Polar Group Tours

Anyone considering going on this trip needs to think about why they are going. If it is for wildlife eg. birds, they need to investigate the best time of the year to go, taking migration into account etc. I had a wonderful time on this trip. Whilst the wildlife were not particularly co-operative, or the weather, the Expedition Team did their best at all times to fulfil the itinerary and give us the best opportunity to see the expected wild life. Whilst many whales were missing, we had the unusual bonus of seeing six Polar Bears and 17 Narwhals! You win some, you lose some! The M/V Greg Mortimer is an impressive ship, keeping the rocking and rolling across Baffin Bay, to a minimum. Inside it is extremely comfortable, all the 'hotel' staff are friendly and very professional. The rooms were kept spotless and serviced twice a day. There was a very large choice of good food at all meals. Two meals are buffet and the evening dinner, a served meal. The lectures on board, given by members of the Expedition Team and some guest lecturers, were linked to the programme and additional ones added where particular interest was shown by passengers. They were of a high standard. I am very happy to recommend this trip to those who are prepared to be flexible, both with the itinerary and daily programme. One day we started on Plan A and ended on Plan E thanks to the weather! It should not be considered as a cruise but a truly exploratory trip, getting into zodiacs a couple of times a day to go and get close up views of icebergs, bird nesting cliffs, glaciers: anything that may be of interest.

The captain and expedition team really pushed the limits to ensure that we visited as many interesting places as possible and saw a wide range of scenery and ecosystems. The crew were very friendly and helpful, and the expedition team was extremely knowledgeable and experienced in both the Arctic and Antarctic. The ship was very comfortable with a fantastic library and other good facilities, and our cabin was wonderful - peaceful, comfortable and beautifully furnished.

From the first to the last second, the expedition was not only carried out very professionally, but also with a great deal of passion and a remarkable mixture of excellent planning and flexibility depending on the environmental conditions. You could tell from the entire team and crew — each highly competent in their respective fields — how committed they are to their job, but also to Antarctica as a unique and most beautiful corner of the planet. Safety and environmental protection were taken seriously, at the same time there was always a lot of fun and a lot to learn (and a lot to eat & drink) on board. All in all, a breathtaking experience.

This trip was well organised and well run from start to finish. The ship (The Ultramarine) was very comfortable and had an excellent crew. The expedition staff were very knowledgeable and professional. This trip to Antartica was everything we hoped for, can highly recommend it.

Checking in for the internal flights Buenos Aires to and from Ushuaia was chaotic. Despite arriving well in advance check ins opened with barely enough time to make the flights. Once at Ushuaia outward and return all Quark arrangements were clear and efficient. Hotel Albatross in Ushuaia was very good. Onboard Ocean Diamond the hotel service was excellent. The Quark team were excellent. The photographic, historical, geological, ornithological and wildlife lectures were of the highest quality in terms of technical content, detail and delivery. The daily briefings and recaps were informative and entertaining. The zodiak cruises, landings, hikes, paddling and other activities were excellent: fascinating; informative; exciting; well managed; safe; well supervised; well guided. The experienced Quark staff ensured that we saw at close quarters all the wildlife that could be expected for this trip: all penguin species except the Emperor; nesting albatross; elephant, fur, Weddell, leopard seals; orca; humpback and fin whales; guillemots, skewers, etc. The weather was kind to us so we were able to visit nearly all the planned destinations on this expedition skilfully scheduled by the ship's captain and the Quark Expedition Leader to ensure interesting activities each day. The scenery throughout was stunning, especially in the earie light of the midnight sun below the Antarctic Circle. I enjoyed the paddling, not booked in advance, which turned out to be an unexpected highlight getting really close to the wildlife. In conclusion the expedition exceeded my expectations!

This was a marvellous trip and a great way of seeing two wonderful areas of the Arctic. In Spitsbergen we saw polar bears and arctic foxes and sailed through the ice to reach 80 degrees north. In Greenland we saw musk oxen and puffins and the most amazing icebergs. We also visited an Inuit community and had the occasional whale sighting. The ship was great - the Ocean Adventurer. The cabin was comfortable and the food was really good. The operator was first class. We had a great tour leader and a full range of specialist guides, i.e. geologist, ornithologist, photographer, marine biologist etc. They were professional and great fun. the other guests were good company. We had four days around Spitzbergen and four days around Greenland so we were able to get a sense of both rather than concentrating on just one. So polar bears AND icebergs! You don't actually get to see Iceland as part of the tour but you do disembark in Akureyri in north Iceland. We asked Exodus to change our flight back to the UK so we could arrange seven days there. We then drove from Akureyri to Keflavic along the Icelandic ring road seeing the major sights. The waterfalls are truly amazing. Greenland is actually icy and Iceland is green. So we had polar bears, icebergs and waterfalls in a three-week trip. Note: to get to Spitzbergen you fly via Oslo. Exodus brought forward our flight and booked us into a hotel for two nights so we had a short city break as well. There are some great museums in Oslo (Munch, Viking Long Ship and the Fram Museum of Arctic Exploration) and this was a great start to our Arctic journey of a lifetime.