Why wealthy travellers are chartering yachts to Antarctica: the world’s richest are splurging millions to visit extreme destinations – complete with 5-star luxuries and safety, of course

“Recent events have shown the importance of having experienced teams,” Ben Lyons, the CEO of Eyos Expeditions, told us.

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“There’s really no substitution for experience and expertise,” he said, adding that clients need to understand which companies are taking a more responsible approach to extreme travel. Before starting his role at Eyos, Lyons was an officer and captain on the Queen Mary 2 and several expedition ships going to the Arctic, he told us.

No one is squeezing into a small submarine here

As Lyons says, Eyos is in the business of “selling dream holidays and once-in-a-lifetime experiences”.

“There’s something more fundamental about it,” he said. It translates to a deeper experience and greater interconnectedness with a group.

Trips are tailored to guests’ preferences

By offering yacht charters, the guests – often groups of 12 to 22 people – can embark on a holiday fully tailored to their interests. Eyos can bring guests to places like Antarctica, Vanuatu, and small islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Several niche travel companies already offer Antarctica cruises.

But these aren’t exactly cheap. In 2022, an Insider writer paid US$5,700 for an interior cabin she had to share with two random women on her nine-day cruise to Antarctica.

Cruise lines like Celebrity, Silversea, and Princess also offer passageway to the icy continent

But travellers aboard these ships still have to share the experience with hundreds to thousands of other guests. This is where Eyos has carved out a niche for itself.

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As a Condé Nast Traveler reported in March, everyone, it seems, is cruising to Antarctica.

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You may have seen endless social media posts about travellers going to Antarctica. But according to Lyons, this destination “is not a fad”.

“I always say that going there affects our clients more than any other destination I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It’s like going to another planet.”

Eyos used to operate one or two yachts to Antarctica annually. Now, Lyons is predicting five or six a year.

He predicts this will only continue to grow, noting that Eyos will still expand its destinations outside these icy regions in destinations like Papua New Guinea and Melanesia.

Eyos doesn’t own any of the yachts listed on its website that are available for charter

Instead, these vessels are privately owned and chartered out to the travel company, although Eyos does manage several of the vessels. This generally entails representing the yacht to other agencies or individuals and managing the operations.

Yachts like the Hanse Explorer, Nansen Explorer and Legend have been especially popular choices, Lyons said.

Vessels like the Nansen Explorer – designed to accommodate 12 guests across seven staterooms – were originally built to be research ships while ones like the Legend – with a capacity of 22 guests – have amenities like a five-person submarine.

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Eyos has not listed the cost of its trips aboard the Octopus. But in 2022, the 12-guest yacht was available for charter starting at US$2.2 million a week with yacht firm Camper and Nicholsons.

Trips designed for high-flyers

To afford these trips, Eyos’ clients work high-paying roles. Think founders and CEOs in industries like finance with interests like skiing. “Our clients are busy folks trying to be as efficient as possible without feeling that they’re ticking the boxes,” Lyons said.

And it’s no surprise most of these travellers are high-earners: Eyos’ week-long charters generally range from about US$225,000 to several millions of dollars. Most clients spend seven to 12 days on the vessels.

For those on a tighter budget, the Eyos team will soon announce a significantly cheaper option – a breezy US$95,000-a-week charter for 10 guests.

The exact pricing of the trip depends on the vessel, the targeted timeline, and the activities the travellers are looking at.

If you want a private helicopter, submarine or a personal photographer, Eyos can provide it. Planning these holidays is a collaborative effort between Eyos and the travellers.

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Eyos uses a client’s expectations for the trip to design their curated itinerary. From there, the traveller and Eyos can go back and forth tweaking the itinerary until it meets the traveller’s (and their party’s) demands.

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If the trip requires specialised guidance, Eyos will provide these resources.

For example, guests who are interested in photography will be accompanied by professionals who’ve worked with National Geographic. Or if travellers plan on venturing into frozen regions, the company will provide an ice pilot to assist the captain.

For these travellers, Eyos brings aboard science and conservation experts, some of whom will work on these trips.

Some specialised trips can be more difficult to plan

Compared to a group of 10 people who all have the same interest, it’s not exactly easy to plan a curated holiday for a large group of 40 guests who all have conflicting activity interests and a need to travel on separate yachts.

But for those who’d rather a more rigid itinerary, Eyos also offers scheduled trips that can be booked by individuals, similar to a cruise line.

And they’re much cheaper than these week-long charters. These scheduled trips range from around US$15,000 to US$60,000 per person.

Upcoming itineraries

Next year, Eyos will offer four or five of these itineraries. But yacht charters will still remain its bread and butter. In comparison, it operates 50 to 60 charters annually.

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“Five or 10 years ago, people didn’t quite realise what you could do with a private yacht,” Lyons said. “We’re seeing this tremendous growth in expedition yachting that people are now realising is possible.”