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 ...
This is a beautiful small ship that apparently is very advanced and handles the ice and rough waters flawlessly. The lowest priced suite was very nice and spacious and there is not a bad location on the ship. The bathroom felt a little small due to the separate toilet area but it was a nice feature. I was in a perfect location for the few public venues onboard. Of course the butlers and other ...
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 ...
Heard excellent reviews about these Atlas cruises, so when it came time to choose a cruise to Antarctica we pulled the trigger with Atlas.
Boat is a nice quality. Food was above average and the unlimited cocktails were a nice touch. Additionally, most of the on-board staff was incredibly friendly and went above and beyond when the ship left dock.
Unfortunately, despite all of these positives ...
Last year I started looking for a trip to Antarctica to fulfill a goal of visiting all 7 continents. When I contacted my travel agent about a Viking Expedition she suggested I try Atlas because of the small ship and special pricing being offered. I took her suggestion. While I loved what I saw of Antarctica, I regretted the decision to book with Atlas.
My friend and I arrived a few days early ...
We just had one of the worst cruises ever.
Our boat was stuck in port in Ushuaia for two days before leaving for the “Cruise of a lifetime”. To Antarctica. We keep being put off we were originally leaving at 6pm on the 24th. We sat there until the 26th. No excursions nothing to occupy our time. The boat we were on Atlas World Traveller had made no alternate plans for us and when kept tell the ...