The Private Ship

An ice-class yacht, Zodiac landings and the great white silence. A private, tailored journey of 11-13 days in The Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$22,000 per traveler.

Antarctica is the last true wilderness, a continent with no residents and no crowds, where a private expedition places the great white silence entirely at your own unhurried pace.

When to go

Travel November through March, when the Antarctic summer opens the ice and daylight barely fades; December and January bring peak wildlife, while November delivers pristine snow and March offers the finest whale watching. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.

The experiences

A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:

• Zodiac cruises threaded quietly between blue icebergs at the mouth of a glaciated fjord.
• A private landing among a gentoo colony, timed for the low golden light of late evening.
• A polar plunge into the Southern Ocean followed by a champagne toast on deck.
• A guided walk to a saddle above the anchorage with the ice cap opening below you.

A sense of the rhythm

Days shape themselves around ice and weather rather than a fixed clock, and the finest expedition vessels carry only a modest number of guests so landings never feel crowded. Mornings tend toward a Zodiac cruise or a shore walk, afternoons toward wildlife and quiet observation. The great white silence does the rest.

Larger ship or a small private vessel?

A smaller vessel means more time ashore, later stays in the golden light and a route that bends to the day rather than the schedule. It is the difference between visiting the Peninsula and living inside it for a while.

How to do it well

The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:

• The late-season crossings bring longer, warmer light and calmer coastlines.
• Ask your advisor to secure a suite with a private balcony facing the ice.
• Pack layered technical clothing; the vessel supplies the polar parka and boots.
• Build in two flexible days at either end, as weather governs every departure.

What only your advisor can open

The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.

Who it's for

Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.

Estimated investment

From US$22,000 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.

Designed entirely around you

Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.

Your Virtuoso privileges

As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.

Continue exploring The Antarctic Peninsula

Part of our The Antarctic Peninsula travel guide. Related private journeys:

• Kayak & Adventure
• The Photographer's Antarctic
• Fly the Drake

Begin the conversation

Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design The Private Ship around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →