“The Antarctic expedition booked through Matt at Chimu, with Quark Expeditions, went exactly per itinerary and was truly wonderful. The five days on the Sea Adventurer was magical, choreographed by the Expedition leader, Shane Evoy and his team. Nothing was too much trouble. Whales, seals, Penguins, Birds, sea life and of course the scenery - it was all there to savour. The ship, the Captain and all of his crew were excellent. I could not fault it from initial takeoff to final return landing. I have already encouraged friends to go on this trip”
“Antarctica is epic, nothing prepared me for the sheer scale of the landscapes so pristine and perfect. Being a seasoned traveler it will be hard to beat. Sea Spirit and her crew I could not fault, extremely comfortable and superb service. Zodia excursions, sea kayaking and camping on the ice were highlights.”
“As a lone traveller I found the pickup and drop offs to airports,motels and tourist attractions were great. The destinations speak for themselves. Amazing scenery. The Expidition team on board the Sea Spirit were just so good Safety first without compromising our enjoyment of the Antarctica. Photos are great but being there is 100 times better. Must say we did have the best weather which helps.”
“Quark needs to a better job at the beginning and end of the Antarctica trip. In the beginning, we were not able to board the ship until 4 PM and had to check out of the hotel at 10 AM. At the end of the trip they dropped us of at a luggage station and I had to drag my luggage 3 blocks up hills to the hotel.”
“This trip was advertised as 'In the Wake of Mawson' but it should have been advertised as 'Cruise of East Antarctica'. We didn't land on the 7th continent, and apparently its inaccessibility was something that the crew knew of from the start (reportedly the elusive Russian captain told a Russian passenger on the first day at sea that there would be no landing in Antarctica). Despite this, the NZ Expedition Leader continually provided false hope. Expectations were not managed. Communication was poor, especially during the first fortnight. Morale on the ship was low. The tour itself was not well managed, from hikes on the sub islands that were too long, rugged and dangerous given the ability of the passengers, to depressing lecture room entertainment (one old movie of which had sub titles, but only those seated in the front row could see them - why show it?), to the tour company not having warm jackets to fit all passengers because it hadn't sought sizing information prior to departure (nor had the jackets been dry cleaned between use). We were told that the onus was on us to keep an eye on the guide during the hikes. How could I do that when the French guide I had took off, aiming to break his personal best? I got separated from the group. I was still traumatised from seeing a male Hooker Sea Lion aggressively pursue the guide an hour earlier, and now I was facing two of them at the same time, on my own. There are so many areas in which Heritage Expeditions needs to improve. On the up side, the two chefs did an impressive job, and the Dr, Phil and Chris were great. Chris crafted an extensive powerpoint slide of our journey, using photos taken by him and some of the other guides. Macquarie Island was a highlight, and there were some memorable moments in Antarctic waters. Was it worth $25,000, a month of my life and everything I had to endure? No, it wasn't. The same trip is on again next season. The future Expedition Leader casually mentioned at dinner one night that they're thinking of cancelling it. Do they realise how much a passenger has to do just to get to the booking stage? Why not cancel the tour before advertising it, or advertise it realistically, not how it was in 2010 when Mawson's Hut was still accessible? What is wrong with Heritage Expeditions? I should have gone to the peninsula instead, with a different company. My experience with Chimu was good.”
“This trip far exceeded my expectations in terms of organization, pre and post expedition hotels and the sheer variety offered on board ship. I will certainly travel with GAdventures again as every aspect of the voyage was professionally managed. The expedition staff were nothing short of amazing with their depth and scope of knowledge and flexibility to cope with the vagaries of weather and sea conditions.”
