There’s only one way to get to the ultimate bucket-list destination

Visiting the world’s remotest destination is the ultimate bucket-list item for most travellers, and there’s only one way to get there. Unless you’re a research scientist, you’ll only ever be able to land in Antarctica off a small expedition cruise ship.

Silversea in Antarctica.

But although expedition companies are sending more ships to Antarctica than ever before, demand remains so strong that you’ll have to plan well ahead if you want to go.

Hustle now for whatever cabins remain for the 2025-26 Antarctic summer season, or get planning for 2026-27 and beyond.

Antarctic cruising has never been in more demand, with 124,000 visitor arrivals in 2024, of which almost 10,000 were Australians.

You’ll find plenty of expedition choices. HX (formerly Hurtigruten) has increased its 2025-26 Antarctica cruises to 50 departures on four ships, its most ever.

Ponant will have 40 departures on eight different itineraries, with five ships operating in the region. Among them, Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s only luxury icebreaker, will follow French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot into the Weddell and Bellingshausen seas.

And Lindblad Expeditions has added significantly more departures to its fly-cruise program that reduces sailing time by skipping over the Drake Passage on flights to King George Island.

Perhaps the most glamorous expedition line is Scenic. Its ships each carry two helicopters and a submersible. This coming season, on six of its departures, Scenic is returning to Antarctica’s Snow Hill Island by helicopter, so guests can view one of the world’s largest emperor penguin colonies.

Most cruises visit the Antarctic Peninsula and perhaps South Georgia and the Falkland Islands too, close to South America.

However Scenic, unusually, also offers Ross Sea and East Antarctica cruises. Its “Mawson’s Antarctica” itinerary in December 2025 follows the footsteps of legendary Australian explorer Douglas Mawson.

Another Australian company, Aurora Expeditions, also has East Antarctica cruises from Hobart in Tasmania or Dunedin in New Zealand.

Penguin posse.

Ponant visits New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands, as does New Zealand company Heritage Expeditions which, among other itineraries, is operating two photography cruises in December 2025 with multi-award-winning seabird photographer, Rachel Bigsby.

Those looking ahead to the 2026-27 season also have increased choice. Seabourn, for example, will have two ships in the Antarctic Peninsula sailing on 16 departures, and Silversea 40 voyages on three ships.

The end of this year sees Silversea open a hotel in Puerto Williams in Chile. It’s the only cruise line that homeports there, which suits Australians, since Puerto Williams has direct flights to Santiago.

We have to trek from Santiago to Buenos Aires and onwards to get to Ushuaia, which is the homeport for other cruise lines.

Finally, Aurora Expeditions, one of the pioneers of polar cruising, has rolled out 27 voyages in 2026-27 which range in length from nine to 27 days and include special-edition voyages aimed at photographers, science enthusiasts and women.

Some are on the new ship Douglas Mawson, which launches this year. Aurora Expeditions is notable for active options such as ice camping, snowshoeing, kayaking and snorkelling if you think sailing to the Earth’s frozen end isn’t quite adventurous enough.