I went on an 11-day expedition to Antarctica with Quark on the Ultramarine ship from Dec-Jan 2022/2023 and the trip was amazing! Leading up to the trip, they were very responsive by email and the paperwork process was very organized. The sites, wildlife, excursions, and overall experience was better than I could have ever imagined. The expedition lead and staff were top notch. They were very professional, knowledgeable, and always available to help on board. The expedition team members were experienced adventure travelers. They were very safety-focused, but not so overly conservative as to impact the experience. The weather is always changing and typically not very good. The captain and expedition leader were always monitoring weather patterns and trying to get us into areas where the conditions would be best for safe excursions. We lucked out with some amazingly good weather and they were able to hold nearly all of the excursions. Their ability to so smoothly juggle the logistics of getting so many people off and on ships for different activity packages while working around the weather, meals, and everything else was very impressive. The ship had staff with expertise in ornithology, marine biology, geology, history, and more, who gave several engaging lectures. The expedition crew was clearly very passionate about working in the polar region. I also liked that they engaged room service staff, kitchen staff, and others behind the scenes in events with passengers rather than treating them as second-class citizens as some cruise companies do. And, the food was great, with good variety and quality.

I would, without hesitation, recommend Quark to anyone considering traveling to Antarctica. In particular, I'd suggest going in December/January when weather is most likely to be good and I'd recommend traveling on the Ultramarine if possible.