Antarctica Cruises

Accommodations Review

The rooms on the Ocean Nova were fine, but lacked storage and space. I don't think there's anything that can be done about that, and it didn't deter from my trip in any way. In Punta Arenas, the Cabo de Hornos had a great location.

Meals Review

The dining room on the Ocean Nova was excellent with lots of great choices for every meal. The service was also top-notch.

Crew & Guides Review

The guides were very well informed and enthusiastic. It was a pleasure attending lectures or just going out on the Zodiacs with them. The office staff was also helpful.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

I booked all of my flights, but when Antarctica XXI kicked in, the transfers were smooth. AdventureSmith (Andrew Browning) also viewed my flights and confirmed that they were on the right days/times. I appreciated that.

Traveler Advice

Stay flexible for contingencies because the weather is unpredictable and is an important factor in Antarctica. Also be prepared to see the most spectacular scenery on the planet! Watch the videos to know what to expect and what to bring.

Accommodations Review

Every aspect of the accommodations was incredibly comfortable.

Meals Review

The food was probably the hardest part for me. I am a very picky eater and at home we rarely eat anything other than chicken and beef. Each night there was a meat option, a fish option, and a vegetarian option. The meat was usually strange, a little too strange for me (rabbit, duck, yuck), and I don’t eat fish at all. That left us with the vegetarian option which was usually a very small portion and not anything I would normally eat. 

Itinerary Review

Camping on the continent of Antarctica was a dream come true. Riding around in the zodiac boats was the best way to see a lot of landscape and wildlife; however it is a bitterly cold experience. Most of the on-land gear you actually need doesn’t cut it for the zodiacs. If the boat rides did not result in going ashore we ended up skipping them despite how incredible they were because it was so cold and so wet.

Crew & Guides Review

Pippa, Chloe and King George, our expedition leadership team, were remarkable. We want to sail again just to see them. Also want to give a shout-out to Paolo who made our whole trip.

Fellow Passengers Review

We met people that will be friends for the rest of our lives. In fact, we already booked a group trip before we left the boat.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

I felt very prepared after reading all of the information provided by AdventureSmith.

Traveler Advice

Don’t overpack and don’t cheap out on proper gear. The one surprise we had was that Argentina was basically a cash-only country so be aware of that.

Accommodations Review

Accommodations were convenient and well maintained. Only the camping tent could have been a little larger to accommodate two campers.

Crew & Guides Review

The enthusiasm and professionalism was par excellence. Alex the team leader was very knowledgeable about the continent and its various facets and his alertness and information got us more benefits from the trip. All others were equally competent and knowledgeable. Lyn, Osi, Gerard, Scott, Phil, Mike and others-each had so much energy and enthusiasm to share their knowledge, help and guide us that made your trip so memorable.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

All info was given in detail. There were regular emails from Nick which helped me a lot. The change in airline schedule was informed in advance so that alternates could be booked. The info about ground transport was also useful.

Traveler Advice

Antarctica is an out of the world experience. It is nothing like anywhere. Neither was there an experience like this before nor can there be similar one after. Anyone who like nature should visit it! Do not have any doubt or inhibition, everything will be smooth. Enjoy and soak in the experience as it seeps in!

Crew & Guides Review

David (Expedition Leader) was very professional, informative, and friendly. He handled any situation that came up quickly and made prompt decisions. He kept everyone informed and had a positive attitude the whole time. The other staff that took us on expeditions was also wonderful (Mal, Koen, Julia, Owen, Werner, Alexis, Andreas, Regis, Daniel, and Trevor).

Itinerary Review

I enjoyed the adventure activities including camping, kayaking, and mountaineering. They allowed me to get close to nature and experience the environment first-hand. It felt like we stayed in the same place for so much of the trip and that was a bit of a disappointment. It would have been nice to see more of the peninsula and move along it each day rather than in the same area. Camping on land was incredible!!!

