November Reviews

Overall there were lots of disappointing moments got to do only 1 of the things i wanted to do...(polar plunge) Saw tons of gentoo penguins very little if any of much else people were nice...much younger crowd than i expected boat was ok, food was good, staff good.

The highlights were the Shackleton history and being able to stand on the top of the pass were the trio looked down on the whaling base at Stromness-their destination. Weather was perfect. The landscape was stunning- a glaciologists dream. Many interesting people on the ship. Only 60 passengers so quite intimate. Staff were very good- very friendly and knowledgeable . Was ssitting in the lounge early one morning and the 1st officer came down and told me to come up to the bridge to see the whale that was only a 100 metres away.

Kayaking among the icebergs, looking at penguins.

The trip was perfect in every way. The ship was comfortable, the service great, scenery spectacular, the landings varied and fascinating, animal and bird life amazing

Great experience, not one particular highlight, just the whole experience! Landscape stunning, difficult to describe its uniqueness. Lots of penguins, seals. Limited whales which was a little disappointing but thats wildlife...... Crew and expedition staff were friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Unfortunately on board ship there was a rude and disrespectful Chinese party.

Alex. I have given you detailed feedback over the phone. I assume that the emails asking for feedback are automatically generated so do not see the need to repeat all I said to you. In short, Swoop provided a very good service with plenty of discussion and information before departure. The ship's hotel staff and crew were excellent. The ship's layout was poor, with nowhere other than the cabin (or the deck when weather permitted) to escape from the lounge when the presentations did not appeal or when we wanted to escape from the endless musak. The fixed 'fore and aft' lounge seating did not afford sensible conditions for lectures. The quality of the lectures was generally very poor with most expedition staff lacking basic public speaking skills and putting far too much emphasis on endless statistics. The expedition staff generally were lacking in general knowledge and sometimes even in courtesy. Any request for information about the bird life was usually met with 'ask Bruce' and of course Bruce was not always around to be asked. They ensured a safe environment but we often felt that they were reluctant to engage in conversation. Andrew and Michelle, the leader and his deputy, were both off-hand and dismissive. another member of the team, Bill, behaved totally inappropriately on occasion - largely to play to the gallery - even turning up in drag in the middle of a beautiful cruise through the ice. Our fellow passengers were mostly Swiss and German and were generally a good crowd although it was often difficult to find enough places at a table at mealtimes for a group of English speakers to sit down together. Hope that helps Peter

Loved it! 10 days without internet was awesome. We got to spend quality time with a lot of interesting people. Polar plunged twice. Kayaking was definitely a highlight!

Impossible to state a highlight as one event built on the previous events. Even daft activities like a bar-b-que on deck as it snows and icebergs for decor, what can you say - brilliant. We were lucky with the weather so saw most things and other not so normal like 2 emperor penguins and an Leopard seal. The other passengers created a happy experience and staff and experts knew their stuff making the learning side enjoyable.

Everything about the trip to the Peninsula aboard MV Ushuaia was wonderful. The ship, crew, staff, and especially the expedition leaders were great. They really took care of us well and ensured that we all had the journey of a lifetime. The landscapes and seascapes were breathtakingly otherworldly. Of special note were the awesome tabular icebergs and the various hues of the ice and snow. Penguins topped the list for the wildlife experience. And for the humans, we met some interesting fellow passengers from around the world. The certificate and info disc were welcome surprises, icing on the cake.

Highlights include kayaking (in ANTARCTICA!), camping without a tent (in ANTARCTICA!), having a penguin staring at me for half an hour while I was just sitting up in my sleeping bag, watching 6 orcas circling a small iceberg to hunt the seals lying there, probably scared out of their minds. The captain STOPPED the boat while we watched transfixed for half an hour.

It was fantastic. It was everything I had hoped it to be. I was disappointed that we were unable to camp with the penguins. There were way more penguins and seals than I thought there would be. Thought there would be more whales and dolphins. Nice surprise to come back to the ship and have a hot drink with a shot of alcohol in it. A surprise to get to walk on an ice flow. A fun surprise to have an outdoor BBQ on the deck in the snow!!! Best surprise was the thumb drive that the staff made for us of our photos and memories of our vacation. Very nice and it really touched me. I also really enjoyed and got into the Russian word and/or phrase of the day. I was THE only passenger that liked learning the Russian language. Everyone else were deadheads!!

Great people on board, surprised of how young the travellers were (happy about that) staff were excellent, knew their stuff and always happy to answer questions. Very happy with wildlife we saw, best thing was the killer whales hunting a seal by creating waves and breaking the ice from below. Mountaineering was excellent, how very lucky to be on that particular outing as we got to climb an untouched peak

Everything on the trip was great, even the weather (which I know is out of anyone's control, but still an added bonus). The best part of the trip for me were the excursions and the optional activities. Being on land, so close to the wildlife is a great experience. I also did kayaking, which I would recommend to anyone. Being on the water, among the icebergs and brash ice gives a whole new perspective to the gorgeous landscape. One of the best moments while on the kayak was when we were surrounded by hundreds of gentoo penguins, which were in the water, swimming around us and jumping in and out of the water. Amazing experience. In addition to the kayaking, camping on the continent was an amazing experience as well the polar plunge. stories that I will be telling for a long time to come. The people I met on board the ship were also a pleasant surprise. I expected a much older crowd and that I would be one of the youngest ones on board the ship. It turned out that there was a group of about 40 of us youngsters (late 20s / early 30s). I had a great time on board the ship and made some new friends. The staff was also very friendly. They were very helpful with anything that was needed. Many of them would also often socialize with the guests, both during the day and later at night after all activities had finished. It made it a much more personable experience.

Overall, the trip was fantastic. We had so many new and amazing experiences that it is hard to pick a highlight. But some of my favorites include the first landing. After spending two and half days rocking and rolling across the Drake, stepping on terra firma in a completely alien environment, surrounded by thousands of Gintoo and Chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals, was pretty overwhelming (in a good way). Other favorites were paddleboarding, camping, and just taking it all in. The views from Cuverville and Danco Islands, the endless visibility, and the ice. We met a lot of great people on the trip, many of which I think we will stay in touch with. Everything on the trip was a surprise, but the biggest one was learning that Trump was elected while we were down there. With very limited connectivity, they published the results in reception in the morning and it caused quite the scene. People crying, strategizing on how to stay on Antarctica for 4 years, etc. At least we all had something to talk about during the meals!

It was a great trip. We were able to go on shore every day. I was able to ice climb which was very fun. The people I met on the cruise were great.

It was so much more than expected. Mountaineering was so satisfying, and kayaking was just so much fun.

Weather, staff, other guests, wildlife, landings, campings, kayaking, mountainerring, food. Just about everything.