Swan Hellenic Cruises

Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego)

Kangerlussuaq

Reykjavik

Tromso

Dublin

Lisbon

Arctic

South America

Argentina

Antarctica

Europe - All

Baltic Sea

Norway

Africa

Iceland

Canada & New England

Europe - British Isles & Western

France

Spain

South Africa

Caribbean - All

Caribbean - Southern

Europe - River Cruise

Europe - Western Mediterranean

Mediterranean

Canary Islands

Europe River

Ireland

Portugal

Scotland

Douro River

Excellent

Very Good

Terrible

Poor

Average

SH Vega

SH Diana

SH Minerva

The Artic

Antarctica has been on our radar for a while and we finally booked with Swan Hellenic for what turned out to be the trip of a lifetime. Luxury is the first word that comes to mind, but comfort and the friendly staff played a huge part in making this the most wonderful experience.  We loved our balcony cabin mid ship on deck 5 and appreciated being able to have fresh air and the opportunity to view the scenery at close hand and enjoy the Antarctic chill too.   Captain Tino and his crew did a fantastic job, were approachable and attentive to our every need.  The dining room staff were incredibly competent and friendly as were the staff in the upstairs cafe.  Everything ran like clockwork, the expedition crew were simply amazing and we had the most fantastic time.  Would not hesitate to recommend 100% Swan Hellenic “Vega” and in fact we are now looking at cruising the Arctic region with them in 2024.  THANKYOU Swan Hellenic - we loved every minute!

Most amazing experience in absolute comfort 

Best way to see Antartica. I highly recommend Swan Hellenic. Amazing crew and expedition leaders. They handled every request with joy and were always fun to be around. I love that the expedition leaders would join us in the dining room for dinner too. Fun way to pass the evening, hearing their stories and finding out about them. The chocolates on the pillow every evening were great, and our room steward was friendly. Even when sea sickness got the best of me, the staff did everything they could to make sure I was comfortable. I loved all the common areas, jacuzzi, and pool. The base camp was always clean and a great place to store our expedition gear. The hot chocolate they served in base camp after an expedition was a welcome treat. The expedition drivers were always professional and put safety first. The lectures were entertaining and educational. I throughly enjoyed the staff, stateroom, expeditions, ship, and food and would love to sail with Swan Hellenic again.

Wonderful Voyage! 

We had been looking at Greenland trips, and when this one popped up with a great discount, we jumped on it. We were not disappointed in anything. The crew was amazing, the food was excellent, and the size of the ship was perfect for this type of trip. I believe the ship held up to 150 passengers, but there were only 39 signed up with 101 crew and 5 expedition leaders. The rooms were great and it was a bonus to have a gym with 3 stationery cycles, weights and tread mills. We did not take advantage of the spa services onboard, but they were available. I did use the outdoor pool which was very nice except for an issue with paint that hadn’t seemed to dry completely. This is being taken care of I under. Not a problem though. We loved having daily lectures and numerous shore excursions on nice zodiacs; the phd onboard, Dr. Ed Sobey was excellent as was the expedition leader A.J. Other expedition team members were pleasant and very approachable; we appreciate that we will receive a link to the photos of the trip taken by Yuri. The only thing we would have appreciated was that a day tour of Reykjavik could have been offered at the beginning. Otherwise, this was an amazing trip on a beautiful ship. Btw, we even had a small balcony.

Beautiful ship and excellent service

Swan Hellenic’s Arctic Expedition Sep-Oct 2023

My wife and I decided to do something different with cruising so we booked an Arctic Expedition on Swan Hellenic’s ship Vega.  A smaller size new ship accommodating only 152 guests.

This was a 16 day cruise along the Western coast of Greenland, crossing the Labrador Sea to Newfoundland/Labrador and ending up in Halifax. It checked off several bucket list items for us.

It was an expedition that the kings and queens of Europe could never take.

We spent days searching icebergs and wildlife on zodiacs in addition to touring 7 small towns along the way.

We were flown from Reykjavik Iceland to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland to start.

The ship is first class, the crew is first class, the food was first class and the Expedition Team was professional and first class.

We’re seniors but in good enough shape to negotiate the zodiacs and small hikes in several areas.

Looking for something different then Swan Hellenic’s Arctic tours definitely live up to their mark

“See What Others Dont”

Swan Hellenic’s Arctic Expedition Sep-Oct 2023

This last minute cruise was presented to us by a travel agent and the price was right for us so we jumped on it.  Impartial information on the company was hard to find and some requests for info from the company were not as smooth as expected, but we eventually came around and felt comfortable enough to take a chance on them.  It turned out to be a very good cruise.

Pros:

- Nearly everything was very well done—we have done multiple polar cruises with luxe expedition providers before and SH is on par

- the “hotel” operation is nearly flawless, with excellent room stewards and very friendly waitstaff

- the ship is as new as it gets: excellent design, smooth sailing, and no “creaks”

- expedition crew is knowledgeable enough, and lectures were entertaining.  

