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9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 10.30.24
11-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 11.8.24
9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 11.13.24
9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 11.19.24
13-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 11.22.24
5-Night King George Island Roundtrip 11.27.24
11-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 11.28.24
5-Night King George Island Roundtrip 12.2.24
11-Night Roundtrip Ushuaia 12.9.24
11-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 12.9.24
11-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.5.25
9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.6.25
11-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.9.25
9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.15.25
18-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.16.25
11-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.24.25
11-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 2.3.25
9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 2.4.25
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10-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.5.26
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18-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.8.26
9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.15.26
9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.16.26
9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.24.26
11-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 1.25.26
11-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 2.2.26
9-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 2.5.26
14-Night Ushuaia Roundtrip 2.6.26
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7-Night Tromso to Longyearbyen 6.21.24
9-Night Longyearbyen Roundtrip 6.28.24
9-Night Longyearbyen Roundtrip 7.7.24
11-Night Longyearbyen Roundtrip 7.16.24
10-Night Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq 8.5.24
10-Night Kangerlussuaq to Reykjavik 8.15.24
11-Night Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq 8.21.24
12-Night Reykjavik to Longyearbyen 8.25.24
11-Night Kangerlussuaq to Reykjavik 9.1.24
9-Night Longyearbyen to Reykjavik 9.6.24
24-Night Edinburgh To Longyearbyen 6.17.25
12-Night Trondheim to Longyearbyen 06.29.25
9-Night Longyearbyen Roundtrip 7.11.25
11-Night Longyearbyen Roundtrip 7.20.25
18-Night Copenhagen To Longyearbyen 8.8.25
10-Night Reykjavík To Kangerlussuaq 8.09.25
9-Night Tromso to Longyearbyen 8.17.25
10-Night Kangerlussuaq To Reykjavík 8.19.25
9-Night Longyearbyen Roundtrip 8.26.25
10-Night Longyearbyen to Reykjavik 9.4.25
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17-Night Lisbon to Dublin 5.7.24
8-Night London to Dublin 5.16.24
8-Night Dublin to Reykjavik 5.24.24
11-Night London to Tromso 6.10.24
11-Night Oslo to Reykjavik 8.10.24
8-Night Reykjavik to Amsterdam 9.12.24
9-Night Dublin to London 9.23.24
10-Night London to Glasgow 5.26.25
12-Night Edinburgh to Trondheim 6.17.25
11-Night Reykjavik to Oslo 7.10.25
9-Night Stockholm To Copenhagen 7.30.25
9-Night Copenhagen to Tromso 8.8.25
14-Night Reykjavík to Dublin 8.29.25
7-Night Reykjavík to Dublin 8.29.25
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8-Night Reykjavik Roundtrip 6.1.24
9-Night Reykjavik to Bergen 6.9.24
9-Night Reykjavik Roundtrip 7.3.24
11-Night Reykjavik to Oslo 7.12.24
7-Night Reykjavik Roundtrip 6.19.25
8-Night Reykjavík To Dublin 09.14.25
View Iceland & Greenland
9-Night Nice to Lisbon 4.28.24
7-Night Casablanca to Barcelona 4.29.24
7-Night Barcelona Roundtrip 5.6.24
9-Night Lisbon to London 5.7.24
7-Night Barcelona to Nice 5.13.24
9-Night Nice to Venice 5.27.24
21-Night Lisbon to Tromso 5.31.24
10-Night Lisbon to London 5.31.24
9-Night Venice to Athens 6.5.24
10-Night Athens to Valletta 6.14.24
12-Night Las Palmas to Casablanca 4.15.25
15-Night Barcelona to Rome 05.05.25
17-Night Lisbon to Zeebrugge 5.20.25
7-Night Rome to Barcelona 05.20.25
7-Night Lisbon To Bordeaux 5.20.25
14-Night Barcelona To Venice 5.27.25
10-Night Bordeaux to Zeebrugge 5.27.25
11-Night Venice To Rome 6.10.25
8-Night Naples To Nice 7.12.25
16-Night Naples To Barcelona 7.12.25
10-Night Sta Cruz de Tenerife to Lisbon 4.9.26
View Mediterranean
10-Night Montevideo to Ushuaia 11.3.24
13-Night Ushuaia to Buenos Aires 4.2.25
13-Night Ushuaia to Buenos Aires 3.3.26
10- Night Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro 3.16.26
14-Night Rio de Janeiro to Tenerife 3.26.26
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13-Night Bridgetown to Lisbon 5.16.24
16-Night Palma de Mallorca to Las Palmas 9.23.24
13-Night Las Palmas to Rio de Janeiro 10.14.24
View Transoceanic
8-Night Bridgetown to Bridgetown 4.24.24
7-Night Bridgetown to Philipsburg 5.2.24
7-Night Philipsburg to Bridgetown 5.9.24
20-Night Philipsburg to Lisbon 5.9.24
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Guest Reviews

