Commentaires

Antarctica is magical and Oceanwide made it an incredible experience. All of the crew made an unexpectedly genuine effort to get to know you and your name individually. The guides knowledge about the wildlife and geology added so much value to the trip and made it entirely unforgettable.

We had an absolutely outstanding expedition to the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica on the Plancius. The ship was perfect for this style of adventure. The crew were all outstanding, and the meals were spot-on day after day. The expedition team were excellent, superbly led by Ali. They genuinely cared about giving us every possible opportunity to experience everything that the area offered. My expectations were very high leading into this trip and to be honest my expectations were exceeded. The wildlife encounters were unbelievable, the scenery absolutely stunning, and the overall experience was unforgettable.

Fabulous crew, wildlife better than expected.

Words just cannot describe how amazing, absolutely stunning and awesome this trip was, from wildlife spectacles nowhere else on the planet to jaw dropping scenery and expedition leader and guides that were professional, friendly and ensured every single person had the very best experience.

Well done. Very committed, excellent improvising skill in ever changing weather conditions. Strickt on the ball and very seriously dealing with biosecurity risks. All in all a great adventure for those who want to realise how small we are and how big and beautyfull nature really is. Something to look after very carefully.

Overall, the trip was extremely enjoyable. I was happy with all the landings, but would have liked much more time spent in Antarctica which only had one mainland landing. I appreciated being able to walk amongst the wildlife and also the fact that Ocenawide takes its biosecurity seriously (although some passengers still knelt close to penguins). Its good that nature conservation is important to the crew and messages regarding it can be found throughout the ship. The food was mostly excellent and the facilities on the ship were good. I will probably visit Antarctica again and wont have any issues choosing Oceanwide. Thanks

Awe-inspiring, astounding, magic, massive, magnificent… There are not enough words to describe the wonder of Antarctica and I truly believe there's no better way to see and experience this with an Oceanwide basecamp trip! It’s impossible not to be touched by the exceptional beauty of Antarctica while cruising amidst vast waters filled with beautiful azure icebergs shaped by waves and wind in the most amazing works of art, with the steep peaks of the black snow-filled mountains shimmering through the thick layers of fog… But what makes the basecamp so special is the many opportunities to get off the ship, if the weather permits twice a day, to go out and directly experience the wild beauty at ‘the outermost edge of human exploration’: an always different but unforgettable experience. Cruising on zodiacs surrounded by breaching 17 meter/14ton whales, kayaking through ice-choked waves amongst huge shiny blue-and-white icebergs, hiking with 360° pristine, whiter-than-white panoramas, mountaineering on snow covered islands where no (wo)men have set foot before (only penguins😊) and even camping on…or rather in the ice, we crawled in our snow-proof sleeping bags (no tents!) enjoying the sounds of a baby seal and the ear deafening calving of glaciers (dozens of meters of ice and snow gliding in the sea) and the amazing scenery all around.

My absolute favourite were the many penguin encounters. I spent hours (each day) watching those funny animals… waddling, sliding and gliding through the snow, collecting stones for their nest (and stealing them from other nests as soon as the owners turned their back!), starting very determined, and all of a sudden stopping, looking right and left… I could hear their little voices rattling in my head ‘OK, let’s go, oh no this is not going as it should, help, falling again, o no, no worries, there we go again” and “mmm, where was I going’…

Experiencing this beauty first hand -and the very interesting lectures by the scientists on board- strengthened my belief that we have do more and act faster to protect our environment and the climate.

The wide scientific and outdoor experience of the whole expedition team made the trip, the lectures and especially every single outing extra valuable and memorable. All the members were so passionate and enthusiastic to share their knowledge and help us to discover the endless wonders Antarctica has to offer in the most responsible and durable way possible.
Not only the expedition team, but all members of the staff -from the stewards to the ‘sailors’, the engineers to the people on the bridge, the cleaning and laundry staff to the people preparing and serving the delicious meals- made this trip extra special: always friendly to each passenger and colleague, doing their jobs with a smile and offering the best possible service. A special thank you to our steward Ambroze who kept our room clean and spontaneously helped wherever possible, best service I’ve ever experienced!

