Overall ship size and passenger numbers affect ambiance, stability, landing sites you can access, how much time spent ashore and the overall cost of the cruise. There are two main ship types – expedition ships with less than 500 guests that are built to allow on shore activities and ocean liners with +500 passengers who aren’t allowed bring guests ashore. North South Voyages only features Expedition Ships as we believe this provides the best Antarctica experience.
Antarctica Expedition Ship Size Comparison
Small Sized Ships – Up to 150 Passengers
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.
Some of our favourite small ships include the Magellan Explorer (pictured) for quick Fly + Cruise itineraries. We also love the M/V Ortelius and its Antarctica Basecamp program featuring many included ‘off the ship’ activities like a night of camping on the ice. Another of our favourites is the Syliva Earle from Aurora Expeditions which offers 5* luxury in small ship form. Watch a walk through of the ship during her 2023 launch here.
Medium Sized Ships – 151 to 200 Passengers
These size ships provide a good balance of time on shore with personalised service. They are more stable than the smallest ships and there are more passengers overall which means lower price tags.
Oceanwide’s 4* M/V Hondius is a great, affordable mid size option with 170 passengers. Another favourite is the 5* luxury 199 passenger Ultramarine (pictured) from Quark Expeditions. For budget travellers, Hurtigruten’s smallest Antarctica ship is a great option – the 3* comfort, 200 passenger MS Fram.
Large Sized Ships – 201 to 500 Passengers
Ships with close to 500 passengers are generally the most affordable. Some large options can be luxurious as you are spending more time onboard and less time ashore. The largest ships are generally the least affected by ocean swells and movement.
The 500 passenger Roald Amundsen offers fantastic value and 4* comfort. Silversea Cruises operates two large ships for those wanting complete luxury. Silver Wind at 274 Guests and the Silver Cloud at 240 guests both include room service, unlimited free wifi and gratuities.
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.