Firsthand experiences with intimate yachting expeditions ™, beyond expectations, by: gary | guest, reviewed on: january 2024.

"Atlas is a great expedition line in EVERY respect. Our staff of expedition subject matter experts was superior. And the hotel aspects were beyond expectations."

Food & Service Were Excellent

By: judy | guest.

"We are home! What a fabulous trip it was. All went well with no hiccups at all. Atlas proved to be a superb company and I am so glad that we went with them on this trip. Their dedication to sustainability is applaudable … of course the food and service were excellent."

Marvelous in Every Detail

By: william | guest, reviewed on: october 2023.

“All sectors of the crew were skilled, attentive, and friendly in every encounter. The cuisine was marvelous in both informal and formal settings, treats to the eye as well as the palate. The expedition team, from varied countries and backgrounds, gave excellent lectures and kept everyone safe on the water and land.”

First-Class Onboard Experience

By: laurie | guest, reviewed on: september 2023.

“My expedition to the Arctic was my first with Atlas and they did not disappoint. I am a seasoned traveler with high expectations and Atlas delivered. The onboard experience is exceptional with first-class service.”

Impeccable Service

By: nancy | travel advisor, reviewed on: june 2023.

“I must tell you that Nuno, the hotel manager, as well as every other crew member (Wayan, Claudia, Warren, Christian and many others) have completely bowled us all over with the level of service, kindness, and commitment to providing an exception brand and product. Bravo!”

Above & Beyond

By: linda t | travel advisor.

“We recently returned from 3 back-to-back Epicurean cruises in the Mediterranean aboard the World Navigator and loved every minute of travel. We are serious travelers, most often choosing a trip for the destination, but as it turned out this time and unbeknownst to us when booking, the ship and its outstanding crew would wind up surpassing even their spectacular itineraries. Hats off to the Human Resource Department for assembling such a kind and professional staff, by far the best that we have ever sailed with. Won’t say that every single thing was perfect, but then again what is! We are now home, and three weeks later, we are still talking about the trip and the fine Atlas people on board.

Can’t wait to sail on a beautiful Atlas ship again and look forward to another great crew experience!”

World Navigator Commendation

By: karen | guest, reviewed on: may 2023.

I had a lovely experience on World Navigator between Málaga and Barcelona. Below are a few of my thoughts about my time spent on the World Navigator, which was beyond my expectations.

The ship is elegant, understated and very comfortable with ample meeting areas to gather and celebrate, or simply sit and reflect. The staterooms are very spacious with more than enough closet, drawer and shelf space for two women with a lot of clothes! The bathrooms are amazing, and, even the linens, towels and robes are exquisite. The Porto dining room is lovely and, although the ship was full, never felt crowded.

