Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! All guests must obtain a Travel Protection Plan prior to leaving their home country. This Plan must cover personal injury, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, evacuation expenses, and pre-existing medical conditions. Additionally, passengers are strongly advised to carry a Travel Protection Plan, which includes coverage for cancellation, curtailment, trip interruption, and all other expenses that might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury, delay, or inconvenience occurring to or otherwise involving a passenger. As any potential evacuation from, e.g,. Antarctica can cost up to $150,000, we recommend that no policy carry less than this amount of coverage. Polar Latitudes Expeditions will require information as to insurance carrier, policy number, and a 24-hour contact number from all guests prior to embarkation.

No. We provide toiletry dispensers (soap, lotion, shampoo) in all cabins aboard our fleet.

That one is entirely up to you. If you wish to have access to the internet, you will need a computer or mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. Some guests also find it useful to have their computers on hand for photography storage and backup. If you do choose to bring a laptop, please be sure to take the necessary precautions to protect it from the elements, and travel adaptors to ensure you can charge your devices.

For detailed recommendations on camera equipment from our Photography Coaches, please see our in-depth Photography Guide.

No. All shipboard charges will be charged to your onboard account, so you do not need to pay cash as you go. At the end of your voyage, you may pay your tab with cash or credit card; we accept Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. All prices on board are shown in US Dollars. Please remember to inform your bank of your travel itinerary, and that transactions may be processed through a US-based intermediary.

We advise carrying a small amount of cash (local and/or US dollars or Euros) to cover taxis and other incidental expenses, which may not be payable by credit card.

Our motto is – There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. It’s never a good idea to take shortcuts when it comes to clothing – being improperly dressed can impact your enjoyment of the voyage! Wearing the right gear ensures that you stay warm and dry while exploring off the vessel. Onboard the ship, the dress code is always casual and informal – although feel free to dress up for the Captain’s Cocktail Parties!

Layers Are Your Friend

The best clothing is a layered system with an outer layer that is fully waterproof. The trapped air between the layers provides insulation.

• Base Layer – Thermal underwear and a pair of thermal socks (wool is ideal).
• Mid Layer – Pants (wool is ideal), a midweight fleece, and a wool sweater.
• Outer Layer – Waterproof pants* and a waterproof jacket that we provide, plus a hat and gloves. Sun protection (sunglasses, sunscreen, SPF lip balm) is also an important part of your outer layer!
  Waterproof pants (not provided) are required to participate in activities off the ship.
  Note: Lightweight disposable rain gear will not endure more than one landing, so please bring high-quality, expedition-weight waterproof pants.
• Footwear – Sturdy walking shoes or sneakers with good grip are ideal for the outer decks. We provide you with rubber boots for landings. Please note that for safety reasons, open-toed shoes may not be worn onboard.

Any tipping is at your discretion and entirely optional. Should you choose to tip, the suggested amount for recognition of service on the ship is USD $20 per passenger, per night. We’ll update you in the final documents of the recommended amount for later seasons. This can be added to your shipboard account and paid by credit card. The gratuity is divided among the Expedition Team, the Hotel Department (stewards and stewardesses, chefs and galley team), and the ship’s crew (Deck/Engine Department crew).

Polar Latitudes Expeditions know that your voyage is more than the ship or even the destination – it is the people who bring that experience to life. We are proud to say we attract some of the industry’s best talent, people who genuinely love what they do and work tirelessly to give our guests the best experience they can. Our Expedition Staff come from a wide variety of backgrounds and nationalities. Some are professional adventure guides, some expert academics, and others passionate educators. All apply their specific skills in a way to complement each other and collectively deliver truly life-changing trips.

Polar Latitudes Expeditions are proud to say we have some of the highest staffing standards in the industry. We are one of the few operators that require all operational staff to be certified as crew under the International Maritime Organization’s STCW standards. Furthermore, we are the first polar expedition operator to adopt the Polar Tourism Guides Association (PTGA) guide qualification framework, a world first in training and certifying polar guides in the skills and experience required for our unique industry. When combined with our company culture of learning and training, the STCW and PTGA certification frameworks give us the confidence that all our valued guests will be kept safe and benefit from the best team in the industry.

