Polar Tours and Trips

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.

First two days due to strong winds we were exploring unexpectedly fjord near Kangerlussuaq airport in Greenland. This affected the planned itinerary and expedition team worked hard to resolve various issues. It was a very memorable experience with 18 nights on board of Ultramarine. We have visited places where no other expedition ships have been or only visited on rare occasions. We were lucky with clear skies on the first 6 nights and the Aurora Borealis was better and better on each night. Glaciers, icebergs were nice backdrops on many photos and experiences were enhanced with helicopter flights over magnificent landscapes of Baffin island (Sam Ford fjord especially) and Greenland. Wonderful autumn colours of tundra and rock formations were explored on many hikes in addition to the visits to archeological sites. Introduction to Inuit culture and history was during visits to Itileq, Ilulissat, Uummannaaq, Nipisat island and Pond Inlet. It was enhanced by performances of local artists and visits to Inuit colourful homes. Although the wildlife of Arctic is not so plentiful as in Antarctica, we managed to have wonderful observations of numerous polar bears (12 in one day!), seals and birds. We also followed somewhat the footsteps of Franklin's expedition and reached the Beechey island where the expedition has spent the winter in 1845/46 and where are some graves of the sailors. Expedition team members presented many interesting lectures on history, geology, birds and bears. It was also a nice culinary experience of Greenlandic cuisine: Tundra to Table.

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!