Brilliant! Thousands of penguins, delightful weather, stunning scenery. We feel very lucky to have been able to experience such an amazing place.

I want to go back!

Yes

In general, service was good. We asked a lot of questions and received fast and thorough responses. However, there was a particularly important concern of ours that I feel was not handled well. We were very clear that visiting Port Lockroy was one of our top priorities, and we're extremely disappointed that Swoop never communicated that the ship operator's team prioritizes visits to Palmer Station over Port Lockroy. We realize all itineraries are subject to change due to weather, and we were super lucky to have wonderful weather throughout our trip, and a visit to Port Lockroy was possible. However, in speaking with the ship's expedition coordinator, we learned that they request a visit to Palmer Station over Port Lockroy. Given that we had asked Swoop multiple times about the ship's intended path, we really, really, really wish that Swoop had communicated this. We realize very few ships visit Palmer Station, but we had no desire to go there and it felt like a wasted afternoon, as we didn't actually get to see any of the science in action. They just herded us through the gift shop and then up to a room where we ate a brownie, signed a guestbook, and left. We would have much rather visited the post office and museum at Port Lockroy.

In general, service was good. We asked a lot of questions and received fast and thorough responses. However, there was a particularly important concern of ours that I feel was not handled well. We were very clear that visiting Port Lockroy was one of our top priorities, and we're extremely disappointed that Swoop never communicated that the ship operator's team prioritizes visits to Palmer Station over Port Lockroy. We realize all itineraries are subject to change due to weather, and we were super lucky to have wonderful weather throughout our trip, and a visit to Port Lockroy was possible. However, in speaking with the ship's expedition coordinator, we learned that they request a visit to Palmer Station over Port Lockroy. Given that we had asked Swoop multiple times about the ship's intended path, we really, really, really wish that Swoop had communicated this. We realize very few ships visit Palmer Station, but we had no desire to go there and it felt like a wasted afternoon, as we didn't actually get to see any of the science in action. They just herded us through the gift shop and then up to a room where we ate a brownie, signed a guestbook, and left. We would have much rather visited the post office and museum at Port Lockroy.

Spend as much time outside as you can. Put the camera down and enjoy your surroundings. Take an extra moment to simply observe the animals and their behaviors.

Thank you for your help planning such a memorable trip!