SH Vega Review

Swan Hellanic Vega an Amazing trip

Review for Antarctica Cruise on SH Vega
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eray1066
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Dec 2022
Our last landing on the antarctic continent Duse bay. Third excursion of the day it was at 11PM. Sun was about to go down but it would be quite light until the sun rose in a couple of hours.
In a cove inside the caldera that is Deception Island.
Penguins and chicks
Icebergs near Devils Island
Our group on Snow Island
Returning to SH Vega form Zodiak tour
Private Peguin Iceberg
We had to dodge a lot of Ice
Kids table with a couple of our guides
Vega is designed for ice
All different shapes as bergs roll over and show a new side

We have recently returned from a trip of a lifetime. We went with family, eight of us from 10 years old to 71. We had a great time. Wellesley College in Massachusetts, USA enticed us to travel with a group on this trip. The ship and all of the crew were fabulous . The food could not have been better with a varied menu every night (as well as some constant things on the menu). The service in the dining room and throughout the ship was excellent. The kids formed their own group and were early to lunch, tea and dinner. The staff set the kids take a large table. The Drake Passage seemed rough to some but I found it pretty tame. The ship behaved well. Our Itinerary changed to suit where the weather would be most favorable. The daily briefings we had showed some truly horrendous winds not far away. The Captain chose wisely and luck smiled upon us allowing 11 excursions and 8 landings. After our last excursion the Captain sailed East well over a hundred miles rather than directly back to avoid high winds and allow the ship an easier motion across the Drake Passage relative to the swells. The second trip across the Drake Passage was smoother than the first. We saw thousands of Penguins nesting and in the water Gentoos, Adeles, Chinstraps, and Magellanic. We saw Albatross, Skuas, Petrels Dolphins (dusky) and Orca and Whales (Humpback, Fin, Beaked ) There were seals ,Elephant seals, leopard seals and mostly Wedell seals. We dodged the larger icebergs and cut through some sea ice. The guides were very knowledgeable and careful with safety during our excursions. My wife and I did a Kayak excursion which was extraordinary. We were in a caldera of a volcano (Deception Island) with gas bubbling up from the bottom and the cinders warm enough to keep the snow from accumulating as much as other areas nearby which had large glaciers. The beach steamed . On board the ship the staff had lectures which were very interesting. All the staff is extremely competent . For those who were not afraid to miss something as the ship traveled to the next destination, there was an excellent entertainer, Renee´ who played Piano and had a great voice. Our trip had a sizable contingent of Russians who had brought their version of Lady Gaga who was a very talented singer and impressive on a pitching stage with 4"heels and never falling! She entertained New Years and had many American songs in her set list including AC/DC's Highway to Hell. This trip was magical. One night as I thought of going to bed at 10:40PM I spotted a pod of Orca a half mile from the door to our balcony. There were at least eight of them. Then every few minutes I would sea the spout of whales most distant but some fairly close. It was difficult to stop looking in order to get some sleep.

Cabin Review

Really nice!

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