Antarctic Cruises from New Zealand & Australia

Cruises from Australia and New Zealand are much longer and more expensive than cruises from South America, but don’t let this deter you as the destinations visited will offer incredibly mind blowing experiences.

Cruises typically depart from either Hobart in Australia or Invercargill in New Zealand and focus on either the Commonwealth Bay area or the Ross Sea. These are some of the most remote regions of the earth and only a few hundred people are able to visit each year. Wildlife is abundant and it is in this region that the relics of the ‘heroic period’ of Antarctic exploration can be seen and experienced. Some of the wildlife you might experience while exploring the Ross Sea include the Antarctic and Snow Petrel, the Adélie and Emperor Penguin, and south polar skua. Marine mammals in the Ross Sea include Orca, the Antarctic minke whale, Weddell and Crabeater seals, and the formidable leopard seal.


There are also a few shorter cruises offered each season which focus on visiting the so called sub-Antarctic islands such as Macquarie Island, Campbell Island, Snares Island and Auckland Island. home to the southern royal albatross. These remote islands are home to a rich diversity of plants, seabirds and marine mammals, many of which are endemic to the region. Often the longer cruises to the Ross Sea will include a stops at some of these islands.

With a landscape that almost defies description, a journey to Antarctica is simply life-changing. Travellers are invited to join us on a small ship expedition cruise as we explore the planet’s most remote continent with its unspoilt, awe-inspiring scenery and incredible wildlife encounters.

Antarctica is the fifth largest, coldest and driest continent on Earth. Not only are travellers given the opportunity to observe the abundance of wildlife it has to offer from the comfort of their expedition vessel, but also to gain inspirational insights from a dedicated and knowledgeable crew.

Many consider Antarctica as the last frontier, and few get to experience its marvels. Travel to the end of the earth and explore the vast wilderness of the great white continent on one of our many incredible Antarctic expeditions.


FEATURED TOURS
Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific: Subantarctic Islands
Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific: Subantarctic Islands

You won't find them mentioned in a travel brochure on your high street; you won't find them in most guidebooks,…

Duration: 8 Days
Ship: Heritage Adventurer
Next Departure Date: 28 Dec 2022
Chatham Islands - A Land Apart
Chatham Islands - A Land Apart

Discover amazing endemic wildlife, meet the locals and experience conservation in action as we journey through the incredibly-diverse archipelagos of…

Duration: 10 Days
Ship: Spirit of Enderby
Next Departure Date: 08 Mar 2023
Galapagos of the Southern Ocean
Galapagos of the Southern Ocean

This is without doubt one of the most inspirational and informative journeys or expeditions into the Southern Ocean ecosystem that…

Duration: 13 Days
Ship: Spirit of Enderby
Next Departure Date: Contact us
Beyond Fiordland - New Zealand's Wildest Islands
Beyond Fiordland - New Zealand's Wildest Islands

Begin your adventure in Queenstown, New Zealand, and cruise the rugged and unique southern coastline of New Zealand's South Island,…

Duration: 12 Days
Ship: Heritage Adventurer
Next Departure Date: 28 Dec 2022
Galapagos of the Southern Ocean: New Zealand and Australia's Subantarctic Islands
Galapagos of the Southern Ocean: New Zealand and Australia's Subantarctic Islands

This is without doubt one of the most inspirational and informative journeys or expeditions into the Southern Ocean ecosystem that…

Duration: 12 Days
Ship: Heritage Adventurer
Next Departure Date: Contact us
Birding Down Under: Subantarctic and Chatham Islands
Birding Down Under: Subantarctic and Chatham Islands

Listen to the names: Snares, Bounty, Antipodes, Auckland, Campbell, Macquarie and Chatham Islands. They are music to the ears of…

Duration: 17 Days
Ship: Heritage Adventurer
Next Departure Date: Contact us
Semi-circumnavigation from Antarctica to New Zealand
On Sale
Semi-circumnavigation from Antarctica to New Zealand

Escape into another realm as you board our luxury boutique ice-class ship on this once-in-a-lifetime trip from South America to…

Duration: 34 Days
Ship: SH Minerva
Next Departure Date: 06 Feb 2023
In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton
In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton

The Ross Sea region of Antarctica is one of the most remote and fascinating places on earth. With shipping restricted…

Duration: 30 Days
Ship: Akademik Shokalskiy
Next Departure Date: Contact us
In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton
In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton

The Ross Sea region of Antarctica is one of the most remote places on Planet Earth and one of the…

Duration: 28 Days
Ship: Heritage Adventurer
Next Departure Date: 07 Jan 2023
Ross Sea Including Helicopters
Ross Sea Including Helicopters

Join us on this 32-day exploratory voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula, to the rarely visited volcanic Peter I Island, to…

Duration: 32 Days
Ship: Ortelius
Next Departure Date: 17 Feb 2023
Ross Sea Including Helicopters
Ross Sea Including Helicopters

Join us on a 34 day exploratory voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula, to the rarely visited volcanic Peter I Island,…

Duration: 34 Days
Ship: Ortelius
Next Departure Date: 14 Jan 2023
The Ross Sea
The Ross Sea

Sailing the Ross Sea means discovering one of the most extreme and conserved universes in the Antarctic. Partially occupied by…

Duration: 26 Days
Ship: Le Commandant Charcot
Next Departure Date: Contact us