Stephanie
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?”
Stephanie's Trip Date:
22nd Dec - 3rd Jan 2023
What was your most memorable moment?
Seeing orcas trying to drown a humpback whale Meeting some of the most amazing people
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?
10 out of 10
On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your trip: Antarctic Basecamp Adventure?
10 out of 10
Were Swoop right to recommend Oceanwide Expeditions?
Yes
Tell us about the wildlife
It was great. There were too many gentoo penguins
Tell us about Zodiac excursions
Yes. They were fantastic
Tell us about the expedition team
Team is amazing. Love them so much!
Tell us about the Plancius
Very basic ship. It looked better with all the Christmas decorations.
Something Else?
I wished it went to the Antarctic circle. Day 1 was a waste because it was just getting onto the ship. And we came back on Day 11 instead of 12. It was nice to be able to get off the boat on the evening of Day 11th. It would have been nice if we got more time. I should have taken that into account when booking my trip. Food was amazing. Service was impeccable. Lectures were engaging. I wish it was clear that it isn't a Polar plunge. They let you run in and recommended socks which honestly in my opinion was a bad idea. My wool socks came off and I had to swim for them and the rocks were slippery when coming out and some were sharp. It seemed like it was a huge liability to have a bunch of people all run in at the same time. And they should advertise it as a Polar saunter - not a plunge. I thought we were jumping off the back of the ship like Polar Expeditions or Nat Geo. They should also do an icebreaker as part of the opening/welcome so the 100 of us passengers got to know each other quicker. We had 3 days of the drake going in so there was definitely plenty of time for ice breaker activities Other than that, I just want to emphasize that the team is amazing!!!
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Antarctica?
You don't need water proof backpack unless you're carrying heavy camerq equipment that needs the backpack. We were always back for lunch and dinner so all shore excursions was only 2-3 hours tops so you really do not need a pee bottle. Not even for camping since there's a portable potty. So that was a complete waste of purchase (and especially for women since most of us bought a urinal funnel to make sure it goes in the pee bottle). You need only 3 sets of base layers tops. A good fleece and maybe a couple of mid layers. And one set of waterproof parka and pants (which I would recommend renting instead of buying if you know you wont ever use it again after this trip. It really wasnt expensive to rent). You also don't really need real mountaineering boots. They just kinda randomly picked people for different level despite asking to check your boots and asked for your experience level so it's more a matter of luck whether you get an easy hike or a difficult one (and especially weather is a huge factor on whether and where the mountaineering will occur). And the gamboots they gave you works perfectly for mountaineering.
Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?
It was not as physically demanding as I thought it might. My hikes in ushuaia was way harder than this trip so I don't think you need any Kayak, hike or mountaineering experience at all. In fact there were quite a few folks who have never done it before and all did great on the trip
Do you have any recommendations for Swoop, or feedback about the team?
I brought way too many gloves and you really only need two sets. Don't recommend pee bottle. Leg gaiters are not used at all Face gaiter was the best recommendation you gave. And I loved my swoop gaiter but I'm also lucky I brought a light weight one because sometimes you just don't need a thick one.
Was there anything else Swoop could have done for you to help you prepare for your trip?
Fyi, visa credit card does honor the blue rate. Would have been good to know so I wasn't carrying that much cash
Would you consider another trip to Antarctica with Swoop?
No
Would you be interested in travelling to Patagonia with Swoop?
Yes
Would you be interested in travelling to The Arctic with Swoop?
Yes
