Alex

United States Of America

Customer
Rating

10

Customer Rating On return from their adventure we ask customers: “On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the highest, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?”

Alex's Trip Date:

9th Dec - 17th Dec 2022

What was your most memorable moment?

Seeing the penguins marching and playing!

Which of the following best describes your adventure?

Great holiday

On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 out of 10

On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your trip: Antarctic Fly & Cruise Safari?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9 out of 10

Were Swoop right to recommend Quark Expeditions?

Yes

Tell us about the expedition team

The expedition team on the ship was excellent. They were all very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Abby, the Expedition Lead, kept the passengers well informed on daily expectations and landing instructions. Johann, Craig, and Santiago were very good guides with interesting and entertaining knowledge in each zodiac cruise. Daily briefings were a very good way to review all daily activities with entertainment and information. The Expedition Team makes this trip memorable!

Tell us about Zodiac excursions

Felt very safe in every zodiac excursion. Navigating thru ice chunks and icebergs is not easy. On one excursion where the weather was bad, the expedition team brought out a zodiac with hot chocolate and Baily's Irish Cream including music to keep everyone warm and entertained - nice touch!

Tell us about the wildlife

Best part of the trip! Wish we were able to see more active whales and seals -- I understanding this is early in the season for both animals. However, it was great to see penguins in a more pristine environment than later in the season. Captured a lot of very good photos of the penguins. Waited a long time to capture a good photo of the whales while on a zodiac excursion but the whales did not cooperate (they were "logging"). Another zodiac, however, did capture a wonderful picture of a whale swimming very close by and showed us the photo. I did see, however, a whale making a bubble net before feeding -- had to be higher on the ship to get a good picture.

Tell us about the Ocean Adventurer

The hotel staff was excellent. They all provided exceptional service throughout the trip. They greeted everyone with a smile at every occasion. Our room was comfortable with ample closet space. Food on the ship, however, was average. We have expected better quality. Selections were ok for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The positive was the foods were not salty.

Something Else?

I suspected this is a trip of a lifetime for many and Quark made this trip smooth and memorable! We did get very lucky with the weather on the first 3 days which made the trip so much enjoyable. Weather got rough on the 4th day but it was still very interesting with a landing on the 7th continent. Unfortunately, we had to return a day early due to the change in weather and an increase in low cloud cover for our flight on Friday. However, the Quark Expedition Team did a good job of adjusting its excursion plans and got us to Whaler's Bay which most trips do not go before our return to King George Island. We got closest to the penguins at this location! I would highly recommend Swoop and Quark to our friends!

Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Antarctica?

Be flexible and expect the unexpected! So much of the trip is dependent on the weather and it changes very quickly. Enjoy the wonders of what you see and take lots of pictures and videos! Bring a good camera with a good telephoto lens and a good binocular!

Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?

Good to see a part of the world that is so untouched by humans!

Do you have any recommendations for Swoop, or feedback about the team?

I found Swoop to be very customer focused. I appreciated Swoop provided an upgrade to my room with no additional charge when Quark did not. The pre-trip Zoom call was also very informative. The information packeted was also very information.

Was there anything else Swoop could have done for you to help you prepare for your trip?

No! A job well done!

Would you consider another trip to Antarctica with Swoop?

No

Would you be interested in travelling to Patagonia with Swoop?

No

Would you be interested in travelling to The Arctic with Swoop?

Yes

8 people found this review helpful

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