How the coldest place on Earth became one of the world’s hottest vacation spots

By Jason Evans, CNN

(CNN) — It was a bright, sunny afternoon during the recent summer season in Antarctica when the Seabourn Pursuit cruise ship rammed into a sheet of sea ice in Hanusse Bay. The ship plowed forward, ice crumbling beneath its bow, until it was embedded several hundred yards into the frozen sea water.

The 250 passengers on board the Pursuit went out on their balconies and leaned over the side of the decks to see what was happening.

But there was no Titanic-like rush to the lifeboats. Instead, passengers went down to the gangway and began filing off the boat to take a walk around on the ice. This was no accident. It was a planned experience, complete with a table containing glasses of champagne to toast their arrival in Antarctica.

Among the passengers strolling around on the ice sheet were Greg and Susana McCurdy, a pair of retired Las Vegas police officers. Susana is now a part-time travel agent, and the McCurdys are spending their retirement hitting as many exotic locations as they can.

After grabbing their champagne glasses, the McCurdys unfurled a small banner that read “7^th Continent Antarctica 2024,” and posed for a picture. With this trip, they had joined a small but expanding group of people who have stepped foot on every continent on the planet.

Susana says she has seen a change among her clients recently. “They want more authentic, more bucket-list items, especially after Covid. They’re just not waiting anymore … And Antarctica is near the top of everyone’s list.”

A bucket-list destination

The surge in travel to Antarctica started well before the post-Covid travel boom.

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) has been tracking the number of tourists to visit the white continent since the early 1990s. Back then, around 7,000 people would visit every year.

The numbers have really exploded in the past half decade or so. In the winter of 2017, just under 44,000 tourists visited Antarctica. This year, that number surpassed 122,000 visitors. And they’re coming in such numbers because travel to the Earth’s coldest continent has never been easier — or more luxurious.

A couple of decades ago, Antarctic travel meant visiting on smaller ships, many of them former “ice cutters” from Russia, Canada and other polar nations. It was anything but a luxury experience.

Robin West, Seabourn’s vice president and general manager of expeditions, took his first trip to the region in 2002. He says many of the boats back then were equipped with bunk beds and shared bathrooms. “You put your name on a board for spaghetti or lasagna every night,” he said.

Few of the ships even had windows to see outside. The experience today is quite different.

Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, credits Lindblad and National Geographic cruise lines with opening up Antarctic travel to more visitors about a decade ago.

“They were really the pioneers in bringing the Antarctica experience to a more traditional traveler. But those initial sailings were less luxurious than we see today,” McDaniel said.

“Lately Ponant, Silversea, Seabourn and Scenic have made huge leaps with that top-of-the market luxury experience, offering incredible onboard suites, exceptional dining and even spas. Cruise lines like Quark are creating products for adventure-seekers, offering things like cross-country skiing and camping.”

Environmental concerns

The swelling tourism numbers have some experts sounding the alarm about the environmental impacts of the spike in visitors.

A 2022 study published in the journal Nature found that the snow in Antarctica is melting faster because of tourist visits to the continent. The black soot that comes out of cruise ship smokestacks settles on the ice and attracts sunlight, causing tons of snow to melt prematurely. Ecologists also say the growing human presence in Antarctica is causing carbon dioxide levels to spike in an area of the planet that is not used to it.

Cruise ship operators say they are keenly aware of their environmental impact. Passengers receive detailed instruction about not bringing any outside food or other contaminants with them for Antarctic landings. They are instructed to never lie down in the snow and to maintain distance from animals to prevent human-borne bacteria and viruses from infecting the wildlife.

The countries that conduct tourism and research in Antarctica have signed what is known as the Antarctic Treaty. It says that no one should build permanent structures in the area for tourist use. Put another way, there are no hotels in Antarctica. Recently, IAATO began keeping track of fuel consumption by cruise ships in the Antarctic region and some operators are now using electric propulsion when they can in an effort to cut down on soot and CO2 emissions.

More ways than ever to access the continent

Meanwhile, cruise lines have invested billions of dollars in recent years on specially built luxury expedition ships.

Both the Seabourn Pursuit and its sister ship, the Venture, feature a luxurious spa, nine restaurants and eight lounges and bars for the roughly 250 passengers on board. Each of the 132 cabins has large glass doors and a balcony, allowing travelers to easily stand outside as the majestic icebergs float by.

For an extra fee, passengers can book a spot in one of the onboard submarines or explore the Antarctic waters in a kayak. And passengers need not worry about the frigid temperatures as they are given specially designed cold-weather gear guaranteed to keep them warm and dry as they wander among the penguins and seals.

Lately, a new category of Antarctic travel has even cropped up.

Operators including Celebrity, Norwegian and Princess now offer “cruise only” visits that allow passengers to see Antarctica without actually touching down on the pristine and fragile tundra.

These visits often feature larger boats and are typically more affordable. IAATO says that back in 2017, about 7,000 passengers visited Antarctica on a “cruise only” voyage. This past season, that number topped 43,000, an increase of more than 500%.

“These mainstream lines provide a more budget-friendly way to travel to the region – even if you’re not actually disembarking in Antarctica,” Cruise Critic’s McDaniel says. “And while you won’t be able to see penguins or seals as close as you would with a landing, you’ll still see them. You also might see whales and plenty of bird varieties.”

Whether on one of the fancy new luxury boats or the cruise-only experience, a trip to Antarctica is a chance to see another world — from the majestic beauty of the icebergs and glaciers to the playful wanderings of the penguins — and it has never been easier to visit.

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