This 22-day Cruise Around South America and Antarctica Includes Whale and Penguin Sightings and a Visit to the Falkland Islands — for Less Than $2K a Person

This holiday season, skip the last-minute shopping flurry and leave the holiday ham in your freezer. Instead, you can spend the most frantic time of the year enjoying the silence of Antarctica and cruising glacier-laden waters from the warmth of your cozy cruise ship suite. 

Holland America’s “22-Day South America & Antarctica Holiday” promises 22 days of sights and experiences most people — no matter how well traveled — will ever see. A crossing of the Drake Passage, a visit to the Falkland Islands, and a trip to the Antarctic island that houses the largest known colony of gentoo penguins in the world.

It all begins in Buenos Aires before continuing to Montevideo and Punta del Este, Uruguay. From there, you’ll head south down the coast of Argentina until you hit the sandy beach town of Puerto Madryn, Argentina. After a day on the coast, the tour will continue to the remote Falkland Islands, which are known for their cliffed coastlines and resident king penguins.

Starting on Christmas Day, the Oosterdam is scheduled to cruise through the bays and islands of Antarctica, “the White Continent,” for four days. The ship will explore the Palmer Archipelago, Dallmann Bay, and Cuverville Island, which is home to the largest known colony of gentoo penguins in the world. Before departing Antarctica, the ship will visit Paradise Harbor, which will likely be the first time onboard guests will see other humans — in addition to more Gentoo and chinstrap penguins.

On the route back to South America, the ship will pass through the wild seas of Cape Horn and the Drake Passage. From there, the Oosterdam will pass through the impressive and treacherous waters of Glacier Alley, which stretches along a good portion of the 150-mile-long Beagle Channel.

On the first day of 2024, the ship will stop in Punta Arenas, Chile before passing through the Strait of Magellan and visiting the Amalia or El Brujo Glaciers. The trip concludes with several stops in Chile, including a visit to the Chilean Fjords, before docking in Santiago, Chile — the last stop of the 22-day journey.

The trip departs from Buenos Aires on Dec. 16 and ends in Santiago, Chile on Jan. 7, 2024. The entire 22-day experience starts at $1,699 a person and includes three meals a day. Additional perks include free access to the fitness center, casino, family game room, kid’s club, and live nightly music. For an additional charge, guests can book a treatment at the Greenhouse Spa & Salon, grab a drink at one of the ship’s bars, or enjoy an elevated meal at the onboard steakhouse or the Italian restaurant.