Standing right amidst the 22,000 breeding pairs of King penguins at Fortuna Bay, South Georgia Island, with fur seal pups playfully splashing and waddling all around!

Life changing

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Definitely felt safe at all times; expedition team and ship's crew always put safety first! Enjoyed the Zodiacs both as a mode of transportation to get us to shore, as well as the times we just took cruises in the Zodiacs without a landing. Most memorable one was with Expedition Team Leader Marty and Team Photographer Ben--learned so much from the both of them!!!

Expedition team was fantastic!!!! They were all extremely knowledgeable and professional and very friendly and easily approachable. They were always on hand to help us spot and identify wildlife. Loved every lecture!!! Favorites were Will and his 2 historical presentations (he is a really engaging presenter and I could listen to him speak all day!!) as well as the lecture by Julia on Climate Change/Global Warming. It is hard to pick stand-out staff, as they were ALL wonderful!!! Of course, Marty was an outstanding leader, but EVERYONE did their part to make this a spectacular trip for us!!

Beautiful ship and just the right size for us! Definitely lived up to our expectations. We had a lovely 4th floor cabin. Would be very happy to sail on Seaventure again. Staff were very friendly and called us by name. Stand-outs were Chef Archie (always knew what kind of omelet to make me from Day 1 and brought it to me as soon as he saw me enter the dining room); Dining Room beverage server Gladiola who always cheerfully brought our desired beverages as soon as she saw us enter the dining room; and Cabin Attendant Rodelio who kept our room sparkling and was so friendly and positive. Food was excellent, although we do need to point out it is likely we both (along with many other passengers) contracted apparent salmonella food poisoning from 1 meal (a Monte Cristo sandwich). Unfortunately, this caused me to miss both a Zodiac cruise and one shore excursion (Salisbury) at South Georgia Island and I was out of commission for 3 full days; my husband missed the shore excursion also and was similarly very ill for 2 1/2 days. Ship's doctor and nurse were very accommodating and did a lot to help us get better as quickly as possible!! Restaurant manager Sergey always personally supervised delivery of meals while we were sick and made sure we had everything we needed.

This was only the 2nd time we'd kayaked, and the experience was probably a little too intense for us, although we are still glad to have done it! This gave us a chance to be at a different vantage point for viewing wildlife and for gliding through the sea ice. Unfortunately, we picked a day where it was very cold and windy (1st afternoon in Antarctica) and we struggled to keep up with the group. Rex was particularly helpful in trying to get Bill's pedals/seat adjusted.

Itinerary order was changed at the last minute from what we anticipated but think it worked out very well starting in Antarctica and ending in the Falklands. While Antarctica is so beautiful, we saw so much more wildlife in South Georgia, so it was better to have started with the manageable amount of wildlife in Antarctica, followed by the teaming wildlife in South Georgia (think we would have been disappointed in the amount of wildlife in Antarctica if it had followed South Georgia). The crew was excellent about dodging as much bad weather as possible, which translated into flexibility!

This is an intense trip and it was important to us to do this expedition while we are both in good health; would advise other travelers to do the same! This is an expedition--not a vacation--and we were very well-prepared on what to expect. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that leaves us with unforgettable memories! If a traveler can add South Georgia to their excursion, that would be advised; once you are as far as Antarctica, the remote South Georgia is that much more accessible and offers so much more in wildlife viewing. It is my opinion the Antarctica/South Georgia/Falkland Islands trio is the best combination. While this journey did not have the time to go deeply into Antarctica/all the way to the South Pole, we had tremendous exposure to the body of land of Antarctica such that we did not feel the need to see more there. The suggestions for clothing were excellent and we were very well-prepared for the Zodiac excursions. I might have wished I had some additional casual clothes for all the days at sea, but the most important thing was packing clothing for the off-ship experiences!

Yes! What I especially learned is how what I do in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, particularly from the standpoint of energy and fuel consumption, has an impact on Antarctica!!! The term biosecurity was new to us, and we really learned the importance of taking special measures to protect the fragile and pristine environments so as to not introduce any non-native plants/species or damaging influences.

You did a great job of listening to our wishes at the outset of our contacts, and made great recommendations accordingly. You continued to be accessible to us from the moment of first contact until it was time for us to take our journey. The planning video conference held in December was also very helpful. We have been very impressed with your services.

Very well-prepared and very excited!!!!

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