Quark Expeditions

On 11/18/2022 at 10:15 PM, TakingFlight said:

I am considering the Ultramarine for the Arctic in 2024. Any possibility of a Black Friday sale?

Hey there, we just launched our Black Friday 2022 offer yesterday! 🙌

Our 2-for-1 Black Friday Sale allows you to book a polar voyage and bring a guest for free on select Arctic 2023 and Antarctic 2022.23 departures.

Solo travelers only pay 50% of the regular rate for a shared cabin!

And if you are interested in traveling further in the future, you can get a free cabin upgrade on voyages for the Antarctic 2023.24 and Arctic 2024 seasons at in-market rates.

You can find out more details on our website home page or here: https://fal.cn/3tP6n

Thanks, 

The Team at Quark Expeditions

That's great, @marieps! We're sure you'll have a great experience in Antarctica! 

@LuvCruiseSB, we replied to your entry on Friday but forgot to tag you! Have a great week ahead! 

4 hours ago, LuvCruiseSB said:

I cannot decide whether to cruise with Quark Expedition (sharing a balcony cabin with another female), Silver Sea Wind (own cabin) , or lindblad (own cabin) for my Antartica trip early January 2024.

With Quark Expedition , is there a naturalist/photographer who would accompany you on the land /zodiac excursions?

What is the daily schedule like for the excursions?  Are there usually 2 activities per day?  Are there enough zodiacs to transport everyone at the same time?  Are there many solo travelers?

I just want to cruise with a company with the best activities and cater to solos.

 

thanks in advance

Hey there, 

I am Nicolas, the Community Manager at Quark Expeditions and I've asked one of my colleagues who also traveled solo to help me answer your post. Here's their response: 

Quark Expedition specializes in trips to the Polar Regions and are guided by a highly qualified and passionate Expedition Team. We have over 30 years of expertise earned and our invested interest is safety, off-ship experience and education.
 

Our Guides consists of lectures who specialize in Marine Biology, Ornithology, History, Geology, and more! In addition, we also have onboard Photography Guides who will be helping you capture your voyage and would be available to answer any of your questions. The Expedition team is very interactive and accompany your journey throughout your voyage; both onboard and off the ship (including on Zodiac excursions!).
 

The daily program aims to offer 2 excursions per day. This will include zodiac landings, zodiac cruising and in some cases, a combination of both. We also have plenty of zodiacs (typically 20-22) that are available to use and extra's in the event any get damaged.
 

We have many solo travelers come explore with us. This is why we have the option for shared cabins and designated solo cabins (select ships). You will find that if you choose to share a cabin, you are amidst people who are like minded travelers. This makes a significant difference in the overall experience of this type of expedition.
 

When deciding whether to share or take your own cabin is dependent on your preference. For example, if you are a light sleeper, then it is recommended to invest in a designated solo cabin.
 

As a solo traveler myself, I was pleased to say that I never felt I was traveling solo once and in fact, ended up meeting people who share a common love for the Polar Regions and became friends + future travel partners.

Please let me know if I can help you with anything else! I'd also be happy to connect you with Raakhe, the colleague that helped me answer this question, if you'd like to have a chat with her! 🙂

@PirateskigirlKeep me posted, Stacey. If you don't hear back from the team shortly, please email me at nicolas.singh(at)quarkexpeditions(dot)com and I'll look into your file. 

@Pirateskigirl Hi Stacey, could you send us a private message with your full name, email address and reservation number (if available)? 

This information will help me look into your case and see if there have been any developments, an updated ETA, etc. 

Thanks, 
Nicolas

On 1/25/2022 at 1:47 PM, PaulMCO said:

I would call Amex.  Since it is 30 days, and Quark has not responded, they will issue a temporary refund and finalize it with 14 days.  Use the terms "failed to deliver the services contracted for" in your discussion.

 

We received our cruise money after 3 weeks.  You could also post to their Facebook page.  However we submitted receipt for other charges (since we were already in BA), and they have yet to acknowledge it.  It has been over one month.

Hi Paul (@PaulMCO), we appreciate your patience through the refund process as we’re helping all our affected guests.

We’ve just heard back from our Client Experience Team and they’ve advised us that the refund of your incidental expenses is being processed right now and an update will be sent to your travel advisor, if it hasn’t already.

Have a great weekend, 
Nicolas Singh, Community Manager at Quark Expeditions

9 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Just a note -- Quark just cancelled their voyages for Feb and March.  They had removed these weeks ago from the web site.   Now informing passengers.

Hi @PaulMCO, that is correct. Given how the situation in Ushuaia has developed, we believe the risk of ongoing disruption is too high. In the best interests of our customer experience and of the working conditions for our team, we have reached the difficult decision to postpone the remainder of our Antarctica season through February and March 2022.
 

The cancellation of the four remaining voyages this season was finalized yesterday and we’re currently in the process of notifying affected guests. For transparency, we did not remove any of these expeditions from our website before they were officially cancelled. 
 

On 1/25/2022 at 9:14 AM, ed1aa said:

Paul:

 

They added $300 in the refund amount for incidentals and the hotel was paid for through 01/12/2022.  So you could stay at the hotel on their dime if you wished.  Our TA is following up with them  to make sure our refund data is in the hopper.  In about a week I will start doing the same.

Hi @ed1aa, we really appreciate your patience as we’re assisting all affected guests, please allow us 1 to 3 business days to respond to your email.

If you don’t hear back from our team via your travel advisor in the next couple of days, send us a direct message with your full name, reservation number and we’ll have one of our Client Experiences team members look into your file.

Nicolas Singh, Community Manager at Quark Expeditions

On 1/21/2022 at 11:34 PM, ethan1171 said:

@Quark Expeditions Can you please explain how an "expedition only staff" got infected leading to the cancellation of the January 22 2022 trip? What are we missing?

@ethan1171 Hi Leo, at this time, our main priority is ensuring the health and safety of crew and Expedition Team members onboard Ultramarine, and we don’t have any new information to share about source of the spread. 

On 1/14/2022 at 7:25 PM, DavidandKaren11 said:

I’m concerned and I’d like others opinion. We were told Quark cancelled because of Ushuaia port out of space for Covid quarantines. Then why is the Ultramarine almost at the South Shetland Islands?  There shouldn’t be a cruise booked until the 22nd and it’s darn expensive to take this ship on a joy ride. Did they lie about this?  Also, on Facebook they said they’re back in Antarctica 2 days ago. Marketing hype? Bad taste?  What’s going on?

Hi David and Karen, 

This is Nicolas Singh, the Community Manager at Quark Expeditions. We understand the confusion caused by Ultramarine heading down to the Peninsula after the extremely disappointing decision to cancel the January 09th expedition.

We've taken the opportunity of using the time to send the Ultramarine to Antarctica with only expedition staff and crew to conduct operations exercises, scout for new landing locations for zodiac operations and to conduct helicopter scouting for potential helicopter landing sites.

Ultramarine will return to Ushuaia from Antarctica for the start of the 23 day Epic Antarctica voyage departing January 22, 2022.

On 7/21/2020 at 10:29 AM, kaisatsu said:

On the Ultramarine itineraries, are all of the flightseeing operations and helicopter transfers included in the rate? Does this vary by itinerary? I've looked at a few different Arctic and Antarctic trips but couldn't find the helicopter operations listed in either the list of what's included or the list of what's not included.

 

Also, in the Adventure Options listings, what does the "Helicopter_Black" icon  indicate, and what is this one depicting: ?

Hi @kaisatsu, we got you, apologies for the delayed response! 

Flightseeing is an included activity on most Ultramarine departures (the outliers are destinations where helicopter flights are not permitted. e.g. Spitsbergen). There are other included helicopter activities such as Heli-Landing, we recommend you check out each expedition to get a better idea. We've added a screenshot of where you can find what's included vs paid on our expedition pages below. 