What made this cruise outstanding, however ... , was the crew! They each went above and beyond to ensure that each passenger felt like a welcome guest and that all their needs were anticipated and met. Each department head and their staff must have been selected from the best of the best cruise lines. Nuno, the hotel manager, Helder, the maître d’ and Bob, the cruise director, all had an omnipresence on board and were always available to answer questions and engage the guests. Specifically, at the “White Night” in Ibiza, after a beautifully prepared and delicious dinner, Helder, Nuno and their teams began dancing with the entertainment AND, sought out and invited guests to join them as they salsaed and sambaed around the pool deck. It was an evening beyond compare due to Helder and Nuno. What was a fun evening became a fantastic evening and memory. Likewise, the cultural immersion event, which was fabulous, became all the more so because we were involved in the preparation of the paella. Jonathan Phang was another unexpected joy who engaged and encouraged guest participation, acting as chef, photographer and entertainer — always with a smile!

The front-line teams were wonderful, as well. Andres and Claudia from Paula’s Pantry greeted me with a sunny “good morning” and chatted as they prepared the coffee. The dining room staff were always cheerful, smiling and happy to assist. Katharine, Wong, Erick, Edison, and Ruban all exceeded the service standards and friendliness of the best cruise lines.

My stateroom was always impeccably cleaned, replenished and cared for by Abdos. It was a joy to step into the corridor and hear his cheerful greeting. On my last evening on board, eight of us gathered at deck five aft to sample wine purchased at a vineyard outside of Valencia and salami bought in Mahón de Menorca. Katharine and Helder cooled the Chardonnay and Cava, set up enough glasses for us all to sample each wine and prepared a charcuterie board with a lovely selection of cheese and breads to accompany the salami, which Helder had sliced for us. It was a beautiful way to conclude my time on board and to toast with friends.

Additionally, I was extremely impressed with the responsiveness of the crew. On the mid-cruise questionnaire, I asked if grapefruit could be served with breakfast. A day later, there was a platter of sliced grapefruit at the breakfast buffet — THANK YOU!

Having started my career as a flight attendant with Pan Am, then American, during the last of the golden years of flying, I am acutely aware of how the service provided to the passengers influences the loyalty of a passenger. The mission statement printed on a large mirror at the entrance/exit to the American crew lounge read, “Make every passenger a repeat passenger.” The crew of the World Navigator certainly accomplished that as I am contemplating which itineraries will make up my next cruise with Atlas! I was thrilled to learn that there will soon be a loyalty program at Atlas.

Thank you for a wonderful cruise and many unforgettable memories.

By: Cruise Critic Guest

Reviewed on: february 2023.

“My group just got back over the weekend, and everyone raved about Atlas, the staff and service, the excursions. Everything. They all said 100% they would sail with them again.”

Better-Than-Anticipated Antarctica

By: brian | guest.

“I’m not a cruiser, but I knew I needed to take a cruise to get to Antarctica. I loved that it was a smaller ship so it could navigate shallower bays (and icebergs). The food was fantastic and was only surpassed by the incredible service by everyone on board.”

Antarctica Sailing on Jan

By: kristin | travel advisor, reviewed on: january 2023.

“It was a spectacular experience. The staff was phenomenal and fun too. The cabins and ship are beautiful.”

Superior Expedition

By: rick | guest.

“I was especially impressed with the quality of the program staff on board – superior to all previous cruise experiences. Communication between ship and passengers was excellent, so that we always knew what was happening and what to expect.”

Exceeded Every Expectation

By: tony | guest.

“Thank you for the exceptional experience we enjoyed on board World Navigator! Our stateroom, the ship’s personnel, fine dining, entertainment, Zodiac excursions/landings and expedition staff exceeded every expectation. Every aspect of this adventure was absolutely perfect. Against Antarctica’s backdrop, it was phenomenal!”

Perfect Balance of Luxury and Expedition

By: peter and therese | guests.

“For years, I have been looking for a cruise to Antarctica that combines adequate time off the ship experiencing the spectacular scenery and wildlife with all the comforts of a luxury cruise that my wife would appreciate. The Atlas Ocean Voyages World Traveller expedition cruise that we have just completed fit the bill perfectly. The ship was the ideal size with well under 200 passengers.”

