Quark ExpeditionsReviews of quarkexpeditions.com

We were grateful to have had the opportunity to explore the vast, wild, remote, and stunning country of Eastern Greenland. The ship, rooms, decks, places to sit, food, staff, expedition team, and presentations were all excellent. The Zodiac cruising and perimeter hiking were highlights of the trip. The weather was generally cold, but we had some beautiful, sunny days. The helicopter excursion was particularly memorable. I was fortunate to be selected for a front seat, and the views were spectacular. However, the experience also involved a two-hour wait in the waiting room before our flight. One group waited five hours before being told there would be no more flights that day. If you are considering the helicopter excursion, you should be prepared to decide whether a potentially long wait is worth a 15-minute flight. Our three-star rating reflects, in part, our disappointments based on the circumstances and weather we experienced. What we realized during this trip is that a ship carrying 188 passengers is simply too large for us. Although Quark did a good job organizing the activities, we often found the wait times to get on the zodiac and go to shore were longer than we would have liked. The restaurant could also be noisy and crowded at times. That said, the food and restaurant staff were excellent. Quark's marketing emphasizes the opportunity to see polar bears, muskoxen, walruses, Arctic foxes, and whales. We saw one thin polar bear through a scope and a couple of muskoxen that were essentially dots in the distance. Of course, wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but this is something prospective passengers should keep in mind when considering their expectations. Quark also emphasizes seeing the Northern Lights in the title of this expedition. We saw them on a couple of occasions, but they were small and faint. Another highlight advertised for this itinerary is visiting the remote East Greenland community of Ittoqqortoormiit. Because of weather, we were unable to visit. Toward the end of the trip, the itinerary was shortened by two days because of weather, and we cruised directly to Reykjavík, missing the Westfjords of Iceland. Quark offered a City Card or a Golden Circle tour as alternatives. Because we had already spent 14 days touring Iceland before the expedition, neither option was useful to us. When we asked whether there was another alternative, Quark declined to provide one. Quark uses the phrase "embracing the unexpected is part of the excitement." We certainly understood that weather and conditions could change the itinerary, and we do not fault Quark for circumstances beyond its control. However, our experience made us realize just how different the actual trip can be from the proposed itinerary. For anyone considering this expedition, I would recommend going in with the understanding that weather, sea conditions, ice, and wildlife can significantly change what you ultimately experience. The itinerary you book is not necessarily the itinerary you will receive. Finally, we were put up in the Marina Hotel that was nearly impossible to find even using GPS. The inside was rough around the edges with dirty carpet and very small rooms. Quark, your passengers are paying a lot for this trip so please do better. We also learned something important about ourselves: we prefer smaller expedition ships. There are several other expedition companies offering comparable polar experiences, and as a repeat customer it's time for us to choose another boat for our trip to South Georgia and Antarctica.

Very disappointing to see 3 polar bears in the distance, they could have been something else . All advertising is about polar bears however no mention that you have to remain at least 500 m distance. Not enough binoculars on board. Longyearbyen was great despite being there only a few hours. Food excellent so was the staff. We travelled to Antarctica with Ponant in 2017 and scenery is much more spectacular than the Arctic. Also much more wildlife. Interesting many staff agreed and a lot of passengers who had been to Antarctica also agreed. Wouldn’t recommend this trip.

The Fly the Drake pre-departure portion of the trip highlighted several operational gaps which led to my rating. The delays themselves are understandable given the environment, but the way they were managed created unnecessary friction for guests. During the extended stay in Punta Arenas, communication was limited almost exclusively to briefings at 8:30 PM. This structure constrained the ability to plan elements of the day, including meals outside the hotel, and created a sense of waiting rather than coordinated contingency planning. While quark providede meals, the food at the Dreams Hotel Punta Arenas was notably subpar, which became more impactful given how much time we were required to spend there. From a personnel standpoint, most staff were professional, but one of the primary team members appeared visibly frustrated and did not mask it, which influenced the overall tone during an already stressful delay period. The day we were finally cleared to travel there were potential communication delays, with the expected time for updates being one hour later than what was to occur based on briefings.This contributed to delays that ultimately resulted in one of the two flights missing the landing window. As a result, only half of the departing passengers made it off the ship. The remainder were left onboard in a situation that felt improvised, with new arrivals effectively displacing established routines. The dynamic felt less like a managed transition and contributed to additional stress after an already stressful launch to the trip. Once on board, the Ocean Explorer team however functioned like a well-run, highly coordinated operation. Everything felt seamless, with a level of precision and consistency that was evident across the entire experience. Every member of the crew was clearly well trained and aligned in execution. The guides were exceptionally knowledgeable and consistently able to address questions in depth and the readyroom process was seamless. Dining and housekeeping were both meticulous and attentive to detail (though the food was often bland). This was, without question, a once-in-a-lifetime trip and a genuinely special experience. One thing individuals should be aware of is that you may not in fact have a continental landing on these trips. We did not (and were unfortunately about an additional hour of sailing away from being able to do so). It is a significant time and financial investment to not achieve this and was disappointing once we realized we would not get this experience.

