Customer Reviews

I don't know how to summarize what was the most magical adventure that I have ever experienced. The Hebridean Sky was a gem of a ship, and I felt like royalty. The service on the ship, the extensive knowledge of the crew, expedition leaders and scientists were were superb. We were incredibly blessed with 2 full days of glorious sunshine and unprecedented weather conditions which allowed us more landings than most of the cruises usually get to do. The landscapes and wildlife were spectacular. I met new lifelong friends that I will travel with again in the future. Favorite moment- Finding a chunk of 30,000 year old "Black Ice" and getting to taste it, and later on, it was the ice used in our cocktails!

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.

It's hard to decide between the penguins and sleeping in a bivy bag on the Antarctic was the highlight, looking up at the Milky Way and unfamiliar stars! You cannot describe the immenseness of the place, it's mind blowing! Snow covered mountain ranges, glaciers galore, and penguins on every uncovered spot you encounter. The mix of people on the ship was refreshing! Different ages, nationalities (16 on our ship) and different walks of life. So many inspiring people! Fun! Most magical moment?! The little Gentoo penguin that bee lined for me and we looked each other up and down for several minutes - magic - wonderful!

Outstanding. Too many highlights to list. Penguins, seals, humpback whales, landscapes, sunrises, sunsets. Magic occurred when a humpback played within 5 feet of our zodiac for about 10 minutes.

Great scenery and wildlife good opportunities for taking pictures

The trip was absolutely amazing, to the point I ran out of adjectives. It was one big WOW after another. I would definitely recommend going on an excursion boat as everyone there was a pleasure to be with don’t think there was a clinker in the bunch! Would have to say crossing the Antarctic Circle was the magical moment as were the sunsets and moon rises there.

We went to see wildlife and we saw every species we had hoped to see and in greater detail and much closer than expected! We had humpback whales playing about our zodiac! The landscapes were as expected however our captain used the landscapes to make our sailing experience better than nature was offering. We met wonderful fellow travelers, any one of whom we would be delighted to meet again or host in our home. Our most magical moments were interacting with fellow travelers and wildlife.

Highlights: 7 species of penguins, wale watching, information given in the lectures, food on board. The people were nice and many charing also pictures and videos. The weather surprised us with lots of sunshine and one hurricane - the Drake was calm and smooth. A magical moment was a wale appearing right next to the zodiac and staying a while to be filmed.

South Georgia would rank as the highlight insofar as the scenery and the wildlife were both off the scale. The expedition team were excellent, both in terms of the varied and informative lectures, and their professionalism conducting the excursions. The 'Island Sky' staff were first-rate as well, from the ship's officers getting us into sheltered inlets, to the superb catering, and the tireless deck hands and hotel workers. Biggest surprise: Drake Lake! Magic moment: Being 'inspected' by a fur seal pup.

To many highlights to mention. The weather could change almost in an instant, changing the light and the landscape before your eyes, completely captivating. Lots of wildlife despite being late in the season, and being later we saw lots of whales. The ships crew and the expedition crew were exceptional. There were 98 passengers on board the Island Sky and we were surprised by the age range, 22 to 78 with an average of 62 (this must be accident rather than design) but it made for a wonderful atmosphere with people prepared to mix in chat, and eat together. We hope to meet up with a few in the future. Most magical moment, that's difficult, probably being in a Zodiac among sleeping Humpbacks.

The highlight was seeing hundreds of thousands of king penguins in South Georgia. The glaciers and icebergs were breathtaking. Was wonderful to see whales, but I most enjoyed the many and playful fur seals. Great group of fellow travelers. Very enjoyable to get to know people from other countries. No surprises.

The highlight was probably seeing humpback whales breaching the water. The landscapes and wildlife were fantastic and we were able to get very close to whales, penguins, seals and sea birds. There were many interesting people on board and the academic staff from the ship's operator were really knowledgeable. The food on board was good and plentiful. I would probably have liked to do some more challenging hikes but I appreciate that is difficult with some of the passengers on board. I wouldn't go back because it's just so far to travel and always had it in my mind that it was a once in a lifetime trip. I would consider and Arctic trip.

The highlight for me was being a part of our 9 person kayaking group plus two guides. We were able to paddle into small coves and the most magical of all was being near three feeding humpback whales and hearing their breathing as they rose up every few minutes.

Every where you looked was a unique picture / moment - the humpback whales while in the zodiacs was incredible.

The ship, the food, the crew, the fellow passengers, the daily agenda on and off the ship (and a stretch of good weather) made this trip not only informative but totally enjoyable!

Peguines, Icebergs. Amazing landscape unlike any part of the world. Love the wildlife seeing there. Nice cabin mates and cruishipmates. No surprises. Crossing the Antarctic circle.

Highlight - seeing the first iceberg. And another one - kayaking through the brash ice. Landscapes - ethereal / mind blowing. Wildlife - we hoped for more whales up close ... but we did see some, including orcas. Although smelly, the penguins were delightful. Seals were everywhere! The Expedition Team was outstanding. We were relieved that the Kayaking was so well managed and we coped. Reaching the Polar Circle and landing on the Peninsula were magical - pinch yourself moments.

We need more time on the continent and more options to travel. due to the weather we lost almost2 days without being out

My highlight was stepping on the Antarctica Continent, the Ross Sea, Ross Island, Ross Ice Shelf, and Port Ross and was my most magical moment. The historic huts were amazing; to think that the explorers endured and many lost their lives for exploration gives me so much respect for all they accomplished. The landscape: icebergs as well as the flora and fauna in such remote areas were breathtaking. The wildlife and how they survive in such extreme conditions was amazing. We had an awesome group of fifty people that socialized, laughed, and shared their stories of who they were and why this trip was meaningful for them.

The ship service and efficiency were great. The staff were enthusiastic and always aimed to please with a great depth of knowledge. We especially enjoyed the snowshoeing/trekking and were glad that we signed up early. It made many of the excursions very special for us. Every day had a memorable landscape or wildlife experience.