The cruise was incredible. Life-changing excursions in Antarctica and South Georgia. Surrounded by wildlife in no way controlled or influenced by humans. Our expedition team was tireless and effective at getting to fantastic destinations despite challenging weather conditions- which are common with Antarctic cruises. The food was satisfactory, especially given we had no ports of call to restock. The staff was so friendly and accommodating. The small ship was ideal for navigating icy waters. The expedition team was top notch, professional, approachable and very passionate about what they do.

I was extremely disappointed with the post sale, pre cruise communication, however. It was largely nonexistent, and when I reached out, I was often given misleading or even incorrect information. I had no fewer than 4 points of contact between the time I purchased the cruise and the time we boarded-a period of 8 months. The last contact was extremely incompetent, contradicting himself often and causing me undue stress the week before the cruise. This was a common complaint among the other passengers as well. If Swan Hellenic fixes the administrative/sales part of the business they will have a great product, start to finish.

One more thing, the categories Cruise Critic asks us to rate are not as relevant on an Antarctic cruise or such a small ship. Our entertainment was a pianist, public rooms were small, embarkation was at a tiny port with non English-speaking employees. There were no children on my cruise. Fitness and rec were not important since almost every excursion involved physicality. What they don’t ask for is educational value, quality of excursions, quality of the expedition team and crew. I would give them all 5s if they were offered.