The regular helicopter icon refers to the included Flightseeing activity. The second icon you referred depicts our Exclusive Heli-Landing Adventure Option (paid) on some of our Antarctic Expeditions, including the Essential Patagonia voyages, where you'll be flying into locations only accessible via helicopters in groups of 12 guests. Each Heli-Landing experience is uniquely curated by our Expedition Team, taking conditions and location capacity into consideration.

Ultramarine's helicopters will not only allow us to provide Flightseeing and Heli-Hiking opportunities to our guests but also Adventure Options such as Alpine Kayaking, exploring the Greenland Ice Sheet, Mountain Biking and much more. This has allowed us to create the innovative Greenland Adventure voyages, you can check them out here.

Let us know if you have any additional questions and have a good one! 



 

On 7/19/2020 at 8:19 AM, khle said:

But what will chances or mitigation plans be if ports and transfer airports are having limited operations for the upcoming season? I believe it’s likely anyone’s guess - but these infrastructure points are needed to depart from or to organize a departure - even if there are little to no stops to harbours or research stations once the expedition is underway - and just zodiac landings.

Hey Khle, we understand your concerns around international travel and embarkation/disembarkation logistics. Our team, and other Antarctic expedition operators, have been monitoring the situation and working with local partners to better understand and prepare for the possibility of a cancelled or delayed season.

All our booked guests will be notified of any decision or circumstances that affect their upcoming departures. 

On 7/18/2020 at 11:17 AM, PerfectlyPerth said:

I've done 4 Antarctica trips. 3 with Quark. The age range has been really varied - from 10 to 96 !! So it's really hard to predict. I've mostly been on longer trips - 3-4 weeks so they attract a more mature aged group with stragglers that are younger. 
The shorter peninsular trips are more affordable to the 20s 30s crowd. 

@PerfectlyPerth's response is accurate. The age range on our expeditions can be really diverse. On our longer expeditions, you can expect guests in the 45-65+ range. However, we've recently seen an increase in younger travelers to the Polar Regions when compared to our historical data. Throughout your expedition, you'll notice that guests of all ages really come together over their shared passion of traveling and shared experiences in these remote regions. 🙂

48 minutes ago, Host CMLA said:

 

Thanks so much for the detailed answer and the amazing photos!  I wish I could be there now

No worries, it's our pleasure. Feel free to send us any additional questions or if you'd like us to put you in touch with our team of Polar Travel Advisers. We are really thankful to @LauraS for making this Q&A happen for us. 

Hey Sharon, 

As mentioned before, the only requirement for older guests is being able to go up and down a flight of stairs, if you are able to do that multiple times a day, you'll be okay with most of our excursions and life onboard the ship. 
 

While on landing sites, you'll be able to choose your activity level. Our hiking/walking groups are divided into multiple groups and intensities. If you feel your initial group choice is too slow/fast for you, you can always change your group. 
 

If off-ship excursions are not an option, you'll be able to make the most of your expedition by enjoying the majestic vistas of the Polar Regions from the outer decks of the ship and the Observation Lounge. You'll also be able to join our Expedition Team for educational presentations, attend documentary/movie screenings or borrow items from our Polar Libraries. 
 

We've attached some images below. Let us know if you have any additional questions! 🙂

Guest enjoying the view from the deck of the World Explorer.


Guest interacting with our Expedition Team while spending time on deck. 


Guests enjoying time on the bridge where Expedition Leader and Captain work together to lead your ship throughout your expedition.

.


Guest reading in one of our lounges (our team tries to get up to date media clippings when internet allows and leaves it in the Library for our interested guests).

Spending time on the top deck of your ship can make for some epic photos but beware of the weather! 

Hey there,

Antarctica is governed internationally through the Antarctic Treaty system. All treaty countries are currently following guidelines set in place by their own government.

