I'd never seen a penguin before so the first time I saw penguins on a floating ice berg, sliding off into the sea and cavorting in the ocean was an incredible experience. There were so many other memorable moments on this wildlife / historical / mountainous landscape and ice berg adventure that it is hard to single any out.

Great holiday

Yes

The zodiac excursions were excellent ways to see more of an area and get a feel for the dimension of the landscape, get close to swimming seals and penguins as well as get to places we couldn't go on the ship or on land. Our guides were excellent zodiac drivers. They were very safety conscious and did their best to minimize the sea spray. I think 10 people on a zodiac is too many especially when so many of them have those large cameras with long telephoto lenses. Many of them thought because they were so well equipped that they should be able to block the views of others without a second thought. The zodiac drivers need to tell them to kneel down and to watch out to ensure other's views are not blocked. Stating this every time before the zodiac leaves the ship would be helpful as well as to call out people who are not following this etiquette.

Kudos to all the expedition guides on this trip. They were outstanding guides, helpful, thoughtful and always ready to answer a question or look up information for us. I participated in 2 of the Citizen Science activities. I would have participated in the others but they were only done spontaneously with no advance notice so only the people who happened to be in that particular zodiac got to experience it.

The Greg Mortimer is a fine ship. Comfortable, spacious state rooms with great views from the balconies, comfortable, firm mattresses with 2 different kinds of pillows, and plenty of blankets. Each room had its own thermostat and the heated bathroom floors were fabulous. Our room was always made up when we wanted it to be and we had privacy when we didn't feel like being waited on. The room had 2 closets, one with a safe which was useful. I really liked that there were plenty of hangers and shelf space. The lighting was good and the special reading bedside reading spotlights were useful. There were plenty of electrical sockets (European only) and USB-A ports but no USB-C ports. The hallways are decorated with interesting animal, landscape and ship photos. Many of the photos showing Greg Mortimer and other passengers need to be updated because they show them sitting on land near penguins or jumping off the ship bow and these are no longer allowed for both biosecurity and safety reasons. This did not bother me but one of the guides said Aurora needs to update the photos to be more in line with what today's environmentally and safety conscious crew and guests experience. The dining room is very comfortable but very NOISY. We were only 106 passengers and we all ate together in the very large dining room. Aurora needs to renovate this room to add noise dampening material because you could barely hear what your neighbor was saying and nothing from someone sitting across the table. Part of the experience is to get to know the other guests and one of the best places is at meal times. I hope they fix this problem. Food-wise we had delicious meals that were nicely presented and well balanced. The menu changed regularly in the main dining room so there was plenty of variety. In the smaller adjacent Tuscan Grill the menu never changed but the grilled lamb chops were always delicious. I also enjoyed the 3 PM afternoon tea which we had on occasion. The crunchy butter cookies were yummy as were the scones with cream and jam.

We had an outbreak of Influenza A on the ship which could have been prevented. There were several people who embarked on the 3-week trip who were visibly and audibly sick and who were not wearing masks. The Expedition Leader should have told everyone who was sick to mask and if they had fever to stay in the room. I know he did not want to offend any paying clients, especially because this trip was very, very expensive, but he should have because those people made many others sick and those paying clients lost out on some Antarctica landings and zodiac rides because of it. It is not enough to tell people in a lecture hall that "You are all adults and know what to do if you are sick." No, the Expedition Leader and the Ship Doctor should have told the people that every one saw who were sick to mask up or stay in their rooms. There was a lot of gossip going around on the ship about this problem and the fingers pointed directly at the sick people and the trip leaders. Also, at each entrance to the dining hall there are sinks and soap to wash up with a sign instructing diners to do so. But many people bypassed this step to pick their table and did not come back to wash. I think there should have been a Hotel Staff member standing there and telling the people who were walking past to go back and wash up BEFORE selecting their table. Another thing I did not like was the potential halt to the entire trip that the Polar Plunge places every passenger, even those who do not participate. During the safety meeting before the plunge, it should be clearly stated that if someone plunges and experiences a medical emergency because of their participation in the plunge that requires medical attention that cannot be provided on the ship, the entire ship has to sail back to Ushuaia. There is no provision for a helicopter or any other medical transport from the ship out of Antarctica. I was very concerned about this and asked the Co-expedition Leader about it. Although it may not happen often, everyone should be informed of what would happen to the rest of the trip program if someone had a medical emergency like a heart attack, and the ship had to return to port. Who compensates the passengers who didn't plunge or who were not adversely affected by the plunge?

Read up on what you are going to see. The cruise passes quickly and the more you know about Antarctica before you go the more interesting and rewarding the trip will be.

The urgency to protect our planet and all living creatures came into full display. I vote in every election, local/state/federal, but that is not enough. If we want home lands and countries and outstanding places like Antarctica and South Georgia Island to persist into the future, we need to contact our local/state/federal politicians and tell them to vote for policies that protect the environment and to put people and nature ahead of profits. I'm already involved in a political campaign and and I support people who work to protect the environment and the health and safety of all living beings, but this trip has inspired me to share that message with my neighbors and everyone I meet.

I was very excited about this trip. I wasn't sure I was prepared clothing-wise but it turned out that I was.

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Beyond 12 months