antarcticatravel.news
The daily round-up of Antarctic expedition travel: the ships, the operators, the science and the rules that shape a season.

PlanningSeptember 5, 2026

Quark Publishes Drake Passage Flying vs Sailing Guide

Quark Expeditions published a Drake Passage guide comparing flying and sailing, based on one voyage that used both routes.

By , Operations Managerยท1 source

Today's Antarctic travel news is a single planning item. Quark Expeditions published a guide comparing the two ways to cross the Drake Passage, based on a voyage that used both routes. The post frames the crossing as a decision that shapes the whole expedition, not a logistical detail. No other item in today's list changes a booking decision.

Quark publishes a flying versus sailing guide for the Drake Passage

Quark Expeditions released a guide to the two ways to reach Antarctica across the Drake Passage. The author crossed by air and by sea on a single voyage and describes the contrast as striking. The post presents the choice as more than logistics, calling it part of the expedition narrative.

The guide is aimed at buyers choosing between a flight and a sailing crossing. It does not present one route as superior; it asks which fits a traveler's adventure philosophy. That makes it a planning document rather than a fleet announcement. Quark has a direct stake in the answer, so the useful read is not the conclusion but the comparison it sets out.

The crossing determines how the voyage starts and ends. A sailing crossing puts the ship at the center of the experience from the first day. A flight changes the logistics and the time spent at sea. The Quark post is intended to help a reader weigh those differences before booking.

For a reader comparing operators, the useful question is which crossing each itinerary includes and whether the operator offers both. Quark's guide gives the vocabulary for that conversation. It also shows that the same voyage can include both routes, which is a specific option some expeditions already build in.

Read the guide alongside the specific voyage itinerary. The Drake Passage is the same body of water for every operator, but the experience of crossing it depends on the vessel, the season, and the route. The guide does not replace those details.

Buyers should ask an operator directly how the crossing is handled, what happens in a flight delay, and whether the itinerary includes one crossing by air or both by sea. Those answers determine the practical difference between the two approaches. The operator remains the authority on those details.

Questions

Should I fly or sail across the Drake Passage?

Quark's guide compares both routes and says the choice should fit your adventure philosophy. It is based on a single voyage that used both. Read it with the itinerary you are considering.

What is the Drake Passage?

It is the stretch of water between South America and Antarctica. Quark's guide describes crossing it as a defining part of an Antarctic expedition, not just logistics.

Can one Antarctic voyage include both flying and sailing across the Drake?

Yes. The Quark guide was written after one voyage that included both routes. Ask an operator whether a specific departure combines them.