Quasar Expeditions Reviews

Name: Quasar Expeditions
Address: 10544 Northwest 11th Court, Plantation, Florida
Rating: 4.96

5.0 Rating 915 Reviews

99 %

of reviewers recommend Quasar Expeditions

About Quasar Expeditions:

Quasar's vision is to create authentic and meaningful tours & cruise experiences for our fellow travelers. Voted by Travel+Leisure as the #1 Intimate-Ship Ocean Cruise Line for 7 consecutive years! (2018 - 2024), as well as the #2 Tour Operator of 2024, we’ve spent 38 years serving those who delight in travel, not tourism.

Quasar's cruise and tour Guests come to us seeking layers of depth and contrast: meaningful interactions with humans and the earth, well-appointed accommodations, unparalleled adventures, five star cultural cuisine, and awe-inspiring wildlife encounters. In turn, Quasar travelers become not only expedition enthusiasts, but conservators.

From hand-picked naturalist guides to the friendliest staff you’ll ever meet, our team is comprised of passion. Whether you’re exploring Galapagos, Patagonia, Chile, Ecuador, or Peru, we promise authentic experiences and lifetime memories.

Visit Website

Phone:

4156898509

Email:

info@quasarex.com

Location:

10544 Northwest 11th Court,
Plantation
Florida
33322

Quasar Expeditions 5 star review on 20th April 2025

Shari

Quasar Expeditions 5 star review on 17th April 2025

Silka

1139

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 3 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“Land portions were very good. The Evolution needs work, tired, worn, dated. Dietary needs were, at times, honored. One guide left his group by themselves in the water snorkeling because he was "cold". This was a safety concern to me. This happened three times. Food was above average. Captain was very good. Cruise director was very good.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 months ago

Dear Carol, Thank you so much for your feedback and for sharing your experience. We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed the land portions of your journey, and that our food and crew left a positive impression. We’re truly sorry to hear about the challenges you faced on board the Evolution. Our yacht typically earns high praise, so we’ll be looking into your comments with our maintenance team right away. Regarding your concern about the guide during snorkeling, I’d like to clarify that the safety of our guests is always our #1 priority. When our guides are not in the water with guests, they always stay close to the group, keeping a watchful eye from an elevated position in the dinghies, which helps them monitor everyone more effectively. The dinghy driver is also alert and focused on the group’s safety at all times. We will ensure that our team is reminded of these safety practices to give you greater peace of mind on future excursions. Your insights are invaluable to us, and we genuinely appreciate your honesty. With best regards, Diane Schicke Customer Success Hero

Posted 6 months ago

“The crew and staf f were great. Ariana, our cruise director, was kind and lovly. Naturalists were interesting as were all the islands visited. My dietary restrictions were not met, not at all. And, I suffered in the toilet for it. The cook and chef should have read my concerns and provided a solution. Another passenger had issues worse than I. We are not so fond of group tours so I mostly kept quite. Some had displayed a propensity towards the right wing but I remained tight lipped polically. The boats rocking and rolling made me think, as an after thought, that the ship was not as calm as, say, a wider more stable craft with double hulls.I”

Helpful Report

Posted 11 months ago

Dear Richard, Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent cruise experience. We're pleased to hear that you found our crew and staff, including Ariana and the naturalists, to be kind and interesting. It's wonderful to know that you enjoyed the islands visited. However, I am genuinely sorry to hear that your dietary restrictions were not met adequately. Our chefs are always very attentive to such needs and usually receive great compliments for their ability to accommodate various dietary requirements as you can read on the many other reviews about our food on this platform. They were indeed aware that you do not consume whole corn kernels, mayonnaise, cream or buttery sauces, and prefer very few fried foods. It's disappointing to hear that this attention did not meet your expectations this time, and we apologize for any discomfort this may have caused you. Regarding the ship's stability, I want to clarify that catamarans are not inherently more stable when navigating rough seas compared to our monohull vessels equipped with stabilizers. The Galapagos experienced particularly rough seas during your trip, which contributed to the increased rocking and rolling you felt. We understand how this can affect your comfort and appreciate your patience during such conditions. While we strive to make each cruise as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, it seems we fell short during your trip. We take all feedback seriously and will use your comments to improve our services. If you have any further concerns or would like to discuss this matter in more detail, please feel free to reach out to us directly at customerservice@quasarex.com or by calling us at Worldwide / USA +1 415-738-8369. Thank you again for your feedback. We hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a better experience in the future. Warm regards, Diane Schicke Customer Success Hero

