Antarctica - Recommended tour companies?

I have heard good things about Quark Expeditions on this website. Does anyone have any other recommendations, please?

Thanks!

I had a great experience with Peregrine. I posted a TR and several comments elsewhere in this forum.

I was on a Quark trip in December 06 and it was a great trip. Their small boats really offer a plus. The ability to get everyone into the zodiacs quickly allows more stops and more time off ship.

The only negatives are that the food was not great on our boat and there isn't a good lounge with a view.

After talking with other travelers from other boats at the airport (all flights had weather delays so everyone was talking about their trips) I am glad I took Quark and would gladly take them again

I am scheduled for a December '08 departure with Lindblad to Antarctica. I've sailed with Lindblad in Alaska and Baja. I will be going with them to the Galapagos this coming December.

www.expeditions.com

From the research I've done, Quark also sounds good.

I, too, am interested in identifying the best operator for what will be for me a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Looking at Quark, Peregrine and Lindblad based on research done so far. I've also already made the decision to go with an expedition size ship rather than a research vessel size.

Can anyone out there make a comparison between these and/or say why they booked with one company or another?

Can anyone out there make a comparison between these and/or say why they booked with one company or another?

I agree, it's a tough choice. All three operators look good.

When deciding on which operator to use for our Alaska trip, I did the legwork before deciding on Lindblad. Our choice of Lindblad for Baja and the Galapagos became easier 1) For the quality of the Alaska experience and 2) The fact that many of our fellow Alaska pax were repeat Lindblad customers.

During the Baja trip in February we must have had 5 couples who had previously done Antarctica and they raved about the experience. So, when I booked Antarctica a few weeks after -that- I didn't put much time into research. I had already determined, price allowing, Lindblad would be my carrier-of-choice.

All-in-all, we will be doing four adventure cruises in 2 1/2 years. All with Lindblad.

I will be leaving tomorrow for a Lindblad trip to the Galapagos and an extension to Macchu Picchu. This will really be a change for me as I am a big fan of Intrav's Clipper Adventurer and Clipper Odyssey. Last year I was in Antarctica on the Adventurer. Everything about the trip was so memorable. There is nothing to compare to going on a small ship.

I will be leaving tomorrow for a Lindblad trip to the Galapagos and an extension to Macchu Picchu.

Are you on the Islander or Polaris?

I will be on the Polaris. Would have liked to be on the Islander but I wanted to do the Macchu Picchu extension and that was only offered on the Polaris. Heard a rumor that the Polaris may be replaced some time in the near future. I understand it is older but that is o.k. as I am just in my cabin to sleep mostly.

Thanks! I'm on the Islander and wanted to get an idea of the layout beyond what is on the Lindblad site.

Have a great time!! I'm looking forward to the trip report!

By reputation, the two best Antarctic cruise operators are Linblad and Cheeseman's Ecology Safaris. I was talking with one of the guides on the Akademik Shokalskiy (Quark), and he thought highly of the Clipper cruises.

I think Lindblad gets the nod because they're so organized, their guides are very good, and the facilities are top notch. Cheeseman's has got excellent guides and they go out for very long cruises.

Coincidentally, I was on a cruise in the Galapagos with Lindblad (Polaris), and fell into a conversation between the photo guide (it was a photo-oriented departure, and the guide did work for Lindblad and Cheeseman's) and a couple on the trip who were guides for Antarctic cruises (they both worked for A&K). They had some hair-raising stories about Quark that I found very interesting. They were telling me about one trip where a passenger died (heart attack); and they put the corpse in the freezer so that they could continue the trip. Heh - there was one gentleman on my Galapagos cruise who looked like he was going to expire just climbing the gangway. We actually had to evacuate him a few days into the trip.

Oh, and the reason I chose Quark was more about budget than anything else. Their reputation was sufficiently good, and they didn't have a lot of extras, so they seemed like the best bang for the buck. It was a great trip - one of the best I've ever taken.

