Customer Reviews

Great. If you are going late in February or March I would highly recommend a circle crossing. The feel and look of Antarctica certainly changes down there.

The highlight was navigating, and often cutting, through ice to get through the Gullet. The landscapes all along were majestic - desolate but beautiful. The wildlife was so easy to spot. Have never been on a wildlife trip where one sees almost everything one expects to see.

The luggage was picked up from our hotel without hassle and delivered to our cabin. The size of the ship, about 90 passengers was perfect. There were enough people to have dinner with different groups but it wasn't so big you got lost. The trip out and back was packed with lectures from scientists, there wasn't time to be bored. The accommodation was better than expected, it wasn't a pokey cabin. The food was great. The range of peoples age and background was vast but everyone was friendly and enhanced the social side of the trip. The wildlife was enchanting, there was a buzz every time we were going off the ship. Visiting active or unused stations was a thrill.

Highlight- the penguins Landscape- I was surprised at how little snow there was and how rocky the terrain was Wildlife - penguins were amazing and the sea lions were very cool People- my travel companions were terrific! We are got along very well. Great group Surprises- accommodations. We expected to be in a thermal tent and instead stayed at the Russian scientific location in bunk beds. It was good but unexpected. Also the weather. We were supposed to leave Monday mid day and do half a day with tours on Antarctica and then half a day the next day and head home. Instead we left late Monday night. Just had time for dinner and bed and then only half a day tour Tuesday because the weather turned bad on Wednesday afternoon.

The ship's crew was the highlight of the trip for us, they were simply magnificent. While it was good to go and see Antarctica, once was enough for us there. The surprise was how desolate it was. Very austere and lonely.

The highlight was the enormity of the scale of the peninsular and the pristine, untouched solitude of the environment. The landscape was overwhelming and all encompassing, with a grandeur that we had not expected. We loved the antics of the penguins and the curiosity of the chicks. Up close viewing of seals and whales was awe inspiring. Our outstanding leaders helped to deepen our understanding and appreciation of this amazing world. Our fellow travellers were all like minded so sharing our experiences increased the enjoyment.

9.5 put of 10 Great excursions with a blue sky day on a zodiac near ice bergs and whales the highlight. People on the boat a good mix and we found a like minded 8 which we largely shared the adventure with. Surprise was the intensity of the trip... 3/4 full days.

The scenery and wildlife were terrific and it was a pleasure to meet with many of the passengers on the boat. The two big negative surprises were the Chinese school children party on the ship that seemed to constitute nearly 20% of the total passenger group. Not sure of we would have taken this particular voyage if we had known about this. Nothing is mentioned in any of the literature about school parties being on the voyages. The other negative was that we paid for the most expensive standard of cabin but the heating was not working in the cabin. It took a great deal of work to repair the heating unit and on the first evening the men called a halt to the work at 10:30pm as my wife was falling asleep while they worked in the cabin. The repairs were completed the next day. Major pipe and electrical work was needed. I would have thought checking that heating units worked before heading to Antarctica would have been standard practice.

The reason I have chosen NO in the previous question is because I feel very content on having seen Antarctica thoroughly and learning and seeing so much about the place. I do not think I missed anything in the trip, and so if I visit again I might just end up doing the same thing. This was one of my best trips ever in terms of being satisfied. Highlights were aplenty (in order): ~ Spending time in Ushuaia the southern most city in the world ~ Living a comfortable life in the ship with good passengers for company, and the best possible expedition team ~ Witnessing Orcas, Dolphins straight from the portside cabin window ~ Crossing the Polar Circle ~ Polar plunging (twice!) ~ Encounters with humpback whales swimming so close to the zodiac ~ Sitting ashore and absorbing the calm and vastness of the peninsula on a bright sunny day ~ Good variety of food and beverage

Over the top fabulous trip. Surprise: 1)I don't think I understood that the trip was not a "Swoop" trip but rather a brokered trip booked through the ship's operator. 2)I didn't expect that over half the people of the trip (China residents) would not speak English. Made it tough for getting them understanding instructions. The variety of people from 13 countries was great; the other 12 countries could speak some or fluent English.

Two highlights were crossing the Antarctic Circle and stepping foot twice on the continent.

Kayaking made it for me, doubled crewed with a lovely man (lent by his wife for kayaking)My biggest surprise was beaching on an ice berg and a snowball fight! The people were friendly to a lone traveller,and I was very lucky with my cabin share partner. Scenery and wildlife up close and personal magic.

No surprises - except relatively quiet Drake Passage. Trip met all expectations in terms of wildlife, scenery and history. Staff and guides excellent. Fellow travelers largely as expected. Only downsides were day lost with cancelled flight, and inability to access the Weddell Sea.

The highlight was without a doubt was South Georgia due to its magnificent scenery and wildlife. There was a mixture of people , most were very nice.

Very pleased with the ship's operator - the expedition staff were first class. Highlight - - - as on the previous trip, South Georgia A pity that we 'lost' 3 days because of the weather - - - but you've got to take what Mother Nature throws at you.

Every day brought a new highlight - tagging the Minke whale, seeing a baby king penguin creep out from under his mom, watching other penguin chicks being fed, seeing an iceberg calve...so much. Everyone on the cruise was quite friendly.

The trip was great. The highlight for both my husband and I was the iceberg "garden" at Pleneau Island. The icebergs were so amazing and it was fun to see seals hanging out on some of them. That day was windy and cold. We're both very glad we didn't skip the harbor tour. We saw even more penguins than we expected and were surprised by how close we were to them in some areas, mostly as they were walking to and from the ocean. Being able to experience nature in it's natural state was a once in a lifetime experience. Seeing a Macaroni Penguin at Half Moon Island was my "runner up" highlight of the trip! We enjoyed seeing a lot of Humpback Whales too. We met many interesting people on the trip too. The expedition staff were very nice and knowledgeable, and all of the crew on the ship were wonderful. There were 2 things that were a little disappointing. The first was that there was a large group of Dutch people on our ship and they mostly kept to themselves. The other was that we didn't get to see the Beagle Channel well. On the way out we followed another ship that left late. By the time we were coming through it was dusk and then dark so we couldn't really see it. On the way back, we picked up the pilot at 2 am and were at the dock by 4 or 5 am. I thought I would have a chance to see it.

If you have never been there, there is no way of preparing for the impact of being there. The untouched, natural beauty, the mighty icebergs, the silliness of the penguins. You will be spending hours just sitting in one spot adoring the view. Also don't forget: this is not a luxury cruise, this is an expedition.

The wildlife and scenery was amazing. I was so impressed with the expedition and ship crew who really made every effort to give us as many experiences as possible. We were lucky with the weather, which nobody can control. The biggest surprise was that the trip was 60% German speaking. I don't know if that is typical.

The landscapes and wildlife were amazing. The crew and guides were top-notch professionals.