Spectacular Trip, Crew and Ship

By: cleetzow | guest, reviewed on: december 2022.

“I recently traveled to Antarctica on World Navigator, and in summary it was a spectacular trip, crew and ship. The food on board and the included wine/alcohol was amazing. I was met by crew members greeting me by name as I walked through the ship. It was such an intimate experience. My room and accommodations were amazing and my butler was always attentive and met every request.”

By: Davisbmd | Guest

“WOW. What a fantastic cruise experience. ANTARCTICA! WOW. The ship was beautiful, functional, and extremely comfortable. Love the small expedition trip adventure.”

13-Night Longyearbyen to Edinburgh

By: lorna | guest, reviewed on: september 2022.

“It was absolutely delightful, and I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone who would be interested in this part of the world! The ship was most comfortable in all respects, and all of the crew members were exceptional! We look forward to planning another cruise with Atlas!”

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Trip Report: 27Feb2023 Atlas Ocean Voyages World Traveller - Antarctic Adventures Forum

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Trip Report: 27Feb2023 Atlas Ocean Voyages World Traveller

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Antarctic Adventures forum

I just returned from our fantastic expedition to Antarctica aboard the World Traveller and wanted to share my experience since there aren’t many reviews for Atlas yet.

Short summary: We had an amazing time. The ship was lovely and the crew were exceptional – everyone was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The food was consistently very good and offered a good variety, including a decent selection of well-marked vegetarian options. We would not hesitate to travel with them again (and are hoping that they expand their range of destinations soon!) and can whole-heartedly recommend them.

More details in the comments below:

28 replies to this topic

I’m going to break this up into different sections and apologies in advance if it gets a bit long!

Company, Expedition Team, and Crew:

This has been a bucket-list trip for my family for a very long time but the cost was always prohibitive. When Atlas offered their “second passenger travels free” promotion around Labor Day, we jumped on it and chose the Feb 27, 9-night sailing on the new World Traveller with pretty much no research. A little more research (mostly here! Fantastic resource) showed that this was getting towards the end of season and there wasn’t much information on the company besides some fairly mediocre reviews from last season. I was a bit nervous but figured that even if the company and ship weren’t great, we were still going to get to go to Antarctica. My concerns were thankfully unfounded.

The Expedition Team having final say on any and all activities outside the ship was something that stood out to me and was very welcome. They certainly had passenger safety in mind at all times but they were also very clear about the rules regarding biosecurity, wildlife right-of-way & viewing distances, and general off-ship conduct. And they enforced them. As someone who has worked with animals and conservation, it was fantastic to see that the guidelines were followed closely, even when they ‘negatively impacted the guest experience’.

The team were a diverse and passionate group who appeared to work well together and have a good comradery, despite this being their first season together. Their love for this place was apparent and all of the briefings, recaps, and lectures were very educational and engaging. The lecture topics ranged from bird identification to Antarctica’s political situation to krill ecology to early polar photography. I wasn’t able to attend all the lectures since sitting in the auditorium was rather nausea-inducing on the Drake and the livestreams to the cabins was pretty hit or miss (the stream would freeze or cut out on a frustratingly regular basis, hopefully something they can correct) but the ones I saw were great.

The rest of the crew were just as fantastic, super friendly and helpful. Agus and Yuli were our servers in the dining room (no set seating, we just always ended up sitting in the same area) and they were great. They quickly learned our preferences and made meals easy and enjoyable. Kadek was our cabin steward and took very good care of us. We were even given a tour of the engine room by the chief engineer, which was fascinating. Excellent service overall.

This is the World Traveller’s first season (we were her 12th voyage) and she still feels very new. She is a beautiful ship, clean, comfortable, and elegant with tons of great seating areas. The Dome Lounge on deck 7 has amazing views and easy access to the outside deck – a great place to hang out, though you really feel the motion up here on rough seas. The Atlas Lounge on deck 4 was the meeting point for excursions and evening cocktails – we often watched the daily recap on the screens here. It is right next to the theater, which is lovely but many of us had issues with nausea sitting in there.

