OAT vs Quark

[einsteinsmom]

Is there anybody who has cruised with OAT recently to Antarctica? I see several people with Quark....

Any opinions out there?

I know one offers the trip completely planned out, with transfers in BA taken care of. Is it worth it to do that? They also have some sightseeing planned in Ushuaia as well.

Thanks,

Kristy

[roberts2005]

OAT is part of Grand Circle and do a nice job. However I think they sub contract the Antaric portion so the question I would ask is what ship and is it OAT alone on the ship.

[einsteinsmom]

Roberts2005,

Your pictures of your trip are great! I see that you went in November as well. (that is when we are tentatively booked right now) Did the crew say anything about ice usually being an issue for that time of year? I know you had great weather and conditions....just not sure whether that is a norm...if there is a norm for the Antarctic cruises.

Also, how was your Quark dvd? Was the quality good?

Thanks for your help,

Kristy

[roberts2005]

The DVD was just a collection of digital shots. It was OK, pictures were different and more candid. More people and less scenery.. My schedule did not allow me to go later in the season.. Going early you run into the problem of heavy ice. We were only able to make one stop on the Antartic Peninsular itself and that almost didn't happen. Was very happy with Quark but day to day planning was somewhat at mercy of camping and skiing group on board. I had the feeling that they had a priority.. Just a note there was no on cruise under 21.

[einsteinsmom]

How many landings did you make altogether for the trip? Which Antarctic Peninsula landing did you make? Your pics look like you went ashore pretty regularly?

Kristy

[roberts2005]

Had to go back and look at my review. If you are a purest. South Shetland Islands are not really Antartica. Our only true landing on Antarctica was Primavera Station. Station was not occupied but was on mainland. WE did not get to "Iceberg Alley" or any of the American or British stops most trips do. We were told the sea ice was to thick. WE did our two landings a day, but they were in the the South Shetlands. Still was a great trip.

[roberts2005]

Forgot to mention this in my review. My most memorable event was being up at 2:30 and watching sunrise as we approached the Antartic Peninsula. THe early morning light and relections of mountains on the water was unforgetable.

[Jade13]

The DVD was just a collection of digital shots. It was OK, pictures were different and more candid. More people and less scenery.. My schedule did not allow me to go later in the season.. Going early you run into the problem of heavy ice. We were only able to make one stop on the Antartic Peninsular itself and that almost didn't happen. Was very happy with Quark but day to day planning was somewhat at mercy of camping and skiing group on board. I had the feeling that they had a priority.. Just a note there was no on cruise under 21.

 

This is the first I have heard of someone going with Quark and only making one landing.

[roberts2005]

we made ten landings but only one on the peninsula

[einsteinsmom]

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions! It helps! Where is your review of your trip? I saw your pics, I am not sure if I have found your review or not.

One has to be a real sleuth to find all the Antarctica info on cruise critic. Things are hiding in ecocruising, south america, and other cruise lines! I really appreciate your feedback here, Roberts2005.

Kristy

[roberts2005]

Here is a copy of my complete review.

The trip included a one night stay, pre-cruise, at a hotel in Ushuaia. Air was not included and was the responsibility of the passenger.

On the day of departure Quark arranges for a bus tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park and a barbecue lunch. After lunch the passengers were dropped off in Ushuaia with boarding at 4:00 PM. Quark arranged for transfer of all luggages from the hotel.

As there have been previous reviews of Quark ships I will try to keep my comments simple and answer questions as they come in.

EXPEDITION STAFF The expedition staff was excellent and very knowledgeable. They gave talks and slideshows throughout the cruise. They were very friendly and sat with the passengers during dinner. Each night before dinner we would a have a recap of the day and be provided with a plan for the next day. All plans were subject to change due to weather and sea ice.

CABINS The cabins were very basic. All cabins had two upper and two lower beds. This is true even if the cabin was for two people. Storage space was very limited. Some people used the upper bunks as a storage shelf in which to lay out their clothes. Bathroom was small, with shower similar to those on river boats.