Posted 11 months ago

“The guides and activities were 5 star. The food was 2 star for our tastes - too "fancy." The meal highlight for nearly everyone was the sundae bar one night - ice cream and toppings. Our advice - simplify the meals and worry less about presentation. The captain preferred to move at night. The issue is you hear and feel everything on a small boat. By moving late at night, everyone is awakened by the anchor going up and down. If the seas are a bit rocky, as they were a few nights during our trip, it's really difficult to sleep. It would have been better to move the boat after dinner to minimize the sleep disruptions. The consensus amongst the guests was we left the boat completely out of energy due to lack of decent sleep.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your review. We appreciate your acknowledgment of the excellence of our guides and the activities. We understand from your comments that the food, in your perspective, did not meet your expectations. We recently implemented a new menu curated by our master chef David Ramirez, featuring a diverse selection of Ecuadorian, Latin American, and International Cuisine. This menu revamp has been well-received by our Guests who have left great comments and reviews. However, we do recognize and respect that everyone has different tastes, and we regret if our culinary offerings seemed too "fancy" or did not meet your expectations. We aim to continually improve and value feedback like yours. We will take your suggestion to simplify certain meals and focus less on presentation into consideration for our future menu planning. Regarding the issue of night travel, the Galapagos National Park sets the rules about when and where every vessel has to be. These rules dictate when we have to navigate at night and yes, as with every vessel in the Galapagos, we unavoidably have to raise and lower the anchor. One of the benefits of the Park’s scheduling of the navigation times is that visitors don't waste precious daylight hours getting from point A to B; instead, these hours are maximized for animal encounters and exploring the unique Galapagos habitats. We understand that the noise and movement during these times can cause disruptions to sleep, especially during rocky seas. This occurs with every yacht and ship that sails around the Galapagos, and we apologize for the inconvenience this caused you. Finally, we actively solicit comments and read our Guests' reviews in full detail. We even call our guests to welcome them home and learn more about their experiences firsthand. While we regret you felt tired at the end of your cruise, we want to highlight that this was not the consensus of your fellow guests who did not make any such comments on their comment cards and gave the trip 5 out of 5 stars. However, we do take your feedback seriously as we strive to provide the best possible experience for all our guests. We will emphasize the issue of the nighttime navigations when we do the introductory briefing on the first day of every cruise. Thank you again for your review and the detailed feedback. Your input helps us to continue to enhance our services, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back aboard in the future, ensuring you a comfortable, memorable, and restful experience. Sincerely, ~ The Quasar Customer Service Team

