Hondius Jan 23
by Tom Hennessy
Departure in January 2023
Region: Antarctica
Destinations: Antarctic Peninsula, Falkland Islands, South Georgia
Ship: m/v Hondius
Highlights: Snowshoeing, Birding, Astronomy Workshop
I really enjoyed this trip. I have a few points of criticism. 1. Living in the US, I'm used to tipping for good service. However, the policy of pooling all tips and distributing equally to staff seems wrong. No doubt your captain and hotel manager are well paid. Do they need the same tip as the less well paid staff? It seems to me that the higher paid crew should opt out of getting tips in favor of those paid less. 2. The illness prevention policy needs rethinking. You require covid vaccination, but did not require a negative test. We were both in good health upon boarding. We tested negative for covid before leaving home and before boarding (antigen test). On the ship I noticed many people coughing and sneezing, but not wearing masks. No mention of masks was made, nor any recommendation offered on respiratory hygiene in the opening briefing. On day 6, I became ill and positive for covid. I acquired Covid on your ship. Could have avoided this with better education and a pre-boarding testing program. 3. Oral presentations by staff were often not very good.. Charlotte, Lothar, Pippa, Chloe: excellent. Others could use more training and feedback
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Comment from Oceanwide Expeditions
With regard to tipping, our belief is that all onboard staff contribute to the delivery of the expedition. While wages reflect the different roles performed (and the degree of training and responsibility associated with those roles), we think dividing tips equally reflects the fact that all staff share in creating an overall experience for our guests, both on the ship and off.
As for the onboard presentations, they are usually well-received. But based on your feedback, we will follow up with our staff to ensure these lectures continue to meet the standards we expect from our guides.
Most importantly, our COVID regulations on board are based on worldwide recommendations from the WHO and local health authorities in Argentina. Testing is not required in the current situation, and the fact that all our guests and staff are fully vaccinated keeps risk to a minimum. While no such safety measures are fullproof, COVID is now being treated as a common flu or cold. General virus prevention is in place, and people are free to use any additional measures (e.g., masks) they choose. We do not demand that our guests wear masks or adopt safety measures in excess of worldwide recommendations.
We hope this sufficiently addresses your feedback. Feel free to contact us if you want to further discuss this.