Last Minute Trips to Antarctica - Get Yours Now
Relatively speaking, not many travellers reach Antarctica, but it’s the dream of pretty much every serious traveller to venture South – if for no other reason than to finally cross off the list the seventh and most inaccessible continent - which happens to be only 620 miles (and a bit of dough), from the tip of South America. It’s still off-the-beaten-track as not many tourists have been down there. Weather and ice, not clocks and calendars, set the schedule for a journey here. No matter what the reason for your visit, you’ll be at the mercy of the continent’s changing moods and weather patterns. Antarctic visits are mainly concentrated at ice-free coastal zones over the Antarctic summer, the five-month period from November to March. Last Minute Bookings vs. Advance Bookings Ushuaia is probably the cheapest place in the world to buy last minute or standby tickets for a boat trip to Antarctica. Typically, these trips go for ten or eleven days, with prices around US$2,500 to 3,000, a lot cheaper than booking from the United States or Europe, where you will pay at least double. There are some small differences of course: You pay loads less, about half the price of an advance booking. Unfortunately you have to walk to the docks yourself, whilst the advance bookers get picked up at their hotel. Unless your hourly rate back home is over a US$1000 it’s ok to spend 10 minutes walking to the dock. You also have to do your own check-in. Wow, that’s going to be complicated. You cannot get a luxury cabin as a last minute guest. You can only reserve the more economical cabins – but then again how much time do you plan to spend in your cabin? Rubber boots are not included for budget travellers to Antarctica. We’ve both done the trip and its not such a huge inconvenience to spend a few pesos and get your own souvenir – a pair of rubber boots which travelled all the way south with you. You can only book a short time ahead with last minute purchases – as the name of the ticket suggests. You can’t choose your boat. What we mean by this is that unless you spend a few months in Ushuaia waiting for your dream boat you might have to make do with the first boat heading south with your budget in mind. Which Ship There are passenger ships of a variety of sizes that sail to Antarctica and the choice of ship can make a big difference to your experience. First of all, Antarctic cruises aren’t like other more well known cruises to warmer climates with discos and showbiz entertainment, though the larger the ship, the more likely entertainment will be provided. What you will find are a number of very well informed and experienced cruise guides working on the ship who will give lectures on a regular basis about various aspects of Antarctic and natural history. One of the main issues that will impact your visit is that only 100 passengers at a time may land in any one place in Antarctica. If you are on a small ship of up to 100 passengers, then you get a chance to go ashore every time. If the ship is larger, there will be less opportunity for landings. The Guru Team |
