The Best Antarctica Expedition Operators in 2026: 11 Scored on Time Ashore, Price and Terms
Aurora Expeditions scores 83 out of 100 and leads this index on the combination nobody else assembles: a 130-guest ship, ice class and build year published for every vessel, prices from USD 16,571, a full cancellation schedule and the highest published insurance minimum in the category. Quark Expeditions is second at 79 on the deepest price disclosure and a Trustpilot record of 4.9 from 516 reviews. Antarctica21 is third at 77 and scores 24 of 25 on time ashore, because at 88 guests it is the only operator here whose entire passenger complement can stand on Antarctica at the same time. The rule that decides that is published by IAATO and almost never by operators: a maximum of 100 passengers may be ashore from a vessel at any one time, with one guide to every twenty. A 490-guest ship must therefore cycle roughly five groups of 100 through every landing. Not one of the fourteen operators assessed explains that consequence on any page, and not one publishes how many landings a voyage includes.
| # | Operator · type | Guests | Ashore at once | Lowest published price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aurora ExpeditionsShip-based · three purpose-built vessels · certified B Corporation · 32 departures in the 2026 season | 130 on expeditions, 154 on small-ship cruises | Two rotating groups of 100; rotation is short | USD 16,571 · Antarctic Explorer, 9 nights · to USD 58,095 for 32 nights | 83 |
| 2 | Quark ExpeditionsShip-based · Ultramarine, Ocean Explorer, World Voyager · part of the Travelopia group · Trustpilot 4.9 from 516 | 199 maximum; “our vessels never exceed 200” | Two rotating groups on every ship | USD 12,236 · Antarctic Explorer, 10 nights · to USD 36,921 for 22 nights | 79 |
| 3 | Antarctica21Fly-cruise · the only IAATO “air cruise operations” member · pioneered flying the Drake in 2003 · owned, purpose-built ship | 88 on air-cruises, 96 on sea voyages, about 70 on Ocean Nova | No rotation: every guest can be ashore at once | USD 4,995 · Antarctica Express Air-Cruise, 5 nights · to USD 15,995 for 9 nights | 77 |
| 4 | Oceanwide ExpeditionsShip-based · Hondius, Ortelius, Plancius · Basecamp voyages include camping, kayaking, mountaineering and snowshoeing at no charge | 170 on Hondius; 108 on Ortelius and Plancius | Near-simultaneous on the 108-guest ships; Hondius rotates | USD 8,100 · Weddell Sea Basecamp, 12 nights · to USD 17,050 for 22 nights | 73 |
| 5 | Lindblad ExpeditionsShip-based · National Geographic partnership · four ships · kayaking, hikes and photo instruction included | 102 to 148 across four ships | Rotation on all four; Orion at 102 is marginal | USD 12,250 · Antarctica Direct, 9–11 nights · to USD 50,000 for 24 nights | 72 |
| 6 | Viking ExpeditionsShip-based · Octantis and Polaris, purpose-built 2022 · submersible and science laboratory · every 2026 departure showed sold out | 378 on both ships | Roughly four rotating groups of 100 at every landing | USD 14,999 or 15,999 · Antarctic Explorer, 12 nights · the site gives both on the same day | 56 |
| 7 | Intrepid TravelTour operator selling partner tonnage · divested Chimu Adventures to Nordic Hamburg in September 2024 · not in the IAATO member directory | 184 on Ocean Victory and Ocean Albatros; 80 on Ocean Nova | Two rotating groups on the 184s; Ocean Nova lands everyone | USD 8,817 · New Year in Antarctica, 10 nights · the lowest lead-in in this index | 53 |
| 8 | HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions)Ship-based · Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen, Fram · hybrid-powered · Trustpilot 2.9 from 44, polarised on billing and refunds | 490 on two of three ships | Roughly five rotating groups of 100 at every landing | USD 8,830–10,589 · Highlights of Antarctica, 11 nights · published as ranges | 44 |
| 9 | Scenic EclipseUltra-luxury discovery yacht · submersible to 100 m and two H130 helicopters · six itineraries across 2026–28 | up to 200 in Antarctica, a reduced capacity the operator states | Two rotating groups of 100 | None published | 41 |
| 10 | Seabourn ExpeditionsUltra-luxury · Venture and Pursuit, built by T. Mariotti · two submarines · 19 expedition team members on Pursuit | 264 on both ships | Roughly three rotating groups; the “24 Zodiacs for all guests at once” claim is about boats, not the shore | None published | 40 |
| 11 | Silversea ExpeditionsUltra-luxury · Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Endeavour · fly-cruise from The Cormorant at Puerto Williams from 2026 | 220 to 274 published, while IAATO lists the company under ships below 200 | Rotation on any reading; the capacity conflict is unexplained | None published | 31 |
- How the eleven are scored, and why time ashore carries 25
- The 100-passenger rule, and what it does to your day
- What an Antarctic voyage costs
- The eleven, one by one
- The right operator by traveller
- Ice class, ownership and what is included
- Deposits, cancellation and the insurance you must carry
- Assessed but not scored
- Apply for evaluation
- Questions readers ask
