Steve
United States Of America
Customer
Rating
8
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?”
Steve's Trip:
Ultimate Antarctica: South Georgia & Antarctic CircleSteve's Trip Date:
13th Dec - 12th Jan 2020
Steve's Ship:
Ocean DiamondWhat was your most memorable moment?
Standing on South Georgia with 100,000+ breeding pairs of King penguins.
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?
8 out of 10
How likely is it that you would recommend Quark Expeditions to a friend?
8 out of 10
Tell us about the wildlife
The falklands and South Georgia were amazing, the additional penquins in Antartica were great. Great photos and plenty of opportunities to stand still for a moment and take it in.
Tell us about Zodiac excursions
Zodiac excursions were fun based upon some great drivers, we spent most of our time kayaking so missed a few of the whale encounters, but really enjoyed the opportunity to zodiac at Wild Point on Elephant Island.
Tell us about the expedition team
Shane Evoy is a highly experienced Leader and his team was great. The lectures were informative and also fun. Hats off to our Kayak guides Whitey and Sarah, and the gist teams, (all the lecturers from mammal biologist to historionologist.....).
Tell us about the Ocean Diamond
Talking to the team this ship is getting long in the tooth with maybe 3-4 more years, so we will probably never sail with her again, but she was great in our eyes. Plenty of cabin room, (would have been nice for additional hangers and some racks in the closets as we had to leave a lot of our gear on the floor). Plenty of viewing sites and I greatly enjoyed the viewing area directly behind the lounge allowing for a quick dip inside to warm up or have a cup of tea/cocoa. The food was fantastic and over the top. I estimate I gained 7 pounds and I was cautious in my eating.....
Tell us about the Camping
Slightly surprised that we camped on an island versus the mainland, but came to realize that finding a spot on the mainland is probably fairly difficult based upon the coastline. The weather was warm, (actually light rain for 4 hours) but still greatly enjoyed the experience.
Tell us about the Kayaking
Kayaking was a highlight, many people were turned away, so glad your team recommended and got us signed up for this. To be able to kayak through the brash ice and along the shorelines for birds and seals was great.
Tell us about Buenos Aires
I think we need more time in BA. We hit a few tours, but not overally impressed.
Something Else?
We did do a number of tours in Ushuaia and found the scenery and hikes to be great. Very happy we spent this additional time in the area. Also able to eat at a number of very nice restaurants at a very good price, which is always nice.
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Antarctica?
You do not need as many clothes as you think. We brought too many items, and wanted a few other nice clothes just for dress up, to make the ship activities more fun. The cost of washing clothes was more reasonable then I expected.
Do you have any recommendations or feedback for the Swoop team?
We have no regrets purchasing through Swoop, but as we learned more it is very important to understand who is doing the expedition, (which company). So I would recommend this be very well explained to interested parties so they fully understand Swoop is a travel company booking for a different company that does the expedition, (we are very satisfied with the ship’s operator and believe it was more the fact that we wanted the Falklands, South Georgia and getting across the Circle that led us to this 23 day trip which was run by them).