- the outings were mostly very good.  Deficiencies primarily due to destinations rather than outings themselves (e.g., Greenland is less interesting than Iceland)

Cons:

  Very few cons but, to nitpick:

-  company sales channel not yet properly set up to quickly respond to information requests.  They seem to rely on third party TAs, who are not ready to answer all questions 

-  some outings (to the less interesting places) should be replaced.  Most bus tours of cities just pointed out locations (“that is our post office”) rather than teach about the local culture and lifestyle 

-  good scientific information but not enough cultural presented

-  the food was just a notch below Silverseas (lack of flavor)

All in all, a wonderful trip and I would not hesitate to use them again!

Great deluxe cruise—and very good value

First learned of this cruise (or rather, expedition) on Travelzoo.  Heretofore I was not particularly aware of this type of voyage, but we became intrigued with the concept and the itinerary. I am in my seventies and after some discussion we came to the conclusion that if we were interested in this type of voyage, now was the time to give it a try.  We are so glad that we did!  First, the S H Vega is a beautiful ship and less than two years old.  Big fan of her modest size (152 guests) as it allows you to get to know your fellow travelers well and we met some wonderful people during our journey.  The "hotel" portion of the ship, accommodations and dining, were perhaps the best we have ever experienced, and we have taken 22 other cruises.  Did not meet one staff member in our 17 days who was not friendly and most of them got to know us by name during the voyage.  Dining and lounge service was exceptional, with marvelous cuisine and a nice selection of beverages.  

The Expedition Team was an absolute wonder!  Incredible experiences and enormous knowledge bases combined with very outgoing and approachable personalities who really maximized the opportunities for learning and doing while making sure all participants as well as themselves were safe at all times during the excursions and transfers to and from the zodiacs which were necessary to gain access to the locations.   The team members also gave lectures about their backgrounds and experiences as well as what we would be seeing, including the terrain, the wildlife, and the indigenous peoples.

The captain and crew are very experienced and operated the Vega so smoothly that it was easy to forget you were at sea!  The captain was very visible to the passengers, taking some meals in the dining room and joining in on an excursion or two.

I will say that this is not a typical cruise.  Excluding the lectures, which were entertaining as well as informative, on board entertainment was limited to lounge pianist Rene who has an extensive repertoire and made the after-dinner time pleasurable and fun.  Team members were usually around in the evening and quite willing to engage in conversation.  There is essentially no shopping on board nor on shore if that is what you are looking for.  Definitely not a problem for us.  I am not sure about any age limits but generally the ship is not geared towards younger children.

Experience of a Lifetime

We booked this cruise at the very last minute and finding only a handful of reviews wondered if it was legit.  As we discovered once we arrived in Reykjavik, Swan Hellenic had everything well orchestrated.  From the hotel the day we arrived to the transfers to our charter flight to Greenland where we met the Vega.  The Vega is simply lovely and it seems intimate with only a 152 passenger capacity.  As a new ship it has all the bells and whistles.  Enough outlets, more storage space than needed and comfy beds made our time on board very nice.  There was so much storage space that we frequently couldn't remember where we placed things.  And the crackling holographic fireplace was a nifty touch. The bathroom  has drawers under the sink so it is easy to lay out toiletries for the duration of the cruise. We were in an ocean view room which suited our needs and being low and center, it would minimize any motion.  This  was something we learned crossing the Drake Passage years ago.  While there is a bank of 2 elevators, the ship is small enough to limit oneself to the stairs.  

The main dining room which is just around the corner from the section of oceanview rooms is large enough to accommodate all the passengers.  The menu while not as extensive as that of a giant ship is varied and tasty.  The first two days out, dinner was served buffet style, then menus appeared on day 3. While breakfast is served buffet style, it is easy enough to order something different that suits your taste. In addition to the dining room, food is served on deck 7 in the Club.  .It served a late breakfast, a late lunch, tea and was open other times as well.  There is an available laundry facility on deck 4 equipped with 3 electrolux front loading washers with self dispensing detergent and matching dryers.  Use of the laundry facilities is free.

Deck 7 also has the observation Lounge where various talks were held and to where most people adjourned for the 6:30 briefing held by the expedition team to review the day and outline the plan for the next day which was always subject to change due to conditions.  Since the bar is located here as well, many people had a pre dinner cocktail during the briefing.  The pool is also found on deck 7 but even though it was heated, the cold air temperature kept me from trying it our.

As an expedition ship, deck 3 is where "base camp" is located.  Here each cabin has a storage locker for their boots and whatever else they want to store.  Zodiacs are loaded from this level and there are cleaning facilities for when boots have to be cleaned.   The expedition team was quite experienced and worked well with the ship's crew to insure the safety of guests during the loading and unloading of the zodiacs. Overall, the ship's staff is hardworking and friendly. On this cruise zodiacs were used exclusively to transport guests from the ship to the shore which is something to be aware of if you have mobility issues.  We didn't visit the medical facility, thankfully, but met the doctor and nurse.  One a ship the size of the Vega you get to meet many of your fellow passengers as well as many of the crew.