How the eleven are scored, and why time ashore carries 25
| Criterion | Weight | What earns the points |
|---|---|---|
| Time ashore and landing capacity | 25 | Published guest capacity measured against the 100-ashore limit, whether the operator states a reduced Antarctic capacity, whether it explains the rotation consequence of its own passenger count, and whether it publishes how many landings a voyage includes. An operator that can land everyone at once scores in the mid-twenties; a 490-guest ship scores 3. |
| Pricing transparency | 25 | Per-person prices on the operator’s own site, by voyage and ideally by cabin category, with what is included and excluded stated, and adventure options priced rather than listed. A full rate table scores highest; a single lead-in figure that contradicts another page on the same site loses points; no price at all scores 2. |
| Fleet and ice class | 20 | Ice class or polar class for every Antarctic vessel, build year, whether the ship is owned or chartered, and the equipment carried. Publishing an unflattering ice class plainly scores above publishing none. |
| Expedition credentials | 15 | IAATO membership and category, expedition-staff headcount or guide ratio as a number rather than an adjective, and any environmental or safety certification that can be checked. |
| Booking terms and insurance | 15 | Deposit amount and due date, a full cancellation schedule, and the mandatory insurance minimum in a figure with a proof deadline. Harsh terms published in full score higher than generous terms nobody can find. |
| Operator | Ashore /25 | Pricing /25 | Fleet /20 | Credentials /15 | Terms /15 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Expeditions | 15 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 83 |
| Quark Expeditions | 13 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 79 |
| Antarctica21 | 24 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 6 | 77 |
| Oceanwide Expeditions | 17 | 24 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 73 |
| Lindblad Expeditions | 14 | 20 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 72 |
| Viking Expeditions | 6 | 17 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 56 |
| Intrepid Travel | 11 | 19 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 53 |
| HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) | 3 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 44 |
| Scenic Eclipse | 9 | 2 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 41 |
| Seabourn Expeditions | 6 | 2 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 40 |
| Silversea Expeditions | 5 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 31 |
The 100-passenger rule, and what it does to your day
Work it through with each operator’s own published capacity. Antarctica21 at 88 guests on its air-cruises, and about 70 on Ocean Nova, lands everyone at once. Oceanwide’s Ortelius and Plancius at 108, and Lindblad’s National Geographic Orion at 102, are marginally over the cap, so rotation is nominal. Aurora at 130 runs two short groups. Quark at up to 199 and Intrepid’s Ocean Victory and Ocean Albatros at 184 run two full groups. Scenic at 200 and Seabourn at 264 run two and three. Viking at 378 runs roughly four. HX at 490 runs roughly five, which is the heaviest rotation burden of any landing operator in this index.
What none of them publishes is the number that would settle it. Not one of the fourteen operators states how many landings a typical voyage includes, on any page tested, including operators whose whole proposition is time on the continent. Quark’s FAQ, Lindblad’s Antarctica travel guide and Oceanwide’s Basecamp itinerary were each checked for it specifically. A landings count and an average hours-ashore figure would be the single most useful thing this industry could publish, and it would cost nothing to publish, because every operator already records it.
Two claims deserve care, because both read like landing capacity and neither is. Seabourn advertises 24 Zodiacs that can accommodate all onboard guests at once. That is a statement about boats, not about the shore; 264 guests still rotate through a 100-person limit. And Silversea’s published capacities, 254 on Silver Cloud, 274 on Silver Wind and 220 on Silver Endeavour, sit against an IAATO listing that places the company in the category for ships below 200 passengers. The reconciliation is presumably a reduced Antarctic capacity, but Silversea states no such figure anywhere on the pages tested. Ponant sits in the same category with the same unexplained gap. Scenic, to its credit, is one of the few operators to state a reduced Antarctic capacity outright, at up to 200 guests, although it does not explain what that means at a landing either.
Getting to Ushuaia is where these trips go wrong
Every voyage here begins with a long multi-leg flight to Ushuaia or Punta Arenas, and every operator requires you to arrive a day early for exactly that reason. A cancelled or delayed European departure can cost a USD 16,000 voyage that will not wait, and a flight leaving an EU or UK airport carries statutory compensation rights that most travellers never claim.
