Region: The Arctic
Destinations: Greenland
Our trip to Greenland was a disaster. Not one day of the itinerary was achieved and definitely no Bowheads or large icebergs where seen. We were rerouted to Sisimiut with no warning to meet up with the boat that had failed to make it to Aasiaat, our planned destination. We understand that once on the planned trip nothing is guaranteed, but we didn’t even make it to the start point. We therefore spent a week on board a boat that travelled no more than a few miles around various local fiords to spot Canada geese and Mallard ducks! We did see a few distant Humpbacks and a sole Minke whale, but nothing that we were expecting. Most of our fellow guests were seasoned travellers and in a number of cases, like ourselves, to the polar regions. The majority were desperately upset to have wasted their money on a totally different trip than promised in a location miles away from where we wanted to be. Our main issue is that Oceanwide must have known about the ice situation at least a week before and made no attempt to inform us. An alternative plan should have been devised. The service and reaction of the crew didn't in anyway compensate for the disappointment of the trip!
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Comment from Oceanwide Expeditions
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are sorry that you’re upset about our services and communication about the local ice and weather conditions. We always try to inform passengers as good as we can and did inform your booking agent about the change on 22 May. We operate our itineraries in the world’s most remote areas, ruled by the forces of nature. This is the main reason why our itineraries are for guidance only and the final itinerary is determined by the Expedition Leader on board. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions, the availability of landing sites and opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. Please feel free to reach out to us at +31 (0) 118 410 410, so we can discuss if there is anything we can do to reassure your feelings about us.