The big budget operator is GAP - they bought one of Lindblad's old ships, but their itineraries were too short. Given that you spend 2 days getting to Antarctica and then 2 days going back, I wanted to get as much time out there as I could afford. So, that's why I didn't consider them.

Lindblad seems pricey, but if you look at everything they include, they compare pretty well. They tend to stay at upscale hotels and include transportation and whatnot, so it does drive the price up if you want to economize. Cheeseman's is pretty pricey, as well, but that's because their trips are so long. Their per day costs aren't bad.

In terms of picking a cruise, I used the following criteria:

Itinerary - Just the peninsula or South Georgia and the Falklands, too? Not everybody does the longer trip, so that may eliminate some contenders.

Length - as noted, figure 4 days used going to and from antarctica. So, look at how many days you actually get in Antarctica doing landings and figure your per day costs for any given itinerary.

Ship - I wouldn't do the trip with a ship bigger than 100 passengers. Takes too long to get everybody out onshore, and for the really big ships, you have to do your landings in shifts. Some ships are nicer than others. Lindblad's ships are definitely very nice - gyms, spa services, e-mail stations, etc. Quark's are a bit utilitarian, but comfortable - they are converted research vessels, after all. But, really, you're either going to spend your time wedged in your bunk riding out the Drake Passage, running around in Antarctica, or in your cabin exhausted from all the running around - and, even then, you'll probably want to spend time up on the bridge watching icebergs go by.

Quality of Guides - you'll have to figure this out by reputation, but as noted Lindblad and Cheeseman's have great guides. The guides I had on Quark were very good in my estimation. I've talked to people who have done Peregrine, and they were quite happy as well.

Special Interest - If you have special interests like kayaking, climbing, or photography - certain cruises are going to be more geared towards what you want. My cruise was a general cruise, and if I had to do it over, I would probably have picked a photo-oriented cruise since that's where my interests lie. Quark tends to do general cruises, while Lindblad, Peregrine, Cheeseman's, etc... will have specialized cruises - perhaps have historians onboard to talk about Shackleton's voyage, or professional photographers to help guide your photography.

Extras - make sure to calculate what's included so that you're comparing apples to apples in choosing an operator. As noted, Lindblad usually has upscale accommodations included in their packages. They're also very well organized, so you'll never have to worry about anything, and they'll take care of you from end to end. For my Quark expedition I was pretty much on my own until I showed up at the hotel in Ushuaia, and was on my own again once I got off. Some cruises give you the bright red parkas and rubber boots. Some expect you to bring your own gear. Some include things like alcohol, others charge extra (a lot extra). I think everybody charges for laundry.

I'm an independent traveler by nature, so Quark worked out well for me. I made my own arrangements, brought my own gear, and used the savings to afford the length of trip I wanted. I enjoy nice facilities, but I was also completely satisfied with what I got from Quark.

However, when I go back (not "if), I'm doing South Georgia and the Falklands and it's going to be a photo-oriented tour. But, those are my choices - I just have to save my pennies to afford it.

Special Interest - ... Lindblad, Peregrine, Cheeseman's, etc... will have specialized cruises - perhaps have historians onboard to talk about Shackleton's voyage, or professional photographers to help guide your photography...

However, when I go back (not "if), I'm doing South Georgia and the Falklands and it's going to be a photo-oriented tour. But, those are my choices - I just have to save my pennies to afford it.

escog, heaps of thanks for the detailed summary. Now I'm curious--when you go back to South Georgia and the Falklands, which company will it be with? :)

I was actually leaning toward Peregrine myself, because they do seem to promote a photography orientation, even on cruises that don't specialize in photography.

The one tour I saw that Peregrine does that is focused on photography is in November, and I would prefer to go later in the season, so I'd probably choose a general tour with them if photography as a whole is an emphasis with this line.

Well, the nice thing about the South Georgia/Falklands trips is that the per day costs aren't that different between photo-oriented tours and general tours.