Check a delayed or cancelled flight →Affiliate link. Commission is paid by the platform; the price you pay is unchanged. No operator on this page pays this site.
What an Antarctic voyage costs
Oceanwide publishes the most usable pricing in the category, a full rate table by cabin category and departure date rather than a single from-figure, which is the only way a buyer can tell whether the lead-in cabin exists in the week they want. Quark, Aurora, Lindblad, Antarctica21, Intrepid, Viking and HX all publish something real; HX gives ranges rather than points, which is honest about how its inventory prices.
Two operators contradict themselves on their own sites, on the same day. Antarctica21’s homepage states that all expeditions start from USD 13,795 per person and applies that one figure across four differently-priced products, while the Antarctica Express voyage page states USD 4,995. The voyage page is the one to trust, and the homepage figure should not be quoted anywhere. Viking’s Antarctic Explorer is from USD 14,999 on its destination index and from USD 15,999 on that voyage’s own pricing page, and every listed 2026 departure showed sold out, alongside a USD 25 deposit promotion running to 30 September 2026.
The bigger cost question is what the fare includes, and here the ranking inverts. Oceanwide gives away on its Basecamp voyages what most operators sell: camping, kayaking, snowshoeing and hiking, mountaineering and photo workshops are all included, led by certified guides, at no extra charge. Lindblad includes kayaking, guided hikes and photo instruction, and gives you the parka. Quark, by contrast, lists kayaking, paddling excursions, camping and helicopter flightseeing as adventure options outside the included activities, and publishes no price for any of them, which on a USD 12,236 voyage is a meaningful blank. Viking includes shore excursions, kayaks and Zodiacs and charges for the submarine.
The eleven, one by one
Each profile gives the fleet, what the operator publishes, what it does not, and what its passenger count means at a landing. Every figure was read on the operator’s own site on 15 September 2026, with IAATO used only for membership category.
1. Aurora Expeditions — 83/100
Greg Mortimer (2019), Sylvia Earle (2022), Douglas Mawson (2025) · 130 guests on expeditions, 154 on small-ship cruises · certified B Corporation · 32 departures across three ships in the 2026 season · ashore 15 · pricing 21 · fleet 18 · credentials 14 · terms 15
The most complete disclosure in the category, and the only operator to publish everything a buyer needs to compare on risk as well as price. All three ships carry Ice Class 1A and Polar Code 6 with build years and BV class certification stated. Prices are published across the range, from USD 16,571 for the nine-night Antarctic Explorer to USD 33,495 for 21 nights in the Falklands and South Georgia and USD 58,095 for the 32-night Epic Antarctica crossing. It is the only operator in this index publishing a priced Ross Sea itinerary, the 26-day Ross Sea Odyssey at USD 39,695; Oceanwide lists the Ross Sea among its destinations without a priced voyage in its rates table. Booking terms are the clearest here: 25 per cent deposit within seven working days, deposit forfeited beyond 121 days, everything forfeited inside 120, with transfer to a future expedition allowed at 90 days or more. And the insurance requirement is the strictest and the only one expressed with a proof deadline: comprehensive cover is a condition of travel, with accident and repatriation or emergency evacuation cover of at least USD 250,000 on polar voyages, proof required no later than 60 days before departure. That figure is five times Quark’s. It publishes a staff-to-passenger ratio of roughly one to seven, which nobody else does as a number. Trustpilot 4.5 from 297. What it does not publish is a landings count, an explanation of what 130 guests means at a 100-person landing, or whether it owns or charters its ships.
2. Quark Expeditions — 79/100
Ultramarine (199), World Voyager (168), Ocean Explorer (138) · part of the Travelopia group · two Airbus H145 helicopters on Ultramarine with dedicated helicopter itineraries · Trustpilot 4.9 from 516, the strongest review record in this index · ashore 13 · pricing 21 · fleet 17 · credentials 13 · terms 15
The deepest published product range and the most-reviewed operator in the category. Prices run from USD 12,236 for the ten-night Antarctic Explorer to USD 17,591 for the seven-night Antarctic Express: Fly the Drake, USD 18,831 for a 13-night helicopter itinerary and USD 36,921 for 22 nights taking in the Falklands, South Georgia and the Circle. It sells the Drake both ways, flown and sailed, in both directions, which very few operators do. Booking terms are published in full: 25 per cent deposit at 151 days or more, full payment inside 150, a graduated cancellation scale of 25, 75 and 100 per cent, free cancellation within fifteen days of confirmation on early bookings, and mandatory medical insurance of USD 50,000 a traveller. Ice class is published for Ultramarine at 1A+ and PC6 and Ocean Explorer at 1A and PC6, but not for World Voyager. The claim to the largest expedition team in polar travel comes without a headcount. And the gap that costs it the top place: kayaking, paddling excursions, camping and helicopter flightseeing are all listed as adventure options outside the included activities, with no price published for any of them, so the real cost of a Quark voyage cannot be worked out from the site. At 199 guests, every landing runs in two full rotating groups.
