Blue icebergs and penguins

Great holiday

Yes

I enjoyed the Zodiac cruises and felt 'safe' at all times. Ship's crew were excellent in helping me into and out of the Zodiacs, and I was impressed by the efficiency of the operation and tracking all passengers.. Sitting on the Zodiac sidewall for 2+ hours did start to feel cold on the seat. The seating arrangement - passengers on each side, facing inwards, was not ideal. Frequently the Zodiac driver forgot to turn boats around so people on each side had a good view of something on one side. The drivers, facing forward, had the best view. Boats with parallel seating, so everyone if facing forward, would be better for viewing.

Expedition team members were excellent and certainly contributed to the value and appreciation of the cruise. Your choice of many Canadians was also appreciated (obviously, I'm Canadian!) I particularly appreciated the wildlife and historical presentations.

Really appreciated Seaventure - A good size of ship (limited # of passengers) for my interests. Our cabin was fine (although I found the step up to the bathroom a bit unnerving when the ship was rolling a bit). Our room steward was excellent, as was the food and dining room service. Yes, I'd take the Seaventure again.

I chose the one-time kayaking trip (because I wanted to share all the other excursions - Zodiac cruises and landings - with my wife) and thoroughly enjoyed it. After getting the right size of drysuit, all the other arrangements were well organized, and I felt I got good value for my kayaking trip.

Adding on two days in a 'fancy resort' at the beginning, without any included activities, does not count as 2 days of a 15 day cruise. I assume you added on the two days in Ushuaia because too many people were cutting their air travel too close, and missing the ship. While the Arakur Resort was very 'nice' (and we enjoyed walking some of the nature trails beside the resort), it was out-of-town and not conducive to seeing Ushuaia. My wife and I spent two days in the Albatros Hotel near the port before going to the Arakur, and thought that it would be a better location for two nights before a cruise because we could explore Ushuaia right from the hotel. The only part of our trip that was poorly handled was the dis-embarkation. We were not among the 'favoured passengers' receiving good treatment (delivery right to the airport or to their hotel). We were staying in Ushuaia for a few days (at an Airbnb) - staff on board the ship gave us one story, reality turned out to be different. The bus dropped us off just outside the port, not even taking us to the luggage storage place. At one point we were told that our baggage would not be available until 4 PM - fortunately this was incorrect. I suggest you use smaller buses to deliver passengers staying in Ushuaia (and their luggage) right to their Ushuaia location - whether a 'hotel' or other accommodation.

All 3 taxis we took in Ushuaia were metered, and two accepted credit cards - so having Argentine pesos was not a priority. All restaurants (and presumably shops) accepted credit cards - so we ended up using very little cash. The formal 'currency exchange' in Ushuaia gave a poor rate of exchange for US dollars. 'Ideal Bar' on St. Martin St, gave a much better rate for US dollars, and an even better rate for meal and drink purchases. The nearby National Park has an entrance fee of 12,000 pesos (February, 2024) per person. While they may accept credit cards, they prefer Argentine pesos (possibly because cash is faster to handle than credit transactions when there are several bus-loads of tourists at the gate!).

Not changed, but a much better understanding of Antarctica and the challenges it faces.

See comments above.

I felt adequately prepared - but then I've had many years of outdoor and travel experience (including the Canadian high Arctic). I wouldn't use the term 'excited', which was thrown about by some of the team - perhaps because I'm passed that stage.

Yes

No

Yes