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SH Diana off Lorient, France, August 2025, sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina

Cruise Frog guide

Cruises from Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia, at the tip of Tierra del Fuego, is the starting point for most Antarctic expeditions across the Drake Passage.

Things to do in Ushuaia, Argentina

  • Tierra del Fuego National ParkForest and coastal trails at the end of the road.
  • Beagle Channel boat tourSea lions, cormorants and the Les Éclaireurs lighthouse.
  • End of the World TrainA steam train on the old prison railway.
  • Maritime and Prison MuseumIn the old penal colony.
  • Martial GlacierA hike above town with views of the channel.

When to go

  1. Jan: high season
  2. Feb: high season
  3. Mar: shoulder season
  4. Apr: shoulder season
  5. May: low season
  6. Jun: low season
  7. Jul: low season
  8. Aug: low season
  9. Sep: low season
  10. Oct: shoulder season
  11. Nov: shoulder season
  12. Dec: high season

The Antarctic season runs from November to March. December and January have the longest days and penguin chicks; February and March are best for whales.

Flying in and getting to the ship

Easy transferUshuaia's pier is about 5 km from Malvinas Argentinas International Airport, 10 minutes by taxi. Most passengers fly in from Buenos Aires, often on a charter flight included by the expedition line.

Rental cars: A few firms in town; useful for Tierra del Fuego National Park, though tours cover it.

The airport for Ushuaia, Argentina is Ushuaia - Malvinas Argentinas International (USH), with 1 lounge to wait in before you board.

