Thank you all for the generous feedback!
Patience, grasshopper. Maybe next year!
I did SilverSea as a solo and it was great. TR here.
I cruise on Ponant a lot, as there are lots of cruises with no single supplement (you pay 1 fare for a cabin) but for Antarctica I think anyone should aspire for a better experience, like SilverSea or Seabourn. You will probably pay a single supplement on SS or Seabourn (I paid 25% with SS and that was a good deal).
I went with Seabourn as a solo traveller and loved it
I went with Silversea and would recommend them. The solo supplement with them though could be a disadvantage.
Did you find the extra cost justified the additional luxuries - nicer meals, better service and larger room? Or would you have loved it as much without these? That ultimately seems to be the biggest decision I have to make.
The French/Anglo thing on Ponant has drawbacks.
And I think
@love_the_life did a Ponant cruise to Antarctica
@love_the_life did you find the French influence distracted from the overall experience?
The longer itineraries generally include South Georgia and the Falkland Islands which you should definitely try to include.
Recc itineraries Definitely do the Falklands and especially South Georgia. The latter arguably a better experience than the Antarctic continent. Two weeks, then the longer the better!
South Georgia was on our itinerary, but the weather wasn’t on our side so you do have to be a bit pragmatic about what will happen
100% go to South Georgia. Unlike anything else on earth. Go to Antarctica for ice, but to SG for wildlife.
HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
Regardless of when you go in the season I'm sure you will enjoy the experience.
Best time to go - early in the season (before, or at Christmas), before the penguin cough is everywhere.
Early in the season appears to be best for landscapes and wildlife (excl whales). Is October too early? October/November are best from a leave perspective too.
Best way to book. With a cruise specialist Travel Agent. They can advise on the various lines, prices etc and if its a Virtuoso agent, there are on board credits and other stuff. Not to sway you one way or another, but nice if it comes in. Check out the various lines - and see the 'Solo travellers' thread VPS started recently
I know there are few solo travellers on this site so thought it might be worth having a dedicated thread for deals with no or reduced single supplement
I found this site that might help
Solo travel tips and advice from experts and real travelers. For over 10 years, Solo Traveler has been THE source for those who travel alone.
solotravelerworld.com
... then talk to a TA. I can put you in touch with a very good 'bricks and mortar' TA who is a cruise specialist and has booked me all round the place. DM me, if you like.
Travel agents can get you perks - I tend to DIY but I use an agent for these things and she got me all sorts of freebies and discounts.
I would love some assistance with this, as I'm new to cruises. I reached out to a local travel agent specialising in cruises,
Swoop Antarctica, explained my broad requirements around timing (Oct/Nov), itinerary (South Georgia Island and the Falklands) and that I am a solo traveller, with a flexible budget although looking to start around the $25K USD mark. They came back with the following 3 options:
- HX Hurtigruten Expeditions - Life Returns | Springtime Expedition Cruise to Antarctica at $23K on MS Fram with an Outside Cabin view room.
- 23 days all up, starting in Buenos Aires and finishing in Punta Arenas with a flight to Santiago.
- 3 days in Falklands, 3 days in South Georgia & 5 days in Antarctica
- Outside cabin located on decks 5/6, includes a window, no balcony.
- Departing October 16th - is this too early?
- Guest capacity up to 200
- National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions - Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falklands at $30K on NG Explorer with a single room on the main deck.
- 22 days all up, starting and finishing in Ushuaia with flights to/from Buenos Aires.
- 5 days in Antarctica, 3 days South Georgia & 3 days Falklands
- Single cabin located on main deck, includes a window or 2 portholes.
- Departing October 30th
- Guest capacity 128
- Oceanwide Expeditions - Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctic Peninsula at $28K on Hondius with a twin bed room.
- 21 days all up, starting in Puerto Madryn and finishing in Ushuaia. No flights included.
- 2 days in Falklands, 4 days in South Georgia and 4 days in Antarctica
- Twin porthole room on deck 3
- Departing November 3rd
- Guest capacity 170
Agent acknowledged the third option is somewhat of a wildcard. It seems like it's between HX/Ponant as cheaper options vs looking at National Geographic and pricing on SS/Seabourn.
Would love a connection to your TA
@RooFlyer, as long as they're happy to work with me living in the US. I'll DM you.
One of the fun things was spending a night sleeping in swags on the ice, listening to the cracking and rumbling.
Funnily enough, the agent I spoke to today said camping on the ice is still possible - certainly piqued my interest.
. I will, but at the moment its the Devil I know ...
)
