Quest for the Circle - 50% off

• Medical Insurance with coverage up to 200 000 USD
• Extra excursions and activities not mentioned in the itinerary
• Single room supplement and stateroom upgrades
• Meals not on board the ship
• Beverages (other than coffee and tea)
• Tips for the crew (we recommend USD 16 per person per day)
• Personal expenses
• Anything not mentioned under 'Inclusions'
• Flights

Payments for the cruise are to be made in USD by credit card according to the following schedule:

• First 25 % - A deposit will be required at time of booking.
• Final 75 % - 90 days prior to the cruise
• If booking is made less than 90 days before to departure, full payment is due within 72 hours.

In case of cancellation of the cruise cancellation fees are:  

• Cancellations received 180 days or more prior to departure, are refundable less an administration fee of a minimum of USD 1000 per person.  
• From 179 days to 91 days prior to departure cancellation costs are 25% of the total cruise tariff.  

From 90 days until departure cancellation costs are 100% of the total cruise tariff. 

Albatros Expeditions welcomes disabled guests; however, guests must realize that there are inherent risks associated with traveling onboard ships that are configured for expedition cruise travel. It is vital to notify the agent (in writing) at the time of booking! While we would be more than happy to have all guests on board no matter their limitations, it is important for us that you know all the information before you decide to book an expedition with us.

At the start of our journey, we do a safety drill where the elevators are turned off. This means all guests need to use the stairs from their cabin to the top deck (deck 7). The same applies during rough weather.

While, our staff can help during boarding, with room service and other needs but cannot provide 24/7 assistance or lifting. Guests needing assistance and those who are physically disabled must be accompanied by someone who assumes full responsibility for any assistance necessary during the cruise and in the event of an emergency. 

Moreover, guests requiring a wheelchair must provide their own collapsible wheelchair. Please be aware that some ports of call, shore excursions, docks, gangways and other requirements may prevent a wheelchair-bound guest from leaving the vessel; any decisions regarding this will be made by the Expedition Leader or ship’s captain. 

Albatros Expeditions presently operates two expedition vessels, the Ocean Victory and the Ocean Albatros. And each has two cabins available to guests requiring wheelchair access.

Our general inclusions cover the following:

• Full board on the ship (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks)
• Complimentary house wine, beer and soda at dinner (selected labels and brands, served at our a-la-carte dinners)
• 24-hour access to free tea and coffee,
• Zodiac landings and excursions with an English-speaking expedition team
• Taxes, tariffs, and landing fees
• Link to a digital visual journal
• Additionally, rubber boots are available for borrowing at no extra charge.
• Shuttle transfers to and from the vessel from Ushuaia city center

• Expedition parka
  

  For additional details, please see the full inclusions under the itinerary.

Minors under the age of 18 must be travelling with a parent or responsible adult over the age of 21 in the same stateroom as well as on shore excursions for the duration of the voyage. If the minor is not travelling with a parent, a Child Travel Consent Form must be signed by a parent or legal guardian and received by AE prior to the release of travel documents.

As we travel in remote areas and for safety reasons, Albatros Expeditions (AE) cannot accommodate children under 8 years of age (weight of 29 kg and 1.2 m. tall). Although AE accepts children over 8 years of age there is no childcare or special programming onboard. In addition, safety harnesses and seating equipment are not provided for children onboard any AE excursion or shuttle service. Guests may use their own approved safety harnesses and seating equipment provided the vehicles have compatible equipment to safely secure the child. This equipment is not guaranteed, and AE reserves the right to refuse any child above the age of 8 years of age and below 14 years of age on any shore excursion or shuttle for safety concerns.

Please note that for Antarctica voyages, AE recommends children to be of 12 years of age or older and must be accompanied by a responsible adult during all landings and onboard.

Passengers must be 21 years or older to consume or purchase alcohol onboard. AE reserves the right to refuse to serve anyone who in its sole judgment is deemed impaired and a risk to the health and safety of passengers and ship’s crew.

Expedition and Optional Activities

Zodiac Cruises, Shore Landings, Masterclasses, and Polar Plunges are offered on all our departures, free of charge.

Optional Activities costs and booking requirements

Photography Lessons 

• Photography lessons need to be booked and paid in advance (495 USD/person).

Polar Camping

• Camping must be pre-booked because due to limited capacity, and is paid onboard in USD (395 USD/person).

Kayaking and Snowshoeing

• Kayaking (345 USD/person) and Snowshoeing (225 USD/person) is booked and paid onboard in USD.

Approximately one month before the departure, we send all the final documents including:

• Cruise tickets
• Flight Tickets
• Embarkation letter
• Pre-departure guide
• Albatros Cruise Ticket and General Terms & Conditions
• Pre-Boarding Health Declaration (to be completed on the day of arrival and given at check-in on the ship)

We always try to offer two activities per day, usually either a landing or a Zodiac cruise. However, this is dependent on the weather conditions. Our Captain and Expedition Leader will communicate this to guests through regularly scheduled briefings onboard. Albatros Expeditions reserves the right to modify landings and locations visited during a voyage based on the prevailing weather conditions to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for all our guests and staff.

A typical expedition day may look like this (subject to weather and sea conditions):

• 06:45: Wake-up call
• 07:00-08:00: Breakfast
• 08:30-11:30: Morning activity - landing and/or Zodiac cruise
• 12:30-13:30: Lunch during vessel repositioning
• 14:30-17:30: Afternoon activity - landing and/or Zodiac cruise
• 18:30-19:30: Evening recap and briefing with the Expedition Team
• 19:30: Dinner
• 21:00: Evening entertainment or presentations with the Expedition Team

Full board is included on all cruises, covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snacks, and free tea and coffee available 24/7, along with a welcome and farewell cocktail. Dinners always offer a meat option, fish option, and vegetarian option. Our onboard bar provides a variety of cocktails, beers, non-alcoholic drinks, and water. All meals are prepared by our chef. If you have any special dietary requirements (allergies, intolerances, health conditions, or religious preferences), please inform us as early as possible, ideally at least 2 weeks before departure. To ensure efficient service, please reconfirm your requirements with the crew when you board the ship.

