ComplaintsforQuark Expeditions, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My trip to Antarctica was to start on December 19th.I found a trip with Antaractica 21 that ****************** represented. His company is "Up Close Travel."The reason I purchased this trip is because it was called "Fly the Drake" which meant I wouldn't have to deal with the 28' swells (December?) of the Drake Passage. When I talked to *****, he said, "there would absolutely be no problem." He said, "they want your money and are not going to turn you away because of a ****** and I would have help." I got a letter from my doctor giving me permission to go, "with assistance." ****** or cane for my gait. ***** originally told me there were no ship stabilizers which I now know there are. It wasn't until after Quark had my money, did they say I had to stand on my own two feet. I told the woman in Guest Relations that I had a note from my doctor and she said, "It doesn't matter what your doctor says, it's the ****** doctor that I have to go by.I was told I couldn't go because the ****** would be contaminated and would be too heavy on the plane which is a joke. The heaviest thing on it is maybe the wheels which basically don't weigh anything. She kept baiting me saying I had to stand on my own two feet. There was a lot of back and forth saying I could go and then I couldn't. Then even after that being said, ***** said he would talk to his friend who works there so I could still go with the ******.I made a downpayment of $14,996.25 for the trip and $1,748.56 for a $1,000,000.00 ins. policy. I paid for the airline tickets with ALL my frequent flyer miles and had to pay cash for the remaining money. $1,679.25 with ****** points redeemed and I also bought necessary clothing which I will never wear. This was a very expensive trip that I never even got to go on. I was told there was a 70% cancel fee. I received a portion back. I am asking for a full refund.The trip was misrepresented to me.For more details please contact me.Thank you!****** Fine

  Business response

  09/08/2023

  Dear Sir/******

  It is documented in clause 17 of our terms and conditions that Quark Expeditions reserves the right to deny passengers boarding if they did not declare their full medical information. Ms. **** had not indicated she had mobility issues on her medical form. Full details of clause 17 can be found below. 

  
  Quark Expeditions only received a payment of USD ******* for this file and despite it being within our terms and conditions to retain these monies it was refunded to the card it was charged to. Quark Expeditions does not hold any other monies of Ms. ***** we suggest she takes this complaint up with her booking agent.  Thank you.  

   

  17.0 Medical Treatment and Forms
  Medical forms will be sent to you via email link once the deposit has been received. You must review, complete and submit the forms by 90 days prior to departure or immediately if traveling within ************************************************** mental suitability must be completed by a medical practitioner. QEI CANNOT OFFER MEDICAL ADVICE. 
  Medical forms must be filled out in full, honestly and accurately, and disclose all medical history and information. Should your medical situation change after submitting the medical forms, it is your responsibility to advise QEI immediately. QEI will review the information submitted and reserves the right to ask for further information, clarity on information, or for documentation from your medical practitioner. QEI reserves the right to deny passage to any passenger on reasonable medical grounds or disembark any passenger at any port or place at any time whose presence, in the opinion of the Expedition staff or Master of the Vessel, may be detrimental to the comfort or safety of himself, other travelers, the Vessel, its officers or crew, or who, in the opinion of the Expedition staff or Master of the Vessel, might be excluded from landing at any port or place by immigration or other governmental authorities. In addition QEI may remove or transfer the accommodations of or confine to a cabin/room, any passenger who may be suffering from contagious or infectious disease.
  For travelers that book within 120 days of departure, completed medical forms must be received within 7 days of making payment. QEI and/or Ultramarine Owner reserves the right to deny entry/boarding, without refund or resulting expenses, to any traveler at the pier or starting point of an Expedition itinerary for any reason at its sole discretion, including but not limited to in the event that the on board medical officer determines that the traveler has not disclosed accurate medical information. Before boarding the Vessel or joining an Expedition each traveler must have an adequate supply of all medicines and medical supplies needed as they may not be available on board the Vessel. This supply should be sufficient to cover and pre and post travel and any delays the traveler may suffer beyond the length of the Expedition.
  All medicines and all medical or surgical services furnished by the Vessels physician, if any, or any other physician or medical personnel (all of whom are engaged by the traveler as independent contractors) or Vessels officers, employees, agents of the Vessel owner or Expedition staff shall be and are accepted by and at the travelers sole risk and expense, and QEI and/or Ultramarine Owner shall not be responsible for the quality, nature or consequence thereof.

• Initial Complaint

  08/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to file a formal complaint against Quark Expedition regarding their unprofessional conduct, poor communication, and failure to provide the services promised. This complaint highlights the unjust treatment my family and I experienced during our recent booking with Quark Expedition.We were preparing to embark on a long-awaited cruise with Quark Expedition. Regrettably, without any prior notice, the company abruptly cancelled our cruise plans, leaving us stranded and bewildered. Instead of promptly informing us about the cancellation, we were subjected to a lengthy and uncertain three-day confinement at an airport hotel.To make matters worse, during this forced stay, we were subjected to unnecessary stress and coercion. Quark Expedition representatives threatened that opting to just return home to get back to work would result in the forfeiture of any potential refund. Such intimidation tactics were entirely unacceptable and demonstrated a lack of professionalism on their part.Throughout the entire ordeal, Quark Expedition displayed an appalling lack of communication. There were no proactive efforts made by the company to notify us about the cancellation before traveling to ******* or to promptly address our concerns. Instead, we were left to bear the frustration and inconvenience caused by their inadequate communication systems.Quark Expedition is now claiming that the refund amount promised to us, totaling $24,000, will take an unacceptable 60 days to process. This delay in issuing the refund further demonstrates their disregard for customer satisfaction and adherence to agreed-upon terms.I believe it is imperative that the company be held accountable for their unprofessional conduct, poor communication, and delays in refund processing. I am seeking the following:1. A full and immediate refund of $24,000, as previously promised.2. A review of Quark Expedition's internal procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

