I cannot say that I dis not enjoy the experience as we visited some new places and the environment with other customers was very good. Food was also great. However I cannot say the same for one rude female guide who needs to improve her social skills. Her comments were not apropiated and she was ridiculously strict when approaching the animals. I was in her boat when we spotted the polar bear but she said we could not go closer as she had to be in the last posiition of the zodiac in order to check all the other were ok. It is extremely unfair betweeen the customers as we paid the same amount of money. This was really frustrating. Furthermore, there was not any kind of rotation between zodiacs, some of them half distance from the animals that us . We have been always 3-4 times further that legal distance to the animals. Protecting the animals is not only about distances. Photography options in the tour were 0. Even during the trekkings we had not time to take pictures as we were always in a hurry because a polar bear who find us....... I dont know why it is called expeditions as we did not focus in animals at all and the trekkings were very short and not for real artic experiences. In my view you have to improvefew things in order to attrack younger people to this cruises. For now, thats an experience for old a chinese people that may be impressed with anything.
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Comment from Oceanwide Expeditions
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with this valuable feedback about your recent voyage with us. Firstly, we want to clarify how much we value your feedback and comments regarding your experience. Please rest assured that your concerns have been addressed by our staffing department and discussed with those involved. We take these comments very seriously and expect all of our guests to have the opportunity to enjoy the same experience when traveling with us.
We are aware that, in this instance, polar bear viewing presented a challenge, owing to the bear's position and our legal duty to maintain a specified distance. While protecting wildlife is not just about distances, as you rightly say, we do have a legal and moral duty to conform to these distances, and at times, it may be necessary to maintain a greater distance than that which is legally specified to avoid unnecessary disturbance to wildlife.
Our hikes during landings cater to all abilities by the activities offered. However, safety must always be our first priority, especially when operating in polar bear territory. We have taken your comments on board and are currently assessing ways to identify areas of improvement.
Once again, we thank you for taking the time to reach out regarding your experience, and hope to welcome you back aboard one of our vessels in the future.