Cancellation Period

Cancellation of a booking or part thereof will incur the following fees based on the notice period prior to any tour. Once travel has commenced, no refunds will be made for any unused services and clients will be responsible for their travel arrangements and insurance.

A deposit for any tour is made upon booking to secure your place on the tour, this is non-refundable. By paying the invoice for deposit you accept these terms and conditions.

If a cancellation is made less than 1 month (30 Days) prior to the tour date, we will not reimburse the cost of the tour.

If a cancellation is made within 1-2 months (60 Days) prior to the tour date, we will reimburse the cost of the tour up to 10% minus the deposit which is non refundable upon booking the tour and any admin fees incurred.

If a cancellation is made within 3 months (90 Days) prior to the tour date we will reimburse the cost of the tour up to 15% minus the deposit which is non refundable upon booking the tour and any admin fees incurred.

If a cancellation is made within 3 – 6 months (180 Days) prior to the tour date we will reimburse the cost of the tour up to 20% minus the deposit which is non refundable upon booking the tour and any admin fees incurred.

Cancellations made by the organiser to a tour will be reimbursed in full (Not including the deposit which is Non-refundable).

Note: If the booking has been rescheduled and the cancellation is requested, this will be considered a new booking and subject to our standard terms and conditions.If for any reason weather or operational cancellation of a single day occurs during the tour, there is no refund provided if the circumstances are out of the control of the organiser.

Itinerary Disclaimer

The itineraries on our websites are correct at time of publishing and may differ slightly depending on changes to local operations, foreign policy and laws, availability of resources, flight schedules, and supplier cost. In the case of any changes, the organiser will endeavour to provide an alternative option to continue your itinerary.

Insurance Policy

Travel insurance is NOT included in the cost of your tour. We strongly recommend that passengers arrange their own travel insurance. Insurance is required before arriving at your destination to ensure you are covered for unforeseen situations that may arise to cause loss of luggage, cancellation of flights and tours or medical emergencies.

Scott Portelli and affiliates are not responsible for loss or damage of any equipment whilst participating in these activities. Appropriate travel insurance should be arranged prior to visiting your destination.

Release Forms/Waivers

While the organiser makes every effort to safeguard our clients, we cannot be held responsible for personal injury or loss due to events beyond our control.  Wildlife tourism carries inherent risk as you are interacting with wild animals and a signed release form is required from all participants before tour departure. This is signed on the first day of departure or prior to arriving at your destination on each separate tour. Guests are encourage to download this liability waiver and return back to us prior to your tour.

Foreign Currency

As of October 2023, all general tour costs are quoted in $USD as suppliers and operations in the region move to a more stable currency for services rendered. Current exemptions are Norway (quoted in Euros), Falkland Islands (quoted in GBP Pounds), and Australia (Australian Dollars).

For local currency, please notice that Tongan Pa’anga is still the currency used while visiting the Tongan islands and will be the only accepted form of currency for tourist in Tonga.  For other destinations, please check which local currency will be required. NOTE: Tour prices are subject to change year on year and will be reflected in the tour itinerary prior to each season.

Visas for Tonga

Please review the visa requirements for your country here

Visas for Norway

Norway’s visa requirements vary according to the traveller’s country of origin, the purpose of traveling and the period of stay. Please review the visa requirements for your country here

Visas for Australia

Please review the visa requirements for your country here

This expedition will begin and end in Stanley in the Falklands Islands. The Falkland Islands (direct your travel agent to Mount Pleasant Airport) is reached via Santiago and Punta Arenas on a once per week basis every Saturday with Lan Chile Airline. There is also a flight more or less once weekly from Brize Norton in the UK on the RAF flight now operated by a sub-contracting airline. This is an expensive, but time saving alternative. However, the flights can be cancelled or delayed without notice due to military priority.

South Georgia is in the South Atlantic Ocean and has a polar climate due to the proximity of the Antarctic current. This keeps the seas cold throughout the year (approx. 2 degrees C in October). The prevailing winds are westerly with mountain winds blowing straight up the western side and down the eastern side. The air is warmed and dried during this process making the East side of the island more sheltered and warmer. Temperatures in October are usually between -2 and 8 degrees C, warmest on the east side.

Our itinerary is at the mercy of weather conditions and not all landings are guaranteed. Our itinerary is flexible, allowing the best chance to make the most of surprising wildlife displays and unexpected opportunities.

All expeditioners will need to have a medical before departure as we are operating in a remote area, and it’s best for all concerned to have no surprises.

These trips are designed for fit, agile and active people who have adventurous and positive outlooks. Participation is the key to enjoyment. No sailing experience is required. There is no age limit as we have had fit and active people of all ages, but this is a working yacht and you will need to participate in watches during the crossings.

This is a real ‘hands on’ expedition and everyone will need to be active in making the trip work. All tasks aboard are shared including: sailing, helming, anchoring, even cooking and domestic duties. Our aim is to take like-minded people on an experience of a lifetime and the expedition will work best if everyone is prepared to lend a hand and be a part of the crew.

The Yacht has state of the art weather and communications systems. She is also equipped with Xaxero’s Sky-Eye System for real time satellite image downloads of weather systems which can be cross referenced with weather information from the Global Marine Network. we also use Starlink for general communications.

Guests intending to dive or snorkel should have previous cold-water experience and be comfortable operating in challenging conditions. All participants are required to bring their own drysuit and suitable cold-water diving or snorkeling equipment.

Previous experience on small vessels in open ocean environments is recommended, however it is not essential. Participants should be comfortable spending extended periods at sea and prepared for the realities of expedition-style travel.

This is a true expedition aboard a working sailing yacht in the Southern Ocean. Conditions can be unpredictable, with changing weather, rough seas and extended ocean crossings. Flexibility, patience and a sense of adventure are essential.

A reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required. Guests should be comfortable moving around a yacht, boarding Zodiac vessels and exploring remote environments in varying weather conditions.