Polar Solo Tours for Single Travelers

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.

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!

If Antarctica has been on your ‘ to do list’ GO!,, Amazing time had by all, my only negative would be that I did not book to go onto South Georgia and The Falklands due to the time factor. I now have to select photos for my album going to be a long process.

18 day trip with Quark Expeditions on the Ocean Diamond from Uschuaia to the Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula with landings by Zodiac in remote bays where we experienced close encounters with the wildlife, especially penguins and seals and whales swimming alongside the boats. The scenery was stunning especially sailing close to the icebergs. We were superbly looked after on the ship and the cabins and public areas were warm and welcoming and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. The food was excellent and plentiful and they catered well for my gluten free requirements as I am Coeliac. The expedition staff were knowledgeable as we had experts on penguins, ornithology, geology, whales, history, microbiology and photography. Praise goes to the captain as a mega storm was forecast as we were in the Falklands and we had to alter the itinerary to avoid it and though we hit some rough seas we missed the hurricane in the Falklands where the next 3 ships after us were stuck in the harbour there for 3 days. Ecology was a big concern and we had to have our clothing, rucksacks examined before each trip ashore to check there were no seeds and have them vacuumed, and boots and trousers were hosed down after each trip ashore then we walked through disinfectant.