Helen

United Kingdom

Customer
Rating

8

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?”

Helen's Trip Date:

9th Jun - 16th Jun 2022

What was your most memorable moment?

After watching a polar bear feed on land for an hour, the adrenaline from hearing about, then seeing then following another polar bear swimming directly for the first bear, and then witnessing the tense interactions that followed between them as they faced off for the food.

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?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8 out of 10

On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your trip: Kingdom of the Ice Bear?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 out of 10

Were Swoop right to recommend Oceanwide?

Yes

Tell us about the wildlife

Yes, amazing wildlife - 6 polar bears seen, and all the animals: walrus, Artic Reindeer, Arctic fox and lots of playful seals encountered.

Tell us about Zodiac excursions

Yes, fully enjoyed them, I was a little nervous on the first excursion, but soon got used to them and felt safe and well guided.

Tell us about the expedition team

Excellent team. George was a wealth of knowledge and was fun to be with, Eduardo led the whole team extremely well, and his enthusiasm for the wildlife and for the trips rubbed off on everyone. I really enjoyed the photography lectures as they gave me hope that I could take some nice photos, even just with my iPhone and gave me lots of tips. I also enjoyed the geopolitics lecture.

Tell us about the Hondius

The Hondius was much better than I had expected. The cabin 711 was fabulous and I loved the amazing view. Excellent from from the chef and his team, with lots of variety. The ability to go to the bridge to wildlife spot was one of the highlights. I would definitely go on this ship again.

Something Else?

William the hotel manager was really helpful when I was struggling with flights home and went out of his way to try and assist which I was grateful for. The BBQ and party on deck were completely unexpected but was magical. I would suggest having some kind of dance class, conditions permitting, if there are days when you can’t do landings, to get some exercise :) One of the ladies on the hotel staff, who worked in the rooms and in the kitchen, is an amazing dancer and would do an excellent job if she were given the chance.

Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to The Arctic?

Do it! Have some comfy shoes for walking round the ship Prepare to want to go back!

Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?

Yes. The Arctic feels like a parallel universe and it was a privilege to go. It showed me that there is so much more to explore and I can’t wait to do that.

Do you have any recommendations for Swoop, or feedback about the team?

The help from the Swoop team to choose the Hondius trip was great as it was a completely unknown endeavour - they gave expert advice and helped steer us to the best option for us, and they succeeded.

Would you consider another trip to the Arctic with Swoop?

Yes

Would you be interested in travelling to Antarctica with Swoop?

Yes

Would you be interested in travelling to Patagonia with Swoop?

Yes

13 people found this review helpful

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