Health & Safety Protocols
for Antarctica Expedition Cruises
The safety of our passengers and crew members has always been our top priority. Travelling aboard the Expedition features health and safety protocols from the moment you arrive on tour to the moment you depart, without taking away from you having the time of your life. Here’s where you’ll find everything you need to know about our protocols for Antarctica — including what’s required of you and what you can expect from us on your Expedition cruise.
Before you join us
- For health protocol matters on the Expedition, we work with a third party specialist consulting firm.
- The Expedition has a small, limited medical facility and doctor on-board, and given the remoteness of where we travel and the various conditions that we may have to travel through, it could be numerous days before the vessel can reach a land based medical facility that passengers feel is similar to what they may have at home.
- Your health and safety are paramount to us and so to ensure that all travellers are in good health and ready for their adventure to one of the most remote regions of our planet, passengers will undergo a screening process during the booking process as well as prior to coming aboard the Expedition. This includes verifying if you have any pre-existing conditions we need to be made aware of in advance of you leaving on tour, as well as the completion of a health questionnaire once you arrive in destination.
- In order to provide a safe environment, it is important that all passengers on the Expedition:
- ensure they meet the entry requirements as it relates to the country they are visiting and the air carrier being used
- complete our screening process
- have the required medical insurance that is required on our trips
- are reminded that it is highly recommended that passengers be up-to-date with their vaccinations as per the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) & World Health Organization (WHO). Though not mandatory to travel aboard with us, people are best protected when they stay up-to-date with vaccinations, which includes eligible boosters.
- We reserve the right, should circumstances warrant and the situation require, to enact our on-board protocols as deemed necessary which may include, but not be limited to, testing, the wearing of masks, and isolation/quarantine.
Mobility notes
Good mobility is important in order to take part in a Expedition trip which is accessible to most fitness levels and those able to do light hiking and take extended walks on various terrain. For landings in Antarctica, we use Zodiacs and wet beach landings in what sometimes can be extreme environments. This requires you to safely walk and navigate ice and snow on uneven ground, to lift your leg over the side of a Zodiac and push yourself up, walk on wet, rocky beaches and stand throughout the landing with no place to sit.
Our expedition team is there to assist if needed but good mobility is important for your safety and enjoyment. Also, the Expedition does not have an elevator so staircases must be used to move between decks, and depending on the weather, the ship has to navigate rough and choppy sea conditions. For visual examples of the Zodiac landings and activities, see the Excursions image gallery on our Expedition page.
When you arrive
- Once passengers arrive to the Help Desk at the joining hotel, you’ll get a welcome package including a pre-embarkation medical questionnaire that all passengers are to complete. Since the enjoyment and safety of everyone aboard is vitally important to us, we want to ensure everyone that comes aboard is in good health. Our ship’s doctor will be available upon embarkation for any questions or concerns and will meet with passengers requiring consultation.
- If local regulations are stricter than G Adventures’ protocols, travellers will be required to follow the regulations set by the local government.
While on tour
- Passengers are asked to assess themselves throughout the trip on a daily basis and report any ill feelings to the ship’s doctor.
- While passengers are not required to wear masks, they are strongly encouraged to do so if feeling unwell.
- Passengers are asked to be aware throughout the trip should they be in close contact with another passenger who unfortunately tests positive. Close contacts should be reported to the ship’s doctor for further instructions.
- If a passenger tests positive, they must isolate in a cabin immediately.