Posted 1 year ago

“As an extremely well-traveled couple having done between us over 30 cruises we found the Galyapogas experience on "The Grace" to be completely underwhelming. Let me start by saying the Galyapogis adventure, the pure beauty of the location and it's overwhelming beaut is unparalleled. The two guides, who are government licensed environmentalist and not part of Quasar were exceptional. They made the experience!. The negative part of this review is "The Grace" itself. Firstly, we stayed in "The Grace Suite". In our research it was the "elegance of the Grace" that steered us to Quasar and this ship. We watched countless video's of well dressed crew members, bar tenders in well pressed outfits serving elegant drinks watching the sun from the outdoor seating area. The amazing class and style of the "Grace Suite"....none of this existented. The ships "upgrade" places this ship in the most bottle tier of elegance. Our "Suite", which in picture was an elegant room from a bygone era was nothing more than "AKEA" quality furniture. A bare bones room with the only inference Grace Kelly honeymooned in this room being a cheap, framed $10 poster of Grace Kelly on one wall. This was a top dollar layout and I would never recommend paying up for this room at the price point. The crew was lovely and sweet but they lacked formal training. The bar tender, in the second deck bar area us an the other 14 passengers convenved prior to dinner was a complete joke. The bartender was a lovely but complete untrained servant who was for all points rarely seen. When hs was there he had no understating of basic bartending. While 6 otheres were waiting for their first pre-dinner drink I asked for a glass of white wine. He didn't have it behind the bar and left for over ten minutes. White we all waited and had only this 45 minute pre-dinner period to converse and chat about our day. He reappeared and did not have a bottle opening..he diappreared for another 10 minutes a to the point half the guest said."you know what, I'm heading down, I can't wait". During the day when we had our mid-day break from tours, the bar tender and in deed most of the crew were not to be found. One day, with a 4 hour break between morning and afternoon excursions 6 of us sat in the dining area trying to find anyone who could serve us anyting to drink..We actaully walked the main deck ...nobody. I walked into the kitchen..nobody..My partner had to pick up the and call the ships captain and ask.."excuse me, is anybody around..we have searched everywhere and we can not find a single crew member.. The hotel manager, a gal, was barely ever visible. When we sat down for our evening meal after a long day, there would be some sort of shareable appetizer or vegetable salad on the table..with no plates. We would aske time and time again.."excuse me, but is there anyway when yoy set the table you could put out a small plate for each of us so while we are waiting for a meal (which took forever) can nibble..they were polite and would bring but every meal was the same issue. And again, you could never find someone to ask. Multiple times I served water to table guest, found plates and or condiments. The food was completely average. The chef was lovely and listened to request but again this is by no means an "dining experience"...as in "elegance". The ship itself is outdated even after its' upgrade. We had two nights were the seas caused not only no sleep but the turning over of tables and chairs..one fellow cruise has glass smash onto their cabins floor. When we spoke to the captain he said "stabilizers" had been added to the ship..If they were they were worthlessThis at the the high point of pricing for this type of Journey and in my view Quasar failed I did get a post trip call from Quasar. I found that call to be a bit insulting to be honest. As I was explaining the short comings of the ship and the positives of the journey (see below), I asked about the selling point of the "elegance of the Grace"..about being brough back to a "by-gone era"..The "Grace Suite" and its' grandeur. The short comings of the crew and how the bartender had no experience and dressed like a deck hand. Her answer was..."well, we feel our passenger want a casual, laid back experience."..when I said.."yes, but this was sold as elegance and ....all the previous"..her answer was..."did you like the Galapygos" ..I said the Galapygos are amazing, the guides are first rate and unparalleled..unfortunate they had nothing to do with Quasar and "the Grace". These guides are on every ship. The pure raw beauty are part of the Galapygos ..She would say.."well I am so glad you had a wonderful time" ..I would say.."ma'am, I am here to tell you the ship is being misold ..if your saying this is suppose to be a casual, laid back no frills trip they you need to bill it as such and not charge over 30K for a room that is probably along the lines of Carnival Cruise lines..at best.. Summary: -8-1 guide ratio is perfect. -Guides are amazing but again not Quasar employees and can be found on any ship..our's pointed out other ships they had actaully worked on. -The Galapagos are a once in a life must see experience. -The Grace is an overpriced, overpromised but underperformed experience. -The Crew itself were lovely. The management of the passengers was not there. -The food choices were subpar. If I had to do over, i would fine a moderne ship (as we passed during our journey) as for the price point we had I am sure we could have had the nicest room on any ship and still paid less. Again, we are a very well treacle's couple. We will hold the memory of our excursions near and dears to our hearts but can not point out a single "ship" experience (outside of letting us jump off the side to swim which was fun" worth while. All of the passenger has the same comments..thinkgs like.."while we are all on board, how can there not be a single person manning the bar"..and "boy the meal service has much to be desired".. This is a once in a lifetime journey but I would for sure research other companies that offer a small Guide to Passenger ratio but have a more upscale ship with an attentive, on call crew.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Gregory, We appreciate your taking the time to share your detailed feedback following your recent cruise on The Grace. Prior to your review, our customer service team had made us aware that your experience did not meet your expectations, yet we insisted on sending you a couple of review reminders to receive your honest review on this platform. We believe in transparent communication and feel it is important to publicly address your concerns. Our philosophy at Quasar Expeditions has always been to encourage our guests to provide all kinds of feedback, be it positive or negative. It's these insights that allow us to continually evolve and improve, delivering a memorable experience for all our guests. We regret to learn that your time on The Grace was not as rewarding as you anticipated. The subsequent paragraphs of this response delve into the issues you raised, addressing each point individually. Rest assured, we take all your comments to heart and are committed to making necessary improvements in all the areas you have outlined. We understand that the ambiance and decor of your Suite did not meet your expectations and for that, we apologize. The Grace's nostalgic charm and elegance are always praised as anyone is welcome to read in all of Grace's previous reviews, including the ones from other Guests who traveled with you on your cruise. However, it's clear that we failed to deliver the experience you had anticipated. We also acknowledge your dissatisfaction with the crew and the bar service. Your feedback regarding the staff's responsiveness and training is taken very seriously and we will conduct a thorough review to ensure our crew meets the high standards of service our guests deserve. Typically, our bar staff aboard The Grace is a highlight of our Guests' trips, often receiving stellar comments. Consequently, we will be sure to investigate this isolated issue further. Regarding your dissatisfaction with our meal service and food, we genuinely regret that your experience was not up to par. Our aim has always been to create a diverse and fulfilling culinary journey for all our guests. It's unfortunate that we were not able to deliver this for you. However, it might interest you to know that the average rating of the food & meal service on your cruise from the Guests who filled out the comment cards onboard was a 5/5. We even received specific praise from another Suite guest who was "Impressed by variety and creativity". We understand that food preferences can be subjective, and we are sorry that our offerings did not meet your expectations. Your feedback provides us an opportunity to assess our menu and service, and for that, we are grateful. On a positive note, we are glad you enjoyed the Galapagos experience and the guides enhanced your journey. While it is accurate that they are employees of the Galapagos National Park, it's also crucial to point out that they choose which companies they work with. We are proud to say that Quasar Expeditions attracts some of the most seasoned and respected guides in the Islands. Most of our guides have chosen to work with us for over 10 years, demonstrating our commitment to offering an exceptional experience. The quality, professionalism, and experience of guides that you would find aboard other vessels in the Galapagos are distinct from what you experienced with Quasar. We're glad that their expertise enhanced your journey as our aim is always to connect our Guests with the unparalleled beauty of Galapagos, and it's heartening to know that this aspect of the trip met your expectations. Lastly, we regret any misunderstanding related to the post-trip call from our representative. We aim to resolve issues in these discussions, not ignore them, and we apologize if it felt otherwise. We are grateful for your insights and we assure you that your comments will be used to make significant improvements. We are committed to delivering an exceptional and memorable experience to all our guests and will work diligently to make the necessary changes. While we know we can't change the past, we would love the opportunity to provide you with a more satisfying experience in the future. We will be contacting you again directly, but please feel free to reach out again to your Expedition Designer & Customer Service Specialist, Diane Schicke at diane@quasarex.com. Sincerely, ~ The Quasar Customer Service Team