3. Antarctica21 — 77/100
Magellan Explorer (88 air-cruise, 96 sea), owned and purpose-built 2019; Magellan Discoverer launching 2026-27; Ocean Nova (about 70) · the only IAATO “air cruise operations” member in this index · pioneered flying the Drake in 2003 · ashore 24 · pricing 17 · fleet 17 · credentials 13 · terms 6
The highest score on time ashore in the index, by a distance, and the reason is structural rather than promotional: at 88 guests the entire ship can be on the continent at the same time, so there is no rotation, no queue and no half-day waiting your turn on board. The two-day Drake crossing each way is replaced by a two-hour flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island, which returns roughly four days to a short itinerary. The ship is owned and purpose-built for the job, LR PC6, with a second vessel custom-designed and arriving for 2026-27, and the company runs through Novantar S.A. and Turismo Antartica XXI S.A. It holds CarbonNeutral certification from 2019 and states it became the first company to use e-fuel in Antarctic operations in 2024. Two things hold it down. Its homepage says all expeditions start from USD 13,795 and applies that to four differently-priced products, while the Antarctica Express page says USD 4,995, and both were live on the same day. And its booking terms are the thinnest of the top five: travel insurance is listed as not included without the mandatory status being stated, and no deposit or cancellation schedule was found on the pages tested. Kayaking and hiking are optional add-ons rather than included.
4. Oceanwide Expeditions — 73/100
Hondius (170), Ortelius (108), Plancius (108) · Basecamp voyages include camping, kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking, mountaineering and photo workshops at no extra charge · 13 Antarctic destinations listed including the Ross Sea · ashore 17 · pricing 24 · fleet 17 · credentials 10 · terms 5
The best price disclosure in the category and the most generous inclusion policy. Oceanwide publishes a full dates-and-rates table by cabin category rather than a single from-figure, which is the only format that tells a buyer whether the cheapest cabin exists on the date they want: USD 8,100 for the twelve-night Weddell Sea Basecamp, USD 10,150 for Antarctica Basecamp, USD 14,850 for twenty nights across the Falklands, South Georgia and the Peninsula, USD 17,050 for a 22-night Polar Circle expedition. On Basecamp voyages the activities other operators sell as extras are all included and led by certified guides, which on a like-for-like basis makes it the cheapest serious expedition product here. It is also the only operator that publishes a genuinely unflattering ice class plainly: Plancius is 1D, stated as such, alongside PC6 on Hondius and UL1 on Ortelius. At 108 guests, Ortelius and Plancius are only marginally over the landing cap, so rotation is close to nominal. Against that, no expedition-staff headcount, no guide ratio, no environmental certification and, on the pages tested, no deposit, cancellation or insurance terms at all. Trustpilot 4.2 from 42.
5. Lindblad Expeditions — 72/100
National Geographic Endurance (138), Resolution (138), Explorer (148), Orion (102) · National Geographic partnership with staff photographers aboard · seven itineraries from 8 to 25 days · ashore 14 · pricing 20 · fleet 18 · credentials 13 · terms 7
The highest ice class in the index sits here: National Geographic Endurance at PC5, which Lindblad describes as the highest ice class, and on the published evidence across these fourteen operators it is. Prices are published and the site is explicit that they exclude flights, which is more honest than most: USD 12,250 for Antarctica Direct, the sail-one-way fly-the-other product, USD 12,500 for the eleven-night Voyage to Antarctica, USD 19,700 for a fifteen-night Circle crossing and USD 50,000 for 24 nights taking in Patagonia, the Falklands and South Georgia, with pre and post extensions priced at USD 515 to 6,690. Kayaking, Zodiac cruises and guided hikes are all included, certified photo instructors are complimentary, and the parka is yours to keep. Ice class is not published for the other three ships, no expedition-staff headcount is given, and no deposit or cancellation schedule was found; its own Antarctica cost guide lists insurance as something to budget for without stating any requirement. Its Trustpilot score of 2.6 rests on four reviews on an unclaimed profile and should be read as no signal at all rather than as a bad one.
