Seeing over 50 Weddell, Crabeater and Leopard seals all sleeping together on an iceberg. Getting up at 5a.m. to watch from the bridge as we passed through Neumayer Channel.

Great holiday

Yes

We enjoyed them and felt safe at all times. Occasionally the experience depended on the member of staff who was guiding your boat that day - for example one day there were a couple of zodiacs which had a a very close whale encounter, but our guide preferred not to follow those zodiacs but to explore the icebergs

They were great. Knowledgeable, hardworking, enthusiastic and friendly.

We were slightly worried before the holiday as we'd been moved to the Hondius from a smaller ship. There were 175 passengers which was the largest number they'd ever had. However, everything was incredibly well organised: the food was fantastic and all the activities were completed for everyone - in fact by the end of the second day, we had kayaked, mountaineered, done the Polar Plunge, snowshoed around penguin colonies and were camping out in a snow hole we'd dug!

Get the recommended gear, especially waterproofs as it can get splashy on the zodiaks. Be prepared for itineraries to change based on the weather. The Arakur hotel in Ushuaia is great.

Having never previously wanted to do a cruise, we are now more likely to choose one in the future

It sometimes felt that Swoop staff were very busy and having to book an appointment online in order to speak led to answers/emails occasionally seeming abrupt. This style of holiday communication does not suit us. Also, the website not having a search function makes finding specific things you have read before unnecessarily time-consuming.

Our trip was postponed three times due to covid and we appreciated Swoop's ongoing support with this. As a consequence we were well prepared but our excitement was tempered by the previous cancellations.

No

No

Yes