Donna & Ralph Briskin

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?”

Donna & Ralph Briskin's Trip Date:

1st Nov - 26th Nov 2018

Donna & Ralph Briskin's Ship:

Hebridean Sky

Overall, how was your trip?

Highlights were the icebergs! That is what drove me to Antarctica and we were not disappointed. Of course the penguins were icing no the cake. Kayaking was superb! We don't remember signing up (did Swoop comp us?) and we loved every moment of it!

In one sentence, what did you think of Antarctica? Did it live up to your expectations?

Fantastic and YES!

Would you visit again?

No

How was the service that Swoop provided?

Swoop was terrific from the first contact through checking on our flight back from Ushuaia! We also thought the best piece of clothing we had were the buffs you sent us! Boy, did we need them! The ship was perfect and the cabin was lovely. Being on the top floor was a mixed blessing, though. Lots of rocking and some noise from the zodiacs above us.

How likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 out of 10

You chose a/an South Georgia, Antarctica and Falklands Luxury Explorer experience. How was that experience?

We went knowing little about the area and were really glad we chose the longer voyage. S. Georgia was stunning. We would definitely recommend this voyage and this ship. My only recommendation for the operator is that the food was mediocre. Looked "fancy" but overly so for us. Maybe geared toward the British more than Americans. Oh..and the packing list should include chemical hand warmers or they should sell them in the shop. Some people had them and shared..they were life savers for Ralph

If Swoop arranged some of your travel before/after your voyage. How did we do?

We were thrilled with our room in Puerto Madryn (a nice upgrade was given to us) and that it was comp'ed for two nights. All pre-trip info was great and flight reservations were stress free.

How were your experiences on the zodiac excursions and shore landings?

Well, the kayaking was a surprise for us...and wonderful. Each one was different and all excellent. They did a great job of handling all skill levels of kayakers. The zodiac excursions (especially for the icebergs) and shore landings were great. The landings to watch penguins were longer than we would have planned, but we were able to take a zodiac back when we were done, so it worked out fine. We understand the logistic challenges the weather/conditions caused and thought the staff handling it well. We found the some of the expedition staff a bit too much like camp counselors/cheerleaders, but that is probably just us. They were all very competent on the excursions.

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

They should bring hand warmers. They should take the longer excursions. They should understand that this voyage just touches the penninsula and if they really want to go into Antartica, they need to go on an icebreaker ship. (Several of the people on our cruise had done both.)

Anything else? Tell us anything you’d like to share that we forgot to ask! It’s ok to leave this empty too :-)

To explain above answers: We might go to Arctic, but we think it will be melted away soon. Not sure we would do another long cruise, though. Regarding Patagonia, we have spent some wonderful time there already ad will probably go back on our own to Calafate and El Chaten. I hope so....

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