Quark Expeditions

Is Quark Expeditions good for Antarctica?

Yes. For most first-time visitors Quark is a sound, mainstream choice: it has run polar trips since 1991, belongs to both polar operator associations (IAATO in Antarctica, AECO in the Arctic), and sends three ice-class ships south in 2026-27.¹²³ Two things set it apart from other large lines. Its largest ship, Ultramarine, is the only one in the fleet with helicopters.¹ And Quark says it was the first company to take travelers to the Snow Hill emperor penguin colony, in 2004, and has taken more there than any other operator.¹⁰

The trade-offs are size and price. Every Quark ship carries more than 100 guests, the most IAATO allows ashore at one site at a time, so landings run in shifts.¹¹ The cheapest cabins on most departures are triples, and many of those were already sold out when we read the fares.⁷

Quark publishes its own review averages: 4.8 out of 5 across Trustpilot, Tripadvisor and Google as of January 14, 2026, from more than 1,300 reviews.¹ Those are the company's figures, not ours, and we have not sailed with Quark.

Who owns Quark, and which ships does it sail?

Quark is headquartered in Seattle and is a subsidiary of Travelopia, a UK-based travel group.¹ AECO's directory adds that its main offices are in Toronto.³ Co-founders Lars Wikander and Mike McDowell took their first group to the North Pole on the icebreaker Sovetskiy Soyuz in August 1991, and Quark ran the first commercial circumnavigation of Antarctica in November 1996.¹

The current fleet is three ships. Ultramarine sailed its first voyage in December 2021, Ocean Explorer joined in November 2024, and World Voyager was announced in January 2025.¹ Quark charters World Voyager from Atlas Ocean Voyages for three Antarctic seasons starting in 2026-27, replacing the World Explorer.²³ Ocean Explorer is an Infinity-class ship delivered in 2021 by SunStone Maritime Group, a long-standing Quark partner.²⁰

Two small inconsistencies in Quark's own material: its fact sheet describes "a fleet of 4 ships" but lists three, and it gives World Voyager 172 guests where the ship page and Quark's IAATO member profile say 168.¹² AECO lists World Voyager as Antarctic only for Quark; in the northern summer of 2027, Atlas sails it on its own Svalbard, Iceland and East Greenland trips.³²⁴

How much does a Quark Antarctica cruise cost?

Quark's 2026-27 Antarctic fares start from $14,895 per person for 11 days, and most of its trips work out to about $1,300 to $1,900 per person per day at the lowest published fare.⁷ The two trips that fly both ways over the Drake Passage cost the most per day, about $2,460 to $2,650. These are brochure fares per person in USD, read on October 14, 2026, for the cheapest cabin on the cheapest departure of every Antarctic trip Quark lists for the season (Antarctic Explorer appears once per ship, because the start city differs):

Read the start city before comparing. Round trips from Buenos Aires, on Ultramarine and World Voyager, include a hotel night there plus the charter flight to Ushuaia and back, a package Quark values at $1,295.⁸⁷ Ocean Explorer's Antarctic Explorer starts in Ushuaia with one hotel night included, so you pay your own way to the tip of Argentina.⁸ On that basis the $15,590 Ultramarine fare can be the better deal than the $14,895 Ocean Explorer fare. The one-way Antarctic Express trips on World Voyager include the charter flight across the Drake plus a single Argentine charter leg, valued at $795 (Buenos Aires to Ushuaia) or $595 (Ushuaia to Buenos Aires).¹³⁷

The lead-in prices are for sharing a triple. On the March 10, 2027 Ultramarine departure, a two-person Explorer Suite was $18,090 per person and the cheapest Balcony Suite $19,790.⁷ Every departure also showed a promo code worth 5% to 20% off the brochure fare on the day we checked; we quote brochure fares because promotions change.⁷ Paying by US credit card adds a 2.8% surcharge, which does not apply to debit, ACH, wire or check.¹² For the full budget, including flights and insurance, see what an Antarctica trip costs and the cheapest way to Antarctica.

What is included in a Quark trip, and what costs extra?

