Solo
Antarctic Travellers
Frequently Asked Questions
Cruise and Adventure Travel with Cool Antarctica and Antarctica Travels
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Arctic
Cabins on Antarctic cruise ships are usually doubles with a smaller number of triples and quads, how are solo travellers accommodated?
There are three options:
1 - Share a cabin with another same sex solo traveller, in these cases there is obviously no supplement due and you will most likely make a new friend in the process.
2 - Pay a supplement to stay alone in a double cabin, the cost of this varies but becomes a greater proportion of the full occupancy as the standard of the cabin goes up. Expect to pay 1.5 - 2 x the single rate to occupy a double cabin alone.
3 - Dedicated single cabin, these are not common and are only found on some ships. They will be more expensive than a shared cabin but are in high demand usually requiring booking well in advance.
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Q: Do all ships accept bookings from solo travellers for shared cabins? A: With only a few exceptions, almost all ships cruising to the polar regions allow solo travellers to book shared cabins with other solo travellers of the same sex. If you're willing to share, then you can travel in a twin, triple, or quad cabin without paying the single supplement. Q: Are there any particular ships that are more suitable? A: The "best" ship really depends upon your preferences. There is more chance of finding someone to share with on one of the larger ships - more passengers means more people who are also travelling alone. A few ships have especially good single-cabin options for guests who prefer private accommodation. Q: If I book a shared cabin as a solo traveller, am I guaranteed to keep that? i.e. if no other solo books to share, is the ship going to try and "bump" me off in some way to get a pair of travellers into the now single occupancy, single fare, double cabin? A: Once you're confirmed in a shared cabin, you're guaranteed that cabin (and fare) even if the ship doesn't end up matching you with a roommate. Q: Are there restrictions to the category of cabin bookable by solo travellers? A: Any cabin may be booked by a solo traveller, the single supplement and option for sharing varies by cabin category and shipping company. With a few exceptions, generally the lowest 2-4 categories are available for shares. Premium cabins and suites often carry higher single supplements and usually cannot be booked as a share. Q: Is dining "open" in that all tables are available to all travellers? A: Yes, and that is part of the beauty of expedition travel! Dining is casual, and is an excellent way to meet other fascinating, likeminded travellers. Q: Is there a way that the solo travellers on a ship can find each other quickly once on board? A: If you book as a share, one of the first people you meet will be your roommate - who is also travelling solo. While there aren't any formal mechanisms onboard for solo travellers to meet up, small expedition ships are known for their casual atmosphere and camaraderie. You will likely meet other solo travellers as well as friends travelling together right away, as your small group of explorers will be gathering daily for briefings, Zodiac cruises, shore visits, meals and socializing in the lounge. Q: How likely am I to be with other solo travellers or will it be mainly couples? A: You'll find there is a fantastic mix of travellers who are drawn to small ship travel to the polar regions. That said, larger ships that offer designated solo cabins as well as ships with generous share policies are more likely to attract more solo travellers. |
Trips from Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula are the most usual cruises.
If you have more time, you can visit sub-Antarctic islands and the Falklands too.
Fly-cruise trips fly from Punta Arenas in Tierra del Fuego across the Drake Passage to meet to your ship in the South Shetland Islands, usually returning the same way, a small number of fly one way and sail the other are also available each season.
Need a Little Guidance? contact our travel partners who will help you find the best cruise for your requirements
Antarctic Peninsula
Sample
Cruises - 2025 / 2026
| Trip | Highlights | Prices USD* |
|---|---|---|
|
Classic
Antarctic Peninsula Expedition 10 - 15 days |
South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Penguin Rookeries, Lemaire Channel. | from $5,190 typically $12K-14K |
|
Antarctica Peninsula Basecamp 13 days |
Antarctic Peninsula trip with inclusive activities on offer such as hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, mountaineering, and camping out under the South Polar skies. | from $9,700 - $17,150 |
|
Crossing the Circle 11 - 23 days typically 12 - 14 |
Sail down the Antarctic Peninsula and cross the Antarctic Circle, South Shetland Islands, Wildlife, Scenery. | from $8,200 |
Air-Cruise, Fly the Drake
Sample
Cruises - 2025 / 2026
| Trip | Highlights | Prices USD* |
|---|---|---|
|
Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands. Fly across the Drake
Passage 6 - 12 days typically 8 |
Fly across the Drake Passage in 2 hours to join your ship, cruise the South Shetland Islands and western Antarctic Peninsula. Spectacular scenery, glaciers, icebergs, penguins, seals and whale sightings. A few sail one way, fly the other trips. Some trips cross the Antarctic Circle. | from $7,795 typically $13K-15K |
Ross Sea Region
Sample
Cruises - 2025 / 2026
| Trip | Highlights | Prices USD* |
|---|---|---|
|
Little visited Eastern Antarctica, Ross Ice Shelf. 25 - 34 days |
Remote even for Antarctica, sailing there and back take 5 days each with visits to sub-Antarctic islands on the way. Historic huts in a region central to the continent's exploration. Wildlife, ice shelves, ice bergs and sea-ice. Some trips are circum-navigations from NZ to South America or vice-versa. | from $28,346 |
South Georgia with the Falkland Islands
and / or Antarctic Peninsula
Sample Cruises
- 2025 / 2026
| Trip | Highlights | Prices USD* |
|---|---|---|
| South Georgia, Antarctic
Peninsula and Falkland Islands 17 - 23 days |
Sub-Antarctic South
Georgia has some of the most unique and abundant wildlife on earth including
the world's biggest King Penguin colony, one of the world's largest
concentration of Southern Elephant Seals, and many other penguins,
whales, seabirds and seals all with a background of the Alps dropped
in mid-ocean. Falklands Islands - a British colony in the South Atlantic with wild places and diverse abundant wildlife. The Antarctic Peninsula is Antarctica proper with icebergs, glaciers and wildlife. |
from $9,900 |
| South Georgia and
Falkland Islands 15 - 25 days |
from $9,995 | |
| South Georgia and
Antarctic Peninsula 15, 16, 18 or 28 days |
from $12,831 |
* Prices are per person. the lowest price is usually for triple occupancy in a basic cabin.
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.
Contact me about a trip to the Antarctic!
Please complete the form
and
an Antarctic Expert will contact you
Departures from late October to late March
Our partner company, Antarctica Travels, passionately help people to reach their ultimate destination.
All enquiries will be answered from our office in Patagonia, Argentina.
Dozens of trips - unique combinations of ship + itinerary
Choice of ships - 67 to 199 passenger capacity
$4,995 to $43,995
6 to 23 days
Please note - we cannot help directly to find employment in Antarctica, please do not use this form to request any other information than for Antarctic tourist trips
