Growing up, I loved family vacations. Every summer, we went to the Jersey Shore, where I spent hours building sandcastles and swimming in the ocean.
Now, my family enjoys the beach, but we also venture far beyond the golden sands of my childhood, taking trips I couldn’t have dreamed of as a child. Recently, my family literally traveled to the end of the earth, to a surprisingly lively world covered in ice, when we sailed to Antarctica.
There are so many reasons not to take children to Antarctica. The rough seas of Drake Passage, the cost, and the cold all gave me pause. However, taking an expedition cruise to Antarctica was an epic journey, our best family vacation to date.
I am glad I didn’t let anything keep us from experiencing the remote continent together. The stunning views of the Lemaire Channel, walking through the caldera off the black sand beach of Deception Island, and watching my kids jump into the freezing waters surrounding our ship for the ultimate polar plunge are memories that will never leave me.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
Every day was a new adventure
Antarctica is notoriously unpredictable. Clear skies and calm seas can turn stormy in an instant. Once, I watched from my cabin as the current swiftly carried in huge pieces of flat ice, almost completely covering the calm waters where we were hoping to kayak that afternoon. Another day, the clouds parted, and we had a rare, glorious Antarctic day, watching penguins waddle in the sunshine as seals soaked up the rays on nearby icebergs, perhaps just as pleased with the weather as I was.
Because of the unpredictable weather and wildlife in Antarctica, the crew of our ship decided where to stop during the trip rather than beforehand. With no set itinerary, every day was a new adventure, with a surprise in store. Each evening, I anxiously awaited hearing the plan for the following morning, knowing that wherever the crew decided to take us would be a safe but awe-inspiring choice — and that the plan could change at any moment. My kids shared in my excitement.
My family got to experience Antarctica fully, but comfortably
Not long ago, Antarctica was nearly inaccessible to all but the most intrepid explorers. Now, travelers can choose to head there on large cruise ships with casinos that simply sail by or spend a few nights in a polar base camp for a fully immersive experience.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
Our trip was somewhere in between, which was the perfect choice for my family. Every day of our week-long journey, we got off the ship twice. Once a day, we hiked on the continent in rubber boots or snowshoes, and once a day, we took to the water in a zodiac or kayak. Seeing multiple species of penguins waddle past us on “penguin highways” as they made their way to the sea is a sight that still makes me smile, even months after my trip. Walking into a basic wooden hut used by early Antarctic scientists gave my children a new appreciation for the sacrifices others made to help us understand our world and its climate.
While off the boat, we were fully immersed in Antarctica, but on the ship, we ate and slept well. Although I often drifted off to sleep thinking of early Antarctic explorers and scientists who wintered over on the ice in basic wood cabins, I was glad to spend the night eating at a gourmet restaurant and sleeping in a comfortable bed.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
My kids weren’t always fans of the restaurant’s meals, so they sometimes headed to the buffet. Additionally, the onboard chef was always happy to make them buttered noodles, although they could have stayed full on the french fries, burgers, and milkshakes that were available throughout the afternoon. That was the right balance for my family.
We got a look at Antarctica in unique, family-friendly ways
When sailing long distances and spending every day exploring ice, life can start to feel repetitive, and I worried my children would become bored. After all, setting foot on Antarctica was my dream, not theirs. However, the company we went with, HX, offers several activities, on board and off, to keep things interesting for all ages.
In addition to hikes and zodiac rides, we also spent a morning reaching higher elevations in snowshoes and sea kayaking in the sea. While nearly flat with the water, we got almost uncomfortably close to humpback whales, paddled alongside penguins, and saw seals from a new vantage point.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
My husband and son had the rare opportunity to camp on the ice under the midnight sun, very close to a penguin colony. Although my family tried to keep a respectful distance from the adorable, flightless birds, the penguins visited their camp at night — much to their delight. My children also decorated their water bottles with penguin stencils and painted postcards with watercolors to help pass the time.
My family learned a lot more than I expected and had fun doing it
I knew that my family and I would learn a lot about Antarctica during our visit, but I didn’t realize how much. Although my kids sometimes grumbled, we were active participants in the ship’s robust science program. We listened to lectures about the ice, the waters, and the wildlife in the air and sea. The on-board historian told riveting tales of the hardship, survival, and triumph of the first adventurers to set foot on Antarctica, which ultimately made our trip possible. He managed to keep my children’s attention as he spun tales to their conclusion, which is no easy task.
In the ship’s onboard science center, we examined whale bones up close. We saw marine life, abundant in the waters we sailed through, in astonishing detail through the ship’s powerful microscopes. My kids got to ride in a “science boat” and help Antarctic scientists collect marine life and water samples, and use sonar equipment to listen to sounds emitted from beneath the ocean. They even attended a kids-only meet-and-greet with onboard specialists.
It’s going to be hard to top the trip to Antarctica, but that won’t stop me from trying now that I know just about any trip can be kid-friendly.
