Atlas Ocean Voyages Puts Antarctica on the Holiday Map for 2025
The line has unveiled seven departures across three program types, pairing holiday traditions with peak-season Antarctic exploration.
Photo: Courtesy of Atlas Ocean Voyages
Holiday cruises have long been a staple in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, but Atlas Ocean Voyages is betting that luxury clients are ready to trade palm trees for penguin rookeries. The line has unveiled three program types, timed to coincide with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s 2025, making the White Continent a destination for milestone celebrations.
The itineraries highlight how Antarctica is shifting from a once-in-a-lifetime “bucket list” trip to an occasion-worthy holiday choice. With ships capped at fewer than 200 guests, Atlas is leaning into its yacht-style positioning by promising festive touches—seasonal décor, holiday menus paired with fine wines, and enrichment programming—layered onto the expedition core of Zodiac landings, wildlife encounters, and the Polar Plunge. The proposition: Clients can keep beloved traditions while reimagining them in one of the most remote places on Earth.
Three programs are on offer: a Thanksgiving sailing on World Traveller and World Navigator in November; two late-December “Crossing the Circle” voyages, including a Christmas departure on World Traveller and a December 28 World Navigator sailing; and shorter “Antarctic Discovery” itineraries on World Voyager and World Traveller, also clustered around the December holidays. All sailings operate round-trip from Ushuaia, with private charter service and a pre-cruise hotel night in Buenos Aires included.
The holiday period in Antarctica coincides with the austral summer, when wildlife activity peaks: Penguin colonies are nesting, whales are feeding, and days stretch long into the night. That means the voyages marry high-value natural encounters with an emotional layer—celebrating traditions in a landscape most guests never imagined for the season. While pricing has not been released, availability is likely to be limited, due to both capacity constraints and the growing demand for prime-season expedition departures.
For luxury clients who have already “done” the classic holiday escapes, positioning Antarctica as a next-level alternative could resonate. A combination of exclusivity, seasonality, and milestone framing makes these sailings a compelling sell for multi-generational families or well-traveled couples looking for a holiday that truly stands apart.