Ushuaia - Malvinas Argentinas International (USH) on Lounge Frog

Ships sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina

All ports
SH Diana off Lorient, France, August 20253.7 ★Swan HellenicSH Diana2023 · 12,255 GT · 192 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeSH Diana is Swan Hellenic's largest ship, a newer-generation polar vessel built at Helsinki Shipyard and in service since 2023. She measures about 125 meters and 12,255 gross…SH Minerva at Ostermoor, Germany3.7 ★Swan HellenicSH Minerva2021 · 10,617 GT · 152 guests · AntarcticaSH Minerva was the first ship built for the relaunched Swan Hellenic, delivered by Helsinki Shipyard in 2021 and named after the line's earlier Minerva. She carries 152 guests in…SH Vega, 20243.7 ★Swan HellenicSH Vega2022 · 10,617 GT · 152 guests · AntarcticaSH Vega is the sister of SH Minerva, built at Helsinki Shipyard under the project name Vega 2 and in service with Swan Hellenic since 2022. The 10,617-ton ship has 76 staterooms…Fram at Brown Station, Antarctica, 20193.3 ★HX Hurtigruten ExpeditionsFram2007 · 11,647 GT · 200 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeFram is a polar expedition ship built by Fincantieri in Italy for Hurtigruten's expedition program and in service since 2007, named after the vessel used by explorers Fridtjof…Fridtjof Nansen in the Lysefjord, 20253.3 ★HX Hurtigruten ExpeditionsFridtjof Nansen2020 · 20,889 GT · 490 guests · Antarctica · Norwegian FjordsFridtjof Nansen is the near-identical sister of Roald Amundsen, a battery-hybrid Polar Class 6 expedition ship built by Kleven in Ulsteinvik and delivered at the end of 2019. She…World Navigator at Rhodes, August 20253.3 ★Atlas Ocean VoyagesWorld Navigator2021 · 9,935 GT · 200 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeWorld Navigator was the first ship built for Atlas Ocean Voyages, completed at the WestSEA yard in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, and in service since 2021. The 9,935-ton…World Traveller, 20243.3 ★Atlas Ocean VoyagesWorld Traveller2022 · 9,935 GT · 200 guests · Antarctica · MediterraneanWorld Traveller, the second of Atlas Ocean Voyages' WestSEA-built sisters, entered service in 2022. Like her sisters she measures 9,935 tons and has 100 suites for about 200…World Voyager, 20253.3 ★Atlas Ocean VoyagesWorld Voyager2020 · 9,935 GT · 200 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeWorld Voyager was completed in 2020 at the WestSEA yard in Portugal for Mystic Cruises and spent her first seasons on charter to Nicko Cruises before joining her sisters at Atlas…Douglas Mawson in Sydney Harbour, November 20253.2 ★Aurora ExpeditionsDouglas Mawson2025 · 154 guests · Antarctica · MediterraneanDouglas Mawson is Aurora Expeditions' newest ship, delivered at a ceremony in Sydney in 2025 and named after the Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer whose ship Aurora…Greg Mortimer in Antarctica, January 20203.2 ★Aurora ExpeditionsGreg Mortimer2019 · 7,892 GT · 148 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeGreg Mortimer is Aurora Expeditions' first purpose-built ship, an Infinity-class vessel owned by SunStone Ships and built by China Merchants Heavy Industry at Haimen, where she…Roald Amundsen, 20183.2 ★HX Hurtigruten ExpeditionsRoald Amundsen2019 · 20,889 GT · 490 guests · Antarctica · Norwegian FjordsRoald Amundsen is the first of two battery-hybrid expedition ships built by Kleven in Norway for Hurtigruten's expedition fleet, and began her maiden voyage from Tromsø to…Sylvia Earle in a Greenland fjord3.2 ★Aurora ExpeditionsSylvia Earle2022 · 130 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeSylvia Earle is Aurora Expeditions' second purpose-built ship, built by China Merchants Heavy Industry in Jiangsu, China, and named in honor of the marine biologist Sylvia Earle…Hondius, 20253.0 ★Oceanwide ExpeditionsHondius2019 · 6,603 GT · 170 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeHondius is Oceanwide Expeditions' flagship, built from the keel up for expedition cruising by Brodosplit in Split, Croatia, completed in May 2019 and sent on her maiden voyage on…Ocean Explorer in the Arctic.3.0 ★Quark ExpeditionsOcean Explorer2021 · 138 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeOcean Explorer is a 138-guest expedition ship completed in 2021 at the Haimen shipyard in Jiangsu, China, and chartered by Quark from her owner, SunStone, from the 2024–25…Plancius3.0 ★Oceanwide ExpeditionsPlancius1976 · 108 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropePlancius began life as HNLMS Tydeman, an oceanographic research ship commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy on 10 November 1976 and retired in 2004; a fracture zone on the…Ultramarine in polar waters.3.0 ★Quark ExpeditionsUltramarine2021 · 199 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeUltramarine is Quark Expeditions' first wholly owned ship, built at the Brodosplit yard in Split, Croatia, and delivered in 2021. The 128-meter ship carries up to 199 guests with…Ortelius anchored off Cape Adare, Antarctica, 20172.8 ★Oceanwide ExpeditionsOrtelius1989 · 4,575 GT · 108 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeOrtelius was built in Gdynia, Poland, in 1989 as Marina Svetaeva, a special-purpose ship that served the Russian Far East as a passenger and supply vessel; from 2007 she was…

Ships that call at Ushuaia, Argentina

Ships based elsewhere whose Antarctica sailings regularly stop here. Calls vary by sailing, so check the itinerary.

Quick answers

Which cruise ships sail from Ushuaia, Argentina?

On Cruise Frog, 17 ships sail from Ushuaia, Argentina: SH Diana (Swan Hellenic), SH Minerva (Swan Hellenic), SH Vega (Swan Hellenic), Fram (HX Hurtigruten Expeditions), Fridtjof Nansen (HX Hurtigruten Expeditions), World Navigator (Atlas Ocean Voyages), World Traveller (Atlas Ocean Voyages), World Voyager (Atlas Ocean Voyages), Douglas Mawson (Aurora Expeditions), Greg Mortimer (Aurora Expeditions) and 7 more.

Which cruise lines sail from Ushuaia, Argentina?

Swan Hellenic, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions, Atlas Ocean Voyages, Aurora Expeditions, Oceanwide Expeditions and Quark Expeditions sail from Ushuaia, Argentina.

What is the best-rated ship sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina?

SH Diana (Swan Hellenic), at 3.7 out of 5 in Cruise Frog's editorial ratings.

Which airport do you fly into for a cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina?

Ushuaia - Malvinas Argentinas International (USH). Lounge Frog lists 1 open lounge there for the wait before boarding.

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