Ross Sea Antarctic Cruises
From New Zealand and Australia

Adventure Travel, Cruises in Antarctica with Cool Antarctica and Antarctica Travels

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  Travel to the Ross Sea / Commonwealth Bay Region - Eastern Antarctica

Cruises to Eastern Antarctica from Australia and New Zealand usually leave from Invercargill / Port of Bluff in New Zealand (2 - map below) Invercargill has an airport, Bluff, 30km away by road has a deep-water port. Less frequently trips may leave from Hobart in Australia 1. They may also leave/return from Dunedin in New Zealand which is about 180 km / 110 miles from Invercargill.

Departure and return may be to the same port or leave from one and return to the other in either direction. It takes about seven days sailing to reach Antarctica from Australia or New Zealand, the journey there and back is usually broken up with visits to the wildlife rich Macquarie Island 3 and others such as Snares, Auckland and Campbell Islands that lie between Macquarie and New Zealand.

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The distance travelled means that trips to Eastern Antarctica take longer than to the Peninsula region from South America and are also subsequently more expensive. These trips are typically 26-30 days.

There is no quick way of doing this, sailing to Antarctica and back takes around 12 days even if there were no stops at Sub-Antarctic islands along the way.

There are fewer trips departing from this region than there are from South America meaning less choice of dates and ship.

The Eastern side of Antarctica is entirely within the Antarctic Circle and a different kind of Antarctica, as remote as it's possible to get on the planet. It is colder than a Peninsula trip and with a higher chance of rough seas at some point. Getting to Antarctica and back again is more of an expedition than the traditional kind of cruise. You will probably not see any other ships during your cruise at all and other than visits to research bases, you almost certainly won't see any people apart from those on your ship.

What could you see in the Ross Sea region that you won't see on the Peninsula? You may visit the following places subject to the specific itinerary of your cruise and according to what the weather and sea will allow.

• Mount Erebus - the world's southernmost active volcano.
  
  
• Historic huts and sites - from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration from 1898-1922. Scott, Shackleton, Mawson and Borchgrevink's the oldest in Antarctica from the first overwintering here in 1899. These huts were all left behind, sometimes used later or available for emergencies, they are now preserved as historic relics and time capsules that can be visited.
  
  
• The Ross Ice Shelf - which presents a 600 km long wall of ice between 15m and 50m high, the world's largest floating ice shelf about the size of France.
  
  
• Isolated scientific bases - including the largest in the Antarctic, the American base at McMurdo Sound.
  
  
• Emperor Penguins - the birds of the deep south that rear their young in the depths of the Antarctic winter, the largest of all penguins.
  
  
• Sub-Antarctic Islands - on the way south and on the return journey back north, Snares, Auckland, Macquarie and Campbell islands, these are oases of abundant wildlife, especially birds which nest here in their almost countless thousands.

In the Wake of Scott and Shackleton, Ross Sea, Antarctica 2025

Ship	Heritage Adventurer - 140 passengers
Cruise Dates	7th January 2025 - 3rd February 2025: 28 days 2nd February 2025 - 1st March 2025: 28 days
Prices USD per person	Triple cabins: $31,500 and $32,650 Twin cabins: $34,775 and $35,880 Single cabins: $42,750 and $43,995 Suites: $43,250 and $63,000
Departure / Return	Queenstown / Invercargill Airports, Port of Bluff (sea port) - New Zealand
Cruise summary	Day 1 - Queenstown, NZ / Day 3 - Snares Islands / Day 4 - Auckland Islands / Days 6-7 - Macquarie Island / Days 11-22 - Antarctica's Ross Sea Region / Day 26 - Campbell Island / Day 28 - Invercargill, NZ.

  Travelling to the Antarctic Peninsula From Australia and New Zealand

If you live in or near Australia or New Zealand it is well worth considering travelling to South America and visiting the Peninsula Region of Antarctica. Also, once you have travelled to South America, there is about half the world in between you and home again with a whole wealth of opportunity to visit many other counties on your outward or return journey.

A trip to the Antarctic Peninsula from South America is much shorter than to the Ross Sea region due to the reduced distance and therefore the length of time spent at sea. If this is your first trip to Antarctica then it may be better to visit the Peninsula where the trips start at 6 days and are less expensive, it is also possible to fly from South America to Antarctica and join your ship there, an option that is not available in Eastern Antarctica. Wildlife is also much more plentiful around the Peninsula so for the majority wanting to see the beautiful scenery, penguins, whales etc. the Peninsula is the best option.

Cruises usually leave from Ushuaia in Argentina, Flights usually leave from Punta Arenas in Chile.

Eastern Antarctica, Ross Sea Region v Antarctic Peninsula Cruises

  Notes

* Prices are per person. the lowest price is usually for triple occupancy in a basic cabin, the highest for double occupancy in the best available suite.

Options such as kayaking are usually booked when the cruise is booked, they may be at additional cost and have limited availability - it may be too late once the cruise has started.

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