What’s excluded in an Antarctica Expedition?
You have been thinking about joining an Antarctica voyage for a while, but are curious of what exactly is extra, or additional to the rate you are paying? We are happy to explain these below!
Remember that there are different ships going down to the White Continent, and exclusions may vary a little between vessels. Nevertheless, the main exclusions for most Antarctica expeditions are the following:
- Emergency Evacuation Insurance – All travelers joining a polar expedition are required to have an emergency evacuation insurance that covers you for up to USD 150,000 to 200,000. Most operators do not include the emergency evacuation insurance, so make sure your insurance policy covers you in this remote destination for an emergency evacuation. A few trips do include this insurance: ask us about the trip that interests you, and we will let you know if this is included!
- Tips – You are going to receive excellent service onboard. Your expedition ship is like a floating hotel + restaurant that will offer you comfort and food before and after your daily excursions. Although gratuities are not mandatory, we suggest USD $13-15 per day per person. Example: for a 10-day voyage plan to tip about USD $135-150. You can pay tips at the end of your trip by credit card or USD dollars.
- Alcoholic drinks and bottled beverages – In most cases, alcoholic drinks, cocktails and bottled or canned beverages are not included. If you order any of these drinks for lunch or dinner or at the bar, they will be charged to your shipboard account. You can pay these upon disembarkation with credit card or USD dollars. Remember that water, coffee and tea is free of charge and available 24 hours for all passengers! A few trips do include drinks with dinner: ask us about the trip that interests you and we will let you know if this is included!
- Adventure options– Many departures offer adventure activities such as sea kayaking, camping or snowshoeing depending on the time of the season. These have an extra cost and are usually booked ahead of time as availability is very limited. Please note that by the time we offer last minute deals most spaces are sold out, so you can join a waitlist in case a space opens up!
- Gear – Some expeditions will offer its passengers a parka to keep, but not all of them will provide you with the parka or the necessary gear for these latitudes. At Freestyle, we offer all our passengers (starting & ending their voyage in Ushuaia) water-resistant ski pants, gloves and jackets on loan free of charge! Ask us about the trip that interests you and we will let you know if this is included. Please note that ALL expeditions do include sturdy boots on loan free of charge for the duration of your voyage. These are necessary for all landings in Antarctica.
Still have questions? Send them our way! We are here to help you plan a memorable trip to Antarctica, with the best information our experience can provide.
