Quark suites on Ultramarine ~ any reviews or commentary?

[willoL]

After our first brush with Greenland courtesy of HAL's Nieuw Statendam in August 2022, my husband is smitten. He wants to book on a Quark expedition ship for Greenland next summer, July 2023.

 

There's a real shortage of real world reviews of Quark's accommodations on the Ultramarine. Given DH's preference for a suite, I would love to hear from anyone who has experienced this ship in real life before I make a 20% deposit that exceeds the cost of my teen's orthodontic work.

 

@2552phxcrzr Do you have commentary? I've seen a few Quark posts from you. 🙂

 

As an aside, my usual cruise agent doesn't work with Quark. Any commentary about EXPEDITION specific cruise travel agents, or booking direct?

 

In most areas, I'm a book direct gal. Only for cruises have I relied on an agent as I seem to get perks...

Edited September 2, 2022 by willoL
added dates

[2552phxcrzr]

13 hours ago, willoL said:

After our first brush with Greenland courtesy of HAL's Nieuw Statendam in August 2022, my husband is smitten. He wants to book on a Quark expedition ship for Greenland next summer, July 2023.

 

There's a real shortage of real world reviews of Quark's accommodations on the Ultramarine. Given DH's preference for a suite, I would love to hear from anyone who has experienced this ship in real life before I make a 20% deposit that exceeds the cost of my teen's orthodontic work.

 

@2552phxcrzr Do you have commentary? I've seen a few Quark posts from you. 🙂

 

As an aside, my usual cruise agent doesn't work with Quark. Any commentary about EXPEDITION specific cruise travel agents, or booking direct?

 

In most areas, I'm a book direct gal. Only for cruises have I relied on an agent as I seem to get perks...

We were in a veranda stateroom (as opposed to a deluxe veranda or suite) on the Canadian High Arctic cruise we just completed with a few days in Greenland as well.  Can’t speak to the other categories, but found our stateroom on deck 6 midship spacious, with plenty of storage in cabinets in the desk area and in the two wardrobes in the foyer.  Bathroom has an amazing amount of storage as well.  The bathroom floors (including in the shower) are heated and thermostat controlled.  (We would throw damp stuff on the floor of the shower after excursions to dry them … a nice side benefit.).  We used the veranda quite a bit to pop in and out, and a couple of times, when the sun was out, we could sit out bundled up.  We don’t normally do suites, so we were more than happy with our stateroom.  You’ll be surprised at how quiet the ship is … except for some creaks and groans if you happen to be in heavy seas.

 

I think there is one review somewhere on here about the deluxe veranda.

 

As for booking through a travel agent, I’ve always booked our expeditions (Quark and Oceanside) direct even though I have used travel agents for regular cruises for the reason you mentioned.  I don’t know if there is a benefit to booking and expedition through a travel agent … though they might share their commission with you in the form of a rebate.

 

We did Greenland back to back in 2013 with Quark and absolutely loved it … different ship, but here is my blog link … starting with the charter flight (from Ottawa back then … but worked the same this time) … http://2totravel.blogspot.com/2013/12/kalaallit-nunaat-aka-greenland-here-we.html.

 

and here is the link to my footprint posts for the expedition we just completed on Ultramarine … I have some Greenland footprints at the start of the trip after we fly to Greenland https://findpenguins.com/8pccjefaitoru/trip/in-the-footsteps-of-franklin. (You can reverse the order of the posts to oldest.)

Edited September 2, 2022 by 2552phxcrzr

[2552phxcrzr]

@willoLSomething I should mention is that if you haven’t done an expedition before, it will be very different from a HAL or other cruise in terms of activity.  You usually have two off-ship activities, with lunch during the transfer between sites.  Landings are anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on planned activity.  Zodiac cruises vary in length but at least an hour. On the ship, there are lectures galore … at least two … on days at sea, which are few, possibly four lectures.  Then there are evening events … daily recap & briefings, after dinner bar talks in which the expetition staff regale you with stories of their adventures.  You also tend to spend more time on the outer decks for scenery, wildlife sightings, etc.