6. Viking Expeditions — 56/100
Octantis and Polaris, both purpose-built 2022, 378 guests each · submersible, Zodiac hangar, science laboratory with monitoring technology · 256 crew stated · ashore 6 · pricing 17 · fleet 18 · credentials 10 · terms 5
Two of the best-equipped ships in the index attached to one of the weakest landing propositions. The fleet disclosure is strong: Polar Class 6 on both, purpose-built and stated as such, build years given, a proper science lab, a submersible on Polaris. The problem is arithmetic. At 378 guests, roughly four groups of 100 must cycle through every landing, which is a fundamentally different day from the one an Aurora or Antarctica21 guest has, and nothing on the site acknowledges it. Pricing is published, from USD 14,999 or USD 15,999 for the twelve-night Antarctic Explorer depending on which of its own pages you read, USD 17,999 into the Circle, USD 28,999 for South Georgia and USD 77,999 for the 80-night Arctic-to-Antarctic grand journey. Every listed 2026 departure showed sold out on 15 September, with a USD 25 deposit End of Season Sale running to 30 September 2026 and standard deposit terms not stated anywhere. Shore excursions, kayaks, Zodiacs, the jacket, meals and Wi-Fi are included; the submarine is an optional extra.
7. Intrepid Travel — 53/100
Sells partner tonnage: Ocean Victory (184), Ocean Albatros (184), Ocean Nova (80) · divested its stake in Chimu Adventures to Nordic Hamburg in September 2024 · its Ocean Endeavour charter ended after the 2024-25 season · ashore 11 · pricing 19 · fleet 12 · credentials 6 · terms 5
The cheapest way onto the continent on published prices, and the entry that most needs its status stated plainly. Intrepid publishes the lowest lead-in figures in this index, USD 8,817 for ten nights over New Year, USD 9,747 for a twelve-night Peninsula odyssey and USD 52,135 for 23 nights to the Falklands, South Georgia and the Circle, and it states that all activities including Zodiac excursions, seminars and shore landings are included, which several dearer operators do not. Trustpilot holds 4.3 from 2,465 reviews, although that covers Intrepid’s whole product range rather than Antarctica. What holds it to 53 is that it is no longer an operator in the sense the rest of this index is. It does not appear in the IAATO member directory; Chimu, the company it divested, does, in the travel-agency and tour-company category. The ships are partner vessels and Intrepid’s own pages say nothing about owning them. Ice class is published for the two Ocean ships at 1A and Polar Class 6. Treating Intrepid as a peer of Quark or Lindblad would be wrong, which is a statement about the corporate structure behind the booking and not about the voyage, and buyers should know which they are buying.
8. HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) — 44/100
Roald Amundsen (490, 2019), Fridtjof Nansen (490, 2020), Fram (200) · hybrid-powered, custom built · onboard Science Center · Trustpilot 2.9 from 44, with 41 per cent five-star against 41 per cent one-star · ashore 3 · pricing 18 · fleet 9 · credentials 9 · terms 5
The heaviest rotation burden of any landing operator here, and the thinnest fleet disclosure. At 490 guests, Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen must cycle roughly five groups of 100 through every landing, and IAATO categorises HX in the 201 to 500 passenger band accordingly. That is the whole of the three points on time ashore. Pricing is published and readable as ranges, USD 8,830 to 10,589 for eleven nights on Highlights of Antarctica, USD 10,863 to 13,861 for fifteen on the Explorer’s Route, USD 12,814 to 15,464 for the Circle and USD 17,774 to 22,934 for 22 nights on Fram, with daily excursions, gratuities and standard drinks included and stated. But no ice class is published for any of the three Antarctic ships on the pages tested, which for a 490-passenger vessel operating in the Southern Ocean is the most notable single omission in this research. The Trustpilot record is polarised rather than simply poor, and the complaints cluster on billing and refunds rather than on the expedition itself, which is worth knowing before reading the score as a verdict on the voyage.
9. Scenic Eclipse — 41/100
Scenic Eclipse, up to 200 guests in Antarctica · Scenic Neptune submersible to 100 m and two H130 helicopters · expedition team of up to 20 specialists · six itineraries of 13 to 24 days across the 2026-28 seasons · ashore 9 · pricing 2 · fleet 16 · credentials 11 · terms 3
The best-behaved of the three ultra-luxury operators on the question that matters most here, and the equal-worst on price. Scenic is one of very few operators anywhere in this research to state a reduced Antarctic capacity outright, up to 200 guests rather than the ship’s full complement, and that honesty is worth six points over Silversea. It still does not explain what 200 guests means at a 100-person landing, which is two rotating groups. The ship is well documented: Polar Class 6, oversized stabilisers, a strengthened hull, the submersible, the helicopters, and an expedition team of up to twenty specialists, which against up to 200 guests is one to ten. Parka, boots, poles and kayaking equipment are included. And then nothing: no per-person price on any page tested, no deposit, no cancellation schedule, no insurance requirement. On a product this expensive, a reader cannot get past the first question without a telephone call.
