Richard
United States Of America
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?”
Richard's Trip Date:
9th Feb - 19th Feb 2024
What was your most memorable moment?
Seeing icebergs for the first time
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?
8 out of 10
On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your trip: Antarctic Fly & Sail Combination?
9 out of 10
Were Swoop right to recommend Aurora Expeditions?
Yes
Tell us about Zodiac excursions
Yes - all Good
Tell us about the expedition team
Yes - friendly, professional, competent. Tim Vanhoutteghem (kayaking) was awesome.
Tell us about the Sylvia Earle
Beautiful, comfortable, well laid out ship. Exceeded expectations - junior suite was very comfortable. Staff excellent. Food was fine - was not amazed, but never hungry. Could have had a better alcoholic spirits selection, specifically and bourbon - the wine was pretty good.
Tell us about the Kayaking
Great time - skill-level appropriate, safe and fun. Well-managed by adventure staff. Yes - probably best activity (if you have previous experience kayaking) available.
Tell us about Buenos Aires
Not first time to BA - neat city, lots to see. It’s like a shabby Madrid. Food and wine great.
Tell us about Ushuaia
Tierra del Fuego was great (hiking) prior to embarkation. Hotel (Los Hayas) was nice - food great, rooms ok. DID NOT LIKE BEAGLE CHANNEL CRUISE prior to embarkation - hot, stuffy, crowded ship virtually no view out of windows due to condensation - would prefer / recommend just walking around Ushuaia - maybe a beer tasting at Patagonia Brewery and a short lecture on the history of the town and local area.
Tell us about Punta Arenas
Hard to say - we were nearly 40-hours late getting there due to weather (no problem); would have liked to have seen more. The Dreams hotel was ok - probably the best in town which is fine. Dinner was ok, breakfast buffet less than great. Overall fine for laying over before continuing on to SCL.
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Antarctica?
Definitely take motion sickness medication before starting into Drake Passage - period.
Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?
You don’t see Antarctica, you experience it.
How prepared and excited for Antarctica did you feel?
Very excited and well prepared.
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?
Yes
Do you have any recommendations for Swoop, or feedback about the team?
Yes. The one thing we were not completely happy with is customer communication. We asked on several occasions for a quick call, WhatsApp / Zoom session and was completely ignored. Instead an (often untimely) email exchange would result in frustration and the need to unnecessarily revise plans. Honestly, we felt at times that the swoop agent was providing the minimum amount of required support and doing so in a passive aggressive manner.