 

I mention these because you really don’t spend much time in your stateroom (though it is possible to watch the live stream of the lectures on your cabin TV).  So if you want to save money, you could go with a veranda — deluxe or otherwise — to save money over a suite.  Obviously, I don’t know why your husband prefers suites, but just something to keep in mind.

[willoL]

On 9/2/2022 at 9:45 AM, 2552phxcrzr said:

...We did Greenland back to back in 2013 with Quark ...here is my blog link … http://2totravel.blogspot.com/2013/12/kalaallit-nunaat-aka-greenland-here-we.html.

 

and here is the link to my footprint posts for the expedition we just completed on Ultramarine …  https://findpenguins.com/8pccjefaitoru/trip/in-the-footsteps-of-franklin.

Thanks for the links, @2552phxcrzr! I'd seen  your footprint post, but somehow couldn't access the entire journey before. (That site is new to me.) This link let me finish the story, and my husband may really enjoy reading the older blog.

 

The desire for a suite has more to do with our marital dynamics and the rarity of DH taking a vacation than anything else.

 

Suffice to say, one of us only feels "on vacation" when flinging items everywhere, living out of an open suitcase on the floor, and eschewing all chores... whereas the other doesn't relax until everything is picked up and tidy. Having both sitting and bedroom areas means everyone can feel fully in holiday mode by assigning one space to each style! 😆

 

Also, DH has often lets vacation time expire through using so little during his career. He works incredibly hard, is a world-class leader in his scientific field (his discoveries may literally save the  lives or limbs of people reading this in the future), yet he has no instinct to "put himself first." (Or he suppresses the urge because he always puts his family first!)

 

Therefore, on the rare occasion DH actually expresses a wish to do something for himself, I tend to splurge. A private tour at the Grand Canyon or cruising with Crystal to Alaska are examples. Traveling alone or with my kids, I use public transit and typically book an Oceanview stateroom or efficiency hotel with kitchenette. If I upgrade myself, it is for efficiency (direct flights) or comfort (i.e., I'll pay extra when need to sleep on a plane.)

 

For DH, taxis or car service and accommodations offering room service make travel less stressful. He wants to get to his destination--loves being in nature, kayaking, hiking, and photography--but hates the inconveniences of getting there. That's one of the reasons we first tried a cruise!

 

Then again, I travel at least a few times per year for pleasure, including solo international trips, while our big family vacations number only three or four across our 20+ year marriage. Most years, we visit family or go car camping within a few hours drive instead, sometimes only a long weekend. Like many, a major lesson we learned from the pandemic is to take advantage of opportunities while you have them. Why wait to return to Greenland when he loved it?

 

And, now you know my life story! 😀

[2552phxcrzr]

3 hours ago, willoL said:

Thanks for the links, @2552phxcrzr! I'd seen  your footprint post, but somehow couldn't access the entire journey before. (That site is new to me.) This link let me finish the story, and my husband may really enjoy reading the older blog.

 

The desire for a suite has more to do with our marital dynamics and the rarity of DH taking a vacation than anything else.

 

Suffice to say, one of us only feels "on vacation" when flinging items everywhere, living out of an open suitcase on the floor, and eschewing all chores... whereas the other doesn't relax until everything is picked up and tidy. Having both sitting and bedroom areas means everyone can feel fully in holiday mode by assigning one space to each style! 😆

 

Also, DH has often lets vacation time expire through using so little during his career. He works incredibly hard, is a world-class leader in his scientific field (his discoveries may literally save the  lives or limbs of people reading this in the future), yet he has no instinct to "put himself first." (Or he suppresses the urge because he always puts his family first!)