Meals Review

It was phenomenal! As noted previously, I was blown away by the food variety and quality.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

I received great information from AdventureSmith. The only exception would be in regards to the Mountaineering activity. I was told I would need mountaineering boots for this but after purchasing them and getting on the boat, I found out I was not able to do the activity because I did not have prior experience mountaineering.

Traveler Advice

Do it!

Crew & Guides Review

Jonathan was superb. Joe was the most enthusiastic, Andrew was great, as well as Amy and Mike. James was awesome too! And Colin and Adam! Loved everyone!

Traveler Advice

Don’t worry so much! Just embrace it and go!

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Andrew took care of all of our questions and the process was seamless

Accommodations Review

The Mandarin hotel prior and the National Geographic Orion were exactly as I expected and met all our needs.

Meals Review

The meals on the ship were consistently incredible. The variety of fresh foods and beautiful presentation never got boring.

Crew & Guides Review

The pre-tour guide and driver were outstanding. Our guide went above and beyond to make our experience a good one and to give us insight into his country in addition to seeing 'the sights' - it was a true cultural experience which I wanted and appreciated. The National Geographic crew from top to bottom were fantastic.

Itinerary Review

Antarctica was simply amazing. Nothing can compare and you simply have to see it to believe it. We also enjoyed our day trip to Valpairaiso. The day trip and the drive over with a stop at a local winery gave us a good flavor for the region as well as a day to adjust and get ready for the next leg of the journey.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Nick helped us for more than a year to secure the trip, work on pre-tours and help with all preparations and questions - which were many. He was also professional and responsive and educational in preparing us for the trip. Just what I wanted from a travel agency. Expert advice from people who have been there and can match your wishes and travel style to the right fit for you.

Traveler Advice

Plan far ahead and research what the actual trip experience will be like. Find the fit that best suits your personality and travel style. Be flexible. The only challenge was a very late night flight out of Santiago to Dallas. The downtime on that final day proved to longer than I would have liked. I would recommend to future travelers that they spend the night in Santiago, taking a morning flight out the following day in order to ensure a less exhaustive end to the trip. Santiago city center is worth seeing but not particularly engaging - at least at the moment. The protests have very much disrupted the flow for tourists and the effects on the city with graffiti and boarded up sites around the city are painful to see.

Crew & Guides Review

Cheli Larsen (Expedition leader) has a wonderful set of skills: very well versed in all aspects of the trip, fantastic at assessing her customers and their interests, and great at communicating what was going on and why. The customer's frankly all fell in love with the expedition team and it was clear they were all in love with Cheli! Subject Matter experts: Colin, Colin S., Jim, and Damien were a great team. Time spent with them was my best time on the trip! Guides Emma, Marla, Val, and Dave were all exceptional. I don't mean to simply be "gushy" in this feedback; I'm TELLING YOU, this was a FANTASTIC TEAM that I will never forget!  

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

I felt well prepared for the trip.  Given the guidance I was given, I had all my papers properly organized for the phases of the trip in case I needed to refer to any (reciprocity tax, proof of evacuation insurance, etc.). The logistics went very smoothly. AdventureSmith clearly works with the creme-de-la-creme of Adventure Travel companies. Their selection of Quark Expeditions for this adventure was one that was very well placed. Having AdventureSmith to help me coordinate the logistics and prepare myself helped to ensure everything went extremely smoothly!

Traveler Advice

Don't take too many clothes!  Bring adequate and make use of on-board laundry!

Accommodations Review

The cabin on the ship and the room in the Arakur hotel were more than adequate for our needs.

Meals Review

The food was tasty and plentiful but sometimes a plain old sandwich would have gone down well.

Crew & Guides Review

Mickaela (Expedition Leader) was amazingly organized and communicated all details about landings and cruising effeciently. The guides on the boat were friendly, encouraging and extremely helpful, particularly when dealing with first time snow hikers.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

We were well and truly prepared until the last email requesting more information was received on the way to the airport. Accessing computers and printers was tricky and the process time consuming and stressful.

Traveler Advice

Take seasickness medication from the minute you board the ship. If you are going to camp in the snow, dress very, very warmly!