weather and rough seas (providing it’s safe).
Travelling further South to the Circle only adds to the adventure of a trip to Antarctica.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience
For most people, going to Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The likelihood is that you won’t get the chance again. If you think you might want to cross the Circle, do it while you can, you may never get the chance again.
While crossing the Circle is more expensive, there can be some good deals out there which are arguably better value than a regular Antarctic cruise.
There are different types of wildlife
Wildlife changes as you go further south. It’s worth noting that there is a common misconception that wildlife increases as you travel south; this is incorrect. The amount of wildlife generally decreases but it does become more diverse.
Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to Antarctica, but your chances of seeing Adélie penguins and Weddell Seals increase the further south you go. Once south of the Circle, it’s even possible to see Emperor penguins, although you’d need to be very lucky for that.
The cons of going to the Antarctic Circle
It’s more expensive
It goes without saying that trips to the Antarctic Circle are more expensive than a regular trip to the Peninsula. You spend more days on the boat, travel further South, and tend to do more excursions.
However, there are some great deals out there that can be good value. I’d suggest waiting until sales such as Black Friday or booking last minute to get the best deals.
There is less wildlife
As I mentioned above, wildlife diversifies as you go further south, but sightings do decrease.
The majority of penguins nest in the northern part of the Peninsula, including the famous Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins (the most commonly sighted penguins on an Antarctic Peninsula cruise). Whales also don’t tend to travel down to the Circle. Fin, Humpback, and Blue whales rarely travel that far south.
If you are more focused on spotting wildlife, I’d consider if a Circle cruise is the right option for you. Perhaps consider a tour which includes the Falkland Islands. While expensive, the wildlife is incredibly diverse.
You’re not guaranteed to cross the Circle
No Antarctic Circle expedition is guaranteed to cross the Circle. Each year, many ships attempt the crossing and fail. With rough seas, extreme weather, giant icebergs and limited time, crossing the Circle is a big undertaking.
I was unlucky and unfortunately didn’t get to cross the Circle. We had a whole run of issues which meant it wasn’t possible. We were so close, but a medical emergency meant we had no choice but to turn around. When we re-attempted it a few days later, we were faced with extreme weather and rough seas. Our only option was to travel down the famous Lemaire Channel but this was blocked by a giant iceberg.
Our Captain and Expedition Crew went above and beyond to get us to the Circle but it wasn’t meant to be. We were told that many Circle expeditions end this way, and crossing the Circle can never be guaranteed.
Thankfully, not crossing the Circle didn’t take away from the experience. If anything, it meant we got to do more as we were able to visit the South Shetland Islands including Deception Island.
This isn’t a reason not to try, but it’s a good idea to go into it with an open mind and to be prepared for a change of plans.
You can spend a lot of time trying
Our expedition cruise had one goal and one goal only – to cross the Circle. This meant it was first on the itinerary and if we failed, we would hang around and keep trying.
On the first day of our expedition, we were close to the Circle but due to a medical emergency, couldn’t travel any further south in case we had to turn around completely. As our goal was to cross the Circle, we then spent a few days in the same area waiting for the right weather conditions to move further south.
A friend of mine also attempted to cross the Circle the year before me. They experienced extreme weather and spent almost the entire expedition waiting in the same area. In the end, they also couldn’t go south.
As the mission is to cross the Circle, boats will generally stay as close as possible to the area until they can or until they have no choice but to move north. We only headed north once the Captain had decided that there was no way we could get to the Circle with the time we had left.
This can sometimes mean staying in the same area for a few days. While there is a lot to see and plenty of brilliant landing sites, it’s still a small part of the Peninsula. We had two days back-to-back where all our landing sites were within an hour of each other.
If you opt for an expedition to cross the Antarctic Circle, you’re also signing up to that being the focus of the trip. If the Captain has to change the itinerary to reach the Circle, they will.
It’s ultimately an invisible line
Crossing the Antarctic Circle is no doubt a special experience, but it’s ultimately just an invisible line.
Of course, this line has special significance for some people. However, it’s important to be aware that crossing the Circle doesn’t exactly change anything around you. It’s an invisible line that you only know you’ve crossed thanks to GPS.
Yes, crossing the Circle is a memorable experience. But so is going to Antarctica as a whole.
Summary: is crossing the Antarctic Circle worth it?
If attempting to cross the Antarctic Circle has deep meaning to you then, of course, it’s worth the extra money and days at sea.
If you’re struggling to decide, my biggest deciding factor was getting to spend more time in Antarctica. Whether I crossed the circle or not, I knew I would have spent seven full days exploring Antarctica, compared to four or five with a regular Antarctic cruise.
The focus of an Antarctic Circle expedition is crossing the Circle, this means you may have to sacrifice other opportunities to make it happen. There is also less wildlife further south, especially when it comes to whales.
So, as unhelpful as this answer may sound, it depends on what you want to see and do. Ultimately, the Antarctic Circle is just an invisible line and you may sacrifice seeing an abundance of wildlife to reach it. On the other hand, crossing the Antarctic Circle is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that not many people get to say they’ve done.
In my opinion, choosing an Antarctic Circle expedition is worth it. If I ever have the opportunity to go back to Antarctica, I’d go for this option.
If you’re keen to spend more days in the region but aren’t too bothered about the Circle, it might be worth looking at a Falklands or South Georgia Cruise. These areas are also an expensive option but are filled with history and wildlife.
