January Reviews

The highlight was stepping onto Antarctica. Landscapes were awesome. The whales and penguins were fascinating. The elephant seal was a real treat to see and hear him snoring. The ship operator's staff and ship crew members were outstanding. They accommodated each passenger individually. The people we met were lovely.

Impossible to say - every day was a unique eye opener Been on over 20 ships of different lines. The Hellenic Diana we travelled on is perfect design staffed with the friendliest, knowledgeable, helpful crew imaginable.

Seeing a pod of 40-50 humpback whales feeding right next to the ship.

The landscape, PENGUINS, Aurora - Sylvia Earle, PENGUINS, seals, the Aurora team, PENGUINS, other guest we met, how welcome we felt on the ship, PENGUINS,

I went with two specific goals and achieved them both.The wild life was great , the landscape not so, partly because we spent7 days in open sea and there was nothing but fog most of the time. No snow covered mountains as one would see in the Antarctic peninsular. There were two prominent sets of passengers one about 12 - Swedish people who were not friendly and the other was a group of “Gay “ scuba diving friends who were more friendly. There were no surprises and the trip was as advertised. The security at Port Stanley was aggravating having my Allen keys confiscated because the woman classified it as a dangerous weapon !!! My friend’s Allen keys were allowed through go and figure that one out. I had two magical moments - 1) The sound of the fur seal pups crying for their parents through the dense fog as we slid past South Georgia en route for Port Stanley. Seal pups are feisty and very independent little creatures. A delight to watch 2) The blowing sound of hump back whales as they glided past the zodiac. We were asked to remain silent in our zodiac to experience this magical moment of stillness except for the movement by these truly magnificent mammals

Very pleased with the ship's operator - the expedition staff were first class. Highlight - - - as on the previous trip, South Georgia A pity that we 'lost' 3 days because of the weather - - - but you've got to take what Mother Nature throws at you.

To clarify... I'd rate the adventure somewhere between "life changing" and "great." I have told family and friends since returning home that it was "life affirming." As for "most memorable moment," I'd have to say any moment spent among the penguins. I have always been skeptical about the concept of manufactured instant joy. Then I took my first excursion to one of the penguin-inhabited peninsulas. Now I am a believer.

Anchoring in Borgen Bay - such a beautiful place Polar Plunge!

Loved the Kayaking with seals and penguins. The sheer beauty of Antarctica was totally off the charts amazing, it was nothing like I had ever experienced.

Observing the longest and largest standing iceberg A76 currently in the world. It was so big I couldn't capture it on my phone camera. The overall experience of visiting such pristine and beautiful continent was absolutely amazing and awesome.

So many memories it’s hard to break it down to just one

Our most memorable moment was when we crossed the Antarctic Circle and then found a landing site where we could play like kids in the snow.

Bringing my 84 year old Aunt to shore fulfilling her lifes dream to visit what we affectionately have called Aunt-Artica <3 She worried that she was too old to go and she was treated SO kindly by all the staff and expedition leaders. Thank you!

Seeing a penguin CITY. Tens of thousands of penguins. So much going on at the same time. It's an entire society.

The complete journey was fantastic. Every day would reveal yet more wonders of the cold continent. Words cannot describe what your eyes see. No camera can capture the experience. You name it we saw it - no polar bears though. (people back home kept asking) There was not one negative about the "experience". People from 15 to 89, from every walks of life added to the expedition. The surprise was the adventure itself, how fantastic it was.

Penguin party on the ice floe visiting early explorers huts the wildlife the immensity of Antarctica

We watched a pod of orcas hunting two penguins in the Gerlache Strait for ten to fifteen minutes. We have long been on the hunt for orcas, and have never seen anything more than a distant dorsal fin. It was an incredible spectacle to watch.

Paddling among the ice floats. It was so peaceful and relaxing.

So many. The landscape, the silence, the icebergs, the glaciers, being so close to so many penguins, walking on the Antarctic continent. But the final afternoon seeing so many whales from the balcony and then in a zodiac being surrounded by whales that we didn't know which way to look.

The first time we disembarked in Coureville Island and there they were...thousands of Gentoo Penguins. Everything was a highlight.