Rik
United States Of America
Customer
Rating
7
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?”
Rik's Trip:
Antarctic Peninsula ClassicRik's Trip Date:
27th Nov - 9th Dec 2022
Rik's Ship:
SeaventureWhat was your most memorable moment?
The Zodiac cruise among the icebergs, sheet ice, and pack ice around Pleneau Island, accompanied by an intelligent, well-informed guide who took a few "ice-breaking" risks and kept us all well-informed as to exactly what he was doing.
Which of the following best describes your adventure?
Great holiday
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?
7 out of 10
On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your trip: Antarctic Peninsula Classic?
9 out of 10
Tell us about Zodiac excursions
Fabulous. It was wonderful to be on a Zodiac with an informed guide who knew where to go, what to look at, and could provide a wealth of information about that which we experienced/
Tell us about the Seaventure
The cabin was top-notch; the amenities we're equally top-notch; the crew was exceptional; and the restaurant ...oh, the restaurant ... was spectacular (and I'm a snobby foodie).
Tell us about the expedition team
What I found exceptional was that the speakers in each of the lectures treated us like intelligent adults. There was no talking down to us, the information was complete and technical, and there was no "gee-whizziness." Favorite lecture? The one Marcos gave on the geology and geological history of Antarctica.
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Antarctica?
Be prepared for a broader range of temperatures than you might think. We had one on-land excursion that was quite warm, and those of us who did nt have backpacks into which to stash our unneeded warm layers were stuck being hot and sweaty. (I had a backpack, by the way, so I was fine.)
Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?
Did visiting Antarctica change me? I don’t think so. At seventy-two I may have simply aged past the window of opportunity for a pristine epiphany. When viewing the astonishing beauty of the Lemaire Channel or the richness of ice formations when circling Pleneau Island, what I saw was not only unquestionably stunning, but also a comfortable and comforting admixture of both surprising and surprisingly familiar. Although Antarctica was unlike anything I had ever seen before, it was not fully alien, nor did I experience a transcendental awakening. What did I “learn from” Antarctica? I learned its blessedly simple “is-ness,” and how seeing beauty is the wonderful but simple art of recognizing the beauty that’s already there, expressed also in the billions of individual and varied elements of Earth. I don’t need a “deeper” meaning than that. Did Antarctica change my life? No, it reaffirmed it.
Do you have any recommendations for Swoop, or feedback about the team?
To be perfectly honest, I felt abandoned by Swoop the minute I arrived in Buenos Aires.
Would you consider another trip to Antarctica with Swoop?
No
Would you be interested in travelling to Patagonia with Swoop?
No
Would you be interested in travelling to The Arctic with Swoop?
No
