Ryan
United States Of America
Customer
Rating
10
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?”
Ryan's Trip:
Antarctic Basecamp AdventureRyan's Trip Date:
22nd Nov - 8th Dec 2017
Ryan's Ship:
OrteliusOverall, how was your trip?
We had a really rough voyage—including sailing through a hurricane plus two or three whiteout days. We arrived late and left very early. So, we got only 4 days down there. Highlights were kayaking onto an iceberg, seeing an iceberg roll, ice climbing. People were fascinating, especially over meals. One of my roommates was hilarious—both intentionally and unintentionally. I was surprised by how short the excursions were. I would have gladly given up a meal or two to experience in-depth excursions.
In one sentence, what did you think of Antarctica? Did it live up to your expectations?
It was majestic and moody and beautiful.
Would you visit again?
No
How was the service that Swoop provided?
From what I gathered on the ship, Swoop informed me much better than many of the other booking agencies. Customer service was fantastic. Right ship, right itinerary, right cabin.
How likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend?
10 out of 10
You chose a/an Antarctic Basecamp Adventure experience. How was that experience?
The camping was only a few hours—not a whole night. That was a bummer, but I'm still glad I did it. I was blessed. I was one of only a handful that got to do all of the excursion options. (None of us got to polar plunge.) Of all the Antarctica options, the Basecamp Adventure was definitely the right one for me. The operator did their best with our conditions. I would've liked to have the polar plunge option more than once, so that it wasn't so high-risk at the end. I wish the smoking area wasn't so close to required meeting places.
If Swoop arranged some of your travel before/after your voyage. How did we do?
I did my own arranging.
How were your experiences on the zodiac excursions and shore landings?
Expedition staff were fantastic—as in awe as we were. Wildlife was better than I anticipated, though they were a tertiary interest for me. I didn't expect the zodiac time to be as fun as it was—especially when we got to do it in big waves. I came to mountaineer and never got to summit, but I enjoyed the places I did get to climb or snowshoe. Overall, I wish there were options for all-day excursions. I'd gladly go without a meal to go higher or further inland. I wish there were some way to quantify/qualify in advance for ability level, so that some of us with experience could go farther. Pete did that with the kayaks, and I liked his system.
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Antarctica?
Leave your ego at home. Come with curiosity for people, not just Antarctica.
Anything else? Tell us anything you’d like to share that we forgot to ask! It’s ok to leave this empty too :-)
I've been to Patagonia. When I'm backpacking or exploring, I prefer to do it alone or with friends rather than on tours.