10. Seabourn Expeditions — 40/100
Seabourn Venture (2022) and Seabourn Pursuit (2023), 264 guests each, built by T. Mariotti · two custom-built submarines, 24 Zodiacs, double sea kayaks · 19 expedition team members on Pursuit · ashore 6 · pricing 2 · fleet 17 · credentials 12 · terms 3
The most specific hardware disclosure in the ultra-luxury tier and one of only two operators in this index to publish an expedition-team headcount rather than an adjective, the other being Scenic. Both ships are stated as built for Seabourn by T. Mariotti, to PC6, with build years and dimensions, carrying two submarines apiece. The claim that needs handling carefully is the one about Zodiacs. Seabourn advertises 24 Zodiacs that can accommodate all onboard guests at once, which is true and is about boats. It is not a statement about landing capacity, and a reader could easily take it as one: 264 guests still rotate through a 100-person limit in roughly three groups, because the limit applies ashore rather than afloat. No per-person price appears on any page tested, no specific Antarctic itineraries were returned by the site, and no deposit, cancellation or insurance terms were found.
11. Silversea Expeditions — 31/100
Silver Cloud (254), Silver Wind (274), Silver Endeavour (220, 2021) · fly-cruise guests begin at The Cormorant at 55 South in Puerto Williams from 2026 · ashore 5 · pricing 2 · fleet 11 · credentials 10 · terms 3
The lowest score in the index, and it comes from a disclosure position rather than from anything about the ships, which are good. Silversea publishes no prices for Antarctica anywhere on the pages tested. It publishes ice class for one of its three Antarctic vessels. It publishes no deposit, cancellation or insurance terms. And it carries an unresolved conflict at the centre of the thing this index measures: its own site gives capacities of 220 to 274 guests, while IAATO lists Silversea Cruises Ltd. in the category for ships carrying fewer than 200 passengers. The reconciliation is presumably a reduced Antarctic capacity, in which case the number should be on the Antarctica page, where a buyer would look. Shore excursions are listed as separate purchasable offerings on the general Why Silversea page rather than as included, while the fare is described as all-inclusive for dining, beverages and Wi-Fi. It sells both the traditional Drake crossing and a fly-cruise by private charter to King George Island, and the 2026 addition of The Cormorant as a fly-cruise base at Puerto Williams is a genuine product improvement that deserves a price beside it.
The right operator by traveller
| You are | First choice | Strong alternative | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Going once, and want maximum time ashore | Antarctica21 (77) | Oceanwide (73) | At 88 guests Antarctica21 puts everyone ashore at once and replaces four Drake days with two hours of flying. Oceanwide’s Ortelius and Plancius at 108 are barely over the cap, so rotation is nominal, and Basecamp adds camping and kayaking at no charge. |
| Worried about the Drake Passage | Antarctica21 (77) | Quark (79) | Antarctica21 pioneered flying the Drake in 2003 and is the only IAATO air-cruise member here. Quark sells Fly the Drake, Fly South and Sail North, and Sail South and Fly North, so you can hedge. Lindblad and Silversea also fly it; Aurora, Oceanwide, HX, Viking and Intrepid do not. |
| Choosing on safety and terms rather than price | Aurora (83) | Quark (79) | Aurora requires USD 250,000 of accident, repatriation and evacuation cover with proof 60 days out, and publishes ice class and build year for all three ships. Quark requires USD 50,000 and publishes its full cancellation scale. No other operator publishes an insurance minimum at all. |
| Counting the total cost, activities included | Oceanwide (73) | Lindblad (72) | Oceanwide Basecamp includes camping, kayaking, mountaineering, snowshoeing and photo workshops from USD 8,100 for twelve nights. Lindblad includes kayaking, hikes and photo instruction and gives you the parka. Quark charges for all of these and publishes no prices for them. |
| Set on South Georgia or the Ross Sea | Aurora (83) | Quark (79) | Aurora is the only operator in this index publishing a priced Ross Sea itinerary, the 26-day Ross Sea Odyssey at USD 39,695. For South Georgia, Aurora at USD 33,495 for 21 nights, Quark at USD 36,921 for 22 or Oceanwide at USD 14,850 for 20. |