  Business response

  08/31/2023

  The August 13 voyage was scheduled to proceed up until the morning of Day 1, thanks to favorable weather conditions. However, that was not the case as the day progressed. Given the nature of our expeditions they are highly weather dependant and have rigorous safety standards to protect our guests and team. Weather in Resolute had deteriorated and we did. it have suitable conditions to transport our guests to the ship. Our team informed guests of the delay through verbal and written mediums as soon they arrived for Day 1 of their voyage. 
  
  Guests were not held hostage at the hotel. Our team on the ground was available to communicate with guests (i.e., during meals and drop-in hours between 6-9 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday) and kept informed of the developments. 
  
  Guests were advised that the embarkation flight was scheduled for Wednesday, which gave them the opportunity to explore at their own leisure on Tuesday. Some of our guests took local tours in *******, and some traveled to *****.
  
  On Tuesday evening, guests were handed out parkas and advised of the flight plans for the following morning. On Wednesday morning, we unfortunately had to wait an additional 1.5 hours while discussing flight viability with our charter partners. At this time, buffet breakfast and snacks were available for all guests. 
  
  
  We apologize for any miscommunication. Guests were not threatened when advised of cancellation options. 
  
  Our team advised guests that their insurance coverage may not kick in if they decided to cancel and leave on their own. Most insurance companies will not pay out if the operator doesnt cancel the trip for all guests. 
  
  After we exhausted all options on Wednesday, we made the unfortunate decision to cancel this voyage. This is when guests were provided with flexible rebooking options, including the opportunity to rebook, receive a Future Travel Refund Credit, or a full reimbursement of all monies paid for their voyage.
  
  As previously mentioned, we take all concerns our guests share seriously and continuously work to improve our guest's experience.

• Initial Complaint

  08/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I booked a 9 day cruise with Quark Expeditions, from 08/13/2023 until 08/21/2023. I am seeking a full refund of ********* (********* per person - for my husband and I).I was set to fly out of ******* on 08/14/2023 and fly back into ******* on 08/20/2023. My outgoing flight was delayed until 08/16/2023 due to high winds and poor ice conditions which prevented their ship, the Ultramarine, from reaching the harbor. All of this is reasonable and expected. Quark is unable to shift the dates of the cruise to accommodate these weather conditions because they booked another cruise immediately after the cruise I am trying to take. This removes two full days from the cruise. Instead of being on the ship from 08/14/2023 until 08/20/2023 (5 full days on the ship), we will only have 3. They are paying us for the two missed days, but I have requested a full refund several times.I am requesting a full refund because, due to the shorter time, it will not be possible for Quark to provide the service I purchased. Although they do not provide a concrete itinerary, their website promises "daily Zodiac cruising, land excursions, a robust education program, a community visit and wildlife viewing opportunities." With three days on the ship, I highly doubt that we are going to be able to accomplish any of that. I also doubt that we will be able to actually be able to leave the bay, since the Ultramarine was barely able to make it to Resolute at all. I am seeking a refund before going on the trip because I do not wish to use their service and then attempt a refund. That is unfair. I am seeking a refund immediately to avoid consuming services and trying to get out of paying for them.

  Customer response

  08/16/2023

  The trip has finally been cancelled and we have been promised in-person that Quark will refund our money. I am awaiting an email from them. Please do not close this until I have received contact from them (I'll let you know). But just in case they give you an update and try to close this. I have no attachment because they gave us nothing.

• Initial Complaint

  05/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Hello,I did reach out directly to Client Experiences team and only got a note back "We are experiencing high email and call volumes at this time and may take longer than usual for a response. We will respond to emails in the order they were received. When I didnt hear from them I called the number: ************** about 30 minutes ago. They said there are absolutely no Medical Exemptions, a Quark policy and that I could get a refund for the trip and not go. I offered to sign something that I would hold them harmless if I got sick with covid from the trip and that I will get a PCR test just before the trip to show I dont have covid and they said they still want me to get the booster. I said my reaction from my second covid vaccination was serious. I had 1 week of chills, fever, body and ear and head aches, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, shortness of breath and increased heart rate, not able to drink water for 2-3 days, not able to eat solid foods for 7 days and they still would not pass this on to the medical team for their consideration. My home ***************************** since in a description that I should not get the booster due to this being a reaction to the vaccination. My husband and I would still like me to go on the trip and not get boosted first. Can you pass this on to the medical team for me since they wont. Meanwhile, I will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and explaining a negative evaluation on the Quark web page to warn other people considering to vacation with Quark, that I got this very unhelpful response today. She was rude also, saying you already spoke with my co worker, who explained no exceptions to the booster. I feel they should have at least passed my situation on to the medical team and my husband agrees. I am a registered nurse and my husband is a physician. We need this evaluated by a medical team and not just guest services.Thank you,***************************** ****************** **************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