Arctic versus Antarctic: Which expedition cruise should you choose?

As many expedition cruise companies will attest, the Arctic is primarily an ocean surrounded by land, while the Antarctic is a continent surrounded by ocean. But, when visiting on a cruise, what are the differences? For starters, Antarctica is far colder than the Arctic – but do take notice of the packing list for both. The White Continent also tends to be the winner in terms of sheer frozen beauty. However, if visiting the Arctic in the summer, you will see less snow and plenty of flora. There are significant differences in iconic wildlife, too, although what they do have in common is the incredible Arctic tern, which migrates 40,000km from pole to pole each year. But the biggest difference is in population. Unlike its southern cousin – home to only researchers – the Arctic regions are inhabited, and you’ll have a chance to learn about many different cultures.

Season: June to September

Wildlife: Polar bears are the big draw. There is a possibility of Arctic foxes, Arctic hares, reindeer, musk ox, walruses, belugas, narwhals, puffins and snowy owls.

People: Around 4 million people, many of them Indigenous groups.

Itineraries: Norway’s Svalbard archipelago is popular, but there are now a range of options to explore Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, including the Northwest Passage.

Season: October to February (West Antarctic); January and February (East Antarctic)

Wildlife: Penguins (eight species in and around Antarctica), leopard seals, whales, prion, albatross. There are no land mammals.

People: No permanent inhabitants.

Itineraries: Most expedition cruises go from South America (eg Ushuaia) to the Antarctic peninsula in a couple of days. You can fly across the Drake Passage if you want to make the trip shorter, or to avoid its infamously rough water. Itineraries may include the Falklands and South Georgia islands – a must if you’re a wildlife lover. On the other side of the world, cruises to East Antarctica and the Ross Sea from Australia and New Zealand are far longer, with return trips taking nearly a month.

Alana Bradley-Swan

The managing director and co-owner of Adventure Canada talks about running her first trip with an entirely female expedition leadership team.

“Women cover all roles [at Adventure Canada]: leadership, naturalists, scientists, cultural educators, general expedition team. We are working to empower and support our female team to step into leadership roles.

“This is different than when the company started, as we are consciously working on this in all areas of the team; however, we have focused on supporting female-led travels right from the early years, thanks to our women-only trips.

“It is a conscious decision. We know this has been predominantly a male industry; shipping in general is. We wanted to change this, as there are an increasing number of female travel groups and single travellers that are female, and we knew that our teams should reflect the fact that not only are women travelling, they are in leadership roles in all areas of life. As owners, [my sister] Cedar and I are female, and we have the full support from our brother, MJ, who is an owner as well.

“Many women didn’t and don’t apply for leadership positions in our industry because they think they don’t have the experience or know-how. We want to change that, because we know that with the right training and support, there is no limit to what women can achieve and bring to this industry.”

Read next: Our ultimate expedition cruise guide