 

Therefore, on the rare occasion DH actually expresses a wish to do something for himself, I tend to splurge. A private tour at the Grand Canyon or cruising with Crystal to Alaska are examples. Traveling alone or with my kids, I use public transit and typically book an Oceanview stateroom or efficiency hotel with kitchenette. If I upgrade myself, it is for efficiency (direct flights) or comfort (i.e., I'll pay extra when need to sleep on a plane.)

 

For DH, taxis or car service and accommodations offering room service make travel less stressful. He wants to get to his destination--loves being in nature, kayaking, hiking, and photography--but hates the inconveniences of getting there. That's one of the reasons we first tried a cruise!

 

Then again, I travel at least a few times per year for pleasure, including solo international trips, while our big family vacations number only three or four across our 20+ year marriage. Most years, we visit family or go car camping within a few hours drive instead, sometimes only a long weekend. Like many, a major lesson we learned from the pandemic is to take advantage of opportunities while you have them. Why wait to return to Greenland when he loved it?

 

And, now you know my life story! 😀

Thank you for sharing ... you absolutely should then book a suite and enjoy it.  Have a wonderful time.  And if you're into blogging or do a review here after your expedition, I hope you will share.  We loved our 2013 expedition around Greenland ... booked back to back segments because we couldn't decide on which one to do first.  Definitely one of our once-in-a-lifetime adventures.

 

Ultramarine is far more luxurious than our previous expedition vessels ... have a ball.

[willoL]

19 hours ago, 2552phxcrzr said:

We loved our 2013 expedition around Greenland ... Definitely one of our once-in-a-lifetime adventures.

Your blog was fantastic for describing some of the day-to-day details I was curious about. Thanks for all the work you put into that. What a treasure for other curious potential Quark passengers! I'm sending my husband (and the friends we're trying to convince to join us) to read both that and the footprint post for a taste of what the expedition journey would be like.

 

I do write a blog, but it isn't exclusively travel focused, and I don't have the organization (motivation?) to do record such detailed trip reports as you presented in 2013. (I haven't even got the first post up yet from my August 2022 cruise on HAL's Nieuw Statendam.) When I say I'm into slow travel, that includes the pace at which I report back. 😆

Mine is: https://reallywonderfulthings.me/

 

(Travel posts will be tagged as such. It's chock full of my opinions on other topics, though. I do strive to be positive and moderate in my approach, but I write about whatever I find fascinating.)

[2552phxcrzr]

2 hours ago, willoL said:

Your blog was fantastic for describing some of the day-to-day details I was curious about. Thanks for all the work you put into that. What a treasure for other curious potential Quark passengers! I'm sending my husband (and the friends we're trying to convince to join us) to read both that and the footprint post for a taste of what the expedition journey would be like.

 

I do write a blog, but it isn't exclusively travel focused, and I don't have the organization (motivation?) to do record such detailed trip reports as you presented in 2013. (I haven't even got the first post up yet from my August 2022 cruise on HAL's Nieuw Statendam.) When I say I'm into slow travel, that includes the pace at which I report back. 😆

Mine is: https://reallywonderfulthings.me/

 

(Travel posts will be tagged as such. It's chock full of my opinions on other topics, though. I do strive to be positive and moderate in my approach, but I write about whatever I find fascinating.)

 

Thanks for sharing the link, I will check it out.  I hear you on the slow traveler and reporting thing.  I can't think of a single trip that I managed to report on in its entirety during the trip.  I'm too busy enjoying the moment.  You will have noted the different styles of reporting between the blog and the footprints ... but even the latter, simple as it is, often gets pushed to the side when there is more interesting stuff to do on a daily basis while we are traveling.

[willoL]

FYI: We're going for it!

 

I booked this cruise in the Owner's Suite today, and we have two sets of friends who may be joining us.

 

Thanks again for sharing your personal experience of Quark. It was invaluable in convincing me to go ahead with the voyage.

[2552phxcrzr]

Have a wonderful time.