A trip to Antarctica nears the top of every avid traveller’s bucket list, but getting to the Seventh Continent is rarely a comfortable journey. The Drake Passage—the body of water between Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica—is some of the roughest waters on earth and up until now has been a necessary part of commuting to the South Pole.

However, crossing the treacherous Drake Passage by boat might soon be a thing of the past if Silversea Cruises has anything to do with it. The ultra-luxury cruise line has just announced a first of its kind fly-cruise service straight to Antarctica in business class comfort, which will come as part of the largest ever Antarctica offering in the cruise line’s history.

From December 2021, Silversea’s new Antarctica Bridge will provide travellers with the fastest, most direct route straight to the southernmost continent. Passengers will depart on a private plane reserved exclusively for Silversea guests and fly 670 nm (1,240 km) over the Drake Passage to a specially adapted runway on King George Island. The business-class flight will take just two hours each way.

“This is a defining moment for Silversea’s expedition offering: Antarctica Bridge will revolutionise the way in which our guests discover Antarctica,” said Conrad Combrink, Silversea’s Senior Vice President of Tour Operating, Expedition & Destination Management in a statement. “The luxury of choice is a key feature of our cruise line’s offering; our new Antarctica Bridge service expands our guests’ choices.”

The new fly-cruise option will save a total of four days at sea on the return journey, allowing travellers to enjoy expedited nine-night holiday options while spending the same amount of time exploring Antarctica, as opposed to the former two week trips.

“Many will still choose to cross the epic Drake Passage, which is an unforgettable experience in itself, but Antarctica Bridge is perfect for time-conscious travellers, as it will immerse guests into the White Continent in a shorter time frame.” added Combrink.

The collection of 12 fly-cruise trip packages is open for booking now directly from Silverseas Cruises. The all-inclusive fare starts at US$17,500 per person.

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