Antarctica

CRUISE EXPIDITIONS

Why Book an Antarctica Trip with CNH Tours

Our team has 25 years of experience guiding and touring in the region. Let our expert do all the legwork to help determine the best way for you to experience Antarctica.

In Antarctic waters, you’ll find nearly 100 ships vying for your custom. They range from minimalist Soviet-era research vessels to glamorous, 1,000+ passenger liners. Being Galapagos specialists, we didn’t know where to start in finding a ship that we felt would most reflect the CNH Tours approach to travel. The information was simply overwhelming.

To solve this puzzle, we scoured the world in search for a seasoned Antarctica expert to join our team and take charge of finding that ideal ship. We contacted the Polar Guides Association. We scoured our various networks – we left no stone unturned. After all that effort, we found Jane Wilson (see her bio below). We told her that our guests tend to have an inquisitive nature, are keen on getting the absolute most out of their trip, are not afraid going the extra mile and of course, not at all averse to unmatched personalized service. We asked her to identify what she considered a winning combination of ship and itinerary for our guests.

What we offer below are the recommendations of this long-time Antarctica traveller. They consist of two itinerary options on a ship with a great personality – the first (Grand Tour) for those wanting to go “all the way” and the second (Peninsula Explorer) for those eager for getting a good taste of Antarctica within a more restricted time frame. Of course, if neither of these trips fit within your timeframe or expectations, let Jane know and she’ll help you find a suitable alternative – on the same ship, or on others that may better align with your expectations.

Our Vision

Remote, rugged, and a nature enthusiast’s dream. Travel to this iconic destination means exposure to the greatest diversity of opportunities to experience the icescapes, seascapes, landscapes and wildlife on a ship that can navigate the ice, handle the seas, while still keeping to an intimate size. Under these conditions, you’ll be rewarded with an experience you will not soon forget.

Antarctica is remote and rugged. Conditions can be challenging – but the destination is highly rewarding. For most, it will likely be a once-in-a-lifetime experience (though for some, the draw of Antarctica is only intensified after a first visit).

Under these circumstances, it will be important to get exposed to the greatest diversity of opportunities to experience the icescapes, seascapes and landscapes. You’ll want to be sure you will have as many opportunities as possible to go ashore and wander about, to develop your own, personal sense of the this “place beyond all places”. To make the best of your time there, you’ll want to be sure your support team, the ship’s crew and your conveyances are robust and top of the line, with the best odds that it will be a problem-free trip.

For these reasons, we’ve chosen to work with a ship owner that has a 30+ year history of operating small ships in remote locations. Your ship, the Island Sky, carries relatively few passengers (112) compared to the average Antarctica expedition vessel – where trends are for larger and larger ships. We have also decided to avoid the smallest ships. While these may be a bit more intimate, at one point there is a real trade-off between size and navigability in ice-filled and possibly lively seas.

The Island Sky also has a reputation for catering to the more adventurous spirits. You’ll all be able to go ashore at the same time, avoiding having to wait as groups rotate in and out. Kayaks are available (for a fee) for those wanting to get a penguin’s eye view of shorelines and icebergs. On the Peninsula Explorer itinerary, you can even elect to spend a night camping out on Antarctic shores.

Your Antarctica Right-Hand Woman

At CNH Tours, we don’t offer our guests trips to a destination unless we have a undisputed expert for that destination on our team. Jane Wilson has a 25+ year history in Antarctica – supporting scientific research missions and working on many cruise ships. Get in touch with Jane to explore your Antarctica options. Few people are better placed than is Jane in helping you come to a decision.

Jane was born and raised in Australia. She graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science and then a Master of Environmental Studies.

Her interest in Antarctica was sparked when she was a teenager and her father was attending the first ‘colour slide’ shows hosted by returning Station Leaders of the Australian Antarctic National Research Expedition. She bought a book about Antarctica then, and also found out her ancestors George Stewardson Brady (1832-1921) and Henry Bowman Brady (1835-1891) were the first true Antarctic marine scientists who described and illustrated hundreds of new zooplankton species from Antarctic waters in the 1800’s. Today the Brady Medal is awarded annually to scientists for outstanding achievements in micropalaeontology.

Jane started her career working for the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service for 15 years until she was bitten by the Antarctic bug. For several years Jane worked in remote field camps in Antarctica (near Davis Station and Macquarie Island – south west of Australia) as a wildlife research scientist specialising in the ecology of seabirds. This coincided with the boom in expedition cruising and Antarctic tourism in the late 1990s.

For the last 20 years Jane has worked on expedition cruise vessels (including some Russian polar ice strengthened and icebreaker vessels) as a zodiac driver, lecturer and expedition leader in many remote corners of the world including Antarctica. She has guided guests to many far reaches of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic including the Weddell Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, the Ross Sea and New Zealand/Australian sub-Antarctic islands. She was also lucky to visit the explorer’s huts of Scott and Shackleton fame as well as Mawson’s Hut at Commonwealth Bay.

She concurrently continued her interest in science and has worked as Voyage Leader for the Australian Antarctic Division, being responsible for deploying support personnel, cargo and scientists to stations (Casey, Mawson, Davis and Macquarie & Heard Islands) and field camps in Antarctica on the Australian research and re- supply icebreaker Aurora Australis.

She is a keen skier and now calls Vancouver Island in Canada home.

Trip Options

The Peninsula Explorer	The Grand Tour
18 – 30 January 2023	28 January – 17 February 2023
13 days (11 nights on board)	21 days (19 nights on board)
US$16,750	21 days (19 nights on board)
Ushuaia, Argentina	Ushuaia, Argentina
Singular focus on exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and associated islands Antarctic land and seascapes at their best; numerous species of penguins, seals, and whales Historic landing sites and active research stations Camping option: Spend one night on the shores of the Antarctic ocean. Kayaking option: Reserve your kayak for the duration of the trip.	Visits to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula Fabulously abundant wildlife combined with outstanding Antarctic landscapes Fascinating historical sites – whaling stations and the indomitable Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s final resting place Kayaking option: Reserve your kayak for the duration of the trip.

Your Ship: Island Sky

With spacious, well-appointed suites, stylish common areas, an ice-strengthened hull, and redundant core technology (providing back-up systems in case of malfunctions), the Island Sky will be a very comfortable home in Antarctica. It’s also one of the few ships in its class that boasts 3 decks of suites with sliding-glass doors, offering you immediate access to Antarctica from the privacy of your suite. An internal elevator allows for comfortable movement between decks. As an added bonus, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are included for the entirety of the voyage.

Specifications

Passengers: 118 (though limited to 112 for our trips)
Crew: 75 (includes expedition staff)
Built in: 1992 • Refurbished: 2017
Length: 90,6 m
Width: 15,3 m
Tonnage: 4 200 GRT
Class: B.V. Ice Class 1D
Stabilization: Blohm & Voss Stabilization System with wave-anticipation roll technology

Looking for something else?

While we have chosen to highlight these tours as ways to visit Antarctica, we recognize that the time frames, ship style and/or comfort levels may not be exactly what you might have in mind. If that’s the case, then please do contact our Antarctica veteran, Jane Wilson, and let her know your preferences. Jane will be well-placed to listen and she can get back to you with options more suited to your interests.

Terms and Conditions

Click below to review, download, or print the terms and conditions document for this trip.