Overall ship size and passenger numbers affect ambience, stability, landing sites you can access, how much time spent on shore and the overall cost of the cruise.
There are two main types – ships with 500 plus passengers (ocean liners) who are not allowed let guests go ashore and ships with fewer than 500 guests (expedition ships) that are built to provide travellers with on shore activities.
Please note that we only feature Expedition Ships as we believe this provides the best experience. If you are interested in cruising to Antarctica that does not include expeditions off of the ship, please get in touch.
Antarctica Ship Size – Passengers & Cabins Available
Small Sized Ships – 150 Passengers or less
Small ships are generally more expensive but offer very personalised service. They also generally provide extended time on shore exploring but they can be susceptible to swaying on rougher water.
Medium Sized Ships – 151 to 200 Passengers
These ships have a good balance of time on shore and service. They are more stable than the smallest ships and there are more passengers overall which means lower price tag.
Large Sized Ships – 201 to 500 Passengers
These are generally the most affordable options. Some are even luxurious as you are spending more time on board and less excursion time on shore. These larger ships in general are the least affected by ocean swells in terms of sway and movement.
One final note on ship size – it is important to know only 100 guests at any time can be on shore at one site. This means that ships with over 100 guests, you should evaluate how many zodiacs and docking areas they have to better gauge how much waiting may be involved with multiple excursions a day.