The cheapest trips I've seen are around $400 a day for 20 day trips - these are Quark trips. Lindblad/National Geographic is quite expensive at $640 a day for 25-day trips, but again, I'd have to look at the inclusions - it's still probably too much for me. That's $16,000 for a 25-day trip.

If I can afford it, I'll probably try something like a Van Os trip:

http://photosafari.com/Tours_2008/UltimateAntarctica08.asp

At $500 a day for 26 days, that isn't bad considering that this is a hard-core photo trip. Still, that's around $12k for the trip, which is a lot more than the $8k a general 20-day trip would cost me. It'll be tough to balance, but I've got a few years to go before I'll have to figure it out.

This summer I'm off to the other end of the earth - 10-day river rafting trip in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

escog, the link you provided on the photography tour looks fantastic, and seeing that there are some heavy-hitters scheduled to be on it (IE, John Shaw), it is very likely to be more than well-worth the 12k considering that it is a longer (26 day) itinerary and you'll be getting, as you said, a hardcore photography experience. Time of year is perfect, too. Wish I had the time and money to go myself next year! :)

We went on a Quark trip and were pleased with the trip, service, food, and excursion. Plus, the expedition leaders (zodiac drivers) were spectacular--well known in their field; we seen three on TV documentaries since our return.

Maybe there are more expensive trips available, or more luxusious ships (if we had a pool on our ship, I doubt we would have used it!), but I did not think we missed out on anything.

Hi Guys,

I went in December 2007 on the Vavilov and thought it was fantastic.

A key point to consider is to be on a smaller vessel: The tourism rules agreed to by the countries that run tour operations in Antarctica is to limit tourists on shore to 100 at a time... the Vavilov had 89 so there was no time when I couldn't go ashore on a landing expedition. I have had friends go on larger cruises and they go ashore for shorter periods, or have to take turns at different sites.

A benefit that I appreciated with Peregrine is they have experts in various fields aboard... who provide insight into various aspects: Tourism, penguins, other birds, rock formations, history, photography, etc.

The photography expert suggested that we get down to the level of the penguins and let them come to us (the rules say you have to stay 5 meters away, but if they come to you, it's all good). I lay on the ground (in penguin ...., no less), and one guy came to within 8 inches of my face... Great advise, great pictures, and most importantly great experience!

Finally, if there is a camp-on-shore option, I'd recommend you take it and sleep in a bivvy sack under the open sky... it's actually quite warm and a fantastic experience!

Enjoy your trip! I know I'll be back one day.

Very excited - about to book my adventure tomorrow for next winter / Antarctic summer. i decided to go with GAP just b/c I'm going alone and they don't charge a single supplement. I have a stranger roomie but again - don't plan on being in the room unless the waves get to me through the Drake :(

It's a bit overdue, but my wife and I went on a 11 day trip December 2007 aboard the Polar Star which covered the Antarctic Peninsula. We used Expedition Trips and were really happy with our interactions with them... they even provided us with 2 fleece caps as a nice added bonus prior to the trip :D

The Polar Star was not at all luxurious, but we did not mind. We had our own cabin with a full size bed and private bath... most cabins had 2 singles, some had private baths. We got upgraded for free to that larger cabin about 1 month prior to the trip. ^^^

Once on board we each got our own red Polar Star jacket which was wind/rain proof. You needed to specify size beforehand. It worked out nicely and it was one less thing to pack. Layers is the key and the folks at Expedition Trips gave us a detailed packing list of what to bring and we followed it very closely. Buy your own boots -- something like a Muck will serve you well and be SUPER comfortable as opposed to the free ones they provide onboard.

The Drake was pretty awful on the way there, but on the way back it was nice and calm (aka Drake Lake). However, I would do it over again in a heartbeat regardless of how the Drake is coming or going. It's really an experience of a lifetime.

does anyone have any experiences going through tauck/a&k?