Customer Reviews

Seeing a glacier calving to create an iceberg. Seeing Leopard seals on icebergs.

Seeing the penguins marching and playing!

The Moment when one of our guides, Steffie, told us to put down our cameras when we were on an outing on the Zodiac, and just listen! It was surreal - the peace that surrounded us, the sound of the whales, blowing through their blow hole, the water lapping around us - I realized, I have not actually been listening for years!

There isn't one. It was like being in a David Attenborough Nature programme. It was amazing. At one point I was leaning over the side of a Zodiac with my camera in my hand & I actually said out load: 'I don't want to go home'. So much wildlife - penguins, sea birds, whales, dolphins - and beautiful icebergs that were all different. Nature is so beautiful & a brilliant artist. Add to that the wonderful scenery & you are in heaven. Loved it.

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!

So hard to narrow it down to just one moment. How about one day? On Christmas Eve, our family walked among penguins on the continent, sailed through the Lemaire Channel, plunged into the Antarctic Ocean, devoured a gourmet Filipino feast, and then were treated to a spectacular show by a pod of 20+ Orcas off the bough of our ship -- all of it in eternal daylight on one of the longest days of the year.

Helicoptering to a landing on sea ice, and then walking 20 minutes on the ice to see the grandeur of a huge Emperor Penguin colony. It was a beautiful blue sky day in the vastness of ice, surrounded by iceberg's frozen in the sea ice. The curious penguins, proudly showing off their chicks, made it difficult to maintain distance. When one would approach there seemed always another behind. I fantastic experience. And then we got to do it again the next day!

A close-up encounter with some humpback whales while in the zodiac.

It's hard to choose from so many; every day I thought was the best ever but I think I will say that the zodiac across Paradise Bay with the whales right in front of us or the cruise through Spert Islands channels and the iceberg graveyard with it all set off by the amazingly blue water. Also getting to 68 degrees south was incredible!

Seeing icebergs for the first time and getting out on the water. This memory even manages to surpass seeing penguins, seals and whales up-close.

Highlight - seeing the first iceberg. And another one - kayaking through the brash ice. Landscapes - ethereal / mind blowing. Wildlife - we hoped for more whales up close ... but we did see some, including orcas. Although smelly, the penguins were delightful. Seals were everywhere! The Expedition Team was outstanding. We were relieved that the Kayaking was so well managed and we coped. Reaching the Polar Circle and landing on the Peninsula were magical - pinch yourself moments.

The trip was exceptional! One of the things I most enjoyed and was a surprise to me was hearing a leopard seal singing into an iceberg underwater! I didn't know they did that, and it was such a beautiful sound. The expedition team is phenomenal and went above and beyond to ensure we had a wonderful time and were well-informed. Even when it was "time to go back to the boat", when magical moments happened (which was often... like the singing leopard seal), they stopped the zodiac - we were never rushed through experiences, and in fact, we were encouraged to experience as much as possible. I appreciated the PA announcements about sunsets, breaching whales, and other amazing sights - they didn't want us to a miss a thing. It's typically hard for me to sit still and therefore I can find "talks" challenging, but this team was so engaging and entertaining, I went to every single talk. I loved that the talks happened at the end of the day and related to experiences we had or things we saw that day. The wildlife and landscape was breathtaking. The boat was outstanding as was the crew. I felt like somebody was there with anything I could have needed, before I had to ask.

Too many to mention them all. We were so close at times to bubble-net-feeding humpbacks in our Zodiak, I could not fit the huge heads in my photo frame! We sailed through a "conference" of orcas about 50 strong; one swam under the Ortelius (our ship) and popped up right under where I was standing. I gained a deeper appreciation for the athleticism and resourcefulness of gentoo, chinstrip and Adelie penguins. The blue-eyed shags were a hoot with the crazy necking courtship dances. Even more impressive were the people. The guides, crew and staff were super helpful and worked hard to make as many adventures possible while keeping us safe. I enjoyed the camping in a snow pit, kayaking through brash ice, snowshoeing in blizzard conditions, the polar plunge, the photo workshops, the many related talks about wildlife, glaciers, avalanches, history. I especially liked being included in viewing the weather forecast maps. The travelers (about 113 from 20 countries, I heard) were as excited and enthusiastic about our adventures as I was. I have found a new "tribe" to which I am proud to belong.

Visiting the old British Antarctic Survey huts which have been left 'as they were when the occupants left'.

The highlights of our trip were the many amazing wildlife experiences. We were SURROUNDED by BUBBLE FEEDING WHALES on TWO occasions during zodiac cruises! We were a few yards away from DOZENS of playful crabeater adolescent seals frolicking in the water. We were CHASED by a leopard seal! Penguins and birds galore! (Can you tell I am on team mammal rather than team bird?) The landscapes were breathtaking. The people on the cruise were lovely and fun.

Loved the trip. Weather was good the first four days after arrival. We personally loved Iceberg Alley. Wildlife was great. A big surprise was that 65% of the travelers were a French group. Although they were often separated from the English speaking group with their own interpreters in the sessions where both languages had to be presented it became a problem because the French passengers continually talked through the English speaking portion and we needed to listen to the French. I was under the impression that if the trip was advertised as English speaking that is all it would be. It did not take long before we realized that the French group did not feel they had to obey staff instructions - particularly staying behind certain boundaries while waiting for zodiacs on shore, waiting in lines for eating,stairs,and boarding zodiacs from ship, etc. Some of the guides had difficulties with the group getting too close to penguins and not staying within the red poles while walking. Even boarding the buses to the airport presented problems with the drivers because of how the French guides wanted them to board, etc. and had to spend their time trying to sort things out. It was a distraction that did not have to happen. The ship operator's Staff and guides were top notch. Very calm, capable and knowledgeable.

When we saw how Chinstrap penguins are able to survive and thrive in Orne Harbor area, we were stunned. Of course, the entire trip was splendid! Everyday experience becomes more and more speechless. At the end, we didn't say anything but purely enjoyed the beauty of such pristine nature.

There are so many highlights, impossible to find just one - from the beauty and incredible shades of white and blue of the icebergs and the 'fizzing' sound as the smaller 'bergie bits' melt, to the constant wildlife around the ship, eg birds, whales, dolphins, penguins everywhere we went, albatrosses following the ship, the black browed albatross colony [with chicks] on Falkland islands, sailing alongside the huge A23 iceberg, the impressive specialist knowledge of the expedition team, the friendliness of the onboard hotel crew, the skill and amenability of the captain as he maneouvered the ship in places where bigger ships can't go

There were so many great moments, although the first day when the weather cooperated was truly the best day! Walking among our first gentoo colony and seeing how clumsy they are on land but graceful they are in the water - and the sun was shining, it felt so warm that everyone was stripping off their layers! And later that day, we kayaked through an ice graveyard and the water was so smooth, and our guide let us jump into the freezing cold water at the end of our paddle!

The reason for NO in the question above is solely due to financial cost, not for any other reasons. The highlights may include, grand glacier and gigantic iceberg, and countless various lovely animals. It is a truly lifetime experience. I expected to see thousands of penguin and grand glacier, but the gigantic iceberg was a big surprise!