Antarctica21 delivers what it says it is going to deliver in most respects. While the weather during this short Antarctica expedition wasn’t the best, it most certainly cooperated with travel to and from Antarctica, including our charter flights to and from King George Island. That was, ironically, a bit of a disappointment for me because when things go right, it is hard to see how a company reacts when they don’t.
That said, once I completed my four flights, with a logistically required one-night (that I made two nights) stay in Santiago, Chile, and arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile, for orientation and the next day’s flight to King George Island, Antarctica21 was flawless. The airport transfer was perfect, my room was ready when I arrived, the A21 staff at the hotel was perfect, the Explorer’s House for orientation, cocktail party, and dinner the first night was solid, and instructions for the next morning were spot on. The transfer and charter flight the next day were on time, and boarding the ship was a breeze.
After the expedition, things were equally well prepared and performed, other than the Expedition Leader not being clear enough on certain instructions. Simple things were omitted such as, “Please wear your muck boots until you disembark the plane in Punta Arenas, where we will collect them in the lobby.” and “Please do not remove your tag with your stateroom number from your A21 bags, because you may otherwise grab the wrong bag when disembarking the plane.”
Here are my previous articles:
- Goldring Travel Checks Out Antarctica21 – The OG of the “Fly the Drake” Experience – Goldring Travel
- Goldring Travel Checks Out Antarctica21 – The OG of the “Fly the Drake” Experience – Part II: A Worthwhile Expedition Just to Get There. – Goldring Travel
- Goldring Travel Checks Out Antarctica21 – The OG of the “Fly the Drake” Experience – Part III: Let the Expedition Begin! – Goldring Travel
- Goldring Travel Checks Out Antarctica21 – The OG of the “Fly the Drake” Experience – Part III: The Expedition Finishes Too Quickly (For Me!) – Goldring Travel
The overall experience for me was fine, but not outstanding. I have been reflecting (Funny, I actually do that!) on whether it is worth ten flights and two sea days to spend only four days on the ice. While my answer, for me, is that it is not.
This is not only because of the short period of time in Antarctica but because of the inability to delve into the differences between penguins or seals, the ecology, the history of Antarctic exploration, the impact of climate change, etc., and still have time to just take Antarctica in. Why? Because it is a lot of travel and because these expeditions are expensive, not a lot of “bang for the buck” not only as to time but quality of overall experience. More on this later in this article.
That said, there are people that were on this short expedition because they only had limited time, children and young adults had to get back to school, they were not that interested in Antarctica (wife wanted to go, husband didn’t), were more focused on the “seventh continent” thing, and, among others, didn’t know they would be overwhelmed – in a good way! – by Antarctica. Budget didn’t seem to be much of a factor, but I got the impression few knew, or cared, to comparison shop. In short, something quick was better than nothing and Antarctica21 filled that niche.
Antarctica21’s Magellan Explorer is a nice ship that handles well but is definitely designed for short expeditions as it has limited public spaces and limited storage in the staterooms (closets and bathroom). I’ve detailed these things in my prior articles and, to be sure, they aren’t the most important factors for most when choosing a short polar expedition.
One cannot compare a short Fly the Drake expedition to a longer one or one that crosses the Drake Passage (which I think is a very important element of an Antarctica experience…and not because you might be bounced around a bit) because one is pretty superficial and the others are more in depth. There just isn’t enough time to bond with your expedition team (or them with you, as they are constantly dealing with new guests) or for them to really talk to you about all they know (one short lecture or time in a zodiac rather than multiples of them). These personal relationships can really add to your experience.
That said, the A21 expedition team was solid. However, I did find the Expedition Leader to be a bit disappointing, as I noted above. A couple of examples:
- The EL mentioned we were going to travel through the Lemaire Channel at 6:45 a.m. but didn’t emphasize that it was an amazing experience and well worth getting up early. I just added, “You don’t want to miss it. It is one of my favorite places. It is so worth getting up for it!” The next day I was thanked by a number of guests, including the Chinese film crew that was filming an environmental awareness documentary, noting they never would have gotten up if I hadn’t said something.
- A short visit to Neko Harbor was arranged after winds caused our landings to be canceled. The EL did not mention that it is one of the most spectacular places to visit. So again, I said something and again I was thanked.
- I’ve already touched upon the lack of clarity regarding disembarkation.
I was happy to add my two cents, but it shouldn’t have been necessary.
Before this expedition, I was told that Antarctica21 really gets you out there, longer than the other operators. I did not find that to be the case. Times off the ship were pretty standard. Also, I didn’t notice the expedition team out on deck much, no less more than other operators. However, when off the ship, the experience was quite good. Note: There isn’t a large amount of open deck space, which made wildlife viewing “interesting” if something was seen on the side of the ship versus over the bow.
Onboard the ship, it was a bit disappointing that most guests retreated to their staterooms whenever possible. The enthusiastic sharing of the experiences of the day really didn’t happen much, and the after-dinner scene was pretty much non-existent other than one night’s mini-lecture. The overall lack of energy was curious. Thankfully, there were a few that bucked that trend. This was not the case on my other Fly the Drake experience on another line; underscoring each expedition (or cruise) is different.
I found the dining room service to be very good but the food lacking; especially when it came to fresh fruits and vegetables. When I saw fruit cocktail, canned pineapple rings, and canned peaches the first morning, I thought it would be a one-off, but alas, it wasn’t. Salads were limited to fresh tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, shredded carrots, and packaged celery slices. Various coleslaws and potato salads were regulars. Soups pretty much all had corn starch or a similar base and weren’t very flavorful. There was a good variety of hot food in the breakfast and lunch buffets. Plated dinners were better.
I mentioned that Antarctia21 doesn’t give the “bang for the buck” I would expect. By way of example, the December 27, 2025 sailing starts at $15,795 per person for a standard twin stateroom. (That is $3,950 per person per day on the ice.) Silversea – a luxury experience including open bar, gratuities, butler, multiple dining venues and more has a January 8, 2026 sailing starting at $18,400. That is $4,600 per day on the ice.) When you add in what is included on Silversea vs. Antarctica21, the actual difference is minimal. Another comparison: Aurora Expeditions offers a January 23, 2026, 12-day fly cruise starting at $22,605 and also has multiple dining venues, a more upscale ship, and larger, more premium staterooms. (That is twice the time in Antarctica at $2,800 per day on the ice.)
However, to be sure, it is not just about price.
Availability – Nobody offers more Fly the Drake sailings as Antarctica21. There is a definite opportunity cost here. And, along with many more dates, it has priority when it comes to flights to King George Island. Both of those can be invaluable!
Quality of Expedition – As I said, despite the weather, Antarctica21 delivered a quality experience. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what happens when the other side of pricing (lowball pricing) occurs. Antarctia21 is far superior in delivering Antarctica then a number of other companies, such as Atlas Ocean Voyages – which has deservedly earned its reputation for having underqualified and understaffed expedition (and possibly ship officers) that simply cannot deliver Antarctica anywhere near as well as Antarctica21 does.
In the end, if you need or want to go at a specific time Antarctica21 can be a solid option not only because it has so many sailings, but because it delivers a solid Antarctica expedition with a quality expedition team. Yes, there are compromises and some onboard quality issues, but you will leave with a taste of Antartica and a feeling of fulfilment.
