January Reviews

I would say that the highlights were the landings and zodiac cruising. The landscape and wildlife were in a word amazing! Otherworldly! The expedition team MADE the experience... so informative and caring! I was surprised that the Drake crossing was SO SMOOTH! Wonderful Crew and perfect weather. The morning we spent on Useful Island... it was a pre-breakfast landing and it was just perfect... I will never forget it!

Some places were truly magical . Highlight was camping and whale watching with the zodiacs . Overdose of penguins and ice !

Overall, excellent. I love the landscapes; the vast watery, icy nothingness. There was a lot less wildlife than I had expected, as we really was not that far down south at 68degrees. The most magical moment was when a humpback swam under the zodiac I was in, and I could see clearly its fins and white body, so close that I could almost touch it. I wish I could have reached out to stroke its body as it reared up its head near the zodiac!

Highlight was Wilhelmina Bay where we saw whales up close and personal. Landscapes was surreal, and pretty amazing. Wildlife, only saw two types of penguins which was the gentoo and adelie, hoped to see more. People were great. Surprises - the ship decided to delay sail to the next day because we had to wait for 2 passengers who were late due to airport strike - honestly the two passengers should not fly in at the last minute to board such an important cruise and the ship of 100+ people should not have to wait for 2 people... - and also partially due to a 'storm' - but next day we sail we caught another storm anyway.

Great , except for the drake passage

The spectacular day with the whales dancing for us all. What a show! I love the glaciers, the total quietness and most of all, the feeling that we as human sapiens are simply a dot in this world when you are surrounded by the white centuries-old glaciers. The ship operator's staff was really excellent. I love how the whole trip was so well organized, and the staff of the vessel Resolute was undeniably very friendly. My most magical moment was the sunset whilst laying in the sleeping bag camping on the glaciers. An epic sight of the magnificent sunset in the South.

8

Wow and wow! The scenery, wildlife, the ship crew, the adventure guides and most of the guests on board. Magical was when the zodiacs were zig zaging through the loose ice floes.

The general itinerary was great, but we found the extra activities such as kayaking and camping to be the most memorable. I liked the idea of the closed group for kayaking since it did seem to take a while for people to get comfortable, and I could not imagine having to repeat that process every outing. The scenery kayaking through some of the harbors seemed out of this world. We also saw orcas on multiple occasions with the pod coming right up to the ship. One pod was even hunting a seal. It was all very exciting!

Our trip was in three parts. For me one of the highlights was completing the W trek, the variety of terrain and the smooth organisation added to this. We then visited Los Glaciares where a highlight was seeing thePerito Moreno Glacier. Antarctica offered us the opportunity to reflect on a wonderfully different world. A highlight for me was waking up after camping out on the ice and seeing the wonderful colours reflected in sky and sea. And also the fantastic and uninhibited display of curiosity and fun all around us by a pod of whales. To be so close to creatures like this was a truly one of experience

The ship was very stable, nice and the food was better than expected. The staff was very professional and always helpful. The group was a microcosm of the world with people from all over. 99.9 percent spoke English and we all got along wonderfully. My roommate was great and the cabin location was perfect for an old guy. Three of us had a birthday on the same day and we got cake and a song which was special. The only reason that I wouldn't visit again is due to my age. I do not recommend the hotel where I stayed, plus the cost of the private transfers which should have been better explained, otherwise it was great.

Overall, the trip was good. Excellent guides, service on board, etc. The landings we were able to do were excellent, and we totally lucked out with beautiful weather and a calm Drake Passage on the way back.

From beginning to end the trip was fantastic. It was so educational and I learned more about the wildlife, geology and history of Antarctica than I could have imagined. All the staff and crew members were knowlegeable and helpful. The highlight had to be getting so close to the humpback whales while we were on the zodiac

Thoroughly enjoyed the landings and all the wildlife, but unfortunately due to a medical evacuation we spent the majority of the holiday at sea, which was a big disappointment.

Our trip on Polar Pioneer was outstanding. We loved the ship and it’s crew, who together with the expedition team make our voyage unforgettable. Highlights: sleep over on the ice, sun sets, icebergs Landscapes: sensory overload

The trip lioved up to all our expectations and more. Highlight was the bubblenet fishing of the Humpback whales really close to the ship and the Antarctic plunge which could have been on a beach at home for air temperatures but not the ocean. The guides were so knowledgeable and helpful, it became like one big happy family

The experience was fantastic. We saw lots of different seals, penguins, icebergs and glaciers. Highlights: 8 orcas playing "with" our ship, and 2 humpback whales jumping in and out of the water as we had to say good-bye to Antarctica. But our trip was interrupted and our itinerary changed almost completely (effectively to a trip that would have taken half the time and cost half the money). I experienced Antarctica as a "mass tourist", which was different to, e.g., standing on the Greenland ice shelf all by myself. But crew, staff and also fellow passengers were great company, experienced, and did everything they could to make the trip excellent. Most magical: sailing into cierva cove at 5 o'clock in the morning, sun blazing, icebergs glittering, no one at the back end of deck 3 ;)

The reason I have chosen NO in the previous question is because I feel very content on having seen Antarctica thoroughly and learning and seeing so much about the place. I do not think I missed anything in the trip, and so if I visit again I might just end up doing the same thing. This was one of my best trips ever in terms of being satisfied. Highlights were aplenty (in order): ~ Spending time in Ushuaia the southern most city in the world ~ Living a comfortable life in the ship with good passengers for company, and the best possible expedition team ~ Witnessing Orcas, Dolphins straight from the portside cabin window ~ Crossing the Polar Circle ~ Polar plunging (twice!) ~ Encounters with humpback whales swimming so close to the zodiac ~ Sitting ashore and absorbing the calm and vastness of the peninsula on a bright sunny day ~ Good variety of food and beverage

Over the top fabulous trip. Surprise: 1)I don't think I understood that the trip was not a "Swoop" trip but rather a brokered trip booked through the ship's operator. 2)I didn't expect that over half the people of the trip (China residents) would not speak English. Made it tough for getting them understanding instructions. The variety of people from 13 countries was great; the other 12 countries could speak some or fluent English.

Two highlights were crossing the Antarctic Circle and stepping foot twice on the continent.