J S.
Exciting concept to travel to the North Pole but not very photogenic for a photographer.
Positives: the food, the staff, tour of engine rooms and the congeniality of the chief engineer and ship's captain, lectures' quality and quantity and breadth, laundry turn-around time, housekeeping service; the personal consideration I was given by the head staffer when I realized that my return transfers and accommodations and payments had NOT been delineated by my booking agent (staffer called/emailed and got it all cleared up before day's end). Acceptable: Considering the ship is a working icebreaker (being converted only 2-3 times per summer for regular passengers), the twin rooms were comfortable, the room amenities were basic (but no alarm clocks or clock radios, etc., no lavatory sink stopper), good towels including face cloths, considerable storage in desk and underbed drawers and other cubby holes plus an 18" closet (needing more hangers); Negatives: Landings spots were not all that great, but it was nice seeing remnants of early explorers' encampments (lodgings, etc.), minimal sightings of wildlife (but that's the breaks), unclear lists of what to bring/wear and what not to bring/wear, unclear that I actually bought the parka that was "given" to me at trip's end [so I had 2 of these to wear/pack on return], the ship's vibration keeping me up for most of 3-4 nights until I adjusted a bit, one of the Poseidon staff being negative, overly authoritative, and full of herself, a Poseidon transfer guy who made me pace nervously for 45 minutes waiting for him to pick up and show me his Poseidon sign when he came to transfer me across town to the dayroom hotel [he was in back of the exit lobby chatting with the cab driver, not standing at the front barrier where we exited]; the inflated cost (I estimate it should have been about $8K less compared to more extensive, photography-centered tours to Antarctica, So. Georgia and the Falklands for 28 days). But I went to the North Pole!