Research Vessel With Little Passenger Regard

We joined this vessel as part of an Overseas Adventure Travel Tour. Apart from cruises on larger cruise liners, we have cruised with Grand Circle in the Baltic Sea, most recently, and the Dalmatian Coast. Those vessels were of similar size, if not smaller. However, the amenities, crew members, dining/food offerings, and services far exceeded in quality those we found sadly lacking on Stella Australis. There is one, count them, one common rest room on the vessel ... located on deck 4, far removed from the Dining Room, lounge, or Bar. With the exception of our table waiter, Andreas, Mauricio Alvarez Ruiz, a naturalist and our guide and a few other crewmembers, we found the bar staff and others unresponsive and terse, if not surly, in responding to our requests. However, the shore excursions were well coordinated, and the Zodiac crew were highly skilled and safety conscious. The shore trips were excellent; Mauricio is an authoritative expert and an exceptionally professional teacher. His interpersonal skills were to be commended and should be used as a model in training other crew. Andreas, our dining waiter, was also a welcoming and passenger/guest-oriented professional.