Category: Planning & Tips

Planning a trip to Antarctica? You’ve made the right decision. We firmly believe there’s nowhere quite like it on the planet for wild vistas and spellbinding wildlife encounters.  But before you travel to the Antarctic on an expedition cruise, there are some things you need to know to help you prepare to book and to […]

Antarctica is known for its raw and wild landscape, and has long been associated with adventure and exploration. While this might paint a picture in travellers’ minds that Antarctic cruises are pretty basic or simple affairs, nowadays it’s quite the opposite.  Now, cruises to Antarctica offer a comfortable and refined experience, with many vessels providing […]

Antarctica is a truly fascinating destination, but many people picking an expedition cruise choose to extend their time at sea by adding in the Subantarctic island of South Georgia, famed for its immense colonies of king penguins. These trips also have the advantage of spending time at the Falkland Islands, another great haven for wildlife […]

Antarctica is a real photographer’s paradise. Its raw beauty, wild landscapes and incredible wildlife offer a perfect canvas for amateurs and professional photographers to take their creativity to the next level. The pictures from Antarctica you’ll capture on an expedition cruise are likely to be some of the most dramatic you’ll ever take: everywhere you […]

Exploring the vast and varied landscapes of Antarctica is an increasingly popular bucket-list adventure, especially as more people are turning their attention to remote destinations for their travels. Now, travellers from all over the planet are taking the plunge to learn how they can make their dreams of visiting the White Continent a reality. Antarctic […]

I’ve worked in the Antarctic cruise industry for 16 years, and travelled south on a wide variety of ships. In my earliest days I sailed on some of the last generation of ex-research expedition vessels, where bunks and shared bathrooms were the order of the day. Since then I’ve seen new generations of ships launched, […]

When Antarctica cruising was in its infancy, travellers had little choice of ship or comfort level, with most squeezing into simple cabins on converted research vessels or old Russian icebreakers. Those days are long behind us and the polar fleet caters to a wide variety of travel styles. On my most recent trip south, I […]

Getting your luggage packed is an exciting part of getting ready for any trip. Getting packed for an Antarctic trip brings its own special considerations, however. How cold will it really be? How many layers will I need? One pair of gloves or two? At Swoop, we spent a lot of time helping travellers get […]