We spent $19,000 on a cruise to Antarctica. Crossing the Drake Passage was a nightmare, but the destination was worth it.

21.02.2024 - 20:11 / insider.com / Drake Passage

My husband and I are seasoned travelers and have been on a mission to visit all seven continents. In early 2023, we still had one left to cross off our bucket lists: Antarctica.

That's why we jumped at the opportunity to sail there on a Silver Wind expedition ship.

Normally, a high-end sailing with this cruise line would have cost upwards of $16,000 per person. But we managed to find a deal for around half that — bringing the total to about $19,000 for both of us.

In order to get to Antarctica by boat, however, we knew we'd have to cross the dreaded Drake Passage.

The Drake Passage, which stretches from the southern tip of South America to the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, is the stuff of sailor legend.

As one of the most dangerous sea crossings in the world, many passengers have lost their lives — or, in modern times, their lunch — while making the journey.

My husband, Daniel, and I did our research and watched plenty of viral videos of other travelers braving the Passage.

I knew the crossing would be downright uncomfortable for a few days, but I was unprepared for just how much of a toll it would take on my body and mind.

I spent a chunk of my childhood on boats and figured I wouldn’t be queasy since I'd never been seasick before. Based on previous boating experiences, we actually assumed Daniel would be the queasy one.  

With 272 other passengers on board, the boat was large enough to take on the Passage but small enough to get tossed around by waves.

After barely making it to the dining hall without falling over sideways, I choked down a sampling of fruit to try to get something in my stomach.

I peered around to see if other passengers were suffering like I was, but they seemed much steadier, sporting Scopolamine patches — used to prevent motion sickness — behind their ears.

Daniel and I agreed that maybe it was best that I head back to our cabin. With one hand on the provided railings, I managed to inch my way back to our compact bathroom before promptly tossing up the combination of fruit and coffee I'd barely begun to digest.

I continued to lounge on our bed like a recovering Victorian woman after a fainting episode while my husband was able to gallivant throughout the boat.

He spent the days we rocked on the Passage attending lectures and attempting to feed me with food he brought from the dining hall.

Looking back, there were several reasons I continued to suffer for the next day and a half (and then another day on the way back). 

Much of it was hubris — if I had made an effort to purchase some Dramamine or ask for a Scopolamine patch from the onboard doctor at the start of our voyage, I might have felt much better about what frequenters of the Drake Passage would say was a