We are pleased to introduce a new series of blog posts called 'Meet the Members'. Each week, we will catch up with a different expedition cruise company and will ask them five identical questions. Today, we chat to Sarah Schlederer from Quark Expeditions, a specialist polar expedition cruise operator.
Tell us about Quark Expeditions:
Specialising exclusively in expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic, Quark Expeditions has been the leading innovator of polar adventure since the company took the first group of consumer travellers to the North Pole in 1991. Quark Expeditions has been innovating ever since and with a diverse fleet of specially-equipped small expedition vessels, the most luxurious of which is equipped with two twin engine helicopters, Quark Expeditions delivers deeply immersive polar experiences — and is able to take guests deeper into the polar regions than anyone else, on exciting itineraries in both the Arctic and Antarctic, ranging in duration from 7 days up to 23 days. Led by passionate and seasoned expedition teams, including scientists, wildlife experts and researchers, Quark Expeditions offers an onboard program that enriches the passenger experience, whilst putting the destination as the focus of every voyage.
What are your unique selling points?
Sustainability
Quark Expeditions is profoundly committed to environmentally responsible tourism and through our Polar Promise, we have the most comprehensive sustainability strategy framework in the polar regions.
Expedition Team
When you venture into the untouched wilds of the Arctic and Antarctic, you need a great team around you. And we have the greatest. Our 1:6 expedition team member-to-guest ratio, guests have excellent access to polar experts. Quark Academy, the only proprietary polar training program in the industry, ensures guests have the safest and most immersive experience possible—with the best team in the industry during shore landings and Zodiac excursions.
Small Ships
Our diverse fleet of small polar vessels, ranging in size from 128 guests to 199 guests, can take you to places larger ships can’t navigate and are much more intimate and friendly, enabling guests to quickly get on first-name basis with the expedition crew, onboard staff and fellow passengers. With the equivalent of a 3 star, a 4 star and a 5 star vessel in our fleet, we have the right ship for every type of polar explorer!
Off-Ship Excursions
Every voyage starts on a ship, but the real adventure happens off-ship. With the greatest diversity of of-ship excursions on offer and an opportunistic approach to exploring the polar regions, all guests will enjoy at least two off-ship excursions per day, weather & wildlife permitting. Guests can enjoy the included zodiac cruises, landings and hikes, as well as an exhilarating flightseeing excursion offered onboard Ultramarine. But they can also choose to opt into a range of specialist adventure options including kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, camping, as well as a wide selection of helicopter-based excursions such as alpine mountain biking or helihiking, amongst many others.
What is your most popular itinerary/destination?
Antarctica of course remains one of our most popular destinations, however Svalbard is quickly gaining in popularity, being much easier to access for guests from the UK, and with a lower price point as well. However we have known for decades how special Greenland is, and the rest of the world is now understanding that as well!
What is new for 2024/25?
In September 2024, we will operate our brand new 11-day Greenland Explorer: Sail and Soar the Alpine Arctic, constructed around Ultramarine’s two twin-engine helicopters—and brought to life with local Greenlandic partners, enabling guests to enjoy the most innovative itinerary in Quark Expeditions’ 32-year history. This voyage offers guests the most helicopter activities in Greenland, including a landing on Greenland’s Ice Sheet. Being able to develop this itinerary in full collaboration with local partners in Greenland ensures our guests can enjoy truly authentic experiences no one else can provide, such as Tundra to Table: Inuit Culinary Experience and Greenland Camping along the Tasermiut Fjord. Guests can also witness the Aurora borealis, which, in September, is a great time to observe due to the extended 4 to 8 hours of night in South Greenland.
Meet the team:
Sarah Schlederer, Business Development Manager for the UK & Ireland
0793 510 9672
I’ve been working at Quark Expeditions since 2020, previously as a Polar Travel Advisor and now looking after our trade partners across the UK & Ireland.
I am Australian but have been living in the UK for the last decade, and I’ve also previously lived in France and Switzerland. My passion for ice and polar wildlife has seen me visit the polar regions 6 times – Antarctica twice, Greenland and three times to Svalbard – most recently on the Ultramarine in May 2022, where I got engaged on the helideck surrounded by glaciers, mountains and icebergs.
I am so completely enamored by the polar regions that I even got a tattoo of an iceberg on my wrist. I know that I will continue to explore these incredible destinations many more times in my lifetime and I am so lucky to be in a role which allows me to inspire others to also explore our frozen planet.
Thank you, Sarah.
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