Commentaires

It was the most amazing trip to the wonderworld of Antarctica. Every day of our Basecamp expedition was filled with incredible and magical experiences. 7 days each with 2 landings or zodiac cruises, led by a great team of highly qualified guides. I was fascinated by the enthusiasm of the guides and the dedication with which they showed us the wonders of Antarctica – and they always seemed to be relaxed and in a good mood. The team on board was equally excellent – always in a good mood and they delivered the best service. The food was outstanding! The rooms and community rooms were very clean and tidy. The cabin (level 4, double with window) was larger than expected, with very comfortable beds and plenty of storage space. I also loved the energy within the passengers on board, people from 23 countries of every age. The activities offered were perfectly tailored to the passengers. The expedition leaders reacted very flexibly to weather conditions and the wishes of the passengers. There was always enough time for animal observation and plenty of opportunities to move freely on land (within the given limits). And it was all conveyed with such apparent ease and great humor. You had the feeling that the guides had in mind the enthusiasm with which they experienced their own first trip to Antarctica and wanted to make the same intensive experience possible for us too. My personal highlights were the kayaking, the two afternoons with very close-up humpback whale sightings and all the cute penguins. The trip far exceeded all of my expectations in every way – I'm so glad I chose this particular tour. I always thought reviews like this one were fake ... but at least when it comes to the reviews here, I know they must all be real. If you don't believe it, just find out yourself. ;)

The staff on our expedition cruise went above and beyond to make our journey unforgettable.i love them all. Special expedition leader Pippa, and Matt, George. Lucia !!!it is my best trip ever.

Worth every cent!

A fantastic voyage that included South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and Weddell Sea. For the first time as non government passenger ship made it to 78.3 degrees parallel. Highly recommended this trip to all looking for wildlife, beauty and experience.

Had a fabulous time at Antarctica. Oceanside took very good care of us. We were able to do all activities. They kept us busy and well informed. The food was outstanding and you got plenty to eat. Highly recommend them.

Een reis van mijn "to do list" om nooit te vergeten. Wat een super mooie bijzondere natuur tref je daar aan. Ook het aanschouwen van de grote hoeveelheid dieren die daar leven zonder achter een hekje te staan. Adembenemend. Wij hebben aan alle activiteiten deelgenomen om zijn elke dag twee keer aan land geweest om te genieten van de pinguïns en de mooie omgeven en ijsbergen c.q. schotsen. Een pluim voor de enthousiaste crew en staff. Er werd veel kennis gedeeld met de passagiers om nog meer te genieten van wat je ziet en beleefd. Ook alle medewerkers van het hotel, keuken en bediening was onwijs vriendelijk en behulpzaam. Kortom top!

Excellent trip. The expedition team, and all the crew including the catering and housekeeping team were outstanding. Very lucky to have Pippa as our expedition leader, heard informally from several of the expedition team that she was the best leader they'd worked with. Landings and zodiac cruises very well managed. Interesting breadth and depth of lectures and activites. Very lucky to also have obliging weather for most of the trip.

We had the most amazing trip to Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula, everyday we kept thinking it couldn't get better, and then it did! What a priviledge to see all the wildlife and to have such close encounters with many species, including an amazing Zodiac cruise where we were in the centre of a Humpback Whale bubble fishing "net". The scenery was fantastic and made even better by the most wonderful weather. Landing at Point Wild was a real highlight as was South Georgia and seeing A23a up close (and having A23a ice for our drinks in the bar!). When we encountered a Southern Right Whale, and later a large pod of Orcas hunting Fin Whales our Captain enabled us to follow the action by slowing down and turning to keep track of the whales. The Expedition Guides, ably led by Pippa were outstanding; all able to impart their knowledge to us either during our landings and Zodiac cruises or in the myriad of interesting and informative lectures on board Hondius. All the crew made us feel so welcome on board and did everything (including cooking many delicous meals) to enhance our Antarctic experience. It's an adventure we'll never forget!

