Pre-departure information

Soon we will set off to British Columbia! We have put together this pre-departure information that we hope can be helpful before your trip.

LUGGAGE
Internationally checked luggage is usually one bag of 23 kg per person plus a hand luggage of 8 kilos. Please note that strict rules apply for liquids etc in your hand luggage. You will find more information about this on the airlines website.

Lost luggage:
This is something that is beyond our control. A recommended precaution is to pack your hand luggage with the most important things, especially if you are bringing any medicine. Should your checked luggage end up in the wrong place, you have the most important thing with you until your luggage is found.
Tip: If you are traveling together with someone, we recommend that you pack some items in each other's bags. This means that if one person's bag is missing none of you will be without a change of clothes for example.

TIP
All tips are included in the trip cost.

ELECTRICITY
Canada has 120 volts/60 Hz and therefore an adapter is needed to charge your camera, mobile etc. (Please learn more under "ship information" about what applies on board, Island Solitude).

FLIGHT
International flights (to/from Canada) are not included in the price of the trip. We would also like to remind you to be at the airport well in advance of your departure. We recommend being at the airport 2-3 hours before departure. Please note that many airports have completely stopped using speaker calls. You must look at TV monitors and information boards to find information about your flight.

Remember: It is important that your name is spelled correctly on the flight ticket - it must be spelled exactly as in your passport!

INSURANCE
Everyone must have and be able to present adequate travel insurance that covers any ambulance transport home, which can otherwise be very expensive. We can recommend Gouda insurance company. Contact us if you like help with an insurance.

ACCOMMODATION ON THE FIRST NIGHT
The journey starts in Vancouver with a hotel stay at The St.Regis Hotel on 602 Dunsmuir Street. You will arrange transfer to the hotel on your own. Schedule for the following day will be sent to you closer to the departure.

STATE OF HEALTH
Please let PolarQuest know, well in advance, if you have a health condition that should be noted. This includes any regular medication or food- or medicine allergy etc. If you may sometimes need an extra hand due to, for example, impaired vision, hearing or mobility, it is important that you travel with someone who can be a support and not travel on your own. Our guide must be available to everyone who travels and unfortunately can not offer extra help to individual participants.

TAP WATER
You can drink the tap water in Canada.

FOOD
Please let PolarQuest know, well in advance, about any food allergies or special meal plan like vegetarian food.

MOBILE PHONE AND INTERNET
Your Mobile phone should work everywhere except when we are on board the ship Island Solitude. Most hotels have access to free wifi.

PASSPORT AND VISA
Passport is required and must be valid while you are in Canada. The passport can not be teared or broken anywhere. We suggest that you make a copy on the information page in your passport, which you can then carry with you as identification. The passport itself should be left in safe custody at the hotels in a safety box or on board. A copy would also facilitate the process of a replacement passport in the event of a regular passport being lost.

Electronic visa to Canada:
We ask you to please check with the Canadian Embassy what entry documents you need to visit Canada.

Please apply for ETA digitally directly on the Canadian Embassy's website: www.canada-etavisa.info. It should only take a few minutes. Please apply for your ETA well in advanced to your departure.

SECURITY
Usual caution applies, especially in cities. We recommend that you for example leave valuable jewelry at home.

VACCINATION
No special vaccinations are required for your trip. To check that your basic vaccinations are up to date, we recommend that you consult your vaccination center.

CURRENCY
In Canada, you pay with Canadian dollars (CAD). Most hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit and debit cards. It is also good to have some cash with you.