The main dining room was a comfortable size and never felt overly crowded, I think due in part to the fact there are dividers that help visually separate the space. The tables were a good size and the seating was very comfortable.

Our cabin, a Veranda (B2) on deck 5, was very comfortable and had plenty of storage for two of us. Large bathroom with a great shower and nicely contained storage. It was however rather loud at night with the movement of the ship, lots of creaking and shifting, particularly from the balcony door.

There were handrails pretty much everywhere on the ship except for reception and Paula’s Pantry (the coffee shop area) which were very useful om the Drake. The elevators were closed for pretty much the entire trip, even when we were ‘anchored’ on calm waters, which was a bit frustrating for those with mobility considerations that were trying to save their energy for the excursions.

The food was consistently very good. Breakfast and lunch were buffets with the option to order off a small daily menu for breakfast with pancakes, waffles, and made to order eggs. Lunch featured a carving station and a daily special dish in addition to the buffet options, which changed each day. Dinner was a buffet the first and last night with full-service dining the rest of the trip. There was a standard menu that was available each night and then a specialty menu that changed each night and featured a different type of cuisine. There was always two vegetarian mains (one on the standard menu and one on the specialty menu) and the soups, starters, and buffet options were clearly marked. And there was always lots of very delicious bread available! The desserts were the weak point of the food as they were rather hit-or-miss. The ice cream was generally very good with rotating flavors but the cakes and such tended to be very “stiff” with too much gelatin in the creams and frostings. The pastries however were very good and the selection at Paula’s Pantry was very good (as was their hot chocolate!). Cocktails and wine were plentiful and generally quite good.

Excursions:

We got very lucky with the weather overall and were able to do 9 excursions over 4.5 days. The last one did get cut short and two groups were unable to go due to incoming weather and we had some itinerary changes but everything was handled smoothly and created a wonderful overall experience. There were ~150 passengers on our trip and we were split into 6 groups for excursions, A-F, and they rotated the order of the groups.

Our first stop was Yankee Harbor on Greenwich Island in the South Shetlands – a rocky little spit of land with a large colony of Gentoo penguins, elephant seals asleep on the beach, and several fur seals romping around making a ruckus. A great first excursion after a day and a half on the Drake – light snowfall, wildlife everywhere you looked, and a relatively easy on-and-off the zodiacs.

The next morning was Hydruga Rocks, which was, as the name suggests, a collection of large rocks (not big enough to be an island) with two chin-strap penguin colonies. It was a difficult landing on very slippery boulders in the snow but the team were fantastic at getting everyone on and off safely and keeping them on the safe path they’d marked out. Tons of wildlife here! Weddell seals, fur seals, giant petrels, and of course penguins everywhere and a very dynamic landscape.

Next up was Danco Island, where we were given three options – the long hike to the top, the short hike to the rookery, or a zodiac cruise around the island. This changed group order a bit as the long hike participants went first regardless of group, then the short hikers went by group order, and finally the zodiac cruisers. But it felt very smooth and everything was well communicated. It was snowing pretty heavily that morning and the skies were very low so I was glad that Dad and I had chosen to do the zodiacs (Mom and Sister did the long hike and said that the views were very disappointing because of the clouds). We saw a male fur seal, a very pregnant Weddell seal, and to top it off, spent about 15min watching a beautiful humpback feeding. What an experience.

Neko Harbor was next and was our one continental landing. The skies cleared and we had an absolutely spectacular afternoon. Adorable Gentoo penguins, calving glaciers, beautiful light, and stunning landscapes everywhere you looked. It was also officially Continent #7 for us as a family – a pretty special moment.

The polar plunge took place that evening and it was very interesting to be contemplating jumping into water where we had seen glaciers calving only a few hours ago. The water was 32.5d F and I can say I did it and I never want to be in water that cold ever again.

