10% discounts are available for groups of 8 or more and for repeat expeditioners. 50% of the expedition fee must be paid on booking with  the balance to be paid one month before joining the expedition. All payments need to be made by bank transfer. The payment of any deposit or expedition fee shall constitute consent to all the provisions stated below.

Photo by Mel Robinson

Blizzard Expeditions agrees to cover all vessel running costs once the Expeditioners are on board.

Included:

• Accommodation on board
• Provisions, food and beverages
• All port fees and local taxes
• All permits
• Use of life jackets and harness 
• Use of satellite communication equipment (usage fees apply)

Not included: 

• Travel expenses to and from the expedition
• Shore side provisions beyond day excursions
• Bedding

All payments are non refundable.

Blizzard Expeditions must be notified of a cancellation in writing.

Prior to all expeditions you will be required to provide the following:

• A completed Application Form
• A signed copy of the Expedition Contract
• A copy of your passport
• A completed Medical Form
• A copy of your insurance document (If you have one)
• A signed Release of Claims and Liability Waiver Document (Completed on board, after briefings,  just before the start of the expedition)

Expeditions, by necessity must stick to tight schedules. As such we accept no responsibility for the consequences of missed flights or delays in travel times. You should allow enough flexibility in your arrangements to cater for delays.

Luggage should be limited to soft hold-all or rucksack type bags.

The following must not be brought on board:

• Contraband
• Illicit drugs
• Any kind of arms including (firearms, knives, crossbows, blowpipes)
• Dangerous substances
• Animals

Blizzard is essentially a dry boat, but alcohol with dinner and on special occasions will be provided at the discretion of the Skipper.

No smoking is permitted anywhere on Blizzard at any time. Smoking is also banned on shore in Antarctica under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty.

If Expeditioners plan any excursions ashore, other than those supervised by Blizzard Expeditions then they must guarantee and demonstrate that all the necessary preparations, including field knowledge, permits, transportation, equipment and provisions have been addressed.

Insurance is not compulsory, but is strongly recommended. Blizzard Expeditions are not liable for any damage or injury to you or your possessions.

Expeditioners should arrange for sufficient insurance against any damage suffered by himself or his possessions. It is strongly recommended that your policy also include cancellation insurance, as these expeditions are planned a long way in advance and are subject to many outside influences.

If there is a medical problem during the expedition, which leads to any expenses including costs for emergency evacuation, use of aircraft and repatriation, the responsibility for payment of these costs lies completely with the Expeditioner. Blizzard Expeditions recommends that the Expeditioner purchase sufficient travel insurance to cover such eventualities. If for any reason an incident is not covered by travel insurance the financial responsibility still remains with the Expeditioner and Blizzard Expeditions are not responsible in any way whatsoever.

Many travel policies do not cover geographical areas such as Antarctica or activities such as sailing, climbing or skiing. When discussing your policy with your insurance company make quite sure they understand exactly what you are going to be doing and that you are fully covered. If in any doubt contact the following company. International Health Insurance offer worldwide cover with no exclusions for adventure activities and have an evacuation limit of $300,000 USD. Their policies are very reasonably priced.

International Health Insurance Denmark a/s (IHI)
8 Palaegade
Copenhagen K, DK-1261
Denmark
Tel: +45 (33) 15 30 99
Fax: +45 (33) 32 25 60
E-mail: ihi@ihi.dk 
Web Page: www.ihi.com 

Blizzard Expeditions do not accept liability for the following:

• Death or injury to an Expeditioner
• Loss or damage to luggage or any personal or valuable items
• Consequences arising from a delay to the expedition programme
• Consequences  of a deviation in course from the original expedition programme
• Consequences of undesirable items being discovered on board without the knowledge of Blizzard Expeditions.
• Abandonment of the expedition due to damage to the boat or injury to any member of the expedition team.

Expeditioners are liable for:

• Any damage caused by themselves or their luggage whilst on board.
  
  

Crew Responsibilities

During their time on Blizzard, expeditioners will be expected to behave in the manner of responsible crew members, duties will include but not be limited to;

• Steering Blizzard
• Cooking
• Setting, trimming and stowing sails
• Pilotage
• Crows Nest Conning through ice
• Cleaning
• Dinghy driving
• Deploying, raising and stowing anchors
• Sounding passage into uncharted anchorages
• Setting and retrieving mooring lines
• Managing the onboard provisions
• Assisting with maintenance/ repairs

Training

Although you do not need to be an experienced sailor to join a Blizzard Expedition, we do recommend that if you are a novice you undertake some training to enhance your experience aboard Blizzard. A Competent Crew course would be a good place to start.
We recommend Global Yacht Training - www.globalyachttraining.com

In addition we recommentd that all crew members, regardless of experience, take part in a Sea Safety and Survival course.
We recommend Marine Training - www.marinetraining.com.au