Antarctica:

• Embarkation: 3-5 p.m. on the first day
• Disembarkation: 8-10 a.m. on the final day
• For Antarctic journeys, we suggest arriving in Ushuaia a day ahead of departure. The vessel won't delay departure for late arrivals.
• For flights out of Ushuaia, we strongly advise against scheduling anything prior to noon (12 p.m.). 

Please note, these times are for reference and may be subject to slight changes. You will receive an Embarkation Letter with the most up-to-date information approximately one month before your departure.

You can bring the usual luggage allowance of 20 kg in addition to your hand luggage. Should you have more than one suitcase, our reception team will be happy to store it for you during the voyage. This will allow you to enjoy more free space in your stateroom. 

Upon check-in, you will be required to present your Cruise Ticket and passport. Luggage tags will be handed out prior to check-in by an Albatros Expeditions representative at the pier. It is important that ALL pieces of luggage have luggage tags attached to them. Please attach these to your check-in luggage prior to check-in at the pier. 

An expedition cruise to the polar regions requires a relatively large variety of clothing. On shore, we can expect temperatures of -2°C to 4°C. On the ocean, when observing wildlife from the decks, temperatures will rarely be above 2 degrees. Add to this a strong and often humid wind, and the necessity of warm wind — and waterproof clothes, gloves, and hats, becomes obvious.

So, what is the secret of keeping warm? Layers! They insulate trapped air, and you can adjust them depending on whether you are feeling hot or cold. Proper and suitable clothing is a necessity for the voyage. Select lightweight technical fabrics engineered to lead moisture away, keeping you dry and warm. For example, this could be a wool base layer from the inside out, a sweater or fleece as the mid layer and a wind-and waterproof jacket as the outer layer. For the legs, it could be a wool base layer, tightly woven leisure pants as the middle layer and wind- and waterproof pants as the outer layer.

A pair of strong slip-resistant hiking shoes/boots are ideal to wear on board and excellent for strolling in the villages or hiking nearby. On board the ship, the dress code is casual, so bring practical clothes to wear on board and for landings/excursions. However, some guests choose to dress up for dinner.

Our team will provide a briefing on the best way to layer your clothing once you are on board.

Please note parkas are available on board for free in case of Antarctic expeditions only. Sturdy rubber boots are available to borrow on board for free, in Arctic and Antarctic expeditions.

On board, we accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Please note that for cash payments, only USD is accepted and there is no currency exchange office on board the vessel.

During check-in on board, you will receive your personal cruise card, which you should carry with you at all times, as it also serves as your identification card. All purchases made on board, including those from the bar, telephone, and laundry, will be charged to your shipboard account. After check-in, our reception will pre-authorize your credit card. In some cases, 100 USD might be reserved, which guarantees that the credit card is open and there are funds available to pay for any charges. The initial pre-authorization will be removed after a few days and the amount will not be charged. At the end of the voyage, you will be asked to visit reception and settle your shipboard account.

Before and after the cruise in Ushuaia, most shops and restaurants accept credit cards. There are also several ATMs around Ushuaia if you wish to withdraw local currency. Please note that taxis do not accept credit cards, but payment in USD is normally possible if agreed upon in advance.

Most credit cards are secured with automatic geographic control. As a starting point, your card is only active for purchases in your country of residence and online until you use it in another country. When you are on a voyage, it can sometimes occur that a transaction is declined by the bank due to this geographic control. To avoid this, we recommend activating your card in advance not just for the locations you’ll be visiting during your trip, but also for Miami, USA, where the payment system of Ocean Victory/Albatros is registered. You can do this by contacting your credit card provider regarding the use of your credit cards abroad and informing them of your voyage, activating the locations you’re visiting as well as the US, and the duration of this overseas activation until your return home.

Keep in mind, we will be cruising in a very remote region of the world. Mobile phone reception will be lost shortly after leaving ports. Internet signal is downloaded to the vessel via satellite connection and distributed on board through a Wi-Fi system. Connection to the ship’s Wi-Fi net with your phone or computer is available for a charge from the reception. The quality and speed of the internet is dependent on the number of users and the satellite receiving conditions, especially the further south, we cruise. In Antarctica we can often experience total block-out of the signal. Remember to switch off ‘Data Roaming’ function on your mobile device. For further details, please contact your mobile phone operator.

To ensure a safe and secure journey, your insurance policy must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Medical evacuation coverage of at least USD 200,000 per person.
• Proof of insurance, as our expedition staff may need to verify this on board.
• Coverage for all pre-existing health conditions, medical treatments, and evacuations in every area visited during the voyage.

As a suggestion, many of our customers have previously used the following international insurance companies:

• AXA
• Allianz
• World Nomad

Please note that these insurers may only offer coverage to travellers from certain geographical regions, so we advise to contact them directly for more information.

Please note that Albatros Expeditions is not liable for any medical or health issues that may arise during the trip. In the event of an emergency, our team will coordinate with the nearest possible medical facility. Decisions will be made collectively by the ship’s captain, our medical staff, and the expedition leader. Agreeing to these terms is a prerequisite for embarking on your journey.

Please have a look at our packing list here.

In case of a forgotten item on board, please get in touch with us at info@albatros-expeditions.com

You can find more useful information in our terms and conditions and general FAQ.

You will receive a digital visual journal link approximately 2-3 weeks after the end of your voyage. This will include the voyage log, gallery, species list, and more!