Antarctica: Questions and Advice

[LAL Cruiser]

Hello.  My partner and I are considering an Atlas Voyage to Antarctica during the 2025/2026 season; likely end November of begin September.  We have been flirting with travelling to Antarctica for years and are loyal Silversea cruisers; while we would like to do Antarctica on the Silver Endeavour, those cruises are very very expensive.  Atlas is currently offering some very attractive pricing and we totally understand that the Atlas product cannot and should not be directly compared to Silversea, it just is not fair.  The Silversea Antarctica package is around 50% more expensive than Atlas (the differential is enough to pay for another vacation.)  That said, the Atlas product does seem to be very good and not short on luxury touches.

Some questions:

 

1. We are struggling between the 9 night and 11 night programs; understanding that Antarctica itineraries are always subject to change, does the longer program go deeper into the continent or is it simply more time and more landings in Antarctica? 

 

There are limited details concerning the pre and post cruise inclusions.  It seems that charter flights are included for all passengers between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia - do these flights depart from/arrive into Newberry Airport in Buenos Aires?  (We are trying to plan a bigger trip around the cruise.)  Any idea what time these flights operate?  Next which transfers are included?  I think that the Buenos Aires Hotel to airport for the charter flight is included, as well as all transfers (including a tour) in Ushuaia, but what about Airport to Hotel and Hotel to Airport in Buenos Aires?  Its not a big deal, just need to plan.  Last, which hotel has Atlas been using in Buenos Aires and is breakfast included?

 

Is there any real different between the World Navigator, World Voyager and World Traveller (all three shall be in Antarctica for the 2025/2026 season) as far as accommodation and/or onboard services?   I must be honest, I love details like this.  The cruise that we are most interested in is operated by World Traveller.

 

We are following the discussions concerning Horizon vs Veranda cabins and will likely go with Horizon to gain extra space; we rarely use our balcony even in good weather so it is unlikely that we will use the balcony in cold Antarctica.

 

We are concerned with the size of the ship (is it too small?) and the lack of alternative restaurants.  Being that the Atlas ships spend so much time in cold environments (Antarctica, Artic, etc) - why was the Grill designed as an out-door only/warm weather restaurant?  That makes no sense.  Food reviews seem reasonable and the food on any cruise (including Silversea and Regent) can be hit or miss - we accept that.

 

The internet discussion is troubling: we are willing to pay extra for the increased GB package.  Can anyone advise concerning when you sign up for this expanded  package...are you still limited to once device?  And is the service reliable?  We have been on Starlink equipped ships (Silver Nova, Explora One, for example) and the internet service has been excellent regardless of location.  We have no need to ""stream"" but I do need to be in-touch via email, messaging and web access.

 

THANK YOU to all in advance for your comments, information and advice.  Your experiences are the best information.

 

 

[FFMilesJunkie]

Atlas is no Silversea or Seabourn, but it's still very nice and a great value.  If you are comparing to ocean cruises, Atlas is more like Oceania compared to the 6 star lines. In fact a lot of the management of Atlas came from Oceania. 

 

The main difference between the 9 and 11 nights voyages is that the 11 night voyage is scheduled to cross the Antarctic Circle while the 9 night does not typically make it that far south. 

 

The hotel in B.A. is typically the Hilton downtown.  The charter flights typically depart from the city airport (Early in morning).  The bus leaves the hotel around 4-5am to catch the flight to Ushuaia.  The return flight to B.A. departs Ushuaia around noon and arrives at EZE around 4pm so that you can take late night departures home from EZE.  If you stay in B.A. after the cruise, no transfers are included unless you sign up for a post cruise extension. 

 

In essence the 3 ships are identical, although there are slight differences that some have picked up on that are not worth nitpicking about. For the most part you can't tell the difference. 

 

Horizon vs Veranda.  If you are not a big fan of the Balcony, then definitely go with the Horizon.  The extra space is nice and if you want to pop outside, the door to the aft outdoor area is just a few doors down from your cabin on decks 5 or 6.  

 

The ship is small and entertainment is limited.  For an expedition cruise you need to come prepared with your own entertainment (book, games, etc) and be willing to be a social butterfly and interact with fellow guests and crew.  The crew on Atlas are friendly and really enjoy interacting with guests.  I had many fascinating discussions with the guest lecturer and scientists on board.  The food on board is very good and most recent reviews seem to indicate that they are focussing on making dining a highlight of the brand. 

 

Internet is a pain point for Atlas, but they are listening to feedback and rumors on board are that new WiFi packages are coming soon.  Fingers crossed that Atlas catches up with other similar lines and will provide unlimited plans with upgrade options for those who want better speeds.  

 

 

 

 

[LAL Cruiser]

1 hour ago, FFMilesJunkie said:

Atlas is no Silversea or Seabourn, but it's still very nice and a great value.  If you are comparing to ocean cruises, Atlas is more like Oceania compared to the 6 star lines. In fact a lot of the management of Atlas came from Oceania. 

 

The main difference between the 9 and 11 nights voyages is that the 11 night voyage is scheduled to cross the Antarctic Circle while the 9 night does not typically make it that far south. 

 

The hotel in B.A. is typically the Hilton downtown.  The charter flights typically depart from the city airport (Early in morning).  The bus leaves the hotel around 4-5am to catch the flight to Ushuaia.  The return flight to B.A. departs Ushuaia around noon and arrives at EZE around 4pm so that you can take late night departures home from EZE.  If you stay in B.A. after the cruise, no transfers are included unless you sign up for a post cruise extension. 

 

In essence the 3 ships are identical, although there are slight differences that some have picked up on that are not worth nitpicking about. For the most part you can't tell the difference. 

 

Horizon vs Veranda.  If you are not a big fan of the Balcony, then definitely go with the Horizon.  The extra space is nice and if you want to pop outside, the door to the aft outdoor area is just a few doors down from your cabin on decks 5 or 6.  

 

The ship is small and entertainment is limited.  For an expedition cruise you need to come prepared with your own enotertainment (book, games, etc) and be willing to be a social butterfly and interact with fellow guests and crew.  The crew on Atlas are friendly and really enjoy interacting with guests.  I had many fascinating discussions with the guest lecturer and scientists on board.  The food on board is very good and most recent reviews seem to indicate that they are focussing on making dining a highlight of the brand. 

 

Internet is a pain point for Atlas, but they are listening to feedback and rumors on board are that new WiFi packages are coming soon.  Fingers crossed that Atlas catches up with other similar lines and will provide unlimited plans with upgrade options for those wh want better speeds.  

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks fo much for your thoughtful and comprehensive reply - so much useful and practical information!  I appreciate your help.