Encountering the icebergs close up and the pristine Antarctic landscape in some areas as well as maneuvering through the brash ice with the zodiac.

Great holiday

Yes

I certainly felt safe at all times. I was frustrated, at times, with drivers who seemed to be ALWAYS left or right oriented and it seemed that I was ALWAYS sitting on the opposite side of the ~ so, for example, some drivers would ALWAYS orient the whale or iceberg action on the left/port side of the zodiac when I was sitting on the right/starboard side and vice versa versus being cognizant of giving both sides of the zodiac more or less equal opportunity. MANY of my photos have “red hoods” in the frame. My favourite zodiac experience was motoring through the brash ice and then cutting the motor and “just listening “.

They were outstanding! What really impressed me the most were their professionalism, their commitment to work as a team and to consistently put forward such positive energy. Truly, they all stood out in their own right. Runa did a fabulous job, with his dry sense of humour, of bringing everything together including keeping all the passengers happy with the weather related change of plans. I learned tons! Liz brought history to life. Peter, Heather, and John enthusiastically presented subjects dear to their hearts. The photography tips that Grant presented to those of us shooting photos on our phones was definitely a favourite! Chloe was the one person who would quickly lose my attention in her lectures as I struggled to understand what she was saying through her thick accent. I REALLY enjoyed Lydia’s presentation on her various climbing feats. Truly incredible! The word “Amazing” was used way too frequently. It sometimes felt as though the expedition team was trying to reinforce that all the money we spent on this trip was worth every cent. There were definitely some “amazing” sights/things but their worth was weakened when that same descriptor was used for some fairly ordinary sights/things.

The ship was great! I probably did not fully appreciate the difference that the stabilizers made on our open water voyages, but various staff were quick to point out what a difference they make. The space within our cabin was fine but I was distressed to discover how noisy it was at nighttime. It was though our room was right above the engine (s). No amount of ear plugs, pillow over the head could drown out the noise! Some nights seemed to be worse than others. I would rate the food as very good, as long as you were feeling well. As my stomach became upset, those same foods were either too salty, too spicy or too sweet. For three days, I ate VERY LITTLE as there didn’t seem to be any/many options for something plain and simple (like a ham and cheese sandwich) for a woozy stomach. Eventually, I did discover that it was possible to request something that wasn’t on the menu or in the buffet options, but it would have been nice to know earlier that it was an option. I would choose (and recommend) the Sylvia Earle again if I were to cruise again (which is HIGHLY unlikely).

Avoid rooms in the rear of the ship on deck #4 unless you have a high tolerance for engine noise.

The positive vibe among the expedition team was also very evident in ALL the staff ~ from Angela and Jaico in guest services,who would cheerily greet us and call us by name to the bar and restaurant staff, many of whom would also address us by first name. There was NEVER a negative vibe detected among staff ~ quite exceptional!

I have become aware that I am not a very good cruiser!

Make sure clients understand the pros and cons about various cabins (noise level, motion) so that they can make informed decisions. Coordinate communication with Aurora so information is more streamlined and duplicate entries are not required from each organization.

With the information we received, I felt prepared. Antarctica was a “bucket list” item for my husband. I was willing to go along (and have no regrets about going) but I didn’t ever share his excitement or enthusiasm about going. I would say that any pictures or videos that I viewed of The Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica before going probably raised my expectations too high ~ the exceptional displays of wildlife, the exceptional icebergs, etc.

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