Departure
Please remember that you have to take customs goods (alcohol, cigarettes, souvenirs) from the ship personally. A later collection in Bremerhaven is not possible.
All participants leave the ship on the day of arrival at the port.The ship usually moores in the harbour at about 08:00 a.m. You will be informed about the exact time.
Germany
Departure from the ship (Lloydwerft, Bremerhaven) has to be arranged by the participants themselves.
Following rules apply to family members visiting Polarstern:
- Only 2 family members per participants may visit the ship. They have to be registered by the cruise leader before the end of the expediton.
Infants, persons with limited mobility and animals cannot visit the ship because of risk of accident.
Non-registered visitors, private vehicles and taxi are not allowed on the shipyard.
Transfer of people and luggage from the shipyard's entry to the ship and vice versa is organized with a shuttle bus.
Lloyd shipyard is located in the free-trade area of the harbour. Pay attention to the customs regulations upon leaving the free-trade area. Customs controls must be expected.
Abroad
Please make sure you consider allowance for delays of the vessels arrival in port. In case of doubt staying overnight in a hotel makes more sense than missing your flight home.
Disembarkation
All participants leave the ship on the day of arrival at the port usually after breakfast. You will be informed about the exact time on board.
(Photos: M.Mirsekorn)
Flying
Usually an AWI group flight is organized upon consultation with the cruise leader. Members of other German institutes may take part in the group flight on their own account. Generally, traveling to the airport is arranged by the participants themselves. If it is necessary and useful journey and hotel can be organized for AWI group flight members by the AWI logistics.
Carrying scientific equipment in your hand luggage can lead to serious problems at the airport and should be avoided by all means.
Hotel
A group hotel will be booked by AWI logistics after consultation with the cruise leader.
Overnight stays in hotels have to be paid by the participants themselves!!!
AWI members create a travel expense report after the journey. They may ask for an advance payment with their travel authorization request.
Transfer ship - group hotel - airport (Shuttle bus)
The transfer for the groupflight is coordinated by the cruise leader, AWI logistics and the agency on-site and paid for by AWI logistics. All group members will be picked-up at the ship, brought to the group hotel, picked up there again and brought to the airport together. People will not be collected for individually chosen flights or hotels.
Transfer from ship into town and back (Cape Town only)
During port time the cruise leader may organize a shuttle bus on AWI's account going at dedicated times (e.g. 08:00, 13:00, 18:00, 23:00 )from the ship into town and vice versa.
The captain organizes a bus service for the crew. Time schedule between both must be agreed on by captain and cruise leader.
Individual travellers
If you want to continue travelling individually after the journey you have to organize everything yourself. You may use the shuttle bus for transfer to the airport or to the group hotel. Single transfers by shuttle bus are expensive and need to be paid yourself.
Information for the cruise leader
Please stay in contact with all expedition participants and inform them about meeting points and pick up times.
Pick-up from individual hotels is not planned. All participants shall come to the group hotel. Exceptions may be made if the group hotel is fully booked and participants have to stay in another hotel.
Usually the drivers of shuttle busses are helpful and ambitious. A transfer is simply booked and charged to AWI. This individual usage of the shuttle busses at the expense of AWI is not supported. Point out to the participants that all transfers by shuttle busses besides the above mentioned have to be paid for themselves. Shuttle busses are quite expensive and the AWI logistics only pays for the above mentioned costs. AWI members possibly can settle the costs for additional transfers with their travel expense accounting. Above all the German Travel Expenses Act is valid. Ask the agency for inexpensive taxi companies.