| On the tightest budget that still reaches Antarctica | Intrepid (53) | Oceanwide (73) | Intrepid’s USD 8,817 is the lowest lead-in here, on a 184-guest partner ship, from a company that is not itself an IAATO member. Oceanwide’s USD 8,100 Weddell Sea Basecamp is cheaper still on a 170-guest ship from an IAATO operator, which is the better buy on this index’s criteria. |
| Buying at the ultra-luxury end | Scenic Eclipse (41) | Seabourn (40) | All three ultra-luxury operators publish no price. Scenic at least states a reduced Antarctic capacity of 200; Seabourn publishes an expedition-team headcount and two submarines; Silversea publishes neither a price nor a capacity that reconciles with its IAATO listing. Ask all three for the landings count in writing. |
| Not going on a ship at all | White Desert (not scored) | — | A different product entirely: an Airbus from Cape Town to a blue-ice runway in Queen Maud Land, twelve guests a camp, USD 16,500 for a day trip to USD 115,500 for South Pole and Penguins. No ship, no Drake, no landings. It is set out below rather than scored against vessel criteria. |
Ice class, ownership and what is included
| Operator | Ice class as published |
|---|---|
| Aurora Expeditions | 1A / Polar Code 6 on all three, with build years and BV certification |
| Quark Expeditions | 1A+/PC6 on Ultramarine, 1A/PC6 on Ocean Explorer; none published for World Voyager |
| Antarctica21 | LR PC6 on Magellan Explorer, built 2019, owned |
| Oceanwide Expeditions | PC6 on Hondius, UL1 on Ortelius, and 1D on Plancius, published plainly |
| Lindblad Expeditions | PC5 on National Geographic Endurance, the highest in this index; not published for the other three |
| Viking Expeditions | Polar Class 6 on both, purpose-built, build years published |
| Intrepid Travel | 1A / Polar Class 6 on the two Ocean ships; vessels are not owned |
| HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) | None published for any of the three Antarctic ships |
| Scenic Eclipse | Polar Class 6, oversized stabilisers, strengthened hull |
| Seabourn Expeditions | PC6 on both, owned, builder and build years published |
| Silversea Expeditions | PC6 on Silver Endeavour only |
Ownership is almost universally unpublished. Only four operators state or clearly imply whether they own the ship you sail on: Antarctica21 (Magellan Explorer, owned and purpose-built), Seabourn (Venture and Pursuit, built for Seabourn by T. Mariotti), Viking (Octantis and Polaris, purpose-built) and HX (custom built). Quark, Oceanwide, Aurora, Lindblad and Intrepid say nothing about it on any page tested, and Intrepid’s vessels are partner tonnage rather than its own. For most of this index, the corporate ownership behind the operator could not be confirmed with a dated source either, and is therefore not asserted here rather than guessed.
What is included varies more than the price does. Oceanwide’s Basecamp fare covers camping, kayaking, snowshoeing and hiking, mountaineering and photo workshops, all guide-led. Lindblad includes kayaking, guided hikes, photo instruction and the parka. Intrepid states that all activities including Zodiac excursions and shore landings are included. HX includes daily excursions, gratuities and standard drinks. Viking includes shore excursions, kayaks, the jacket, meals and Wi-Fi, and charges for the submarine. Antarctica21 sells kayaking and hiking as add-ons. Quark sells kayaking, paddling, camping and helicopter flightseeing as adventure options and publishes no price for any of them. Silversea lists shore excursions as separate purchasable offerings while describing the fare as all-inclusive for dining and drinks, which is a distinction worth clarifying before booking.
The night before, and the night you did not plan for
Every operator here requires you to be in Ushuaia or Punta Arenas the day before departure, and none of them prices that night. Weather regularly delays the return too, so the sane booking is a refundable room at both ends and a data eSIM that works in Argentina and Chile, because ship Wi-Fi is charged or throttled on most of these vessels.
Ushuaia and Punta Arenas hotels →eSIM for Argentina and Chile →Affiliate links. Commission is paid by the platform; the price you pay is unchanged.
