Backstory and Planning
Stepping foot on Antarctica has been a dream of mine since I was young. How could you have a favorite continent if you've never been, and would it be everything you had imagined when you finally do go? This special trip, our destination wedding, was planned in 2019 and we were set to sail December 2020. However, with the unfortunate world-wide pandemic, our vacation was cancelled a whopping four times within two years by G Adventures.
Little did we know during our phase of uncertainties, Ponant released their brand-new ship in July of 2021, Le Commandant Charcot, the very first luxury ice-breaker of its kind. It was confirmed to explore Antarctica in January 2022. In October of 2021, G Adventures had once again, cancelled our February 2022 expedition. With Deanna's help, our travel agent from Southern Explorations, we were switched to Ponant for their January expedition, rushing to tell our jobs that we were leaving (sooner-than-planned) for three weeks to FINALLY explore the Great White Continent!
All of our tears were quickly wiped away, was this meant to be? A balcony? Extravagant food? A luxurious French ship that's actually cheaper than our previous choice? It seemed too good to be true...but it wasn't. In fact, the entire trip would make me to believe that I needed to be pinched and woken up from this magnificent dream. Everything ended up being perfect and it was completely worth the two-year emotional rollercoaster.
Price Comparison
Is Antarctica expensive? Absolutely. Is Antarctica worth it? Every penny.
If you've read "Exploring Antarctic with Ponant: A Glimpse of Le Commandant Charcot,"
you will recall the jaw-dropping beauty of this luxurious ship. So, how much did this vacation onboard Ponant cost compared to our original booking with G Adventures?
Here's the breakdown costs between the two companies (it's shocking):
Originally booked with G Adventures, our prices included: 2-week expedition to Antarctica ($14,599 p/p) inside a Category 3 cabin with a square window and two twin beds, an included 1-night hotel stay in Ushuaia, all meals onboard, Wedding Package ($150), camping excursion ($349 p/p), and a kayaking excursion ($1,299 p/p). We received a 5% early booking discount as well as a $200 Southern Explorations special booking promotion. Drinks (including juice, soda, alcohol) and gratuity are not included, so do factor in the additional costs when booking with G Adventures. Our total price came to $30,934 (as of 2020 pricing).
(Photo is not my own, this is from G Adventures and is an example of the original room we had booked, Category 3 Twin Share Cabin).
A two-week trip on the brand new ice-breaker, Le Commandant Charcot, included: 1 night stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel (depending on port), roundtrip airfare on a charter flight to/from either Santiago, Chile to Ushuaia or Santiago, Chile to Punta Arenas, Prestige Suite with king sized bed and balcony, all meals onboard, unlimited drinks (soda, juice, alcohol, freshly made smoothies, etc.), excursions, and gratuities. We also received a first time Ponant discount ($300), Southern Explorations Discount ($200), a $200 onboard credit, and a 5% Honeymoon Package Discount ($660). The Honeymoon Package also included: a bottle of champagne on arrival, photography session with 5 included photos, a surprise onboard, and 2 spa treatments (maximum value of 120 Euro per treatment). The total cost for a two-week trip to Antarctica came out to $27,670 (as of 2022 pricing). Ponant is truly all-inclusive without hidden fees.
We saved a total of $3,264 just by switching companies (and the comparison of the cabins is astounding)!
As you can see, this is a lavish trip and unlike any of our other vacations. This was, after all, a destination wedding. Traveling to Antarctica isn't cheap but it's definitely worth adding to your bucket list, especially if you're booking through Ponant.
Looking back on the amount of stress and heartbreak caused by the numerous cancellations, it was truly worth it but, dare I say, I'm actually glad G Adventures kept letting us down because Ponant was everything we could have wanted and so much more. Now, I don't want to be negative towards a company I've never set sail with, but two years of cancellations and months of trying to get our refund, it speaks volumes. G Adventures has amazing reviews, which is why we had originally booked through them. And to be completely honest and fair, I really wish we had the opportunity to camp in Antarctica, something Ponant did not offer. However, at the end of it all, we were pampered on and off the ship and saved money doing so. Ponant went above and beyond, catering to us before we even arrived in South America, mailing us packages and pamphlets discussing our upcoming travels. Ponant will always hold a special place in my heart.
We were ready for an adventure of a lifetime.
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