Have you always wanted to see Antarctica? Holland America Line this week introduced an unusual new way to get there.

The Seattle-based cruise line announced an epic cruise to the white continent that begins in Fort Lauderdale, Florida – a port thousands of miles from the typical departure points for Antarctic cruises in Argentina and Chile.

The 47-day voyage begins on January 25, 2025, and will take place aboard the cruise line’s 1,432-passenger ship Volendam. It is part of a longer pole-to-pole world cruise that Holland America has been offering since April 2023.

Like that longer trip, the shortened leg is unusual in that it allows Americans to get from the United States to Antarctica without having to take a long international flight.

For people in Florida and the surrounding area who can drive to Fort Lauderdale, travel without flying is possible.

However, there is a major limitation for those who avoid flying: you will still need an international flight to return to the United States after the trip is complete. The cruise ends on March 13, 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

From Florida to Antarctica

The newly announced cruise – one of several shorter legs of the previously announced Pole-to-Pole cruise for which Holland America has opened bookings – will begin with stops in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Santa Marta, Colombia, and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, as Volendam heads south toward the Panama Canal.

After crossing the canal westward, the ship will sail south along the coasts of Central and South America for more than three weeks, making several stops in Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Chile.

This part of the trip includes an extensive exploration of the Patagonia region and the Chilean fjords on the west coast of Chile.

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From there, the Voledam will cross the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America and reach Punta Arenas in Chile and then Ushuaia in Argentina – the two main starting points for trips to Antarctica.

Related: Is this the ultimate Antarctic cruise ship?

After two more days through the notoriously rough Drake Passage, the Volendam finally reaches Antarctica, where it will spend four days sailing along the coast lined with ice and mountains.

Unlike an expedition cruise to Antarctica on a small expedition ship, passengers do not land on the continent. However, they can view the scenic coastline from the ship’s outside decks.

From Antarctica, the Volendam sails up the east coast of Argentina to Buenos Aires. The last stops before Buenos Aires are the Falkland Islands off the coast of Argentina and Puerto Madryn in Argentina.

On the way north, the ship will also stop at Montevideo in Uruguay.

Fares for this section start at $9,684 per person, including all taxes and fees – or about $206 per person per day.

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