This epic new cruise will take you from the US to Antarctica without ever getting on an airplane

28.08.2024 - 17:26 / thepointsguy.com / Santa Marta

Always wanted to see Antarctica? Holland America Line this week unveiled an unusual new option for getting there.

The Seattle-based line announced an epic sailing to the White Continent that begins in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — a port thousands of miles away from the typical jumping-off points for Antarctica cruises in Argentina and Chile.

Kicking off Jan. 25, 2025, the 47-night voyage will take place on the line's 1,432-passenger Volendam and is a segment of a longer pole-to-pole world cruise that Holland America has been selling since April 2023.

Like that longer voyage, the shortened segment is unusual in that it will allow Americans to get from the United States to Antarctica without taking a long international flight.

For people in and near Florida who can drive to Fort Lauderdale, it'll be accessible without stepping on a plane of any sort.

That said, there is one big caveat for flight-avoiders: You'll still need an international flight to return to the U.S. at the voyage's conclusion. The cruise ends March 13, 2025, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The newly announced cruise — one of several shorter segments of the previously announced pole-to-pole cruise that Holland America has opened for bookings — will begin with stops at Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic; Santa Marta, Colombia; and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, as Volendam heads southward toward the Panama Canal.

After passing westward through the canal, the ship will head southward along the coasts of Central and South America for more than three weeks, with multiple stops in Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Chile.

This portion of the trip will include an extensive exploration of the Patagonia region and Chilean Fjords on the west coast of Chile.

From there, Voledam will sail across the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America to reach Punta Arenas, Chile, and then Ushuaia, Argentina — the two main jumping-off points for voyages to Antarctica.

Related: Is this the ultimate Antarctica cruise ship?

Two more days crossing the famously rough Drake Passage will finally bring Volendam to Antarctica, where it will spend four days sailing along the ice- and mountain-lined coast.

Unlike on an expedition cruise to Antarctica on a small expedition vessel, passengers will not land on the continent. But passengers will be able to view the scenic coastline from the outer decks of the ship.

From Antarctica, Volendam will head up the east coast of Argentina to Buenos Aires. The final stops before reaching Buenos Aires will include the Falkland Islands off the coast of Argentina and Puerto Madryn, Argentina.

Montevideo, Uruguay, is also on the schedule as the ship heads northward.

Fares for the segment start at $9,684 per person, including all