We have just returned from the most amazing adventure in Antarctica aboard MV Plancius. The crew and expedition leaders were fantastic and ensured we had a safe, exciting and informative time in very comfortable surroundings. It was great opportunity to see wildlife up close and get ashore on the icy continent. Most days we undertook two main activities (a landing or a zodiac cruise) which was supplemented during the trip with half day sessions of kayaking and mountaineering plus a night's camping under the starry sky (all included in the cost). Thanks to everybody who created such a great atmosphere, shared their wealth of knowledge and made this adventure possible. We are already looking to book our next trip!

We have just returned from the most fantastic voyage of discovery in Antarctica aboard MV Plancius. The crew and expedition leaders were exemplary in ensuring we had a safe, exciting and informative adventure in very comfortable surroundings. It was great opportunity to see wildlife up close and get ashore on the icy continent. Most days we undertook two main activities (a landing or a zodiac cruise) which was supplemented during the trip with a half day session of kayaking and mountaineering plus a night's open bivouac (included in the cost). We can't wait to book our next trip. Thanks to all who made this possible.

Our cruise was extraordinary, more than expected. The knowledge combined with the crew covered all questions asked. The information and lectures was intertaining and educational. The landscape and wildlife was breathtaking. The staff in the kitchen served the best food ever and the cheerfulness of the waiters was a delight. I have just one thing that I would like them to add. For the overnight camping, they need sleeping gear for people higher that average. Just 20 cm more would make a difference.

I had an absolute blast on the Basecamp trip. The crew were great, food was top notch, service 10/10 and the sights were amazing! The activities were awesome and i cant state enough how much fun and how amazing the trip was. Dont hesitate , get your ass to Antartica!

I will recommend this trip to any person who is wanting to visit Antarctica. Everything was so well planned out and communicated efficiently. Every person on the staff was incredible and informative. I still don’t have words to describe everything that I experienced, but I do know it will be a trip I will remember forever.

Fascinated with Antarctic exploration from childhood especially Shackleton and with a long term friend who came from the Falklands we chose this trip because it was advertised as an expedition ship with just over 100 passengers meaning we could all go on every excursion. It seems we were very lucky with the weather and so our excursions and sightings were much better than average. Got to know the birders who spent most of their time on deck glued to binoculars and were remarkably generous with sharing their knowledge of the birds that flew around the ship and those we saw on land. The whale sightings were frequent, most notable were the two prolonged sightings of killer whales, the first when a pod of 20-30 literally played around the boat for an hour and the second a “David Attenborough” type experience when a similar size pod surrounded a fin whale with the intention of hunting it for its 2000kg tongue. The landings just seemed to get better as we progressed. The Falklands was a great start, Georgia had great scenery and huge penguin colonies, anchoring off the site where most of Shackleton’s men were left behind on Elephant Island was a good stop even if it was too rough to get ashore but entering the Weddell Sea and the pack ice was for me the highlight. Other reviews of this trip lament that we were unable to make a landing on the subarctic continent although this was the aim but was prevented by the ice conditions and restrictions on a couple of landing sites due to avian flu, so we had to land on the islands instead. Adding another day on the trip so longer could be spent in this region would perhaps be optimal. It was a pleasure being on a boat with such a happy and helpful crew. Ali’s leadership skills should be complimented but all the guides were knowledgeable and helpful, the hotel crew were fabulous hosts, the food was amazing, what a chef, and our cabin staff were particularly lovely. I should add that the bar and wine prices were more than reasonable and the laundry was much cheaper than most hotels. We are unlikely ever to afford a repeat trip as it is expensive to get to the Antarctic but are so pleased that this was the company, boat and itinerary we chose.

A breathtaking landscape, impressive wildlife encounters, lectures and landings with a professional expedition team, a very comfortable ship, excellent food and a great crew. An unforgettable trip, could not habe been better!