We were on the World Explorer. Pros 1. We loved the boat. It was nicely laid out with great amenities. 2. We loved our infinity suite. It was spacious and loved having our window down. Also our bathroom was bigger than anticipated and our shower had a bench with vertical spa massage jets on the wall with the bench. 3. The food on board was delicious! We had great variety and everything was so fresh and tasty. 4. The expedition team was amazing! They were so fun and knowledgeable about everything polar. We really got to know many of our guides as they were encouraged to eat with us and spend time with us outside of zodiacs. 5. The expeditions were great. We had one morning where we had to divert and only do a zodiac but it was for safety reasons. 6. The lectures were so good. I loved every presentation, even the ones given on our way back to Ushuaia. 7. Camping was so fun and everything we hoped it would be. 8. We loved the two bars (decks 4 and 7) and they had the best hot chocolate. :) Cons 1. Even though the boat was well maintained and clean, our room floor was not clean. I noticed immediately upon entering that our floor had a lot of dirt, hair, lint and food on the carpet. I picked up a lot but left a few food pieces to see if it ever got cleaned. Sadly, those same food pieces were there when we left. Our bathroom floor had a lot of hair on it and i took toilet paper to clean that. I got so much hair up (5 fist fulls to be exact) that it was disgusting. 2. We read in one of our information handouts that our sheets would be changed every 3 days. Sadly, our sheets were not changed once. Our bed linens consisted of a fitted sheet and a comforter (no flat sheet). Our fitted sheet and one of our pillowcases had small stains on them and these were present the entire trip (this is how we knew our linens were not changed). 3. We had quite a few young people on our boat who were not interested in Antarctica but the influencers in their country told them that Antarctica was the place to go. I asked one young girl if she was excited and she and her boyfriend said they were only really concerned about getting good insta selfies. I had two girls so concerned about their hair on the zodiac that they hit me causing me to fall back and almost into the water. These many young people were also rude as they were always pushing people to get their picture. I know this can happen anywhere but I've never experienced this as much as on the boat and I've traveled the world. 4. I was walking on the track up on deck 8 and had been walking for 30 minutes (at least 20 laps). I had stepped over a large hose multiple times (it was an air hose to fill zodiacs). One time when I was stepping over the hose, an employee grabbed the hose and lifted it causing me trip and fall forward landing hard to my knees and face. I laid there for a moment and not one employee came to check on me. One employee did tell the one who lifted the hose "I told you to be careful because she was walking up here". So it wasn't like they were unaware of my presence.

I was a passenger aboard the Ultra Marine during the period from 27 November to 8 December. Firstly, I must express my sincere gratitude for the exceptional and unforgettable service provided by the hotel staff and crew onboard. This aspect deserves a five-star rating. However, the expedition experience proved rather disappointing. The expedition leader, Ryan, demonstrated poor decision-making, which significantly diminished the quality of our itinerary. I understand that the Ultra Marine's primary selling point is its helicopter landing capability. However, despite the markedly variable and unpredictable weather conditions, Ryan persistently spent considerable time searching for landing sites. This wasted valuable time that could have been spent on other activities and Zodiac landings. We were confined to one location for nearly two days while the helicopter landing site was sought, during which we were unable to undertake any activities. During this period, the Captain suggested a return trip to King George Island to observe penguins, but this proposal was also rejected by Ryan. I cannot fathom whether Ryan's actions stemmed from blindness or arrogance. I fully understand that pre-booked activities are frequently impossible in Antarctica's rapidly shifting climate. An experienced expedition leader should never have wasted two days on a single activity. Or was the helicopter landing contractually prioritised above all else? Ryan's conduct profoundly impacted the latter half of the voyage, leaving a distinctly unprofessional impression.

Staff is very professional but many of the team didn’t seem very genuine. Rooms are very comfortable. Food is okay but would prefer quality over quantity.

Overall a good experience on Ultramarine, good ship, good food and excellent expedition crew. Major downside is do not believe the brochures etc with respect to polar bear sightings in Svalbard. The reality is you will not get within <1km of bear, making it barely visible with the naked eye and impossible to get decent photographs even with high end camera gear. Quark have been told this last year and this year but continue to give a false impression in their brochures.