The fare covers the cabin, all meals, Zodiac landings and cruising, an expedition parka to keep, waterproof boots on loan, and a pre-trip hotel night in the start city; international flights, insurance, the mandatory waterproof pants, gratuities, laundry and the spa are extra.⁸ The airport transfer to that hotel is included in Ushuaia but not in Buenos Aires, where Quark asks you to make your own way to the group hotel.⁸ Drinks vary by itinerary page: the Antarctic Explorer page lists free beer, standard wines, spirits and cocktails during bar hours and dinner, while the Fly the Drake page lists select beer, wines and cocktails, excludes spirits, and adds a free 1GB data card on World Voyager.⁸⁹

Ultramarine's Antarctic Explorer adds one 10- to 15-minute helicopter flightseeing flight, weather permitting.⁸ Walking, Zodiac cruising, the polar plunge and presentations are included on all three ships.⁷ The longer activities are paid add-ons:

Not every add-on is sold on every itinerary: Ultramarine's helicopter and emperor trips offer almost none, and camping is not sold on Ultramarine in Antarctica at all, so if a night ashore matters to you, pick Ocean Explorer or World Voyager.⁷ Quark says an add-on cancelled for weather or ice is refunded or credited.¹

How many people go ashore at once with Quark?

No more than 100 at one landing site at a time, fewer where a site's guideline says so, because that is IAATO's rule for every member ship, so on all three Quark ships guests land in rotating groups.¹¹ IAATO also requires at least one actively guiding staff member for every 20 visitors ashore and only one ship at a site at a time.¹¹ All three Quark ships fall in IAATO's 13 to 200 passenger category; ships of 201 to 500 face stricter limits on when and where they land.¹¹

On Ultramarine, Quark says its water-level hangar with 20 Zodiacs and four embarkation points gets guests off the ship in half the time of other vessels, a claim we cannot test.⁴ The Emperor Penguin Quest sails with Ultramarine capped at 150 guests and one expedition team member for every four guests.¹⁰

Are Quark Expeditions safe?

Quark's safety setup is standard for a large polar line: every ship is ice-classed and has a medical clinic with a doctor available 24 hours a day, and as an IAATO member Quark must build IAATO's operating rules, including its flight rules, into its own procedures in Antarctica.⁴⁵⁶¹¹¹ The risks Quark itself warns about come from weather. On Ultramarine the helicopter pilot decides whether to fly, and guests can be left ashore or on the ice for hours if conditions turn, so the team sets up a tent with emergency supplies and tells you to carry extra layers and water.¹⁷ On the fly-the-Drake trips the plane leaves only when the weather allows, which can mean days on standby in Punta Arenas.¹³

One of the three ships had a grounding before Quark took it on. Ocean Explorer ran aground in Alpefjord, northeast Greenland, on September 11, 2023, more than a year before it joined Quark's fleet; Denmark's accident investigation board reported no injuries and no serious damage, the ship was refloated after three days, and the board still listed its investigation as ongoing when we checked.²²¹

Which Quark trip should you book?

Pick the trip by what you most want to see, then by how you feel about the Drake Passage:

• First trip, best value: Antarctic Explorer, 11 or 12 days to the Antarctic Peninsula, from $14,895 on Ocean Explorer from Ushuaia or $15,590 on Ultramarine with the Buenos Aires charter included.⁷
• Short on time or worried about seasickness: Antarctic Express: Fly the Drake, 8 days from Punta Arenas, from $19,695.⁷ Quark's page puts the flight to King George Island at two hours in one place and three in another.⁹ Read the fine print: you must be in Punta Arenas by 3 pm on day 1 in case the flight is brought forward, Quark keeps trying to fly until day 4, and if the flight still cannot go it cancels the trip and offers a rebooking or a refund of the cruise fare, but not your airfare.¹³¹² A middle option is to cross the Drake by sea only once: Fly South, Sail North (9 days, from $16,890) or Sail South, Fly North (10 days, from $18,590), both on World Voyager.⁷ Our guide to flying or sailing the Drake weighs this.
• Emperor penguins: Emperor Penguin Quest, 14 days in November, from $26,090.⁷ It spends five days near Snow Hill Island, where Quark puts the colony at 8,000 birds, and uses the helicopters when ice stops the ship; the stated goal is to get every guest to the colony once, with other sites if weather or ice prevent it.¹⁰ In 2023 Quark reported landing 208 guests there on two voyages.¹⁸ More on the bird in our emperor penguin page.
• South Georgia: Penguins of the Far South on Ocean Explorer, 20 days from $28,595, or Epic Antarctica on Ultramarine, 23 days from $43,590, which adds the Antarctic Circle.⁷ Note that Ultramarine may not fly its helicopters at South Georgia.¹⁷
• Helicopters: Antarctica by Helicopter: Crossing the Circle, 14 days from $22,290, includes two 10- to 15-minute flightseeing flights and one heli-landing, and adds the Antarctic Circle.¹⁹⁷

