Antarctic Explorer: Discovering the 7th Continent

The dress code on the ship is casual, though some may choose to dress up a little for the Captain’s Welcome Reception.

To protect the health and safety of its guests, Quark Expeditions® maintains a no smoking or vaping policy in the interior of the ship including cabins, near Zodiacs and on landings. Smoking or vaping on the ship is permitted in the designated smoking area only, which your Expedition Team members will be happy to point out for you. Always make sure to extinguish cigarettes properly and dispose of them in the proper receptacle. Please, never throw cigarettes overboard.

If you do not eat meat there is a wide selection of vegetables, pasta, grains and fruit available. Quark Expeditions® is able to cater to most special dietary requests, as long as you clearly indicated your needs on the required expedition forms when you booked your voyage.

Menus will be clearly labeled for vegetarian and gluten free options, but please do notify your server of the dietary restrictions you indicated on your form. We regret that kosher food cannot be prepared.

Laundry service is available on every ship. Costs are reasonable. Excess baggage charges will often exceed laundry charges, so we recommend that you pack fewer items and use the laundry service to refresh your wardrobe.

Quark Expeditions welcomes passengers age of 8 and above on all trips with a signed waiver by a parent prior to trip commencement. There are however some caveats and restrictions to be aware of:

Children on Ship-based trips

Quark Expeditions welcomes passengers age of 8 and above and under the age of 16 at time of travel with a signed waiver by a parent prior to commencement on any Quark Expeditions trip, provided they meet height and weight requirements (weight of 64lbs or 29kg and 48″ or 1.2 m. tall). Children under 8 years old at the time of travel are not allowed to participate in the trip.

Children Ship-based Adventure Options

Adventure Options on ships are available for all persons over the age of 16. Children under the age of 16 are not allowed to participate in Adventure Options. Parents must be with children under the age of 16 at all times, so the parent’s participation in Adventure Options may be limited.

What is life like on an expedition? During days at sea, you’ll enjoy lectures and workshops presented by our Expedition Team and spend time on deck looking for seabirds and cetaceans. Other days are packed full with multiple landings,

Zodiac cruises and activities. Exhausting or relaxing, smiles abound as do great meals from your onboard chefs! We have a number of policies and procedures that help make sure things run smoothly on the World Explorer, so take a look below to help get the most out of your time aboard.

SCHEDULE CHANGES

While a daily program will be posted, sometimes new opportunities present themselves on short notice – so expect the unexpected and enjoy knowing that staff members are always here to make sure your expedition is as memorable and enjoyable as possible!

SAFETY ON BOARD AND ASHORE

Your safety and security is a top priority for our Expedition Team and crew members. Knowing how to safely move about your ship, act ashore and handle both wet and dry landings will help ensure you have a hassle-free expedition. Please take time to read the instructions in this important safety section.

SAFETY WHILE ON DECK

Be careful while walking around the outer decks, as footing can be slippery. Always use the handrails and wear proper closedtoe, nonslip footwear. Slip-on sandals, slippers or flip flops are neither safe nor suitable for wearing on board.

STAIRS & DOORS

There are high steps in many doorways that lead to the outer decks, please watch your step and proceed with caution. When passing through doorways or walking in your room, do not place your hands around the edges of doors. Be aware that if doors are not closed or latched open properly, they present a danger and can open or close violently and unexpectedly as the ship moves across the sea.

SAFETY BRIEFING & LIFE BOAT DRILL

By international maritime law, you must participate in an emergency drill within 24 hours of sailing. Upon embarkation, you will have a safety briefing to outline appropriate behaviour on board, and emergency procedures. Afterward, a drill will be conducted to familiarize you with your lifeboat, life vest and emergency evacuation route. This mandatory drill will be scheduled as soon as possible by the Expedition Leader. You will be provided with full details after you embark.

CONDUCT ASHORE

• For safety reasons, never walk alone while ashore. Always travel with someone else, or as part of a group.
• If weather conditions deteriorate the Captain will sound the return to ship signal (continuous short blasts). If you hear this, immediately return to the landing area  or follow instructions from staff members.
• Do not litter. Take only photos and leave only footprints.
• Be punctual, as on time boarding and efficient landings mean we’ll have more time to explore at future landings. 

WATER

All passengers receive an eco-friendly, reusable water bottle in their cabin upon arrival. You can refill your water bottle at any of the bars on board, or at the self filling stations on Deck 4 across from the Polar Boutique, or on Deck 3 in the mudroom.

ON BOARD ACCOUNTS

To make things as stress-free as possible, items you purchase from the Polar Boutique, lounge or bar (including drinks) are charged to your ship account. Cabin charges can also include laundry, postage, communication charges and adventure options booked onboard (space permitting). Payments of shipboard accounts are made towards the end of the expedition, at the reception area. The US dollar is the standard currency on board. You can use cash, Visa or MasterCard credit cards to pay your shipboard account. Personal checks are not accepted.

Note: If you are sharing a cabin and would like separate accounts, you must advise reception.

GRATUITIES

We understand this is a very personal subject and whatever amount you give is at your own discretion. As a guideline, we suggest the amount of US$15 to US$20 per traveler per day. At the end of the voyage you will have the option to charge a gratuity amount to your onboard account, or to place cash in an envelope. Gratuities are shared among our hotel and expedition team members.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements over the ship’s public address system will alert you to wildlife sightings, itinerary changes, and landing instructions for going ashore. Announcements can be heard in cabins and all public spaces. On some voyages, where Quark Expeditions Language Programs are scheduled, announcements in English will be repeated in other languages. Out of courtesy to other travelers, we ask that you remain quiet during all announcements – even those made in languages that are not your own.

BRIDGE VISITS

During your voyage you may be given access to the Bridge, where you can observe how the Captain and officers sail and navigate the ship. However, the Captain and Bridge officers do restrict access during arrivals and departures from port and during times of complicated navigation. As the Bridge is an important working area on the ship, we ask that you keep noise to a minimum to avoid distracting the officers from conducting their jobs efficiently. Understandably, Bridge etiquette includes a ‘no eating, drinking or smoking’ policy.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Help us take care of our environment! To keep our land and waters clean, kindly use all trash receptacles on board. Never throw anything over the side of the ship. Due to the complicated process of desalinating sea water for use on board, guests are asked to practice water conservation at all times.

BATTERY DISPOSAL

Please do not throw old batteries in your cabin garbage. Kindly bring them to reception for proper disposal.

LOST & FOUND

If you find any misplaced items, please bring them to reception or give them to a member of the Expedition Team. If you lose anything yourself, advise our staff so that they can assist you

STAYING IN TOUCH WHILE ON BOARD

When you are not busy exploring the natural beauty of the Polar Regions, you may have the ability to make phone calls, check emails and use the internet while on board.

Please note that we travel to some of the most remote parts of the world. As we utilize satellite equipment for our connection, it is possible that occasional degradation or outages of services may occur. Personal communication services are not always guaranteed throughout your voyage. We encourage passengers to disconnect from digital life and reconnect with the natural world.

To access email or internet on your personal computer, tablet or smart phone, you can purchase a data PIN card from reception. You can access network spots found throughout the public spaces of the ship. In some cases, the connection will also work from your cabins; however the best connections will be from public areas.

Current prices for these optional services will be posted on board the ship. Please note we cannot provide refunds for unused voice or data cards.

Please note that due to the connectivity technology of the ship, your cellular devices may be able to receive a signal, connecting to networks on shore in your embarkation country. Data charges may be applied by your cellular provider, and may add up quite quickly. It is safest to turn on airplane mode and turn off data roaming unless you are trying to connect. You may still enable wifi in airplane mode.

ONBOARD WEBSITE

Our intranet website on board is an excellent resource for daily programs, expedition team biographies, photos, and other voyage information.

Log on to http://www.MyQuarkVoyage.com during your expedition to take advantage of the materials. Access to this site is available free of charge, even if you have not purchased data.

Quark Expeditions is profoundly committed to environmentally responsible tourism. Protecting the places we visit is necessary to ensure we can continue to introduce travelers to the spectacular beauty of the polar wilderness. Through Polar Promise, our comprehensive sustainability strategy framework, we’ve incorporated existing sustainability initiatives into a cohesive plan so we can identify where we can do better or do more.

“Quark Expeditions recognizes its responsibility to do more to protect these magnificent places,” says Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions. “We want to go beyond reducing our footprint. We want to work with other leaders in the industry and with our guests to address the complex and challenging issues facing the polar regions.”

Our Polar Promise framework is made up of four pillars. Each addresses a different aspect of our business, our operations—and ultimately your journey.

Quark Expeditions aims to be the leader in responsible polar tourism, the ‘go-to’ operator for conscious travelers and the preferred partner of the world’s most responsible brands. As a polar-focused tourism operator, our sustainability principles are integral to every decision we make, whether it’s in the polar wilderness or in the places we work every day. We employ the best people in the industry and will lead the industry in the diversification of our workforce. We work to reduce our impact, catalyze change in the industry and help improve our suppliers’ operations.

We’re proud, long-time members in key industry organizations, such as the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). We adhere to these organizations’ stringent guidelines, which are designed to ensure the Polar Regions are protected for future generations.

When it comes to our footprint, the most substantial impact we can have is how we get you, our guest, to the remote Polar environments and how we preserve those majestic environments once we get there.

Quark Expeditions aims to reduce our carbon emissions per passenger by 10% through fleet improvements and changes in order to reduce our impact. We’re working with our supply chain to measure, report and reduce their emissions, and our office and field operations aim to reuse or recycle 100% of waste on Quark Expeditions-owned vessels.

In 2019, an analysis of our historical ship fuel consumption showed that we decreased emissions by 13% from the 5-year average emissions per passenger per day. The purpose of this analysis was to establish a baseline and to further reduce our Scope 1 carbon emissions.

In terms of waste, Quark Expeditions has taken steps to reduce the amount of waste we are sending to landfills, including avoiding single-use plastics and partnering in the SeaGreen recycling initiative in Ushuaia. We’re working towards a zero-waste plan on Quark Expeditions-owned vessels.

Quark Expeditions aims to be the leading expedition investor in outreach projects within the polar regions, working with a wide circumpolar network of scientists, community leaders, and sustainable innovators. Our goal is to contribute a minimum of $500,000 USD each year through in-kind donations, Quark Expeditions funding, and funds from passenger auctions in support of key polar environmental research, community engagement and sustainable development projects.

Nalunaiqsijiit, the Inuit Cruise Training Initiative, is a program dedicated to providing Nunavummiut with the qualifications and certifications required to work onboard expedition cruise ships, through in situ training and experience onboard ships. Quark Expeditions is excited to have hosted two Nalunaiqsijiit interns onboard Ocean Adventurer during the 2019 Arctic season, and have invited an additional four during the 2019/20 Antarctic Season.

Thanks to our guests’ support, proceeds from Quark Expeditions’ onboard auctions have contributed an average of $200,000 each year to organizations dedicated to polar environmental research, community engagement, and sustainable development projects.

Some of the organizations we’re supporting this year include the South Georgia Heritage Trust, Penguin Watch, Seabird Watch, and Polar Bears International.

Because Quark Expeditions’ fleet of small polar vessels carry a maximum of 199 guests, there’s an almost instant camaraderie and intimacy that you won’t get on larger cruise ships. Within your first day or two of your expedition, you’ll be on first-name basis with many of your fellow guests, as well as with members of the Expedition Team. That invariably means you’ll spend time together on ship sharing your day’s adventures, showing one another favourite wildlife photographs taken during your off-ship adventures—quite possibly over a drink in one of the on-ship bars or lounges.

Great news! As of our Antarctic 2024/25 sailing season, beer, standard wines and spirits, as well as cocktails, will be available to guests at no charge during bar service hours and dinner as part of our “Raise a Glass and Stay Connected” campaign. This complimentary bar service is available to all guests.

Just as our free Wi-Fi will help you stay connected with friends and family, our complimentary bar service helps you connect and spend time with your fellow guests on your voyage. After all, making connections is one of the most memorable experiences of exploring remote parts of the Arctic and Antarctic regions with like-minded travelers.