Deposits, cancellation and the insurance you must carry
| Operator | Deposit | Cancellation as published | Insurance requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Expeditions | 25% of the ticket price within 7 working days | 121+ days: deposit forfeited. 120 days or less: 100% forfeited. Transfer to a future expedition allowed at 90+ days | Mandatory. At least USD 250,000 accident and repatriation or evacuation cover on polar voyages; proof required 60 days out |
| Quark Expeditions | 25% at 151+ days; full payment at 150 days or less | 16–120 days 25%; 90–119 days 75%; 89 days or less 100%. Free cancellation within 15 days of confirmation on early bookings, except non-refundable items | Mandatory. Medical cover of USD 50,000 a traveller |
| Viking Expeditions | USD 25 promotional deposit to 30 September 2026; standard terms not stated | Not published on the pages tested | Not published on the pages tested |
| Antarctica21 | Not published | Not published | Listed as not included in the fare; mandatory status not stated |
| Lindblad Expeditions | Not published | Not published | Its own cost guide lists insurance as a cost to budget for and states no requirement |
| Oceanwide, HX, Intrepid, Scenic, Seabourn, Silversea | Not published on the pages tested | Not published on the pages tested | No figure found; booking conditions were 404, unreachable or silent |
Two practical points follow. First, buy the cover before you need the proof: Aurora wants it 60 days out, and a policy bought later may not cover pre-existing conditions declared after the fact. Second, check the wording rather than the brand. Most standard travel policies, and several sold to adventurous travellers, exclude expedition travel in remote regions, Antarctic landings and helicopter transport, and this site does not link an insurance affiliate on this page because none it works with covers the activity. The exclusion logic is the same one set out in the SafetyWing coverage guide and the high-altitude trekking insurance guide. Look for a schedule that names Antarctic or polar expedition travel, emergency evacuation at or above the operator’s stated minimum, and cover for the voyage fare itself. The wider question of what to ask before paying any large travel deposit is covered in the deposits and payment terms guide, and the practicalities of the voyage itself in the Antarctica expedition guide and what to expect on an expedition cruise.
Assessed but not scored
White Desert flies guests from Cape Town on an Airbus, 4,220 km in five and a half hours, onto the Wolf’s Fang blue-ice runway in Queen Maud Land, and houses them in three camps of six suites each. Twelve guests per camp are supported by more than 100 personnel on the ground. The IAATO hundred-ashore rule does not bind it, because that is a vessel rule and there is no vessel; IAATO lists the company under land-based operations. Prices are published and are the highest in this research: USD 16,500 for Antarctica in a Day, USD 75,250 for Baby Penguins and Blue Tunnels, USD 110,500 for The Long Stay and USD 115,500 for South Pole and Penguins, which includes the geographic South Pole. Activities, meals and wine are bundled with no per-item pricing. It has been carbon neutral since 2007, on solar and wind power from the outset. If the reason for going is the interior, the Pole or the emperor colonies rather than the Peninsula, nothing on the scored list competes with it, and it should be compared on its own terms.
Swoop Antarctica is a Bristol travel company founded in 2010, a B Corp since 2023, brokering more than 1,500 itineraries across 30-plus vessels. IAATO lists it as an Associate, the category for tour operators, travel agents and other marketers who book customers into Operator members’ programmes, and Swoop is straightforward about the distinction. It is ATOL licensed, an ABTOT member and an LATA signatory, which is more financial protection than any operator in the scored list publishes. Its Trustpilot score of 4.6 from 107 reviews measures the quality of its advice and booking service, which is a real thing to measure, and not any shipboard experience, which is the distinction this index has to make explicit. For a first-time buyer trying to choose between thirty ships, a broker with that protection stack is a defensible route; just do not read its rating as a rating of the voyage.
Ponant is an IAATO member in the category for ships below 200 passengers and carries the same unexplained gap between its IAATO listing and its publicly understood capacities that Silversea does. Its site was unreachable on every attempt during this research, so no fleet, price, itinerary or terms data could be read at source and it is recorded as unassessable rather than scored. It will be scored in the next pass if the site responds.
Not assessed, and eligible for the next season’s scoring: Poseidon Expeditions, Albatros Expeditions, Heritage Expeditions, Polar Latitudes, EYOS Expeditions, Antarpply, Ocean Expeditions and any IAATO Operator member selling Antarctic voyages direct. Any of them can apply below.
Apply for evaluation
Any Antarctic expedition operator can be assessed on the same five criteria, free, with no obligation and no bearing on the result. Send the operator name and IAATO category, your published Antarctic guest capacity for each vessel, the number of landings a typical voyage includes, ice class and build year per ship, whether each is owned or chartered, a link to your published per-person prices, what is included and what is charged, and your deposit, cancellation and insurance requirements. The assessment is added to the evidence record, the operator is told its score and where it lost points, and the row is published on merit. Any operator that publishes a landings count and an average hours-ashore figure will be the first in this category to do so, and this index will say so.
Submit an operator for assessment