Gallivanter

Is it possible for my wife and I to book a guided Ushuaia-Antarctica trip on a reliable clean cruise ship for $7-10K? We are flexible as far as dates and can travel on fairly short notice. If this is possible I'd appreciate a heads-up for a dependable contact in Ushuaia (or anywhere else) who could help us set that up. Thanks

mlgb

Should be possible for "scenic cruising" round trip from Buenos Aires. There is Sapphire Princess 17 Day in December and early January. You do get one day in Ushuaia and they offer guided excursions.

For Expedition Cruises where you actually get off of the ship, the early and late season cruises are the most heavily discounted (meaning November to December or February into early March). Probably will run a bit more than your budget, $8 to $10K per person but sometimes discount if not filled.

Have a look at the cruise line Hurtigruten Expeditions which several of us on Fodors took this past year.. If you want to explore Ushuaia, I would recommend doing that separately. There are a boatload of tour operators down there at the wharf.

There is also an Antarctica forum on Cruise Critic.

I don't have personal experience with an Antarctic specialist agent, but a friend who owns a travel agency in Chile is always recommending Swoop Antarctica. No harm in talking with them and then shopping their quote.

LAX_Esq

See my trip report on last minute Antarctica deals and contact the agents mentioned therein --https://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/trip-notes-antarctica-falklands-and-south-georgia-1679010/

mlgb

One thing to be wary of is that due to HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) most landings in South Georgia were not permitted this year (there is still a short landing in Grytviken). So the extra expense and time of including S. Georgia will mostly get you more zodiac cruising, and even some of those will likely be cancelled if you go early or late due to worse weather in the shoulder seasons which are the most heavily discounted.

My December trip worked out pretty well for penguins (and scenery) but less so for whales. That is why I'd talk to a specialist agent who can help you target your timing and ship.

The Antarctica rule that limits landings to 100 passengers is implemented so that 100 passengers at a time are allowed at any one spot (kayakers don't count toward that number). There are several larger ships that are allowed to operate landings. Hurtigruten Antarctica landings were done with rotated groups with nominal 45-minute slots. Weather and ice dictate where you land. The larger ships don't have access to some locations but we did land at Brown Station on the "continent". A couple I was friendly with landed, touched down and went right back to the ship. Note that many landings required you to wade through water and climb up a steep-ish slope in your muck boots, not always easy but the crew would help if you felt unsteady.

P_M

I was on a Hurtigruten cruise in December. I was there at the same time as mlgb but a different ship. I would highly recommend Hurtigruten for Antarctica. I don't know if mlgb experienced the same, but my cruise ticket included a charter flight with the group from Buenos Aires to Ushuia. When we arrived in Ushuia we were taken on a free excursion to Tierra del Fuego before boarding the ship. Of course, the flight back to BA was also included. We made all of our landings in Antarctica. Mlgb has correctly stated there was some climbing at a few landings, but help is readily available.

mlgb

Yes the flights and first night's hotel in Buenos Aires (or Santiago) are typically included with the Expedition cruises. Some people booked their own flights between BA to Ushuaia so that they could spend more time in Ushuaia. They were not that expensive. It isn't a realistic option from Santiago, though.

It wasn't clear if the OP's target price was per person or for both of them! Should be easy for per person but I have a feeling they meant for two people.