Leon
South Africa
Customer
Rating
8
Customer Rating On return from their adventure we ask customers: “On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the highest, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?”
Leon's Trip:
Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctic AdventureLeon's Trip Date:
20th Nov - 20th Dec 2019
Leon's Ship:
PlanciusWhat was your most memorable moment?
Being able to sail into the Weddel Sea and seeing Elephant Island - in the tracks of Shackleton. Or perhaps at Gold Harbour, South Georgia with our close encounters with the elephant seal weaners.
Which of the following best describes your adventure?
Life changing
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?
8 out of 10
How likely is it that you would recommend Oceanwide Expeditions to a friend?
9 out of 10
Tell us about the wildlife
The buildup was perfect - first visiting the Falklands, Carcass and Saunders Islands, and then on to South Georgia made for great wildlife interaction. We certainly had enough time during the excursions to take great pictures. Weather is always an issue but on our trip we were fortunate to have reasonable good weather and could go on shore on most of our excursions.
Tell us about Zodiac excursions
Safety on board was obviously a priority and even more so when boarding the Zodiacs. We had no issues even after two Zodiacs were punctures by an over-zealous leopard seal at Elephant Island. Cruising around Elephant Island and seeing the beach from where Shackleton departed for South Georgia was a highlight.
Tell us about the expedition team
Ali Liddle was a very competent expedition leader and her time spent at the Falklands and South Georgia obviously gave her a deeper insight into the places we visited. Sara Jenner was also exceptional, knowledgeable and approachable. The lecture by Katja Riedel on her time in Antartica was a highlight. The talk about the Plancius by Daniel Rhöne was also very interesting and gave one an insight into the complexities of organising a voyage like this.
Tell us about the Plancius
We had a superior cabin and it certainly exceeded our expectations. Space on a ship is always a luxury but our cabin was very spacious. We loved the hot towel rack in the bathroom to dry wet socks after and excursion. It was also great to have a mini-fridge in the cabin. Due to its design we found the Plancius to be very silent.
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Antarctica?
Read the information on the SWOOP website - it has been well researched and are obviously up to date.
Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?
Yes - we are more aware of nature and how our daily actions can impact regions far from where we live.
Do you have any recommendations or feedback for the Swoop team?
We can only say well done. Thank you for the prompt answers to our emails.
