When you compare Antarctica voyages, passenger numbers can look like a comfort detail: how busy the dining room is, or how long you wait at the gangway. In Antarctica they matter far more than that. Strict limits on how many people can be on land at once mean the size of your ship directly affects how much time you spend ashore.
This guide explains the landing rules, how expedition teams work within them, and what to ask an operator before you book.
The short answer: 100 passengers ashore at a time
Under rules agreed by the Antarctic Treaty Parties in 2009 and applied by members of IAATO (the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, the industry body whose members operate the vast majority of tourist voyages), no more than 100 passengers can be ashore at one landing site at any one time.
The other core rules are:
Ships carrying more than 500 passengers cannot land guests at all. They can only cruise past.
Only one ship can be at a landing site at a time.
There must be at least one member of staff for every 20 visitors ashore.
Site visits are planned in advance through IAATO's Ship Scheduler, so ships are not converging on the same beach.
Some sites set lower limits
Many of the most visited sites also have their own visitor site guidelines, endorsed by the Treaty Parties. These can restrict which ships may visit based on passenger numbers, suggest lower limits on visitors ashore at once and per day, and set out areas to avoid near nesting wildlife. The 100-passenger figure is a ceiling, not an entitlement.
How IAATO groups ships by size
IAATO classifies member vessels by how many passengers they carry, which determines whether they can land at all:
Yachts (12 passengers or fewer): landings permitted
Category 1 (13–200 passengers): landings permitted
Category 2 (201–500 passengers): landings permitted
Cruise only (501 passengers or more): no landings
Source: IAATO vessel directory.
What the 100-passenger limit means on a larger ship
The arithmetic is simple. A ship carrying 200 passengers must split guests into at least two groups to land at a site with a 100-passenger limit. A ship carrying 400 to 500 needs four or five. Each rotation involves:
Calling a group to the gangway and kitting up.
Loading Zodiacs (small, rigid inflatable boats) and the ride to shore.
Time ashore with the expedition team.
The ride back, so the next group can go.
Landing windows in Antarctica are set by weather, ice and daylight rather than a timetable. The more rotations a ship needs, the less time each group typically gets ashore, and the more exposed later groups are if conditions change and the landing has to be called off.
Many larger ships run Zodiac cruises for some guests while others are ashore. That keeps everyone busy, but it is not the same as setting foot on the continent.
Our rule of thumb: avoid ships with more than about 150 passengers
If time ashore matters to you, we suggest avoiding ships that carry more than about 150 passengers. Above that size, landings have to be run in rotations, and the waiting adds up: each guest spends less of the landing window on shore and more of it on board or in a Zodiac.
Below about 100 guests, the picture changes. Everyone can be ashore for the full duration of a landing, should they want to, wherever the site guidelines allow.
Ship size is not the whole story
A smaller ship does not guarantee more landings. Weather, sea ice, wildlife activity and site availability all shape what happens on any given day, and the skill of the expedition team matters as much as the passenger count. When you compare voyages, it is worth asking:
How many guests does the ship actually carry on this departure, not just its maximum?
How many expedition staff are on board, and what is the guide-to-guest ratio?
How many Zodiacs does the ship carry?
Are kayaking, snowshoeing or camping included, and how many places are available?
How does the team decide who goes ashore first, and how are rotations handled?
We cover these questions in more depth in Small Ship Antarctica Cruises: Why Size Matters and When Is an Expedition Ship Just a Cruise Ship in Disguise?
How Terra Nova Expeditions runs landings
Terra Nova Adventurer is built for 142 guests, but we only ever carry a maximum of 127, and our voyages average 98. With 98 guests on board, everyone can be ashore for the full duration of a landing, should they want to, wherever the site guidelines allow. On departures where our expedition yacht Icebird sails alongside, up to eight guests spend the day sailing aboard her, which reduces the number of people at each landing further still.
One of the highest guide ratios in the industry. We carry 14 to 16 expedition guides on every voyage, around one guide for every six to seven guests at our average of 98. Read more in why expedition guide ratios matter.
We also have 24 kayak places. Kayakers paddle while other guests are ashore, so everyone can get ashore when required rather than waiting for a later rotation.
Other things that shape our landings:
14 Zodiacs, so getting guests to and from shore is quick.
Included activities. Zodiac cruising, guided landings, kayaking and snowshoeing are included in the fare, with camping included on selected departures. See our expedition activities for details and requirements.
As on every Antarctic voyage, landings depend on weather, sea and ice conditions, and the expedition leader will always put safety and wildlife first.
Frequently asked questions
Do big cruise ships land passengers in Antarctica?
Not if they carry more than 500 passengers. Those ships are limited to scenic cruising and do not put guests ashore.
Can I go ashore every day of my voyage?
There is no guarantee. Most expedition ships plan landings or Zodiac cruises on each day in Antarctica, but wind, swell, ice and wildlife can all change the plan. Sea days crossing the Drake Passage have no landings.
Do kayakers count towards the 100-passenger limit?
The limit applies to passengers on land at a site. Guests out on the water in kayaks or Zodiacs are not ashore, which is why on-water activities can run alongside a landing.
Why do some sites allow fewer than 100 visitors?
Site guidelines set lower limits where the landing area is small, or where wildlife or vegetation is especially sensitive. Expedition teams plan around these limits before the season begins.
The takeaway
In Antarctica, the number of passengers on your ship decides how the landing day works. Below about 100 guests, the whole ship can often be ashore together. Above that, guests are split into rotations, and the bigger the ship, the more time is spent waiting.
If time on land matters to you, explore our Classic Antarctica expedition, browse all our expeditions, or talk to our team about which departure suits you.Yachts (12 passengers or fewer): landings permitted
Category 1 (13–200 passengers): landings permitted
Category 2 (201–500 passengers): landings permitted
Cruise only (501 passengers or more): no landings
