It is hard to pick out a highlight, the penguins especially seeing a Macaroni penguin on the first landing (I could watch penguins for hours), making a dash against the conditions to reach the Antarctic Circle and some of the scenery around Neko Harbour. Unfortunately we didn't camp due to the wind conditions, but this didn't have much of an impact on the enjoyment of the trip. Such a wide range of people from all over the world.

A great experience, I wasn't sure what my expectations were, but I think I chose the right ship and the right itinerary. The wildlife was amazing, as was the scenery.

Maybe

Swoop provided lots of information and tips, and even contacted me when the flight to the Falklands was cancelled until the following day. The trip itself was excellent and I thought John's details on the ship were excellent and it met my needs, reasonably priced (for Antarctica) but all the facilities you could need and excellent staff and food and very well organised excursions. I was even lucky enough to get a cabin to myself! Due to the flight to the Falklands being delayed by 24 hours we lost a day, but the crew did their best to make sure we saw a much as had been intended, and I think we missed very little.

It was the right choice, to see the Falklands (albeit very briefly due to flight delay), the crossing to Antarctica, the itinerary and then the flight back were a great combination and gave good variety and I would recommend the tour. One suggestion for the operator would be to check their credit card processor, the card I used was used fraudulently a few days after I got back, and I used it only 3 times while away, one of which was with the cruise operator using old style paper slips - this seems slightly too coincidental to me.

Swoop did not arrange my travel, but did contact me when the included flight to the Falklands was cancelled. The operator dealt with hotel arrangements and the rearranged flight, but it was good to know Swoop were aware. The documentation provided was very useful and thorough, and showed an great level of attention to detail from Swoop.

In terms of scenery Neko Harbour probably took the prize, but there were so many great views, icebergs of all shapes and sizes, the broken ice as it melted and the stunning landscapes. Penguins are immensely entertaining and another highlight. The humpbacks and Orcas were another wildlife highlight, especially the close encounters with the humpbacks on a zodiac excursion. The staff on the ship were excellent, the food was great and the variety of lectures added to the enjoyment. The seas were mainly calm, so I was lucky not to suffer any seasickness (unlike some others), so all in all it couldn't have worked much better.

My main advice would be to think about what you want to see, and the type of ship you want and research all of the options available to find the best fit for you.