Posted 1 year ago

“Do not feel that having a Jeep was remotely necessary or worth the added cost. Part of the group taken on kayak trip that had to be canceled and have not received a refund. Guides were wonderful and wine tasting in Buenos Aires could not be beat. Overall, for the hiking part of the trip, would recommend using guides from hotel/resort.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Dear Fredric, Thank you for taking the time to express your candid feedback with our team – we really appreciate it. We're very sorry to hear that your private, luxury Jeep® experience didn't meet your expectations. Since you booked this trip through a travel agency, instead of our in-house Expedition Designers, we needed to get in touch with your travel agent to obtain a little bit more information about your booking/travel experience with us. After speaking with your agent, we were made aware that the 3 couples who came along for the adventure each wanted to enjoy different excursions on several of their safari dates. Being that our Jeeps only accommodate 4 Guests and our 1 private Naturalist Guide, and all Guests on each Jeep would experience the same activities together, multiple Jeeps were required in order to fulfill each traveler's wishes of partaking in different activities. When you forego private Jeep excursions in Patagonia, you are limited to what the hotels have to offer and often miss out on the once-in-a-lifetime experience you originally sought out for, and paid for. Hotel excursions are conducted in vans and in larger groups on a tighter schedule. Additionally, hotel activities are specific to each property, you choose them on arrival, not all excursions are available every day at a hotel, and activities are confirmed based on number of interested hotel guests, group size limits, waitlists and more. Not to mention, hotel guides conduct these large group outings (they're not private to you) which can often take away from the overall experience. Our guided safaris include a private Quasar Guide – who is not only your local naturalist immersing you in the national parks, and showing you remote areas that hotel buses and vans cannot access – but also acts as your personal concierge for the duration of your trip too. Quasar activities and excursions for each chosen safari are decided by our Guests well in advance of travel to ensure all activities are confirmed before arrival. Because of this, our Guests have the pleasure of avoiding the possibility of not going on a desired excursion, waiting in long lines to board vans, missing out on more remote/secluded areas hotel excursions can't access, etc. On a Quasar safari, you get to choose your preferred excursions before you go and design a personal adventure that is as active, or as relaxed, as you want it to be! So, we are truly glad that you and your travel companions made the decision to journey with us in our private Jeeps. It's the best way to experience all of the the magic that Patagonia has to offer. In regards to the canceled kayaking trip for your friends, unfortunately that was out of our control as it's managed by a third party service provider that handles all activities on the ice at Glacier Bay. We took the time to reach out to their Travel Agent to see what happened and issued a refund immediately. Per their Agent, The Waldmans were very pleased. Again, we thank you for taking the time to give us your honest feedback about your experience! These are the kinds of comments that we like to hear so we can ensure future Guests have that unforgettable travel experience that they've always dreamed of. We are very appreciative that you traveled with Quasar to Patagonia and hope that you'll join us for one of our other incredible excursions that we offer! If there's anything else that we can help you with, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Customer Service Team at customerservice@quasarex.com. Our very best, The Quasar Customer Service Team

Posted 2 years ago

“I have no experience traveling in the Galapagos, so I cannot compare the M//Y Grace with other tour expeditions. I felt that the sharing of information prior to our adventure was sparse and that there should have been better communication. Because of the pandemic, there were extra costs that we incurred such as Covid testing and staying at Quasar approved hotels (so that Quasar could ensure that we would be notified should there be any last minute flight changes). Quasar had no computer on board to view photos on a lager screen method for passengers to share photos or have the tour leaders share their photos.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Dear Guest, Thank you for your comments and feedback. We understand that during times of Covid travel, and many procedures around it, can be a little more challenging than normal. The Covid testing that all our Guests currently undergo to get into the Galapagos, as well as to return to the United States, are requirements of the Government of the Galapagos and the CDC respectively. Quasar has no control whatsoever over these, nor the cost of testing. When operating during times of Covid our #1 priority is for Guests to stay safe and healthy prior to and during their cruise. This is the main reason we have required guests to stay in approved hotels before going to the Galapagos. Quasar is an Ecuadorian company, which means we personally have taken the time to inspect most of the hotels in the area. In this process our staff has found that many hotels (of all categories) are not taking Covid seriously and often don’t provide adequately trained staff. The hotels Quasar recommends have excellent Covid protocols, a well trained staff and very high health and sanitization standards. To address your comment on the pre-trip information, it is difficult for us to understand how the information we sent you is “sparse” or that our communications can be better. We typically hear just the opposite from our Guests. The process begins when we send all our Guests a personal welcome letter with detailed Covid entry requirements, information on planning their trip to Ecuador (including a video), their Galapagos flight schedule, information on insurance, clothing and equipment list, their yacht and more. We also send periodic reminders and finish up by sending Guests their Final Bulletin which includes updated flight schedules, airport instructions, emergency contact information, what to do if you or your luggage is delayed and more. Our Customer Service team is available every weekday and during weekends to address questions and concerns that Guests may have prior to, during and even after their trip with Quasar. Finally, all of Quasar’s yachts are equipped with Smart TVs that are perfectly capable of displaying Guest’s photos either from a USB drive or a direct cable connection from a camera to the TV using a USB, HDMI or RCA video input cable. If you asked our staff about sharing photos and these options were not made clear to you while on the cruise, we apologize. We have taken note and have stressed the importance to our Cruise Directors of informing this to all our Guests. Please do not hesitate to reach our to our Customer Service team if you have additional comments. Sincerely, ~ The Quasar Customer Service Team

Posted 3 years ago

Quasar Expeditions is rated 5.0 based on 915 reviews