The  well equipped gym, sauna and hot tub are on deck 8.   And once the call that the Northern Lights were visible, interested passengers assembled on deck 9.

Swan Hellenic handled the return to Reykjavik as seamlessly as the departure.  It was such a lovely trip on the Vega, that we have scheduled a cruise on the slightly larger S H Diana.

Quite wonderful

What an amazing trip this was. It was well organized from start to finish.  After we made our way to Iceland, they met us at the airport, took us to the hotel for an overnight stay before starting our advanture.  They even offer free shuttle to Reykjavik so we can see the city centre. The next day, we were all picked up to the airport and hope on the charter plan to Greenland. We had the whole plane to ourselves(all the cruisers)! Once we arrived at Greenland, we were transfer from the airport to the dock, hopped on the zodiac to the ship. Yes, Zodiac!! The crew was wonderful, the food were delicious. I don't want to step on the scale when I get home!  The expedition team were caring and knowledgeable. Every night there's a recap of the day's event and what's coming up the next day. It is my first expedition cruise, and I loved it!  Definitely more to come.  I learned so much about the region we were visiting, the history, the people, everything was just wonderful.  We met some really nice and friendly people from all over the world. We saw giant icebergs flowing in the water, birds, whales, harp seals, polar bears and Northern Lights, not to mention beautiful sunsets!!

Our cabin was spacious, lots of storage. It makes me feel like I didn't pack enough!! 

A 3 in 1 packa, a dry bag and a re-usable water bottle was ours to use and keep.

There is a coffee maker, small fridge filled with drinks, all free! There were also small snack in the room. Every night after dinner, we would find a peice of chocolate on our pillow! Oh, I forgot, there's a vitual fireplace at the foot of the bed, how cool is that! 

An umbrella, a binolcular, robe and slippers are available to use.

Hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion, hair dryer all available in the bathroom.  There are also disposable shower cap, vanity set, nail file, and sewing kit. Really don't need to pack much.

Food... breakfast,lunch,afternoon tea, and dinner. Breakfast and lunch is buffet style. Dinner is a la cart.  Lots of fruits and vegetables for the healthy eaters, everything was just delicious!!

Excursions...not your traditional excursions, love every one of them.

Entertainment...Rene, Mr. Entertainer, he plays the piano, he sings and lots of fun.

Gym, good size for the size of the ship. We did use it once or twice during sea days.

Free self service laundry, a plus, so you don't have to pack too much, detergent included!

Free Unlimited Wifi - my husband couldn't live without it!

Free drinks for all the drinkers!

Muck boots to use for excursions.

End of cruise, equally organized, zodiac back to the dock, transfer to the airport, our own charter plane again to Iceland from Greenland.  Transfer to hotel in Iceland, unless you have other plans. Next day, they took use to the airport according to our flight plan. We really enjoyed crusing with Swan Hellenic.

I would totally recommend Swan Hellenic. I would go back at a heart beat. Just need to find time. 

Until we meet again.  Take me to "See What Others Don't"

Marvelous cruise, wonderful staff, delicious food and beautiful ship.

We loved everything about this cruise.  The expedition staff were skilled and kind, the staff was welcoming and the service was exemplary. The expeditions were well planned and exciting.  We especially enjoyed the history and the hikes. We felt well taken care of in all aspects of the cruising.  We were able to successfully participate in every expedition.  The weather cooperated and it was sunny and above freezing most of the time. The lectures blended well with the expeditions and gave us a deeper understanding the region we were visiting.  The professors who presented the lectures were experts in their fields and able to communicate complicated subjects easily to us as passengers.  Visiting the villages and getting to know a little about life in the Arctic was eye opening.  In each of the village experiences, we were able to meet local residents and ask questions and gain a better understanding of life in the Arctic. 

We recommend this cruise without reservation!

Trip of a Lifetime!

Rarotonga

Ship is beautiful, Hotel management is outstanding and the warm friendly attention from the crew make you feel like everyone is family.

Food is very good with a great selection of wines and included spirits.

Some great expert lectures and the expedition staff are very knowledgeable and caring.

They do not market themselves as a “luxury” brand but they do deliver this experience.

I always think it’s better to under promise and over deliver which is what they do.

I recommend these smaller ships for expedition as it means everyone can get off at the same time.

Deck space is spacious and meals are either a la carte in the swan restaurant or buffet style in the club lounge.

I highly recommend. Now looking at my next voyage. Swan visit areas in West Africa which no one else offers. Some really fabulous itineraries and experiences. I’ve now done Greenland, Antartica and Svalbard with them so looking forward to exploring some warmer climates.

3rd time sailing with Swan and it did not dissapoint

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