Gap Adventures Announces Industry-First Bear-antee, Guaranteeing Polar Bears to Arctic Cruise Adventure Travelers

TORONTO, ON, February 03, 2011 (Press-News.org) Gap Adventures (www.gapadventures.com) has such confidence in its Expedition Team's ability to locate polar bears that the company now guarantees at least one of our planet's largest land predators will be spotted during its Arctic adventures. The world's adventure travel leader announced today details of the industry's first polar bear guarantee, or 100% Bear-antee.

"We're committed to innovation and leading with service," says Gap Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip. "People travel to the Arctic to see polar bears in the wild, and with the best arctic team in the industry our travelers have such an excellent chance of seeing these incredible animals that we guarantee it!" Poon Tip says.

Gap Adventures is so confident that its Expedition Team, which has a combined 130 years' experience, will continue to deliver for travelers that it developed the industry's first Bear-antee. Arctic travelers can save an additional 25% off the cost with Gap Adventures' Arctic Early Booking Bonus on expeditions to Norway and Spitsbergen in May, June, and July 2011. With a 10 to 1 ratio of travelers to Expedition Team, travelers aboard the company's ship, the M/S Expedition, receive the highest level of service available in the industry.

In the unlikely event that Gap Adventures' team is unable to locate a polar bear, every passenger onboard will receive a credit for the value they spent on their cruise to use towards a future Arctic cruise aboard the M/S Expedition. Complete details of Gap Adventures' 100% Bear-antee can be found on the company's web site at: http://www.gapadventures.com/ms-expedition-cruises/faq/

"We operate our cruises in the summer, when 18-plus hours of daylight provide great opportunities to spot these incredible animals, along with the other unique wildlife," says William Bennett, Director of Marine Operations for Gap Adventures. Bennett says that in addition to the polar bear (adult males can weigh 350-680 kg [770-1,500 lb]) the region is also home to reindeer, Arctic Fox, many species of seabirds and marine mammals.

Spitsbergen, the largest island in Norway, is one of the best places on Earth to see polar bears in their natural habitat. Travelers aboard the M/S Expedition during the 8-day Realm of the Polar Bear (trip code XVRPNX) and 11-day Realm of the Polar Bear in Depth (code XVRDNX) receive the Bear-antee.

The Bear-antee is the latest in a long line of client-focused services Gap Adventures has provided to the adventure travel community during its 20 years in business. Responding to travelers needs and recognizing that plans can change, the company introduced the industry's first Lifetime Deposit program in early 2010, which allows travelers to retain their initial deposit for use at a later date at no extra charge--and with no questions asked. Confirmed travelers can save their initial deposits for an unlimited time. The company also provides 24/7 customer service, and its No Single Supplements program - another industry first - is now entering its fifth year.

About Gap Adventures
Gap Adventures is a world leader in the adventure travel industry offering small group adventures on all seven continents and beyond to more than 100,000 global travelers annually. The award-winning trips, which focus on culture, nature and active travel, are ideal for those with a sense of adventure - people who want to leave the beaten path and authentically immerse themselves in a local culture or environment to experience the real world in a sustainable manner. Demonstrating its ongoing cultural, social and economic commitment to responsible tourism, Gap Adventures established the Planeterra Foundation, as a way the company and its passengers can give back to the communities visited. For more information, please visit www.gapadventures.com and www.planeterra.org.