A Disappointing and Uncomfortable Experience with Icebird Expeditions
In November 2022 I booked a very expensive 22-day sailboat supported kayak trip to Antarctica with Icebird Expeditions for travel in February 2023. The trip consisted of 5-6 clients, two crew and a renowned kayak guide. Unfortunately, about three weeks before the scheduled departure, the trip was cancelled due to a malfunction of Icebird. After discussing options with the company, I agreed to leave my money with them and reschedule the trip for February 2024. The cancellation of the original trip incurred additional costs for me, including cancellation charges for flights and hotels that I had already booked. It was very difficult for me and the other participants to obtain any communication with the company once registered and paid for the trip. Emails and messages were not answered for weeks if ever. Three months before the 2024 trip the guide had to cancel for medical reasons and it was difficult to find a last-minute replacement, but it did eventually happen. The guide was the main drawing feature for me to do the trip with this company. That was my first disappointment. When February 2024 arrived, the issues only worsened. Our departure from Ushuaia was delayed by a day because Icebird was not ready to depart on time. The main heating system on the boat was broken and unfixable and we would have to rely on small portable heaters intermittently. Shortly after leaving, both crew members and the guide became very ill and were unable to sail the boat. Only two of the five fully vaccinated (Covid and influenza) passengers fell slightly ill, while the other three had no symptoms at all. Due to the crew's illness, we were stuck in the Beagle Channel for over a week. The boat owner flew in, and we did manage a short cruise up to a fjord. The captain and guide remained too ill to work, so the boat owner agreed to captain us, and we still hoped for a week in Antarctica. However, in the dark of night as we were passing Cape Horn under sail, the steering and autopilot malfunctioned and control of the ship was lost. Scary! Then, the shackle holding the mainsheet to the boom fell off. If this had happened in the middle of the Drake Passage, there could potentially have been very serious consequences. These incidents forced us to return to the Beagle Channel. By the time these issues were patched, we no longer had enough time to sail across the Drake Passage to visit Antarctica. Instead, we spent a week motoring to Punta Arenas, visiting some Patagonian fjords along the way. While I did spend 22 days on Icebird, I paid to go to Antarctica, not Patagonia, and my dream trip did not happen. My time on Icebird was also quite uncomfortable. The sleeping area was very small with a thin mattress, and we were sleeping close to the engine room where the air often smelled like diesel. The cleanliness of the bathroom and kitchen was lacking. There was little space to store any gear. On the positive side, the food and wine were good. However, we spent a lot of time cruising under motor and very little time sailing. There was another group of kayakers after us, and their trip was postponed until next year, costing them extra money as well. At one point, I asked for a refund of the daily rate for the remaining days of the trip, hoping to join a cruise to Antarctica, but I was told that the owner did not have any funds for reimbursement. I feel that there needs to be a plan in place for crew illness and that the maintenance of Icebird is sorely lacking. On a small ship going to remote locations like Antarctica, it is my opinion that being fully vaccinated should be strongly recommended. This entire experience has been extremely disappointing and frustrating, and I would not recommend Icebird Expeditions based on my experience.
By Elizabeth P.