Quark Expeditions

A brilliant experience from start to finish! Our expedition leader Ryan was a total star, balancing safety with our desire to see as much as possible and always communicating clearly and with humour where appropriate. The rest of the expedition team were also excellent. Special mention to Kris for his first class photography, Ian for his engaging history talks and Brian, Ema and Mike for teaching us so much about the Arctic environment and the birds and animals that live there. The Ocean Explorer was an extremely comfortable base for our explorations, with good food, very attractive public areas and a lovely cabin with a picture window. I didn't want to leave! Oh, and the truly awesome polar bear encounter on the sea ice will stay in my memories forever.

My mom and I recently went on Quark's South Greenland trip and wow, what a phenomenal experience!! Everyone on staff is incredible - the chefs are really helpful if you have diet restrictions, the servers/dining staff really get to know the passengers and after the first day already knew so many of us by name, they'd remember our preferences for coffee/tea in the morning and do so much that was truly above and beyond. I was so impressed with all of them, and it was such a joy to see them each day! The expedition staff were all phenomenal. They're professional, incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and so fun to be around. And the entire experience is so well put together and executed. It really was "all hands on deck" most days, as we had a very activity packed trip, especially with multiple helicopter excursions, and they executed everything with such precision, and adapted so quickly when needed because of inclement weather, or due to an animal sighting (they would immediately pivot plans, and the boat!, so that we could have an amazing experience getting as close as was safe and to not disturb the wildlife). They Ultramarine ship also is beautiful, has a great gym with large windows to view outside, lovely rooms with heated bathroom floors, and great sauna (also large windows to view outside!) and spa that uses natural products. The food was absolutely delicious, and they would always have a type of hot tea/cider when we'd come back to the boat from an activity to help us warm up. The itinerary allowed us to see a lot of gorgeous places and participate in a lot of great activities, but was very supportive for a range of people (such as on hiking days, they have a "charger" group that wants to do a challenging hike/pace, and mid-range group, and a leisurely paced group, so you can chose which option best suits you that day). They also do a great job of incorporating experiences to be immersed or learn about the history, local life and culture, like certain experiences while visiting towns, the Camping add-on, or the special Tundra to Table dining experience. It was really a fun trip, we learned a lot, that staff was thoughtful, fun, passionate, we felt very well cared for and very safe during all the activities. I would guess nearly 3/4 of the passengers had been on at least one Quark trip previously, if not multiple trips, which says a lot about this amazing company!

Brilliant adventure - totally memorable. Amazing hotel crew on board with fabulous food and endless courtesy every day. Ship was very comfortable with great facilities. Guides were all amazing , full of knowledge and happy to share it. They were patient and very respectful of any limitations people might have had. No-one was left behind either physically or in knowledge terms. An unforgettable experience! Will definitely travel with Quark again without hesitation

Quark delivers on everything you want from a polar expedition: a comfortable well-appointed state-of-the-art boat, easy access to excursions with dressing rooms for putting on waterproof boots/clothes/life jackets, the best naturalists, guides, zodiac pilots I’ve encountered (been to Antarctica with a competitor), excellent lectures about the flora/fauna, and people that are passionate about what they do from cabin stewards to zodiac on deck assistants to restaurant staff to the excursion experts on up to the captain. These people want you to have the trip of a lifetime and it shows. And they like each other so it feels like you are part of an extended family. The visits to local villages were very organized so that passengers could experience what life is like in a harsh climate. The helicopter excursions were executed with the utmost safety so we felt confident when taking off, viewing the landscape and landing. The chef prepared an array of cuisines with something for every picky palate. The main lounge was comfortable for holding all the passenger briefings. The director of excursions was in constant touch with the captain and weather reports to select optimal conditions for landing at various sites and made excellent decisions to pivot to other sites as needed while keeping passengers informed.

The Arctic trip in May 2025 was superb and took us to the pack ice above 80 degrees north. We went out on inflatable boats twice a day barring bad weather and walked on the coast at various points on Spitsbergen. The crew were excellent. Those responsible for us on small boats were well trained, professional and knowledgeable. The whole expedition was run efficiently and effectively. We saw polar bears on the ice, arctic foxes and ptarmigan as well as a host of other species. When we returned to the ship there was good food and drink a plenty. Lectures and reviews were brilliant and everybody had a great experience. It was expensive but worth every penny. I recommend wholeheartedly.

Amazing company!! I sailed with Quark this Aug/Sep to East Greenland, this is a once in a life time experience. Just PERFECT! Everyone onboard is so professional and freindly, excellent service, food is great! I have nothing to complain about but only good words! I will recommend Quark to anyone who is seeking an unforgettable expedition!

This was our second trip with Quark. Once again this trip exceeded our expectations. They kept us well fed as well as quite busy. The small ship size was a bonus in that it was manageable to move around and embark on land visits as well as zodiac cruises. If you are like us where we enjoy remote places and natural beauty while enjoying wonderful accommodations/ food do consider Quark's Antarctic and Arctic adventures!

Amazing trip shop staff very friendly and kept ship very clean. Expedition team are so knowledgeable and loved to share information with you. They even sit at your meal table and visit. You must go with Quark if you want to see the Arctic. They respect the animals and keep their distance from them. Very impressed with Quark.