Visiting Antarctica had been a dream of mine for years. I spent a long time researching the best ships and waiting for a good deal to come up. The stars finally aligned and in 2024, I visited Antarctica on board the Ocean Endeavour.
My Antarctic expedition on the Ocean Endeavour involved a two-week trip to the Antarctic Circle (although that didn’t go to plan). I booked through Chimu Adventures, but the boat is branded under Intrepid which sell the same tours.
In this post, I’ve shared an honest review of my experience on board the Ocean Endeavour. While it might not be the most luxurious of ships, the Ocean Endeavour comes with character and has one of the best expedition teams in the business.
Note: I receive no benefits from Intrepid or Chimu for writing this review. I joined the tour as a regular paying customer. The below review is based solely on my own opinions.
The Ocean Endeavour
The Ocean Endeavour is an old Russian ship built in 1982. It’s a little bigger than many of the expedition boats that head to Antarctica, but it’s still a relatively small ship overall.
The cruise ship operates in the Polar Regions, including Antarctica and the Arctic, in their respective summers (Adventure Canada operates the boat in the Arctic). It has a capacity of 199 passengers.
The boat itself is more than sufficient for expeditions to Antarctica. It has a range of facilities and a huge outside deck area.
With the Antarctica tourism market growing like never before, modern, purposely built ships are popping up all the time, making the Antarctica Expedition Cruise industry more competitive than ever.
Unfortunately, the Ocean Endeavour can’t compete with some of these modern ships. The interior of the ship has certainly seen better days, and it does feel a little run down in places. That said, the boat comes with a lot of history and character; for some people, this is more important than luxury.
If you want modern, luxury and glamorous, then the Ocean Endeavour probably isn’t right for you. The Ocean Endeavour is a fantastic option if you want a ship that does the job well and has an exceptional crew.
Note: Intrepid are only leasing the Ocean Endeavour until 2025. Their ship will change for the 2026 season.
Review of the cabin
The Ocean Endeavour offers a range of cabins with various options to suit different budgets. These include cabins with bunk beds, single cabins, and spacious suites.
My cabin was a ‘Category 5’ room with a large window. It had two single beds and a private bathroom. A slightly cheaper ‘Category 4’ room is similar but has a porthole window instead.
Overall, the room was more than sufficient. It was small, but you don’t spend much time in it anyway. It came with under-bed storage, drawers, a small wardrobe, some shelves, and a television.
The main thing to be aware of is that the rooms do not come with air conditioning or any form of temperature control, at least not the rooms in Category 4 or 5. There is an air vent you can open or close, but I don’t think it has much impact.
The ship seemed quite cold once we left the port, so this wasn’t too much of a problem. However, there were a few grumblings from people who said they were too hot at night.
These are also the rooms used for sharing with 3 or 4 people, a popular option for solo travellers. There are fold-out beds above the fixed beds that can be pulled down. These rooms are tiny, and I’m not sure how comfortable sharing with 3 other people would be. There’s a significant lack of storage space; I imagine the rooms get very stuffy.
If you have the option, I would say it’s worth paying a little extra to be in a double room with one other person.
Overall, my cabin was great. It was comfortable, cleaned daily and had everything I needed.
About the facilities
The Ocean Endeavour isn’t exactly a giant cruise ship, but it does have a few facilities that add to the experience. This includes several common areas, a mud room, a library, and a large restaurant capable of seating all 200 passengers at once.
Most of the essential facilities are found on deck 6. This includes the Polaris Restaurant where each meal is served and the Nautilus Lounge, where the bar is and most of the entertainment takes place. Deck 6 is also home to the Compass Club, which is the Ship’s library and where tea and coffee are served all day.
One of the most popular facilities on board the Ocean Endeavour is the outdoor hot tub. This was open for the majority of our time at sea and in Antarctica. It’s small, but there never seemed to be a queue. There is also an outdoor pool but this was not open during our trip.
Additional common areas are located on other decks, including a gym with regular yoga classes, an onboard spa, a gift shop (the Polar Boutique), and a medical clinic.
I was really happy with the facilities on board. Between our excursions off the ship, meals, and lectures, there wasn’t much time for anything else.