At sunrise (around 6:30am) we started our navigation through the stunning Lemaire Channel. It took about twice as long as expected due to an unexpected about of ice (the captain said it was quite a challenging passage) but it was absolutely gorgeous and we got the unexpected treat of being escorted by two curious and playful Minke whales!

The morning landing at Port Charcot had to be changed because the ship couldn’t get there because of the ice conditions. So instead we did a zodiac cruise through an iceberg graveyard near Pleneau Island. And this ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. Dark clouds had moved in after our glorious morning passage and moving through the massive bergs felt like moving through a surreal dreamscape. The colors in the ice were stunning and our driver, team lead Jean-Roch, provided a fascinating commentary throughout. There was also a curious leopard seal circling the zodiacs, which was very cool.

The afternoon landing was Petermann Island and the weather lifted and we had beautiful light for our excursion. A very slippery landing (they even had towels down over the rocks to help with the footing – these get sterilized back on the ship and are only ever used for this purpose) but we got to see Adelie penguins! Beautiful location.

We then started moving north again a bit earlier than planned because of weather forecasts for the Drake so our final excursions were at Orne Islands (near Danco) and Fournier Bay (Brabant Island). Orne Island was beautiful and an interesting experience of how quickly the weather can change here. High, cloudy skies when we landed, then painful driving sleet, then gorgeous sun streaking through scudding clouds, and then heavy, wet snow (huge flakes!). They actually had to delay our return to the ship because the visibility was pretty much none – even with all the fog lights on the ship, we couldn’t see it. Fournier Bay is generally a good spot for humpback whales due to an upwelling of the currents but we didn’t get to see any sadly. Did see some interesting ice and we were able to get fairly close to the ice cliffs (apparently they’re much more stable than the glaciers). The weather turned while we were out and the winds picked up significantly – causing the team to cut the excursion short and rush to get everyone back on board. Two of the groups didn’t get to go sadly but the weather did continue to get worse and the idea of being out on a zodiac was not appealing.

Hopefully this was helpful to someone and I’m happy to answer any questions!

Fantastic to get a trip report for a new vessel. Love the detail. I will add it to the trip reports digest later in the day.

It sounds like you all had a marvellous time and I'm so glad they were able to accomodate your dad.

We did notice that the aft elevators were working more often than the front elevators. I wish we had gone on the Zodiac at Danco, but we changed our minds too late. That was the one stop where a handful of passengers infringed on the penguins, and a member of the expedition team had to keep getting them to obey the regulations, more forcefully each time. But I don't think that ever happened again, at least not that we saw.

We both thought the expedition team was wonderful. They were all so knowledgeable and experienced, and yet at times it felt as if we were all experiencing Antarctica for the first time. I loved how they stationed members at different areas of some of the landing spots to give on-the-spot lectures and answer questions. Cruising around the icebergs at Pleneau with Jean-Roch is something we'll always remember.

I really enjoyed the open bridge. I went up there during the Lemaire passage and saw how hard the captain and his crew were working. I later said to him, "I wasn't sure we'd get through," and he said, "Neither was I."

The leopard seals playing in the snow at Orne was a highlight for me and Carol, but, really, the entire nine days were one highlight after another, even the kayaking (we were the worst kayakers ever).

Regards to you and your family,

Hello! Awesome summary!👍🏻 In Feb did you find a lot of snow and sunny skies in Antarctica? Look forward to your reply...thank you! 😃

GREAT DETAIL - what were the specific dates you went? We're trying to decide on January versus February.

Feb, 27-March 8.

It snowed every day in Antarctica but never much or all day. We had some sun but not much, certainly not nearly as much as we had in 2020 in late January/early February.

Late January/early March: many more penguins, including chicks and penguins sitting on top of eggs. At times the landscape was packed with penguins.

First week of March: penguins still plentiful but maybe 25% as many as the earlier trip. You will not feel like you’re lacking penguins. Far more seals and whales, but that might have had to do with where we went. Just as much ice/icebergs.

