Customer Reviews

The only land with no country ,no human being living there, only wild life and breathtaking landscape. No pollution , and when not windy the fantastic sound of silence. But how long will it last untouched ? So it is been a privilege to be there while still pure .

We experienced everything from close encounters with whales (while kayaking), playful penguins and seals, crumbling glaciers, to the roar of mother nature when the wind went from calm to more than 50 knots in less than five minutes. The staff was superb, and the ship and service impeccable.

We had a one day delay due to weather but once we got to Antarctica we couldn't have asked for more. Gorgeous weather for most of the trip and the views were sublime! Paddle boarding was our most favorite activity, but every single landing and zodiac ride had something amazing to offer. The crew is phenomenal - so smart, so fun, and so very friendly you can't help but have fun with them!

The boat and zodiac excursions were highlights. Scenery spectacular but not much variety. Unspoilt. We have seen many beautiful landscapes as we are frequent travellers. Penguins cute but smelly---seeing babies was special. Would have liked to see more seals and whales. Company congenial.

We loved the excursions, especially kayaking. The age range onboard made it fun to hang out with other passengers, and the expedition crew was out of this world.

The staff and crew were outstanding. The food was incredibly good. The excursions and workshops were highly informative. We had amazing weather so things couldn't have been better

The trip was amazing. The landscapes, glaciers and icebergs were beautiful. Michael particularly liked the whales that were diving within 10-15 feet of our zodiac; my favorite was seeing all the penguins and, in particular, the chicks. The Vavilov was an excellent choice. Our suite was spacious and very comfortable and the passengers were a very diverse and interesting group. The only surprise, after 8 days of spectacular weather and amazing excursions, was the fog at King George Island that prevented our flying back to Punta Arenas on the final day. Our excursion leader, Chad Gaetz and the entire staff did an amazing job of keeping us engaged with additional lectures, excursions, contests and other activities on the days that we were stuck near King George Island and also when we crossed the Drake Passage. The only reason we would not visit again is that there are many other places to visit.

This was truly a trip of a lifetime. The staff ensured it was a safe and incredible experience. The other guests were interesting like minded individuals. The wildlife was up close and personal. The views were beyond imagination. To be a guest in such a magical place was a true privilege.

Everything was amazing. Great scenery and wildlife, great activities. Highlights were kayaking and mountaineering plus being able to do 2 landings a day for 6 days. Ship was great, with enthusiastic fellow passengers.

Everything was great. Too many highlights to list. The landscapes and wildlife amazing. The crew on the Plancius were wonderful. The people we met on the trip also great.

Antarctica and the experience with Plancius far exceeded my best expectations. Hard to identify a specific highlight since everything was so outstanding-scenery, kayaking amid Humpbacks, daily snow shoeing hikes and climbs, incredible fellow passengers, etc. The only surprises were positive ones-much bigger and more comfortable room and much, much better food than we expected. Can't say enough about how great this trip was! Swoop did a super job of finding a trip and a ship that fit our interests and preferences. Overall, Swoop performed as advertised. As suggested in my sister Kate's feedback, my only recommendation for improvement would be to book individuals who are not married but share a last name and a cabin ( such as my sister and I) under separate names so that we each separately get the critical information required for the trip.

Trip was great but there are too many other places to explore. Wildlife cooperated! Staff and other guests were great. Accommodations and food were excellent

The highlight of the trip is being remote and off the grid for a week. It gave us the chance to soak in an untouched part of the world. The landscapes were dramatic and opened our eyes to other part of the world. The people, crew member, and ship operator's staff all made the trip extra memorable. We got to met with everyone and they were some of the nicest people. The staff were professional and made sure everyone on board was safe, happy, and had fun. This is a special story for us and it will be told to our grandchildren as the trip that we got engaged on the summit of Paradise Bay, Antarctica.

I think it was what we expected. We were lucky with the weather. We saw good landscapes and a lot of wildlife. Every person on the ship was a seasoned traveler. Better to be on a small ship.

The trip was incredible and I enjoyed all of the landings the most. I think the highlights were seeing all of the wildlife, like penguins, whales, and seals, and experiencing the stillness and vastness of the place. The people I met on the boat were a lot of fun, and I was happy that this trip had young people (millennials) who I hung out with, as well as older people. The only surprise was how much Antarctica affected me on a deep and almost spiritual level with its beauty and remoteness.

Highlight was kayaking landscapes were beautiful, and the wildlife, although not comparable to Africa, was enjoyable Nice people on the trip No surprises

Brilliant! Thousands of penguins, delightful weather, stunning scenery. We feel very lucky to have been able to experience such an amazing place.

Main highlights: walking amid penguins and seals, watching icebergs float by, watching up to 40 blue whales feeding around the ship, following into the footsteps of Shakelton and just gazing at the glaciers. we met a lot of varied nationalities and interesting people. biggest surprise was how tame the dreaded Drake passage was!

The complete journey was fantastic. Every day would reveal yet more wonders of the cold continent. Words cannot describe what your eyes see. No camera can capture the experience. You name it we saw it - no polar bears though. (people back home kept asking) There was not one negative about the "experience". People from 15 to 89, from every walks of life added to the expedition. The surprise was the adventure itself, how fantastic it was.

The trip was well organized. For me the highlight was crossing the Antarctic circle. Unbelievable landscapes and wild life. The biggest surprise was the hitting of the iceberg "a Titanic event".