Thoughts on the food and drink
The food and drink on board the Ocean Endeavour was exceptional. Food was nearly always available, and I don’t think I’ve ever eaten as well in my entire life. The crew provided great service and were always available to get you anything you needed.
Meals are served in the Polaris Restaurant, a huge dining room with large windows that allow you to admire the ocean views and scenery while eating. One of my favourite memories from Antarctica is eating my dinner while humpback and minke whales played right outside the windows. It was wonderful.
The days started with an early-bird breakfast for those who were awake early. Breakfast itself was a giant buffet with everything you could possibly want. This included cereals, fruit, meats, cheeses, freshly baked bread, sausages, bacon, pastries… the list goes on.
Lunchtime was always a huge buffet with various foods, including healthy options. There was also a daily special which ranged from pizza to fajitas to Asian specialities.
On sea days when crossing the Drake Passage, afternoon tea would be available with sandwiches, cakes and scones. During the days in Antarctica, snacks would be served once returning to the ship and waiting for the daily briefing.
Dinner was normally a la carte which changed daily. I have to say, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this. There wasn’t always something I liked; the portions were small, and the food was often underwhelming. I preferred the buffet at lunch. After dinner, late-night snacks were served in the Nautilus Lounge during the evening entertainment.
The price of the cruise included all of the food, as well as tea, coffee, and juice. However, any additional soft drinks, such as Coke or Sprite, were at your own expense.
It’s worth noting that this may be different for your cruise, but no alcohol was included on my tour (other than at the welcome reception). However, I found the price of alcohol on board the Ocean Endeavour to be more than reasonable. The average glass of wine cost me $6. On my trip, there was also a 3 for $10 special. There was a cocktail of the day which was also reasonably priced.
Overall, I was more than satisfied with the food and drink on board. For vegetarians, there were always plenty of options. One thing to note is that they didn’t serve fish on board.
A typical day on board the Ocean Endeavour
The first two days are spent crossing the Drake Passage, which is known to have some of the roughest seas in the world. These two sea days are spent getting prepared for Antarctica, learning how the excursions work, learning all about biosecurity, and listening to educational lectures on Antarctica itself.
Once in Antarctica, the days vary depending on factors such as weather, where you are, and what is possible for the day.
On a typical day, our expedition leader would wake us up with an announcement around 06:30 am. After breakfast, we’d get ready for our first excursion of the day.
There would normally be about a 2 or 3-hour period between the morning and afternoon excursion, which would be for lunch and resting. The afternoon excursion normally ended around 5 p.m.
Before dinner, we had our daily briefing in the Nautilus Lounge. The expedition team shared a recap of the day and told us what was in store for the next day. After dinner, the evening entertainment would commence. This would either be an educational lecture or something more fun, such as a quiz or music night.
The biggest surprise I had during my time in Antarctica was how exhausted I was. There was always something going on and the excursions were more physically exerting than I expected.
How the excursions work
As I was doing a cruise to the Antarctic Circle, I had seven full days of excursions. The crew’s aim is for two excursions per day, but this does depend on the weather and wildlife (we had to abandon one landing as there was too much wildlife on our landing spot).
When everything goes to plan, each excursion consists of a zodiac cruise and a landing. As my trip on the Ocean Endeavour had 200 passengers, we had to be split into two groups (most landing sites only allow for 100 people at a time). One half would do a Zodiac cruise for an hour or so while the other half explored on land. We would then swap.
This had positives and negatives. I spoke to a friend who had done a cruise with 80 people. They had less time on land and during the excursions but also didn’t have the hassle of swapping 200 people between Zodiac boats.
Having said that, the excursions ran like clockwork (despite when a leopard seal decided to puncture several of the boats). We had a lot more time on land than I was expecting. Sometimes up to 90 minutes. The areas we could explore were also a lot bigger than I anticipated. There were several challenging uphill walks and large areas where we could wander.
In terms of the process, each passenger is assigned a group. Each group is called into the mud room one by one to allow an easy flow. A crew member would then help you onto the Zodiac boat, where you would have an expedition leader ready and waiting.