When does Quark sail to Antarctica?

Quark's Antarctic season runs from November to March and its Arctic season from May to September.¹ In 2026-27 the first departure is Penguins of the Far South on October 25, 2026, the emperor trips leave on November 3 and November 15, and the last Peninsula trip, Ultramarine's Antarctic Explorer, returns on March 21, 2027.⁷ Circle crossings run in January and February.⁷ For what each month brings, see the best time to visit Antarctica.

What are Quark's booking and cancellation terms?

Quark takes a 25% deposit if you book 151 days or more before departure, and the full balance is due 150 days before day 1; book later and you pay everything up front.¹² Cancellation charges for bookings made on or after June 24, 2026:

Baggage on board is limited to 250 lb (115 kg) in total with no piece over 50 lb (23 kg), and charter flights can set lower limits.¹³ Quark strongly recommends cancellation insurance.¹²

How does Quark compare with Lindblad and Oceanwide?

Ultramarine carries more guests than Lindblad's National Geographic Endurance or Oceanwide's Hondius, while Ocean Explorer matches Endurance on guest count.⁴⁵¹⁴¹⁵ Specs as each operator publishes them:

The real difference with Lindblad is the hull. Transport Canada describes PC5 as rated for year-round operation in medium first-year ice and PC6 for summer and autumn operation in the same ice, so Endurance carries a stronger rating than Ultramarine or Ocean Explorer.²¹ Choose Lindblad if that margin matters more to you than helicopters. Hondius is the closest match to Quark's ships in size and ice rating, at 170 guests and PC6. Choose Quark for Ultramarine's helicopters or the Snow Hill trip. Our Quark vs Lindblad comparison goes deeper.

Does Quark go to the Arctic and Svalbard?

Yes. Quark lists 27 Arctic departures for 2027, to Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland, the Northwest Passage and Newfoundland, on Ultramarine and Ocean Explorer.⁷ Most of them, 16 of the 27, are Svalbard round trips between late April and mid-July. Every one starts in Helsinki, with a private charter to Longyearbyen and airport hotel nights included, a package Quark values at $1,495.¹⁶⁷

The lowest fares in the table are for triple cabins. For two sharing, Svalbard in Spring on Ocean Explorer started at $13,890 on May 9, 2027, but that cabin was sold out, and the cheapest open two-person cabin cost $14,490.⁷ Ultramarine's helicopters do not fly on Svalbard voyages, so on these trips the two ships differ mainly in size and cabins.⁴ The helicopters do fly later in the summer: flightseeing is listed as included on Ultramarine's Iceland, Greenland and Northwest Passage voyages.⁷ Quark lists polar bears among the wildlife you may see in Svalbard, without promising a sighting.¹⁶

Who should skip Quark?

Skip Quark if you want a ship of under 100 guests, so that everyone can land at once; all three of its ships carry 138 or more.⁴⁵⁶ Skip it if you need a cheap triple: on many 2026-27 departures the lead-in triple was sold out by mid-October 2026.⁷ And if a balcony is the point, check the price gap first: on Ultramarine the cheapest Balcony Suite cost $1,700 more per person than an Explorer Suite on the March 10, 2027 sailing, and balcony doors may be locked on sea days or in bad weather.⁷¹⁷ Our balcony guide and how to choose an Antarctica cruise help with that call.