Like many others, this was a trip of a lifetime. Unfortunately I think we chose the wrong company to provide that experience. There were many positives about the trip (the team leader, Hadleigh, made every effort to provide us with as many landings as possible. The other members of the team were very intelligent and shared so much information with us and I cannot short the shore excursions and wildlife that we were fortunate to see.)

Where this trip fell short was the ship and the response from Quark with regards the ship condition and failed itinerary. One of the engines was out of commission for several days which ultimately meant that we were not able to go to South Georgia Island- and that was the reason we selected this trip, not to spend two and a half days in the Drake (a little bonus we were trying to avoid by flying over it in the first place). We could have saved a lot of money by booking a shorter, less expensive trip. Also, our room was above the engine compartment and we had more than our share of diesel fumes in the room, along with the repair noises that seemed to mostly occur at night. The room itself was comfortable and well laid out, just a little old and tired. We later learned that the ship was going to be refurbished after this particular trip.

Another concern was the water on the ship. It came out of the taps brown. I don't mean a little, it was so disconcerting that I did not feel safe drinking it. I was told that the water was tested daily by the ship's doctor and was completely safe to drink. Yeah, no thanks. Read more