The excursions and the logistics behind it all exceeded my expectations.
The education on board
One of the unique elements of travelling with Intrepid on the Ocean Endeavour is the focus on education. While education is a factor on most cruises, it’s a real priority for Intrepid.
The Intrepid expedition team consisted of a range of experts on topics such as marine biology, ecology, history and geology. Every single one of our team had extensive knowledge and a real passion for Antarctica.
Another unique part of my trip to Antarctica was the scientists on board. I joined a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) whale special. This meant there were marine biologists from the WWF on board who tracked and took samples of whales. We also had avian flu experts on board who took samples from bird colonies we came across. In addition to this, there were also two social scientists on board, researching the impact that Antarctica can have on people.
All of this meant there was a huge focus on science and education. This is where travelling with Intrepid stands out from the rest. If you have a passion for Antarctica and the environment, I can’t recommend the Intrepid team enough.
During the sea days on the Drake Passage, we attended various lectures. These ranged from the ecology and history of Antarctica to lectures about Krill and Plankton.
Most evenings were also spent listening to various lectures, normally feedback from the scientists about what they had discovered so far on the trip.
One of Intrepid’s missions is to “Travel with Purpose” and it’s fair to say that is certainly the case with their trips to Antarctica. I’ve spoken to friends who have also been to Antarctica. While there were educational lectures available, it wasn’t nearly to the scale that Intrepid offered.
About the evening entertainment
Most of the evening entertainment took place in the main bar after dinner had finished. As I mentioned above, one of the ways Intrepid stands out from the rest is its focus on education. This means that most of the evening “entertainment” actually involved listening to lectures.
Having said that, there were several nights when we played games, listened to music, or took part in a quiz.
Overall, it was a good balance, and I had a great time on the nights when something more fun was on offer. As much as the lectures were brilliant, it’s nice to have a bit of fun and switch your brain off.
Thoughts on the “itinerary”
One of the first things you’re told when boarding the Ocean Endeavour is to forget the itinerary; there isn’t one. The goal of my expedition trip was to cross the Antarctic Circle, and we were going to be doing everything we could to make that happen (unfortunately, it didn’t).
Antarctica is unpredictable. It has some of the most extreme weather and seas in the entire world. This means plans change… a lot!
I’ve spoken more about my experience attempting to cross the Circle here, but overall, it was brilliant. We also got to explore much of the Antarctic Peninsula and even some of the South Shetland Islands.
Intrepid also operate tours to South Georgia and the Falklands aboard the Ocean Endeavour.
The amazing Intrepid and ship team
I can’t speak highly enough of our incredible expedition team. The Intrepid (and Chimu) team was knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly passionate about Antarctica.
They were led by a wonderful expedition leader, Steph, who gave our daily briefings and kept us informed about what was happening. The expedition team members were always around to help us with anything we needed.
The ship’s crew were also exceptional. They provided great service and took the time to speak to us, treating us like more than just passengers.
The elephant in the room (sustainability)
Can travelling to Antarctica ever be fully sustainable? Probably not. As someone who is passionate about the environment, visiting Antarctica was a big decision.
Antarctica is one of the last unspoiled regions on Earth. Despite the pressures of climate change and commercial fishing, wildlife still thrives there. It’s a refreshing, special and unique experience.
When choosing my ship to Antarctica, I knew I had to go with a company focused on sustainability. Most tour operators are members of IAATO (the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators). From limiting the number of passengers on land at any one time to following strict biosecurity measures, IAATO implements a set of guidelines for all its members which helps to protect Antarctica.
Intrepid also strongly emphasises sustainability and responsible travel. As a certified B-Corp, Intrepid does its best to limit the environmental impact of its tours.
I also have to say that our expedition guides went above and beyond when it came to sustainability and biosecurity. They took it incredibly seriously and made sure all passengers followed the rules at all times. This included keeping a sufficient distance from the wildlife, cleaning all of our outerwear after each excursion, and educating passengers on why these steps are important.
The ship itself limited the use of plastic, didn’t serve fish and even served a fully plant-based meal one night.