All tourism operators have been in contact and working with IAATO (The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators) to better understand future constrains on visiting historical sites and manned research stations or sites, such as Port Lockroy. 
 

Expedition ships benefit from their smaller size in comparison to bigger cruise ships. In addition, we have assembled a multi-functional task force of physicians, polar experts and industry leaders to develop the most comprehensive health and safety plan in the expedition industry to provide you with peace of mind when exploring the Polar Regions. Click here to learn more about our Four Pillars of Health and Safety. 

Hey there, 

You are definitely correct about the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) being more accessible than South Georgia.

Our South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula: Penguin Safari expedition is exactly what you are looking for. This 16-day itinerary starting from Buenos Aires & Ushuaia, Argentina was first introduced in our Antarctic 2016.17 season and allows you to explore the wildlife and history rich island of South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula.
 

Plus, the sea days are great to learn more from our team onboard before exploring these sites and also spend some time on the bridge and getting acquainted with your fellow travelers. 

Here's the map of that itinerary:

Hey there, we agree with @PerfectlyPerth previous response.

We can't really predict weather while Crossing the Drake passage (until a couple of days before). It's really voyage to voyage dependent and if you are prone to seasickness, we recommend you bring  medication or a patch to help you in case of rough seas. We have an Expedition Doctor onboard who will be available for any of your needs and also to help you through any seasickness related issues. 
 

We also recommend our Antarctic Express itineraries that allow you to skip the Drake Passage and start your adventure right away!
 

On our expedition cruises, you'll have the opportunity to participate in activities of all levels, whether you are an active traveler or someone who'd like to take it at their own pace. You'll experience comfort across all the ships across our diverse fleet. We operate iconic expedition vessels such as the Ocean Adventurer that have a more older/rustic vibe to them VS our newer vessels such as the World Explorer and Ultramarine, that are slightly more on the luxurious side, with features such as Spas, floor to ceiling windows in all cabins, etc. 
 

Here's a video that better showcases life onboard our vessels: https://youtu.be/kndbp54pEXI
 

Happy to answer any additional questions! 🙂

@PerfectlyPerth 's response is accurate! 

As we mentioned in a thread previously, we require our guests to be able to go up and down a flight of stairs multiple times a day. If you are able to do that, you shouldn't have a problem onboard. 
 

In terms of your health condition, we'd recommend you check in with your doctor/physician on their recommendation. If they say you are good to go, we shouldn't have a problem. Once you book your expedition, you'll also be required to submit a few medical forms that would require you to provide more info about your condition and allow our lead expedition doctor to give you the official go ahead to travel. 
 

Please note that our expeditions explore really remote places and specialized emergency care is not as easily available and pre-existing conditions would mean that you are traveling at your own risk. However, all our Antarctic guests have an included emergency evacuation insurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of USD $500,000 per person. In this case, guests are airlifted to the closest medical facility. 
 

We're happy to answer any additional questions! 🙂

Hey Jenn, 

Super excited about your future expedition travel plans. We definitely encourage families to travel together (we've seen an upward trend of multi-generational travel pre-COVID!) as exploring the Polar Regions is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and what's better than sharing it with your loved ones. 
 

The minimum age of a traveler accompanied by a guardian is 8 years old. If guests are under 16 years old at the time of boarding, they will not be able to participate in any paid Adventure Options (Sea Kayaking, Paddling Excursion, SUP, etc). 
 

Please note that they will still be able to go participate in all included activities off-ship such as landings and zodiac cruises) and onboard, by attending educational presentations, assisting our team in spotting wildlife, etc. He'll also be able to do the Polar Plunge! 
 

We've included some photos! Let me know if you have any additional questions, have a good one!

A mother and daughter out on a hike on one of the landing sites. 

Open bridge policy on all our ships allow guests to access the bridge and observe and interact with our team as they work in alignment with the captain and his team to get us to the next destination, better "park" our ships in case of wildlife sightings, or to make decisions depending on weather forecasts! 


