Antarctica Brad Japhe Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment In the early afternoon of Dec. 14, 1911, Roald Amundsen and his crew of four officially became the first men to reach the geographic South Pole. To get there, the Norwegian explorers navigated the interminable snowfields of interior Antarctica, trudging through the harshest climates on earth for 56 days. They wore boots made of reindeer skin. They fed on some of the very same snow dogs that sledded them there. Frostbite subsumed large swaths of their bodies. A little over a century later, reaching the world's only uninhabited continent is a decidedly more glamorous affair. And it's attracting a decidedly more glamorous brand of "explorers" to match. Two seasons ago, a motley assembly of A-listers including Lewis Hamilton, Zoey Deutch, Nina Dobrev and Jared Leto, arrived to the Antarctic peninsula on a 414-foot mega-yacht, sporting sequin dresses and tuxedos, sipping tulips of champagne. Related Stories Movies Sony Pictures Classics Takes Kirk Jones' 'I Swear' Following TIFF Premiere Movies Jennifer Coolidge, Nicole Scherzinger Join Rebel Wilson's 'Girl Group' It took them just two days to make the voyage, traversing the Drake Passage from the southernmost tip of South America. A travel expert on TikTok estimated the lavish getaway ran slightly south of $3.5 million in total. At least no dogs were harmed along the way. More recently, in late 2024, Captain Kirk himself - William Shatner - set a course for this final frontier aboard an opulent, state-of-the-art expedition vessel. The ship featured veranda suites with walk-in closets and heated bathroom floors. Sushi and caviar were served daily. Satellite internet, available throughout the ten-day journey, was robust enough to support uninterrupted Netflix streaming. Meanwhile, Prince Harry and members of the House of Saud have opted to circumvent the potentially treacherous waters of the Southern Ocean, altogether. They chartered private jets from Cape Town, South Africa, eventually landing at White Desert, a luxury glamping operation not far from the South Pole that can charge upwards of $110,000 per guest. Antarctica's sudden star appeal is understandable. The journey there today regularly incorporates creature comforts that were inconceivable even two decades ago. It's reeling in far more than just royalty and reality TV stars, too. According to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, throughout the 1991-92 season the continent recorded some 6,400 visitors. That number has now swelled to an estimated 107,270 per year (Southern Hemisphere summers make transit possible from late October to mid-March). Brad Japhe "Antarctica is no longer only for the hardcore wildlife or polar history buffs-or even just for retirees with the time and disposable income," observes Alex Ros, owner of Open Sky Expeditions, which has operated adventures to this part of the world since 2011. "The traveler base has definitely broadened to those that weren't initially there, including younger curious professionals and families. Essentially, people just wanting to experience something few ever will. Or who feel the draw of being absolutely humbled by a landscape with a scale you won't find elsewhere on earth." These days, it's not a matter of getting there - that part is (relatively) easy. It's about how you choose to cruise. A wide range of offerings cater to the respective priorities of any would-be traveler. If you prefer pampering, for instance, Scenic Cruises affords Michelin-caliber cuisine, expansive wine cellars and the largest whiskey bar at sea, to go along with two on-board helicopters and a submersible as adventurous add-ons. Penthouse suites on the journey start at $80,000 per person. Those with a penchant for photography are best served on a special Lindblad voyage, where you're joined on land-based excursions by a designated photog from National Geographic magazine. Maybe you want to moonlight as a marine biologist. HX is the way forward. With its impressive cadre of on-board scientists leading daily lectures, it's pretty much a floating university. However you go, you're guaranteed to return with grade-A conversation fodder for your next cocktail party. In the age of Instagram, sharing stories of a sub-polar landfall is way more of a flex than lounging on a sun-soaked Mediterranean beach. After all, you can book a direct flight from any major American airport and be in Europe in a matter of hours. But many people are still surprised to learn that Antarctica is even a viable vacation option. And yet despite the relative rarity of the experience, there are ways to make it happen at prices which compare favorably to that European vacation. The average Antarctic cruise costs about $10,000 per person and typically lasts 10-