Quark Expeditions

This is my second voyage with Quark to Antarctica and once again it was over the moon fantastic! The Expedition staff was energetic and inspiring! The food and cabin service was 5star excellence. The choice of landings, and zodiac cruises were well chosen giving a comprehensive experience of landscape, wildlife, and history. It is totally impossible to describe this continent to anyone that hasn’t been there. Some may say it’s the ultimate bucket list check off or a “Once in a lifetime trip” but I can say even twice may not be enough. Best advice, Just go!

We had a great experience with Quark. The accommodations on the ship were first class, the bed and pillows very comfortable, the cabin and ship was very clean, the meals were excellent. The shipboard personnel were very friendly and accommodating. The guides on the daily Zodiak expeditions were very knowledgeable and safety was of prime importance. The areas where we landed afforded us an opportunity to see five types of seals, numerous penguins and seabirds. We also saw Orca and humpback whales. My only concern was not the trip itself, it was when I called to obtain some information and indicated I would book the trip once I discussed it with my wife. I called back the woman I talked to and left a message to call me -- she never returned my call. So I booked with someone else. It seems the sales reps do not return phone calls or emails that are left when they are out of the office, this should really be addressed. I must say that when the sales rep was in the office my emails were responded to quickly and with the information requested. I would definitely highly recommend Quark to anyone anticipating a trip to Antarctica and flying the Drake is the only way to go.

Quark totally exceeded all my expectations and I wholly recommend them.

Overall, my experience exceeded my already soaring expectations. The guides were sensational, the shipboard hospitality exceptional, the pace perfect, and the onshore adventures were those of a lifetime! The weakness: wholly inadequate instructions were provided on when and where to assemble on the morning of initial departure from Santiago's airport. Vague and even misleading instructions nearly caused me to miss the entire experience; Quark's lapse on this matter initially soured me on the entire program. Very specific directions on the precise time/place to gather for the initial flight to Punta Arenas should be supplied every participant!

We had a great time and Quark exceeded our expectations. The excursions were fun, the food was great and the attention to detail was appreciated. We would definitely travel with Quark again.