As you can see I can only write in superlatives about my Oceanwide Antarctica experience. Just one comment on how the trip could be even made better for me: as many other passengers I was sick in bed the first day crossing the Drake passage and therefore missed the explanation about the basecamp activities. Although it was announced through the speakers that you could rest easy because those who couldn’t attend this info session would get all the info afterwards, this was not really the case, although I tried to get more info the days after… For camping for instance I had to ask several time to my colleagues what to do while they were all busy getting in their ‘hole’ before it started raining… Finally I realised the outer waterproof cover was missing in my bag…so I would have been very cold and wet if I wouldn’t have checked this with my ‘neighbour’ (The crew had a spare so everything ended well). Maybe the info session could be organized on day 2 instead of day 1 when most people are able to attend?

Another small point: on average it was hotter on the shop then needed (mostly in our quad room and in the lounge), not very comfortable for the passengers and probably a waste of energy?
But overall the ship was very comfortable! I specifically chose one of the smaller ships not focusing on luxury but rather the expedition and experience and it fulfilled all my expectations: the quad room although small was very well organized so we could all easily stuff and access our bags and clothes, the beds were comfy, the curtains gave the necessary privacy and darkness to sleep, the porthole in our room and the lounge with rooms all around showed the most wonderful scenery all day (and night) long. Although my favourite part of the ship was the deck to watch wonderful unforgettable magic Antarctica slide by…

An unforgettable experience for everyone who likes active off the beaten track experiences in the most wonderful landscape on earth!

Our expedition was one with challenges from beginning to end with those being primarily high seas and wind. Then too there some passengers who didn't seem to read the fine print that they weren't traveling on Carnival Cruise Line and that the Southern Ocean is a wild place. The Oceanwide staff from Day 1 was not just professional, they were personable. They made lemonade so often out of the lemons sent us by Mother Nature, that the trip that could have been a disaster remained an adventure with more seen that one would have expected under the conditions. Their presentations were extremely well done and informative so to complement the journey well. The logs of our trip that they sent us was Amazing! Thanks! They dealt with folks who should have been thrown overboard with professional response and never showed outwardly that those people bothered them. The Hotel staff was extremely attentive and learned our names and preferences early- and none of us wore name tags as they did. The ship's crew did a great job from Captain Ermesto on down in rough sea conditions, and it was appreciated how they were so accommodating up on the bridge with questions and visitors. Thank you Oceanwide!

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Great trip, the best landscape I have ever seen and kayaking was really amazing!

Das war eine sehr schöne Kreuzfahrt mit vielen tollen Tierbeobachtungen und Begegnungen. Leider war das Highlight der Tour, die Sonnenfinsternis, den Wolken zum Opfer gefallen. Das Essen war überaus gut und die Mitarbeiter sehr zuvorkommend und hilfsbereit. Die «Ausflüge» waren gut organisiert und es blieb meistens genügend Zeit für Tierbeobachtungen.

From start to end, this adventure of a lifetime surpassed my already high expectations. Expedition leaders/naturalists were top notch and helpful, with informative presentations from their varied experiences throughout. Their enthusiasm and camaraderie was genuine, heightened by their own long hiatus due to the pandemic. Adam set the tone - a terrific mix of professional and personable, and he always had backup plans for contingencies of weather. Bill's sideways energy added enormously. From servers and cabin maintenance to Sigi's dulcet wake-up calls, the hotel group was excellent. Food was varied, copious and always excellent. We marveled at fresh lettuce 10 days into the trip. The captain and his team were excellent, but unfortunately we barely got to know them due to closed bridge. Thank you.

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The most amazing lifetime experience. Great ship, brilliant crew and wonderful wildlife seen so close on the zodiac landings and cruises. Life on board was great with excellent food and nothing too much trouble for the crew. If you make one trip in your lifetime make it this one!

The Captain and Crew were extremely professional in their duties. As was the Ships Doctor. The Expedition Staff were very knowledgeable in their respective fields. All of the above were very friends and would take the time to answer any questions that had arose. Before being allowed to embark we were given medical screenings and our temperatures were taken. Otherwise the journey had started off as normal as could be with a looming global pandemic. The journey to the continent was pretty uneventful. Once arriving in the area of the continent the views of snow covered granite peaks and glaciers were breathtaking. During our expeditions the close encounters with the wildlife were amazing. It was great to be within yards of Whales, Seals, and Penguins living in their natural environment. The weather was mostly overcast, very windy, and the temperature was usually around freezing. I guess that is to be expected, after all it is Antarctica. This trip was well worth every penny. And I hope to do it again someday. I would also like to thank everyone at Oceanwide Expeditions for their behind the scenes work too. Everyone went above and beyond the call of duty.