Only few ships go into the Ross Sea. That's why I didn't mind the rather poor design of Ortelius (the lecture room practically guarantees seasickness, uncomfortable bar area, too small dining room etc.). The ship's crew responsible for operating the ship and the hotel staff all were professional, friendly and helpful. However, the actual expedition and expedition staff was quite disappointing.

Some of the expedition staff didn't know how to operate a Zodiac. On the most remote cruise with difficult conditions that's irresponsible. Maybe it was the lacking skills that kept us from landing in some places.

There were too few expedition staff. While there were enough Zodiacs, for landings and Zodiac cruises passengers could never go at once. Usually there were 2-3 groups going one after the other, leading to long waiting times and short Zodiac cruises. For a trip that is very expensive, not having enough staff to land everyone at the same time is unacceptable. Read more