A guest taking the Polar Plunge on an Arctic expedition (all guests are attached to a safety harness).


Ship cruising through the Lemaire Channel! 


Guests enjoying incredible vistas in Antarctica from the main deck of their ship! 

Hey there, 

We love this question. The Polar Regions are welcoming to guest who are 8 years and older. The only requirement for older guests is being able to go up and down a flight of stairs, if you are able to do that multiple times a day, you'll be okay with most of our excursions. 
 

While on landing sites, you'll be able to choose your activity level. Our hiking/walking groups are divided into multiple groups and intensities. If you feel your initial group choice is too slow/fast for you, you can always change your group. 

In terms of our paid Adventure Options such as Sea Kayaking, SUP, etc. We recommend you have previous experience to ensure you make the best of your time out on the water. P.S.: we also have Paddling Excursion as an Adventure Option, you'll head out on inflatable sit-on-top kayaks that require little to no experience. All equipment and PFD's are provided onboard. 
 

All our menus include vegetarian options. We ask all our guests to inform us of any dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. Our team can also cater to vegan guests, although not as extensively as the regular menu.  Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare kosher meals.
 

We've included some photos of on-ship & off-ship activities and Adventure Options. Let us know if you have any additional questions! 🙂 

Guests hiking in the Antarctic Peninsula. 


Zodiac Cruising (included activity)

Gentoo penguins walking by guests setting up to camp overnight in Antarctica (paid activity)


Guests participating in the Sea Kayaking Program (paid activity)


Guest taking the Polar Plunge (included activity, image from an Arctic expedition)


Expedition Team member delivering educational sessions to guests onboard 


Guests hiking at Neko Harbour with the World Explorer in the background. 


Guest taking in the views from deck while the ship cruise to our next destination in Antarctica


Guests and Expedition Leader celebrate a successful day with a toast on one of the main decks.

Guests on a landing site enjoying the vista and spotting penguins in the distance. 

Gentoo penguins! One of our favorites and the most common penguins you'll see on the Antarctic Peninsula

Guest participating in our Standup Paddleboarding Program (paid activity)

Hi there, thanks for your interest and great question! Also, @PerfectlyPerth thanks for your answer above, we definitely agree with you! 
 

Polar expedition travel offers a lot to do for every type of traveler. Each guest has their own perspectives on the expedition they choose based on their traveler experiences and preferences. 
 

The most common way of comparing them is by the destinations you'll visit. For example, we have 12 unique expeditions to the Antarctic, some of them visit only the Antarctic Peninsula whereas longer itineraries include the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia. Note: Longer expeditions will visit more landing sites and destinations, which will also affect the starting price. Longer trip = higher cost 🙂 
 

The most popular among those is our Antarctic Explorer: Discovering the 7th Continent expedition. This 11/12 day itinerary will take you from Ushuaia, Argentina across the famed Drake Passage and explore the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, including a continental landing. 
 

The next way to compare them is by the Adventure Options offerings. You'll be spending most of your time out on excursions, whether it be on our included activities: exploring a landing site, enjoying a zodiac cruise or taking the iconic Polar Plunge. In addition, you'll be able to participate in paid Adventure Options that include Sea Kayaking, Paddling Excursion, SUP and much more. Note: guests are able to remain back onboard the ship when all guests are called for our daily activities. 
 
"Do I wanna be pampered?" You'll have ample of time onboard while crossing the Drake Passage or post-excursions. The World Explorer and out purpose-built expedition ship Ultramarine both have Spa's onboard giving you the chance to make the most of your visit to the Polar Regions. Note: this differentiator is dependent on each guest. For example, many guests who'd prefer not to use visit these facilities, use their time out on deck, attending a lecture by our onboard experts, visiting the bridge or joining newly made friends at the bar. You can watch this video to better understand our onboard experience: https://youtu.be/kndbp54pEXI
 

Let us know if you have any additional questions, we're always happy to help!