Customer Reviews

Our trip was FANTASTIC! There were too many highlights to name only one... Seeing the Blue whale... 150,000 King Penguins... Glaciers... Glacier cave that was illuminated from withing with the most amazing blues and greens... Black ice... Humpback whales everywhere... Excellent level of customer service and attention to details. The expedition team members' passion, enthusiasm, knowledge and life stories were wonderful to watch and experience. The lectures were excellent and inspiring. The biggest surprise was the food. Food and service for foodies - did not expect that on an expedition ship.

We were very happy with our choice to see Antartica up close through using kayaks to cruise through the icebergs. The most memorable was first seeing the size and magnificence of these beautiful structures.

Nearly everyday’s outing was a memorable moment…though more accurate a memorable outing! — Seeing flying albatross for the first time brought tears to my eyes as I’ve wanted to see them since 2002! —Kayaking and hearing the thousands of years old brash ice bubbles brought laughter…a musical song.

Highlight was kayaking alongside a humpback whale in stunning scenery. Both clients and staff/crew on board were very friendly and the big surprise was the amount and quality of the food.

Too many memorable moments to choose from! Humpback whales, penguins, leopard seals, and the polar plunge are highlights, but the landscape itself was magnificent. Waking up every day to new natural marvels was magical. And the helicopter ride was amazing!

Initially seeing the breathtaking landscape. Saw Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins (though only on the first morning) Wish we encountered additional species of penguins as the rest of the trip were only Gentoo, not that I'm complaining, just wish I could see others as well. Did not see a great variety of wildlife, whales mostly from a distance and a few seals though I almost stepped on one camouflaged in the rocky shoreline...oops! Most magical moments was being with Kelly and sharing such exquisite beauty!

ALL OF IT!! Kayaking with humpback whales, seeing some much wildlife, the indescribable landscapes, the overwhelming awe, the incredible captain, staff, and crew, and all the open minded and flexible passengers who brought so much positive energy to the experience.

Landings on Antartica and experiencing the vastness, the history, the animals, mammals, flora. the discovery team on board the Scenic Eclipse 2 were terrific and willing to help and explain and engage. some other moments were landing on Cape Horn and cruising down the Fjords of Patagonia.

Kayaking in the quiet, majestic bays

The trip was amazing. The landscapes, glaciers and icebergs were beautiful. Michael particularly liked the whales that were diving within 10-15 feet of our zodiac; my favorite was seeing all the penguins and, in particular, the chicks. The Vavilov was an excellent choice. Our suite was spacious and very comfortable and the passengers were a very diverse and interesting group. The only surprise, after 8 days of spectacular weather and amazing excursions, was the fog at King George Island that prevented our flying back to Punta Arenas on the final day. Our excursion leader, Chad Gaetz and the entire staff did an amazing job of keeping us engaged with additional lectures, excursions, contests and other activities on the days that we were stuck near King George Island and also when we crossed the Drake Passage. The only reason we would not visit again is that there are many other places to visit.

I felt overjoyed, ecstatic to witness this once in a lifetime journey. Breathtaking views, gorgeous, huge icebergs. Being among the massive icebergs and the vastness of the sea ice gave me a sense of awe. The pristine icebergs after icebergs gave me a perspective of how much larger than life and timeless they were. It reminded me that my life is transient, they will stand the test of time and stand tall and mighty long after I am gone. Being here in the silence has a deep sense of peace and tranquility. I stood staring at the vast ice landscape enjoying their beauty and strength. It felt fantastic walking on the sea ice. The Emperor Penguins and the hungry rolly polly chicks stole my heart. Brought tears to my eyes, my dream came true! What an absolutely magnificent, beautiful, thrilling fairy tale journey, the memories are imprinted in my memories forever. It Felt completely magical, out of this world experience, like we were not on planet earth.

There is no one most memorable moment. Every day had memorable moments. But if I had to choose one, it would be seeing the icebergs and absorbing the incredible landscape.

Kayaking among dozens of "porpoising" Macaroni penguins off the shore of South Georgia Island. It was our first experience with ocean kayaking, and riding the swells in the bright sun with mountains and dramatic clouds all around and the playful penguins entertaining us was a truly magical experience.

Highlight was every morning another day; landscapes and weather were varied. Expedition staff were superb and inspirational. Boat crew were also superb - sorry for lots of superlatives but I could not fault the boat, its crew or the expedition staff on anything - they were all fantastic

There were so many, it's hard to pick one. Getting upclose with a leopard seal, seeing the beautiful twin arch iceberg, stepping onto the Antartica continent the first time, so many memorable moments.

Kayaking in Wilhelmina Bay with icebergs and whales quite nearby and two emperor penguins on the shore.

Icebergs everywhere. I’ve seen lots of icebergs before in Newfoundland but no where near the quantity.

Watching an iceberg rollover and sailing the Lemare channel in a snowstorm

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!

Standing on continental Antarctica! Everyone was so excited, and we were all celebrating with snow angels and snowball fights. It was such a fun memory!