Far more hours of daylight in the earlier trip, which does make a difference. In early February, I was out on the deck at 3:30 one morning and had plenty of late.

I loved both trips. I guess if I had to choose, I’d pick late January/early February.

In that second paragraph, I meant "Late January/early February." And in the fourth paragraph, I meant "plenty of light." Sorry. I was on an ipad.

One big thing: The first trip was on a ship with about 350 passengers. The second trip was on a ship with about 150 passengers. Huge difference. You absolutely want to be on a smaller ship. You land more often, get to see twice as many places and don't have to sit around waiting to land (at least not as much as on a bigger ship). But a smaller ship does mean a go-go-go experience, which we liked.

Thank you for the detailed trip report, I could find anywhere if there is internet connection on the ship and if there is an additional charge .

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Atlas Ocean Voyages

Review of Atlas World Traveller

By Bruce4fun , September 6, 2023 in Atlas Ocean Voyages

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2 weeks later...

We were also on this 11-day circumnavigation of Svalbard cruise on the World Traveller and had an overall A+ experience. It exceeded our expectations. The scenery and wildlife were spectacular. The very first briefing was interrupted due to a large pod of belugas swimming towards the ship. That was a sign of what was to come. Viewing large waterfalls flowing from glaciers, watching calving glaciers from our zodiac, spotting our first white rainbow, being close enough to walruses to see them blink, watching juvenile polar bears playing in the water, participating in a polar plunge above 80 degrees north, and watching and listening to ice breaking beneath and alongside the ship, were just some of what we experienced. Animal sightings included 12 polar bears across 3 different locations, hundreds of walruses, plus arctic foxes, reindeer, bearded seals, and harbor seals. The quantity and variety of arctic birds was amazing. Our favorite birds were the guillemots and kittiwakes. During one zodiac cruise along the base of cliffs we saw over 60,000 mating pairs of guillemots, plus their offspring, plus other birds, plus arctic foxes. We even saw a glaucous gull kill a baby guillemot. We were often off the ship twice a day with some planned landings changed to zodiac cruising due to spotting of polar bears in the area. No specific route was followed by the individual zodiacs giving the expedition team members the freedom and opportunity to explore with the guests. They seemed to be having as much fun as us. On our down time we liked to watch the birds and ice go by while bunded up for a walk on the top deck or soaking in the 95-degree heated pool.

There were super friendly, happy, and helpful officers and staff throughout the ship. It was a very team-oriented environment with staff often stepping up to help others. The knowledgeable expedition team was readily available to answer any question. The open bridge and engine room tours were nice additions.

Dining can really make or break a cruise, at least for us. I’d rate our previous Epicurean cruise on the World Traveller as a B primarily due to the food. This time our dining experience was excellent but we did meet others on board that were not as satisfied. We quickly figured out our favorites among the dining staff and we were very happy with almost all of our dinner selections. Our food was well prepared and presented and the timing of the four courses was consistently spot on. Still not thrilled with a different country theme each night though, especially starting with American. A dinner highlight was the night the chef prepared cod caught by the captain earlier that day. We ordered from the menu for breakfast and generally from one of the two chef stations at lunch. The pastries and breads were excellent and there was a nice variety throughout the cruise. We only had a couple issues with breakfast. We didn't care for the bacon (it was too thick and hard) and the omelettes rarely matched what we ordered. There were two lunch highlights to mention. The chef was happy to make special dishes which we took advantage of twice. Eating a BBQ lunch on the top deck above 80 degrees north with everyone bundled in parkas for those brave enough to eat in the cold was a memorable experience.

We plan to continue expedition cruising on small ships and this itinerary with Atlas is likely one we will want to repeat.

4 weeks later...

Thanks for both reviews! I'll be on the Voyager maiden voyage Nov 8 to Antarctica. First cruise, so nothing to compare it to but we have high hopes! Very excited!

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