Peggy and CC
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?”
Peggy and CC's Trip:
OLD TRIP Antarctic Circle In-DepthPeggy and CC's Trip Date:
10th Feb - 24th Feb 2020
What was your most memorable moment?
For Peggy, she was overwhelmed by Atacama because she couldn't believe that there were Flamingoes at 14,000 ft elevation with limited water. She was also astounded by the Antarctic oceans with the stark colors between the ocean and the icebergs and the oceans as compared to the animals that we saw. For CC- I really loved getting to go below the Antarctic circle and seeing the differences a we moved up the peninsula. I thought the Crew did an amazing job with their ceremony for crossing the circle and I really enjoyed being out on deck with lots of people as we gathered around GPS systems and cracked champagne as we crossed the circle. I also really enjoyed getting to see all of the wildlife and it has made me want to go to the Falklands and South georgia to see how it is different
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
Tell us about the wildlife
CC was very excited about the leopard seal and was able to get a lot of amazing pictures along with getting up close and personal with lots of different kinds of penguins Peggy really loved the penguins and seeing the whales and was able to get all the photos that she had hoped for.
Tell us about Zodiac excursions
The Zodiac excursions were so good that they made us want to but a zodiac for our house in the summer. One of our most memorable cruises was with the Photographer Adam because he would position us perfectly for shots and he was also trying to direct the other zodiacs so that he could get the perfect photo with an iceberg. All of the staff were amazing on the zodiacs
Tell us about the expedition team
They were amazingly knowledgeable and genuinely wanted to share their knowledge with us. They were always willing to talk and would even join us for meals. Jeff and Flacon were amazing as well as Stephi and Ruth. We honestly loved them all! Falson Scott gave a lecture on women in Antarctica, as well as Jeff's lecture about krill and Ruth's lecture about penguins with personal sound effects of what we could expect
Tell us about the Island Sky
The boat was amazing, and the staff of the boat took wonderful care of both it and us. The captain was really nice and always invited us up to the bridge to see what was going on. the food was amazing, we honestly can't believe the variety that they had with the same food supply the whole time. The wait staff was exceptional. We would definitely choose this ship again.
Tell us about Santiago
The hotel was wonderful and we were able to find an amazing pizza place around the corner. The food was great and the hotel staff were super helpful when it came to getting our tickets for the next days flight. We did have a bit of trouble with the lines at the airport and would tell people to get their with more than two hours before the flight.
Tell us about Ushuaia
It's a cute town, we didn't really get to spend a lot of time in the city, but were able to get things that we needed before we got home. The food was great. The Hotel was a bit isolated, however had amazing views. We really enjoyed getting the chance to see Tierra Del Fuego national park and to see the post office there.
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Antarctica?
If you are going to other parts of the South America, make sure that you pack clothes for all of the different climates. It was also really helpful to go through all that we brought a couple times so that we didn't bring too much stuff. We used everything that we brought. Make sure that you know what gear the boat is providing, as it can help you figure out the best stuff to pack. Bringing nicer waterproof pants would have also made a difference as we brought the thinner variety that you can find at REI. Make sure to bring your preferred medication in relation to seasickness and to have a back up medication just in case the first choice is not enough.
Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?
We are significantly more aware of how fragile our earth is, as we saw a lot of different areas that were struggling with the dichotomy between money and conservation. We would recommend all three places to almost anyone, with Antarctica being the one that is the most eye opening. There are so few places in the world were science and conservation are the main goals of an entire area let alone an entire continent, and to see it work so successfully was inspiring. We both really enjoyed getting the opportunity to see such a different part of the world and it was fun getting to meet people who have dedicated their careers to it.
Do you have any recommendations for Swoop, or feedback about the team?
Your team was AMAZING!! We literally would not have been able to go on this trip without all of the work that you all put in. Ange, Michelle and Tennessee did a great job communicating and making sure that all of the details were worked out. John really took the time to talk to us directly, even though he was dealing with the mess of the ship’s operator.
