Glacial Cruise: Expedition from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas

Posted By : GlobetrottingSwede
This is a great short cruise, for anyone who wishes to see, and understand the fjords and the archipelago of Patagonia. If you sail from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, the first day is a hike and Zodiak visit to see the penguins. The second day is all about glaciers with glacier alley, south of the Darwin range. The third day the objective is to disembark at Cape Horn, but this is only possible, if the weather permits.

Note that this is an expedition style cruise, which means that you use zodiacs to disembark and visit the shores.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-02-01 11:16:19

Posted By : Safari569338
We are off the coast of Ushuaia and I have a network. I took this opportunity to debrief the cruise:
I start with the positive
- good general organization, including excursions. We weren't able to go to Cape Horn, but mother nature decides, and this morning there was 80 knots of wind. The wise decision was made.
- the cabins (all identical) are spacious and the bedding is good.
- the common areas are pleasant
- the staff is friendly.
Now the annoying point: at more than $1100 per day, we have the right to expect food that is not at canteen level and let me explain: apart from breakfast, no meal has been served hot, we had no vegetables, the portions were often miserable, and always starchy foods, such as mashed potatoes or gnocchi with parmesan, tough meat, even inedible, the same for this evening's fish, which instead of being sea bass, it was grouper. It is not normal to have conger chicken and pork at the prices charged.
And this time, many of us have thought about it.
In conclusion, pleasant cruise with food (sorry but it's emotion) vile and unworthy of the asking price.
I will end by asking you why you asked us about our dietary restrictions: we had to fight almost every meal between pork and shellfish!!
Sorry to rush you, but we are very disappointed and have the feeling of having been “fleshed”.
We are reaching the limits of their monopoly situation.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-01-24 07:36:50

Posted By : Tawlys T
Ushuaia is a charming little town. But very busy with the Antarctic tourism business. LOTS of people, meaning lots of busy businesses. Took a catamaran boat tour to see the sea lions penguins…almost 3 hours each way. But sure, there were sea lions and penguins at the final destination, so there’s that. But mostly cormorants, so had to look carefully to find the penguins amongst them.

A decent landing place (for better than Punta Arenas!) for traveling through the region, but not worth a special trip just to go there.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-03-17 16:54:52

Posted By : 2020Samson
I enjoyed my four night cruise from Punta arenas to Ushuaia. It was expensive but a good experience despite the cost. The one negative is that I am certain that I got poisoned from the tap water on the Australis boat. Both my husband and I got sick one day after exiting the boat. We both drank the tapwater. We should’ve been forewarned not to drink any of the water on the boat. There was never any advice to avoid the tap water in our room. For the high price we paid, it should never have happened.

We went in 2019 but TA won’t let us put in the correct date.
Rating :
Posted On : 2022-12-04 22:55:32

Posted By : SUSAN P
I travelled solo within a group of 18. We travelled on one of the Australis ships. For the Australis crew, I was on Trip 292, Nov 2022 - Ushuaia to Punta Arenas. The trip was fantastic, Beyond my wildest dreams and expectations.

The crew was fantastic. I was extremely impressed that Australia’s encourages its crewmembers to participate in the excursions. You got to know crewmembers not only as waiters, reception desk, gift shop, cleaning stewards, but as people enjoying the trip just like us.

The crew looked after us as well on land as they did at sea. I took a tumble on one of the hikes, luckily it was very soft grass. But Oscar, the waiter, was right there to help me stand up and make sure I was OK. Thank you Oscar.

We were fortunate to have excellent weather. The rocking and rolling occurred at night while we were sleeping. Our first zodiac excursion was Cabo the Hornos. I can’t believe I was there. And for me the weather was perfect, 40 mph winds and rain. Just what you think it would be like when the three oceans, Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern oceans collide with one another.

Zodiac excursions were a blast. You learn quickly what cha-cha-cha means while embarking and disembarking from the zodiacs.

Food was delicious though a 715/730 dinner time would have been more enjoyable for me. I never got back to my room before 9 PM. Then you are preparing for the next day excursions. Just so you know, you can ask for half orders or even a salad for dinner. The four course meals become overwhelming after a while.

I received a great geography lesson from Vicky, one of the gift store attendants. She is from Punta Arenas. She explained to me the regions of Patagonia, the capital cities of the regions, the difference between Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego and so much more. Thank you Vicky for being my teacher.

This trip enriched my life. I have traveled to most countries of Central America and 4 northern countries of SA. This is my first visit to Argentina and Chile.

Thank you Australis and crew for making my experience one to remember forever.
Rating :
Posted On : 2022-11-24 14:14:01

Posted By : AppleStud
Breakfast, lunch, and dinners are quite good--remember they have to haul all of the food from Ushuaia, no docking during the trip.
Activities every day and lots of lecture, films, etc. that made time pass by so fast.

Calafate sour is one of my new fave drinks--thanks guys!

The tours and guides are fantastic.

To those guides who knew I wasn't comfortable on the zodiak's to the windy,rainy Cape Horn excursion--thanks. I was as comfortable as possible and I appreciate your attention to safety.

ONLY criticism is the snacks on the ship are kind of lame--pringles, cheap olives, and mainly peanuts detracts from the 5-star impression I have with the rest of the tour.
Rating :
Posted On : 2019-02-20 14:11:23

Posted By : Overlooker
We sailed on the Ventus Australis, the newer ship in the cruise ship line. The ship was not elegant but very comfortable. However, you're going to spend much of your time taking excursions on Zodiac boats to Cape Horn, glaciers, a penguin colony and more. Not a lot of time for hanging out on the boat. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and spoke a variety of languages, leaving no one uninformed. Tables were organized by language and the meals were wonderful. Be sure to pay attention to the recommended clothing.
Rating :
Posted On : 2019-02-11 21:29:50

Posted By : arnonz2018
You are in the southern city in South America - Ushuaia, you might want to put your feet on Cape Horn and cruise through the Glaciers or you just don't want to spend all day in airports in order to get to Punta Arenas (or 12 hrs+ on a bus). A cruise is an option. Decided to take a chance with SS Ventus (Australis line).
It was a wonderful experience. You sail at night and taken to beautiful places during the day (excursions are according to your abilities). We were about 75 passengers and I don't think that the crew members were much less. The crew was extremely professional from the guy who cleaned the room through the bar tender, the waiter and end with the guides who really showed they care about you, helped you and not to mention that they knew what they were talking about. Food was decent and wine list needs a notch up. For me it was a cruise to remember
Rating :
Posted On : 2019-01-09 08:52:52