A luxe shortcut to Antarctica: Private flights, penguin planes, and five-star cruising

Reaching the seventh continent no longer means rough seas. Silversea’s Antarctic Bridge fly-cruise offers a rare chance to explore Antarctica’s ice-filled wilderness without the infamous Drake Passage – while wrapped in all the comforts of luxury travel

For a lucky few, visiting Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime trip that can take years to come to (freezing) fruition. The 48-hour-each-way journey to the White Continent usually starts from Argentinian or Chilean Patagonia, and involves traversing the infamous Drake Passage, a truly stomach-churning 805-kilometre stretch of freezing seas with waves that can reach up to 40 feet. But if you were given an option to fly there in just two hours – on board a penguin, which would you choose?

During the Antarctic summer from October to February, ultra-luxury cruise company Silversea charter an Antarctic Airways BAE146, a beast of a plane liveried to look like a penguin. The business-class-only flights aboard the world’s only flying penguin promise a ‘fast track to the last continent’ in a program they call Antarctica Bridge: Fly and Cruise.

After overnight stays in Santiago and Punta Arenas, the sight of an airport departures board displaying nothing but ‘Antarctica’ is a thrilling reality check as we head to King George Island, home to the largest Antarctic settlement with a total permanent population equivalent to just nine footy teams. For a continent almost twice the size of Australia, the impending remoteness suddenly hits hard.

Luxury and wildlife aboard Silver Endeavour

After stepping off our penguin-painted plane, we’re greeted by the real thing – a comical, if slightly pungent, welcoming committee. Gentoo, Adelie and Chinstraps, three of the most common species in Antarctica, become constant comedy companions during our week-long odyssey.

Other members of the animal kingdom give Antarctica its name – the word ‘Arctic’ derives from arktos, the Greek word for bear. So, while the Arctic has polar bears, Antarctica – meaning ‘not the Arctic’ – does not. The White Continent does, however, boast 70 per cent of the world’s fresh water, 26 quadrillion tonnes of ice, a record low of –93 degrees Celsius, and winds that have reached over 300 kilometres per hour.

The cold certainly hits hard quickly in Antarctica and those multiple layers of expedition kit are appreciated, but warming up is easy – and luxurious – aboard Silver Endeavour, a polar cruiser accommodating just 160 guests and 200 crew, hailing from 49 nations.

Aboard the sleek maritime marvel that becomes our home for the next six nights, we pick our jaws up off the floor as we’re shown into our 50 square-metre Silver Suite on the eighth deck. It would impress in any five-star hotel on terra firma, but with humpback whales just beneath the balcony, it feels almost surreal. We explore the marble bathroom, oversized bed, and separate dining and living areas – all while sipping Champagne (included, of course), expertly poured by our attentive butler, Terrence.

Scientists in areas including bird life and whales, penguins and geology make up Silver Endeavour’s world-class expedition crew. When not on board, or ensuring that the inflatable Zodiac boats they pilot are within safe distance of orcas and humpbacks, many work in leading-edge research, which adds to our understanding of Antarctica’s unique ecosystem.

At a welcome presentation, they brief our international mix of passengers – who undoubtedly lower the average age of traditional cruise guests – on safety and wildlife protocol. Next up is Finnish Captain Kai Ukkonen, a vastly-experienced polar cruising and ice navigation expert, before Expedition Leader Jamie Watts, a British marine ecologist, proclaims: “Adventure begins here, at the edge of the world – channel your inner penguin and turn the Discovery Channel into reality.”

As if to prove his point, barely twenty minutes after setting sail for Charlotte Bay, two immense humpbacks surface just yards from our balcony. Each weighing more than six fully-grown African elephants, these majestic creatures become daily sights, whether from a Zodiac, kayak or while sipping a perfect Martini in the top deck’s observation lounge.

Throughout the six-night cruise around the Antarctic Peninsula, excursions on land and water start by kitting up in the suite then heading to the boot room before boarding a Zodiac

Adventures on land and sea

Each day brings a new spectacle: a mesmerising kaleidoscope of icebergs, from the brightest blue – like something dreamed up by AI – to the purest white. Some are tiny specks, just big enough for two penguins to use to catch their breath; others are towering, magnificent, and quietly menacing – silent monoliths the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and definitely ones to avoid.

Our Zodiacs navigate impossibly vast ice-filled bays, set against perfect clear blue skies and vertiginous snow-capped cliffs. The water often mirrors the landscape to stunning effect, while the deafening silence is only occasionally broken by the deep hiss of a whale surfacing for air, or the eerie sudden thud as huge chunks of ice break off glaciers in a phenomenon known as ‘calving’.

Calling the trip an expedition is no exaggeration. Some days bring serious swells and multiple attempts to disembark us from Zodiacs into the Silver Endeavour, while kayaking in waters next to brash ice, not knowing where or when an orca or humpback may surface, adds to the distinct adrenaline rush. Hiking up steep, icy inclines is no picnic either, although the extraordinary panoramas always more than make it worthwhile.

Calling this cruise an expedition is no exaggeration. Some days bring heavy swells and multiple attempts to get us from Zodiacs back onto Silver Endeavour. Kayaking in waters strewn with brash ice, never sure when or where an orca or humpback might surface, heightens the adrenaline rush. And hiking up steep, icy inclines is no easy feat, though the sweeping panoramas always make the effort worthwhile.

Penguins are a constant source of comic relief, especially along the so-called ‘penguin highways’ – well-worn paths carved into the snow by thousands of webbed feet. A slick coating of guano (penguin droppings) makes them treacherously slippery, leading to frequent face-plants before the birds wobble off again, like tuxedoed drunks at the tail end of a long night out.

The most formidable natural presence of all are the jet-black orca pods, slicing through the water with silent precision. For those brave enough to launch themselves into the freezing sea – a tradition known as the ‘polar plunge’ – the waters are, thankfully, checked in advance.

All too soon, our return flight to reality – back aboard the penguin plane – calls us home. But exploring Antarctica on Silver Endeavour has given us, without question, the most remarkable six nights of our travelling lives.

Chris Dwyer travelled as a guest of Silversea Cruises. The six-night all-inclusive Antarctic Bridge trip, including flights, starts from US$39,000 (around AU$61,100) per person.

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