Quark Expeditions

This trip was Top-Notch from start to finish! This was my first trip with Quark and it will certainly not be my last. Right from the beginning when we were booking with one of their travel advisors it was clear that the employees knew what they were doing. Danna took the time to answer all of our questions and made the booking process very easy. Leading up to the trip Quark did a great job of keeping us informed and helping us prepare for the journey. The trip itself was AMAZING! The ship was clean and in excellent shape. The Crew was very helpful. The Hotel staff was superb and did a fanstatic job accommodating my food requests. The Expedition team was very very knowledgeable and did all that they could to make this a memorable trip. March was an amazing time to visit Antarctica. We saw a lot of wildlife, had beautiful weather, and the polar plunge was perfect. This was a trip of a lifetime!!

I am a frequent traveler and this was hands down the best trip I have taken. All praise goes to the company and staff for their planning, excitement and passion for their jobs. Guests and the experience were the priority for the crew. 10 days of over the top, unbelievable, incredible, magical encounters!

Even had I expectations, they would have been exceeded. This voyage brought together so many positive experiences that written description fails to adequately capture them. Although I am a seasoned world traveler, this was my first sailing excursion of any duration, having limited my time on a boat to ferries (the longest being from Stockholm to Helsinki). Where to begin… The itinerary was what had drawn me to this particular Quark Expedition: Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica: Explorers and Kings 20 Day 2019-2020. Long captivated by the saga of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition, a stop at South Georgia Island was a must. Being fortunate enough to also include stops at the Falklands, and to cruise close by Shag Rocks, South Orkneys, and the world’s largest recorded iceberg (A68A), made this an exceptional experience. The staff were nonpareil, comprising experts in topics that would best prepare us to truly appreciate what we were to encounter each day. They provided engaging lectures on History (Bertie), Ornithology (Santi), Marine Life (Marla), Photography (Nix), and Geology (Colin). With great insights and much polar experience, the lecturers provided a full on-board curriculum – a floating university. In addition to the lecturer/guides, those staff members who provided logistical support in ferrying us from ship-to-shore (almost magically able to locate the whales, dolphins, seals and other marine life) were more than just “pilots”, they shared their expertise and, more importantly, their wonder, humor, and enthusiasm with those of us in their charge. They also led and accompanied us on shore excursions, pointing out features that might otherwise have escaped our novice attention. Thank you, Tom, Abbey, Todd, Whitey, Jaymie, Laurits, Yukie, Aymie, Tara, Neil, Marthe, and Jiayi. I also appreciated the medical staff (Drs. Tim and Ian) and their close proximity, especially on the occasion of the Polar Plunge! We were always greeted in the dining room by friendly and engaging staff members who soon became friends and fellow voyagers. The food was always miraculously fresh, well-prepared, and in more-than-sufficient quantity, not to mention Tomas’ Guatemalan spices! The ship’s crew – captain, navigator, mates – were mostly invisible to us. This was evidence of their competence and professionalism. We never had to worry about the safety of the vessel, and were able to be carefree about the stewardship – even during the much-feared Drake Passage crossing. This review would be woefully incomplete if I were not to convey my admiration and gratitude to our Expedition Leader – Solan Jensen. Solan embodies the best characteristics of logician, leader, philosopher, and companion, ensuring that our experience was the most full-bodied possible. He served as our daily wake-up call, and trusty guide through our entire voyage. The passengers – hailing from around the globe and, for the most part, quite seasoned travelers, we shared in the joy and wonder of the constantly unfolding encounters en route to the White Continent and, subsequently, on the Peninsula itself, as well as on the return leg. We quickly became a tight-knit community, with shared interests, curiosity, and a sense that this adventure would be one we’d unlikely experience again. I have hopes that there will be continued contact with some of my fellow adventurers, and that we will cross paths long after this voyage becomes sealed in memory. I consider them friends, and we have had the privilege to share in an extraordinary three weeks. Highlights for me include up-close-and-personal encounters with whales and penguins. As a Shackleton “groupie”, the trek over the last portion of Sir Ernest’s route over the mountain on South Georgia Island was an emotional experience I’ll never forget. Given the honor of reading from his diary at the pinnacle of the trail, overlooking Stromness Bay, will be a highlight of my life. Epilogue. I like to think that there were special bonds formed among those who accompanied me on this voyage. I certainly felt a camaraderie and, in some cases, a closeness that formed quickly and indelibly. Whether this was an artifact of the shared experience and close-quarters, or represented something more, is impossible to determine. Having never before undertaken this type of voyage/expedition, it is difficult for me to know. The only analogy I can muster is that of reading a novel with characters one comes to know and become attached to. As the end approaches, there is a temptation to turn the pages more slowly, so as to forestall the farewell. Art Gertel

To put it mildly, my life is forever changed. The absolute beauty, serenity, peace, and just nature were overwhelming. I spent a lot of time in the observation lounge just soaking it in.due to some physical limitations I chose not to leave the ship for any zodiac adventures, but what I got just from the ship was amazing. I cant rave enough about the food...the scientific presentations...and the entire crew. Our cabin was clean and comfy too. I thought it was once in a lifetime, but now we are discussing how to pull off a repeat....and we just got home! ❤

This expedition was much more than excellent! Each day was very eventful, and always seemed to top the previous ones. The opportunities to explore the wildlife up close, history and scenery were innumerable and just outstanding!The very professional expedition staff clearly loved their jobs and their never-ending enthusiasm rubbed off on their clients. Ship's crew were also very professional and friendly.