Customer Reviews

I answered NO above because, at my age, there are just too many other places to see. Chile was a completely new country to me and it was interesting to learn about the history. The Andes are awesome. Antarctic wildlife was like just a few places in the world were humans are not feared. That is so unusual and a privilege to experience.

I went with two specific goals and achieved them both.The wild life was great , the landscape not so, partly because we spent7 days in open sea and there was nothing but fog most of the time. No snow covered mountains as one would see in the Antarctic peninsular. There were two prominent sets of passengers one about 12 - Swedish people who were not friendly and the other was a group of “Gay “ scuba diving friends who were more friendly. There were no surprises and the trip was as advertised. The security at Port Stanley was aggravating having my Allen keys confiscated because the woman classified it as a dangerous weapon !!! My friend’s Allen keys were allowed through go and figure that one out. I had two magical moments - 1) The sound of the fur seal pups crying for their parents through the dense fog as we slid past South Georgia en route for Port Stanley. Seal pups are feisty and very independent little creatures. A delight to watch 2) The blowing sound of hump back whales as they glided past the zodiac. We were asked to remain silent in our zodiac to experience this magical moment of stillness except for the movement by these truly magnificent mammals

I think for me it was the feeling of a vast space, extraordinary geological riches, of course the wildlife, but also the human footprint.

Seeing the whales and penguins up close was one of the many highlights. Finally standing on the Antarctica continent. There were a large diversity of passengers from all over the world. Great fun-loving people. The biggest surprise was having the opportunity to see schools of whales swimming together and being so close to them. This was a magical moment.

A. All the encounters with Penguins. b. They were amazing. c. I developed many meaningful relationships. d. I was surprised that I didn't throw-up. e. Seeing the whales close-up in the zodiac.

seeing the wildlife and hiking up the hills and sliding back down

The highlight was Charlotte's Bay as described above. It was a totally perfect experience on a perfectly calm and sunny day. The landscapes were absolutely breathtaking with the Seven Sister who were complete visible due to the awesome weather. I traveled alone, so I didn't have a group as others did; however, I met very nice people from the US, Hong Kong, UK, Australia and New Zealand. I was surprised at how skilled the crew was to adapting to new contingency plans due to changing weather. Charlotte's Bay was a magical, mystical and spiritual experience that will be forever embedded in my mind.

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.

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.

Each day was magical! We saw an avalanche and even an iceberg turning over!

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

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.

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!

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.

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.