Cruise Specialists Blog

Luxury Cruise News & Reviews

Blog Home / Cruise Destinations / Antarctica Cruise Reviews

Last Chance for Large-Ship Cruises to Antarctica?

Special Guest Reporter

The number of large ships that will cruise the waters off Antarctica may be limited in the future, making now the perfect time to book a cruise to Antarctica during the upcoming December 2010-February 2011 high season.

Antarctica’s glacial beauty can be intimidating, but it is actually a fragile ecosystem. To help protect the White Continent and its wildlife, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) passed a rule last year that will ban the use or carrying of heavy fuel oils – the type usually used by large cruise ships – in Antarctic waters. The idea is that this will remove even the possibility of a harmful spill of heavy fuel oil into the sea.

Recently, the IMO set a date for the new rule to take effect: August 21, 2011. That means the coming Antarctic cruise season may be the last for some large ships (in general, those that carry more than 500 passengers).

Cruise ships will still be allowed to use marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in Antarctic waters. These fuels are already used by most of the smaller ships that cruise to the Antarctic. These ships often get closer to the continent than large ships can – some are even able to use Zodiac boat tenders to give guests the thrill of stepping onto Antarctic ice. However, these smaller ships can lack the range of comforts and amenities that many leisure cruise travelers expect.

Passengers on larger ships are able to see the scenic wonders of Antarctica – sparkling cliffs of ice, drifting icebergs, deep blue waters and steadfast penguins, to name a few – while enjoying the greater variety of accommodations, dining and entertainment options that larger ships can provide.

Cruise lines that have Antarctic cruises planned for the coming season include Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises. Of these lines, Crystal and Regent Seven Seas have announced that 2010-2011 will be their last Antarctic cruise season, while Holland America has announced that it will continue to sail in Antarctica beyond 2011. In addition, Azamara Club Cruises’ Journey, a mid-size ship that carries 700 passengers, plans to enter Antarctic waters for the first time in late 2011.

To take advantage of the wide selection of ships and itineraries available for the upcoming Antarctic cruise season, talk with your Cruise Specialists agent.

More from my site

  • The Four Best Places We’ve Ocean CruisedThe Four Best Places We’ve Ocean Cruised
  • 2017 Grand South America Voyage: Antarctica Cruising2017 Grand South America Voyage: Antarctica Cruising
  • 2017 Grand South America Voyage: Argentina and Uruguay2017 Grand South America Voyage: Argentina and Uruguay
  • Why Visit Antarctica? Let Us Show YouWhy Visit Antarctica? Let Us Show You

Antarctica Cruise Reviews, General Interest

Comments

  1. S. Levitt says

    March 7, 2011 at 12:41 pm

    Whatever you do, DON’T choose Holland America. While the Indonesian and Philipino staff were wonderful, the senior staff, mostly Dutch, were dismissive and totally non-responsive when problems arose. At times, they were actually rude. They ran out of basic food like fresh fruits, vegetables, milk and yogurt, to name just a few, inexcusable after 120 years in the business. HAL is NOT what it used to be.

SEARCH ARTICLES

Article Categories

  • Cruise Destinations
    • Africa Cruise Reviews
    • Alaska Cruise Reviews
    • Amazon Cruise Reviews
    • Antarctica Cruise Reviews
    • Arctic Cruise Reviews
    • Asia Cruise Reviews
    • Australia/New Zealand
    • Baltic Cruise Reviews
    • Canada/New England Cruise Reviews
    • Caribbean Cruise Reviews
    • Cuba Cruise Reviews
    • Europe Cruise Reviews
    • Galapagos Cruise Reviews
    • Grand Voyages
    • Hawaii Cruise Reviews
    • Iceland/Greenland
    • Mediterranean Cruise Reviews
    • Mexico Cruise Reviews
    • Panama Canal Cruise Reviews
    • Scandinavia and Northern Europe Cruise Reviews
    • South America Cruise Reviews
    • South Pacific Cruise Reviews
    • Transatlantic Cruise Reviews
    • World Cruise Reviews
  • Cruise FAQs
  • Cruise Lines
    • Abercrombie & Kent Reviews
    • AmaWaterways Cruise Reviews
    • American Cruise Line Reviews
    • American Queen Voyages Reviews
    • Aqua Expeditions Reviews
    • Atlas Ocean Voyages Reviews
    • Avalon Cruise Reviews
    • Azamara Cruise Reviews
    • Celebrity Cruise Reviews
    • Celebrity Galapagos Cruise Reviews
    • Cunard Cruise Reviews
    • Cunard World Cruise Reviews
    • Disney Cruise Reviews
    • Explora Journeys Cruise Reviews
    • Holland America Line Cruise Reviews
    • Holland America World Cruise Reviews
    • Hurtigruten Reviews
    • Lindblad/National Geographic Reviews
    • Norwegian Cruise Line Reviews
    • Oceania Cruise Reviews
    • Oceania World Cruise Reviews
    • Paul Gauguin Cruise Reviews
    • Ponant Cruise Reviews
    • Princess Cruise Reviews
    • Quark Expeditions Reviews
    • Regent Cruise Reviews
    • Regent Seven Seas Cruise
    • Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
    • Royal Caribbean Cruise Reviews
    • Scenic Eclipse Discovery Yacht Reviews
    • Scenic River Cruise Reviews
    • Seabourn Cruise Reviews
    • Seabourn Expedition Cruise Reviews
    • Silversea Cruise Reviews
    • Silversea Expedition Cruise Reviews
    • Silversea World Cruise Reviews
    • Star Clippers Cruise Reviews
    • Tauck Cruise and Tauck Land Tour Reviews
    • UnCruise Adventures Reviews
    • Uniworld River Cruise Reviews
    • Viking Cruise Reviews
    • Viking Expedition Cruise Reviews
    • Viking Ocean Cruise Reviews
    • Virgin Voyages
    • Windstar Cruise Reviews
    • Zegrahm Expeditions
  • Cruise News
  • Cruise Ports
  • Cruise Specialists Benefits
  • Expedition Cruises
  • Hosted Cruises
  • Ralph Grizzle
  • River Cruises
  • Ship Reviews
  • Solo Cruising
  • Tom Mullen
  • Tours, Trains & Resorts
    • Palace Resorts Reviews
    • Safari Reviews
    • Shore Excursions
    • Trains

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Maggie Blehert

Her ideal travel day: venturing to a new place, learning something interesting and sharing a smile.
View My Blog Posts

Steve and Wendy Bodenheimer
Cruise Specialists Voyage Hosts reporting on their round the world journeys.
View My Blog Posts

Ralph Grizzle

The Avid Cruiser. Well-traveled and insightful. Helping you make informed cruise decisions.
View My Blog Posts

FOLLOW US ON

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter