(Note: New and additional questions and
answers will appear at the top and have a date.
If you are interested in something
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Last update: December 22, 2008 |
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1. Were you ever concerned about your safety? |
Not really. The ship seemed to be indestructible
and the Quark team was very careful about every aspect of operations on and
off the ship. More on this later. The potential cold and wet was a concern.
I was completely prepared and then some.
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2. Did you see any polar bears? |
No. There are none. They are only in the Arctic.
Same for native people. There are none.
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3. Was the trip expensive? |
Yes. It is one of those things where if you have
to ask, you shouldn't be there.
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4. Did you see everything that was promised? |
Trick question.
I was advised in advance that this was an expedition, not a tour.
Everything is subject to change: ice, weather, temperature, wind, tides, sea
conditions, local policies, people, airlines, equipment, fuel, etc. My hope
was to spend a month on an icebreaker in Antarctica. I really did not read
much of the brochures. My hope and wish was satisfied.
Some fellows passengers had been to Antarctica many times - hoping to get to
places (finally) that had been skipped before for various reasons, or not
included in earlier trips, or simply to return again and again. If at first
you don't succeed, keep on paying.....
Those passengers who had certain fixed destination points in mind were
sometimes disappointed. The ice or the wind was just too much this early in
the season.
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5. Did you have any problems with the cameras and
the cold? |
No. It really did not get very cold. The minimum
was about minus 9 C (+16 F). But ice, snow, rain, and sea water are constant
concerns. Moisture and condensation on the lenses is problematic and
chronic. Another problem was condensation and fog on the windows in the
helicopter. Changing lenses on an SLR in the cold and wet is a challenge.
I had lots of batteries.
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6. Did you bring a computer to process photos
during the expedition? |
I did not bring a computer so I could not see any
photos until I returned home. I wanted to spend my time taking photos or
just being part of the experience. I had sufficient memory cards to hold all
the photos I wished to take. I had no backup plan except to be very careful.
I did not lose any photos and came home with some memory to spare including
a lot of memories in my mind. Many
people did bring a computer and seemed to be very pleased that they did so.
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7. Was the ocean rough and did you get sea sick? |
The notoriously rough Drake passage between Cape
Horn and the Ant. Peninsula was relatively quiet. Quiet does not mean smooth
and lots of people were quite unsettled (sick) including some of the crew
members. The biggest waves/swells that I remember were perhaps 15 feet high
(5 m). The wind was as high as 50 kts plus the speed of the ship. The ship
has no stabilizers so it rocks and rolls: as much as 35 degrees in each
direction sideways and maybe 15 degrees pitching as well as up and down.
Several nights were challenging trying to keep from falling out of bed. One
person commented that it was like an 8-hour car crash. The upper bunks have
safety nets. Taking a shower or using the toilet requires some experience
and care. Sometimes dishes and food hit the floor. This was not often. The
tablecloths are wetted down to help keep the plates in position.
I did use a motion sickness patch for the Drake
and also on the way out to New Zealand. I don't think it was really needed
for me. There were rails everywhere and also sea sick bags through during
the rough times. I spent a lot of time outside and that also helped.
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8. Would/will you go again? |
Yes.
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9. What is the age range of the passengers and
what countries? |
The age range was about 30-85 with many in the
60's and early 70's. 25% were from America. Other countries included
England, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Israel, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, South Africa, Emirates, Netherlands, Italy, France, India, Japan,
Switzerland and maybe a few others. The crew was mostly Russian. The primary
language was English, although people did often group together with familiar
languages. Many people had traveled extensively including multiple previous
trips to the Arctic and Antarctic.
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10. Did the ship have email? |
Yes. Messages went and came a shipboard satellite
phone. Computers were available most of the time. Internet was not available
and would be very expensive. Each email message (in or out) costs from 2 to
6 USD. The charges were by the kilobyte. A typical photo would cost $50 to
$500 to send or receive (not recommended!!!!)
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11. Did you see any stars or the australis
borealis (southern lights)? |
I saw only one star during the majority of the
trip (the sun, see below as viewed through the clouds at 04:00).
The southern lights only come out when it is
dark. It did not get dark for most of the trip. I did see the planet Venus
and the full moon near the end of the trip.
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12. What was the temperature range? |
The coldest was about -9 C (+16 F). The warmest
at the end was about +15 C (+59 F). The strong winds increased the wind
chill.
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13. How thick was the ice? |
I saw ice that was over 5 feet (1. 7 m) thick
plus snow on top. I think the ship can handle about 3 - 4.5 feet (1 - 1.5
m). We went around any icebergs which are very big. Some were well over 100
feet (33 m) high and 1000 feet (330 m) wide and long. And that is above the
water. They could extend 2 to 8 times that far under water.
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14. How was the food? |
Excellent. This is luxury ship with gourmet food
and fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal. Wine and other beverages were
all available at additional charge.
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15. What was your favorite part of the
expedition? |
I really liked watching the ice breaking. But
every aspect of the journey was fun and informative, including the long
flights and coming home. Seeing thousands of penguins and thousands of
icebergs is beyond description. The educational aspect is very special.
There were numerous lectures and briefings including movies and photos.
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16. Did you have trip insurance? |
Yes. Evacuation insurance was required. Since we
were sometimes over 1000 miles from the nearest other ship or humans with
very thick ice in between, a rescue could be very, very expensive if not
impossible. Arrangements for this kind of trip need to be made very far in
advance - for some people more than a year from first booking to
embarkation.
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