Customer Reviews

Incredible with truly memorable experiences, ranging from watching icebergs roll to cuddling with a baby elephant seal.

The zodiac cruise at Charlotte Bay where 3 humped back whales played around the zodiacs for ages. They were close and frequently blowing, waving with their fins and going belly up around and under the zodiacs before emerging to say hello. Whilst all this was going on the sky changed from cloudy to very blue, absolutely stunning.

The trip was fantastic. I highly recommend that anyone travel to Antarctica. I am so glad that we chose to fly the Drake Passage, instead of sailing it, which gave us more time in Antarctica. I also think crossing the polar circle was a huge highlight. I would also insist that anyone booking a trip participate in the kayak program... knowing what I know now and having experienced the kayak program was the best thing about the trip. Kayaking gave us a pristine and uncluttered experience of Antarctica and allowed us to visit more than other tourists on our boat. I also really enjoyed stepping on the Antarctic continent. Most of the stops were on islands along the peninsula, but one stop was on the continent itself, which is a must do. The people we met on the trip were great. I did notice that the average age range of the guests on board was 60-80 years old, but in the kayak program it was younger (30-40 years old) and more at my pace. It was great to meet all the guests on the ship, but I did notice that the tour groups tended to stay separate and did not mingle, and that was disappointing. The food was great, but there were not many chicken options and limited salad bar items. I would have liked to see more white-meat options at dinner.

The first time I saw Antarctica proper, it took my breath away.

The highlight of the trip was seeing all the penguins, seals, birds, whales, glaciers, and beautiful landscape. I never dreamed there would be so many penguins and seals and they would be so close to you. My favorite experience was seeing all the seal cubs and loved how they would run up to you about three feet and then run back. I also loved getting close to the seals that were on floating ice. The Hebridean crew were amazing and everything was so organized with lectures and landings. There was little down time. Safety came first when determining if a landing was possible. Having Sunny and Seb on board to share their experiences was another highlight. I liked how the crew ate with us and shared stories. The ship provided a e drive of pictures taken while on the ship so I will show these pictures to my grandchildren. They will not have to wait for me to go through my thousand pictures .

The encounter with an enormous group of humpback whales feeding..

The vastness of the continent; seeing the wildlife up close; the incredible expedition team and the operator’s staff and crew; the learning opportunities from the lectures; the opportunity to make new friends from around the world....spending Christmas and my Birthday in an utterly indescribable place on our planet!

Seeing orcas trying to drown a humpback whale Meeting some of the most amazing people

The entire Antarctic experience is a microcosm of a memorable moment. Nature's creations at its wildest best. Just like being on another planet

The otherworldly scenery of Antarctic. Plus the penguins, seals, and chance to mountaineer, kayak and sleep on the continent.

Seeing a glacier calving to create an iceberg. Seeing Leopard seals on icebergs.

So many of them! Hard to pick one. Kayaking among leaping penguins was perhaps the most exciting. But I also loved watching/seeing so many humpback whales, killer whales, and seals. It was truly an inspiring and humbling experience to see all the huge icebergs so close to the ship and the majestic snow covered mountains all around us. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience! Being part of a group of enthusiastic “explorers” like myself made the adventure even more memorable! The ships crew were very professional, and kept us safe but also made each adventure fun and exhilarating!

Seeing the penguins marching and playing!

Every single part of Antarctica!

The Moment when one of our guides, Steffie, told us to put down our cameras when we were on an outing on the Zodiac, and just listen! It was surreal - the peace that surrounded us, the sound of the whales, blowing through their blow hole, the water lapping around us - I realized, I have not actually been listening for years!

There isn't one. It was like being in a David Attenborough Nature programme. It was amazing. At one point I was leaning over the side of a Zodiac with my camera in my hand & I actually said out load: 'I don't want to go home'. So much wildlife - penguins, sea birds, whales, dolphins - and beautiful icebergs that were all different. Nature is so beautiful & a brilliant artist. Add to that the wonderful scenery & you are in heaven. Loved it.

Overall, the trip was fantastic. We had so many new and amazing experiences that it is hard to pick a highlight. But some of my favorites include the first landing. After spending two and half days rocking and rolling across the Drake, stepping on terra firma in a completely alien environment, surrounded by thousands of Gintoo and Chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals, was pretty overwhelming (in a good way). Other favorites were paddleboarding, camping, and just taking it all in. The views from Cuverville and Danco Islands, the endless visibility, and the ice. We met a lot of great people on the trip, many of which I think we will stay in touch with. Everything on the trip was a surprise, but the biggest one was learning that Trump was elected while we were down there. With very limited connectivity, they published the results in reception in the morning and it caused quite the scene. People crying, strategizing on how to stay on Antarctica for 4 years, etc. At least we all had something to talk about during the meals!

So hard to narrow it down to just one moment. How about one day? On Christmas Eve, our family walked among penguins on the continent, sailed through the Lemaire Channel, plunged into the Antarctic Ocean, devoured a gourmet Filipino feast, and then were treated to a spectacular show by a pod of 20+ Orcas off the bough of our ship -- all of it in eternal daylight on one of the longest days of the year.

First paddle in amongst the brash in Fournier Bay. Listening to the ice and seeing a Fin whale.

I still have a post trip "buzz" and there are simply too many memorable moments to recall on my month long trip to Patagonia and Antarctica - hiking onto the Grey Glacier looking into the Patagonian ice sheet, seeing the Torres del Paine or Fitzroy ranges in the flesh for the first time, or being blown away by the sheer size and immensity of the Antarctic glaciers and ice sheets and the abundance of whales and wildlife. Moving doesn't describe it.