Pre-departure information
WELCOME ON BOARD!
You are about to travel to some of the world’s most scenic places. The Arctic may be a bit cooler holiday destination than most, but it evokes warm feelings and lots of inspiration. Everyone at PolarQuest is truly passionate about its pristine nature and fascinating wildlife. Once back home, we hope that you will have the same passion for these unique environment and become a true ambassador.
EXPEDITION SPECIALISTS
Everyone working at PolarQuest have been an expedition cruise. If you give us a call or send us an email, our enthusiastic travel consultants will answer all your questions regarding your trip – clothing, weather, landings or Zodiac cruises – we have all the answers! Hopefully you will find some of the answers in this document as well.
GUIDES
We know that one of the keys to a successful expedition is having knowledgeable and enthusiastic leaders. A few weeks prior to your voyage, you will receive a short introduction of the guides who will be on your trip.
INSPIRATION
Don’t forget to follow our blog, Facebook or Instagram and take part of news, images and travel stories. On our website you find several inspirational movies from all our unique destinations.
GENERAL
Please note: There are no set itineraries on our expedition cruises. Factors such as the weather and ice play an important role in where the ship will venture. The daily schedule is decided by the Captain and the Expedition Leader, who both have great experience of the areas we are travelling in. Remember that flexibility is the key to a successful expedition!
MEDICAL CONDITIONS
To participate in this expedition cruise, you must be in generally good health and have good mobility. If you have had any major surgery in the last two years or have any pre-existing medical conditions that the staff and crew on board need to know about, please complete and return our medical form. You can find the form here. Open the form, save it to your computer/tablet. If you tick any of the boxes, please fill in the form with your physician and send it to us.
We also ask you to bring a list/description of your medication.
If you occasionally are in need of an extra hand, you must have someone travelling with you. Our guides need to be available to all passengers on board and can unfortunately not provide extra attention to someone in need of special assistance.
INSURANCE
It is very important to have full medical, emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage throughout your voyage.
PASSPORT & VISA
All visitors to Svalbard need a valid passport. Please check with your nearest Norwegian Embassy if you are required to obtain a visa for this trip. You also need to check how many months your passport needs to be valid from the date you plan to leave Norway.
CURRENCY
The currency in Svalbard is Norwegian Krone (NOK). Credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, AmEx) are accepted in most shops in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund. Please note, at the time of writing, there are no possibilities to withdraw cash in Longyearbyen.
LOST LUGGAGE
Lost luggage is beyond our control. In case your luggage do not arrive in time we recommend you take the following precautions:
- Pack your hand luggage with your essentials, such as medication and valuables.
- Fly with your jacket on/with you on board.
- Avoid travelling in light summer shoes.
- Bring a change of clothes in your hand luggage.
- If you have a travel companion, pack a few items in each other’s luggage. If your luggage goes missing, you will still have some of your items available.