I’m not going to pretend that this means the trip was completely fully sustainable. It wasn’t. But I can safely say the staff members did their absolute best to limit the impact on the environment.
The focus on education and the experience in Antarctica also created a whole new group of people who are passionate about protecting it.
Other things to know about choosing the Ocean Endeavour
Additional activities on board
There were several additional activities on board the Ocean Endeavour. This included free events such as yoga classes and bird-watching, as well as the iconic polar plunge.
For an extra cost, there were several different programmes available. Most of these options required sign-up prior to starting the cruise, but there was some flexibility with this.
Kayaking
Our expedition to Antarctica had two kayaking programmes – a day kayak or a full kayak. The full kayaking programme involved kayaking during every single excursion (when conditions allowed). On the other hand, the day kayaking was a single session at a much cheaper cost.
Camping
Unfortunately, camping wasn’t available on our cruise due to the time of year. However, most expeditions to Antarctica offer the chance to camp on land. I’d suggest checking with Intrepid or Chimu at the time of booking.
Photography program
A small group of passengers on the boat had signed up for the photography programme. This involved photography workshops and dedicated excursions to learn about photography. You need to sign up for this ahead of the cruise.
Paying on board
The Ocean Endeavour operates on a cashless system. Throughout the expedition, any additional costs, such as alcohol or activities, will be added to your onboard account, which is then paid when you depart the ship.
Tipping on board
Tipping is expected on any expedition to Antarctica. On my cruise with the Ocean Endeavour, the tip was automatically added to my onboard account. However, you can remove or change it if you feel it is necessary.
Packing essentials
I’ve shared a comprehensive packing list for Antarctica here, but here are a few key items for those in a rush:
- Waterproof trousers: You won’t be allowed off the boat without wearing waterproof trousers, so don’t forget these.
- Buff: Those Zodiac cruises into the wind can be freezing, especially on your face. A buff will help to keep you warm.
- Sunglasses: Even on cloudy days, sunglasses were nearly always needed.
- Swimwear: If you want to take part in the polar plunge or use the hot tub, you’ll need a swimsuit.
- Closed-toe shoes: Rules state that you can’t walk around the ship in flip-flops, sandals or any open-toed shoes.
- Warm weather protection: It goes without saying that it can get cold in Antarctica. Remember to pack gloves and a hat.
All passengers were given a very warm down jacket to keep. We were also given boots and an outer layer coat for the expedition.
Final Summary
Pros of choosing Intrepid and the Ocean Endeavour
There are so many pros to travelling on the Ocean Endeavour for your Antarctic Expedition. I’ve covered most of them in the above points, but here’s a quick summary.
- Focus on education
- Focus on sustainability
- Take biosecurity seriously
- Travel with purpose
- It’s a well-oiled machine
- A very experienced team (some of the best in the business)
Cons of choosing Intrepid and the Ocean Endeavour
As with most good things in life, there are always a few negatives too. I personally believe the Ocean Endeavour is a fantastic option for your trip to Antarctica, but here are a few things to be aware of.
- More passengers than many other ships
- Old and slightly outdated ship (but it does have a lot of character)
- Rooms are very small, and no room has a balcony
- A La Carte service was sometimes very slow
- Evening entertainment lacked at times, with more focus on lectures
Overall review of my Ocean Endeavour expedition to Antarctica
Overall, my expedition experience onboard the Ocean Endeavour was exceptional. The boat had everything I needed, the expedition staff were brilliant, and the trip ran like a well-oiled machine.
One of the highlights for me was the passion of the expedition team. At no point did they get tired of talking about Antarctica. Each of them had their own interests, and they were always more than happy to share their passion and knowledge.
The ship itself may have seen better days, but it’s sufficient and does the job. If you’re looking for a state-of-the-art luxurious ship, then the Ocean Endeavour isn’t for you. However, travelling to Antarctica isn’t about comfort and luxuries. It’s about adventure and exploring a part of the world most people will never get to see. The Ocean Endeavour comes with character and history which only adds to this experience.
My time on board the Ocean Endeavour with Intrepid exceeded all my expectations, and I can’t recommend it enough.
