December Reviews

Our ship encountered a huge group of feeding humpback whales. We were surrounded by them for approx. 1.5 hours as we watched them feed, play, breech, dive... it was an enchanting experience. I never thought I would be so up close to these beautiful creatures.

I describe this adventure as going to the moon and back. Of course, a trip like this is very weather dependent - but our weather could not have been any more perfect! Our expedition leader, Sarah, was determined to get us off the ship as much as possible. She only wanted to share her knowledge and the beauty around us. Her enthusiasm was infectious. We had 17 landings and 2 cancelled landings, of which one was substituted for a zodiac excursion so we didn't miss the penguin colony. So you ask what was my most memorable moment - every day, every longing, every guide, every lecture was memorable. This was an other worldly experience.

Honestly the people and crew I spent time with while on the cruise. I went solo and was worried about being bored and alone on the cruise. I'm glad my budget basically had me limited to having a shared quad cabin. I ended up making friends with some amazing people in my cabin and the guys next door as well. I hope we all keep in contact. Also the crew was AMAZING they were professional but all so real and their backgrounds and histories could keep people entertained for days.

Experiencing Lemaire Channel with such beautiful weather conditions!

There are quite a few actually, difficult to choose. I'll share one each for Antarctica and Patagonia. Antarctica - very up close a couple of humpback whales, directly by the bow of MS Seaventure, almost could touch them, as they blow and surface for a good 10-15 minutes pushing the broken ice around them. Bliss. Patagonia - horseback riding up the base of Las Torres, allowed me to soak up the views near and far, riding high above the side of mountain, looking down the valley, up Las Torres view, absolutely fantastic point of view.

Standing on the Antarctic continent with all the penguins & the majestic mountains & glaciers all around.

I dont have one moment. It was the entire experience. One moment isnt the best.

The daily expeditions were well run, adventurous, and led by amazingly insightful, patient, and FUN expedition staff. There was no one moment that was great, they were all great.

Our camping expedition was a one of a kind with the penguins coming to check out the people who landed on their property and placed sleeping bags on the snow.

The most memorable moment was being on the continent with my daughter. Seeing the natural wildlife was wonderful.

Seeing type D orcas.

Memorable...? Getting on the plane back to NYC

Ice climbing; camping, especially the feeling when our zodiac pulled away and I found myself somehow connected with Shackleton and the seabirds flying overhead; seeing a dozen or more Elephant Seals woven together in the pebbles surrounded by penguins; and the sheer exhilaration of participating in the polar plunge with like-minded thrill seekers!

Bailey head and Spork Island. Indescribable. The wildlife we were able to see was a gift from God. The whales took our breath away. We all froze when one went under our Zodiac ;) Everyone was friendly. I happened to bring one of my grandchildren who has been obsessed with Penguins her entire existence and it was the best gift of her life. The new years celebration. The BBQ was awesome and to countdown in the middle of ice was a privilege with the beauty of the midnight sun.

Doing our first landing into the peninsula itself. The terrain was amazing and the weather was gorgeous. It is exactly what I imagined Antarctica to be like.

The crew, the wildlife, the landscapes, and the other passengers were all incredible!

The highlight of the trip was being able to camp on the continent. The landscape and wildlife was great. We hoped to see orcas and didn't. But we did see several seals, penguins species, and a few humpbacks. The travel experience on the boat was mind boggling, so many great stories and interesting people and backgrounds. A few surprises we had were the bottle of champagne in the room, (THANKS LOLI!!) one day with no wind, and the BBQ dinner and dance on the stern of the boat.

First stop in the Shetland Islands. The hike around penguins was outstanding. We saw penguins sitting on eggs, sitting on baby penguins, and even saw a penguin hatch. The sounds of the penquins was joyful. Excellent start to a week of adventure.

Being married on the yacht by Cpt. Dave and passing the Sir David Attenborough in the Lemire Channel.

Loved everything. Being welcomed by penguins and ignored by seals was priceless. Traversing the LeMaire Strait on a clear, blue, calm day with mirror-like reflections of snowy peaks in the water was stunning. The guests on the cruise were highly compatible and the ship crew and expedition staff were wonderful.