Meet Our Team

We can accommodate most dietary requests, such as low salt, gluten-free, and low cholesterol, and we include Vegetarian, Meat, and Fish options on all of our menus. Please enter any dietary limitations, from preferences to severe food allergies, when completing your medical information form. Please note that we are unable to offer Kosher meals. Should you have further information as to how we can best accommodate your needs, please speak to our friendly onboard Hotel Directors.

While Ocean Victory and Ocean Albatros feature accessible cabins, unfortunately, our vessels are not built to be wheelchair accessible. Our vessels feature elevators that service all floors, but due to periodic heavy weather and sea conditions, they are not operational at all times. Please contact our Booking Team should you wish to discuss how we can accommodate you on board our vessels, should you be concerned about disabled access.

Not cold at all (unless you would like it to be)! All vessels across our fleet are climate-controlled for your comfort, and all cabins feature individual temperature controls.

On Seaventure: Most cabins have the option to be configured with 1 queen bed or 2 single beds. Triples can be configured as 1 queen and 1 single or 3 singles, with the exception of cabins 409 and 411 which have a fixed queen bed and 1 single. The Owner’s suite can only be configured as 1 queen.

Seaventure offers a limited number of Triple staterooms which can be configured with 1 queen bed and 1 single bed or 3 single beds.

All cabin categories across our fleet have outside views with portholes or windows (including balcony windows). Only Suites designated as “Porthole Suites” have portholes – please see deck plans and cabin categories across our fleet for further details. We cannot guarantee the number of portholes or windows in your cabin, as this varies between our vessels. Windows and portholes do not open (excluding cabin balcony doors). Please note also that porthole covers may be closed during heavy weather.

Yes. A complete laundry service is available on board all of our vessels; please note, however, our vessels do not have dry cleaning facilities. There is no self-service laundry facility on board the ship and no irons for passenger use – our Laundry Team will be happy to press garments if required.

Yes! All vessels in our fleet offer a Fitness Center with cardio equipment, resistance machines, and free weights available for all guests to use at their leisure. Seaventure and Ocean Albatros also feature saunas, while Ocean Albatros and Ocean Victory also have two hot tubs aboard each, as well as a Spa offering a range of relaxing treatments.

Yes! Our ship features a Starlink wireless network accessible from your personal computer or smartphone from virtually anywhere on board. There are also public computers available in the ship Library which may be used for email and Internet (but not for uploading photos.) 1GB of complimentary data is included in the cost of your voyage.  Additional data packages can be purchased from the hotel manager on board. Please note, due to weather and location, there may be times when Internet service is very slow or disrupted.

All cabins across all vessels across our fleet have abundant electrical outlets. These are mostly European 220V sockets, although Ocean Albatros and Ocean Victory also feature universal sockets that can accept most global plugs. Remember to bring adaptors, should your devices require a different voltage or socket. See the information pages for our individual vessels for further information.

Please do not bring any small appliances such as hairdryers, irons, coffee makers, curling tongs, or steam pots. These items can present a fire risk and damage the ship’s electrical system and are therefore strictly forbidden on board. There is a small hairdryer provided in your cabin.

In the Arctic, most towns and villages have decent cell service, although check with your operator whether Roaming charges apply. During Antarctic voyages, it is highly unlikely that you will have cellular service once we leave Argentina. There is a telephone in your cabin, and Reception can arrange outside calls for a moderate charge; however, there may be times when phone service is limited or unavailable due to limited connection in Antarctica.

While you may find the batteries or flash cards you need in stock in our Gift Shop, we strongly recommend that you bring extra supplies of everything, (including an extra charger) as availability of these items is very limited, and cannot be guaranteed.