THE SHIP The ship was well planned with a spacious dining room able to seat all passengers and staff at the same time. There was a forward observation lounge with plentiful seating, as well as outdoor area. There was also an aft lounge which included the ship’s library. The ship had an open bridge policy, passengers being able to visit at any time.

THE WEATHER We had excellent weather throughout the trip. Calm seas and hardly any wind. Our worst night was the first night on the return through the Drake. That night we had sells and winds of 35 knots. No giant waves of any kind. The only weather related problem was that we were told that due a cold spring there was a still a lot of sea ice. We were told that this would possibly prevent landings on the Peninsula.

THE LANDINGS A normal 12 day package will have 5 days of landings, usually 2 a day... Due to the great weather and very little wind we were able to do all 10. Our first six landings were on different islands in the South Shetlands. Two of those landings consisted of visiting the Brazil and Polish stations on King Edward Island. It then became clear to the staff that the passengers really wanted to try to get to the Peninsula. So it was decided that they would try and get as close as the sea ice would allow. One of the problems of being the first ship out of Ushuaia is that there are no reports from other ships. Needless to say the sea ice was not as bad as expected and we were able to make a landing at Primavera Station. As this is a summer only station no one was home, but we were able to walk among the buildings and place our feet on the continent. In the afternoon we landed on Trinity Island. Out last day of landings consisted of stops at Deception and Half Moon Island.

THE DRAKE PASSAGE We were told by the staff that they had never seen the Drake so calm. (In both directions)

CLOTHING I definitely brought too much clothing. When walking your own body generates a lot of heat. Our average temperature was in the high 30’s.

[Dick_F]

Kristy,

 

We took the OAT White Wilderness trip to Antarctica in late Nov 2007 with the Iguazu Falls extension, and we enjoyed at very much. When we signed up, OAT's plan was to book space on a Quark ship, but a few months before the trip they changed it to sail on the M/S Andrea. I believe that they still use the Andrea. The Andrea is an Elegant Cruises ship that spends the summer in the Med and then heads for Antarctica in the winter. We were on the first sail of the Antarctic season.

 

I can't speak for what OAT does now, but I can tell you what OAT did for us. Our OAT group (29 people) and a GCT group (26 people) were the only ones on board the ship, which as I recall had a capacity for just over 100. Each group had its own guide; ours was Lorena, an Energizer bunny who never slowed down. We were happy with the accommodations on board and the food was very good (but we're low maintenance travelers). We spent four full days near Antarctica and were able to land on three of them (except Deception Island) including the continent itself.

 

I've posted a "few" photos at SmugMug.com. They should give you a good idea of what we did:

 

 

I'm sure that you'll have a good trip if you take OAT.

 

Dick F

[Jade13]

we made ten landings but only one on the peninsula

 

Ok, we went with A&K on the Minerva and also made one landing on the Peninsula but about 11 total landings. I understand this is typical on a 10 night or so trip and the reason is that the Islands seem to have more to offer in terms of wild life, scenery, and historical sights. We landed on Neko Harbour. What about you?

[Budget Queen]

I too, am trying to find out everything I can to be able to make the right decisions for my priorities.

 

Which are- LANDINGs with station stops, that are open. Wildlife, and good access for scenic sailing. I'm getting the message here, that I need to look at January?? Feb??? I am not interested in an off peak trip. I have the Quark brochure and have looked at Lindblad. Want the best, cost effective :) experience.

[roberts2005]

Ok, we went with A&K on the Minerva and also made one landing on the Peninsula but about 11 total landings. I understand this is typical on a 10 night or so trip and the reason is that the Islands seem to have more to offer in terms of wild life, scenery, and historical sights. We landed on Neko Harbour. What about you?

 

 

Our one stop on the mainland was Primavera Station. Run by Argentina. It was closed, but we were able to walk around the buildings.