This expedition with Quark was my first time to South America and it was simply incredible! Everything was so well organised and there was always a backup plan if the weather wasn’t suitable. The mix of water, air and land excursions was fantastic and I could immediately see the value for money. The speed and precision they were able to get us all off the ship and onto the zodiacs was ...
From the moment we embarked on the ship, until (sadly) leaving it, we had the most amazing and wonderful experience. This ship is exceptional - full height continuous windows in the dining and all public areas - the views were magnificent. Sitting near a window at breakfast time and being able to watch humpback whales play in the water one way and seeing penguins doing their dip and weave dash ...
I was not expecting the ship and services to be top rate. I had read a few reviews that didn't find the dining experiences favorable but I have to tell you that the chef on the World Explorer deserves accolades. Not a bad meal the entire expedition. The crew overall was phenomenal. The room porter was very attentive to our needs. The Quark staff was incomparable. They were all very knowledgeable ...
We have taken approximately 50 ocean voyages on several different cruise lines, trying each of those lines multiple times in our attempt to develop rounded and fair assessments. We're in our 70s, so some cruise lines - while perfect for families or the younger partying set - don't appeal to us. We have developed a short list of our favorites and longer list of our "never agains". Prior to this ...
This is a journal of our February 27-March 12, 2024, “Exploring the Chilean Fjords” land/expedition package on the Ponant L’Austral. The package includes one night at a 5-star hotel in Buenos Aires, flights and transfers to/from Ushuaia, and 13 nights aboard the L’Austral.
We had cruised from Valparaiso to Rio de Janeiro around Cape Horn in 2011 aboard the Star Princess ...
We've talked about an Antarctic cruise for years...we like Ponant, and we are Smithsonian fans, so when the combination came up this seemed a good omen.
We were extremely pleased to find superb support, assistance and communications from the Ponant-Smithsonian Journeys representative. She was in touch early and often. We had a couple of glitches and in each case were helped through the ...
While our cruise began with a longer stay in Ushuaia than anticipated, the crew and captain more than made up for the delay. There was a problem with the propulsion system so we had to wait for repairs and a Coast Guard inspection. But we were safe and dry and well fed and in a gorgeous place that most do not get the opportunity to explore. Once we left port the Captain did everything he could to ...
Antarctica was the last continent for me to visit, I received an offer from Swan Hellenic and after some research, booked the trip. It was, simply put, AMAZING, a trip of a lifetime. Everything was top notch from the pre cruise hotel to the ship, the excursions, the food and the staff! The food was terrific, did you ever hear of king crab leg and lobster being served on a buffet, all you can ...
Woweee, sounds absolutely sublime, I am so pleased your experienced every inch of the luxury we offer onboard.
Thank you so much for taking the time to post, we look forward to welcoming you...
My recent voyage of discovery to Antarctica, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands on Eclipse 1 with my husband (John) is nothing but praise. We were welcomed on board by the Captain. Followed through into the lounge area where we met the Restaurant Manager who remembered us from a previous cruise. We were introduced to many crew. After a welcoming drink and made to feel special, it was time to ...
"You are about to embark on the trip of a lifetime" - this was the line many of the expedition staff said to us in their introductions on Day 1 of our Antarctic expedition and how true these words were.
After a bit of researching of trips to Antarctica, I contacted iExpedition, and had a phone consultation with one of the staff Ben. This discussion had lots of invaluable information and ...