We were very fortunate to join the Swan Hellenic expedition to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and the Antarctic peninsula aboard the SH Diana. This was our second expedition with Swan Hellenic, having previously explored Greenland and the Northwest passage aboard the SH Vega. Both Diana and Vega are only about two years old and are in beautiful condition. Both are equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and communications systems, as well as efficient propulsion systems including thrusters for maneuvering, and stabilizers. SH Diana is slightly larger with room for 192 guests while SH Vega tops out at 152. Our suites on both ships were extremely well appointed and we had our own balcony on SH Diana. Both ships offer plenty of amenities including a spa, salon, exercise room, pool, hot tub, and guest laundry which was very much appreciated during our seventeen-day voyage.SH Diana’s crew and staff are skilled, friendly and very experienced. Our captain had over 30 years’ experience at sea commanding all manner of vessels. Our Expedition Team, led by Nicki and Assistant Expedition Leader Richard, was absolutely brilliant and brought tremendous skills and talents to the voyage. Additionally, the team, together with a few guest speakers, provided many interesting lectures in areas such as geology, volcanology, marine biology and animal behavior and shared fascinating personal stories about their background, training and experiences. Our itinerary necessarily included a number of sea days but with the talent pool aboard, there were plenty of learning opportunities and we never had any dull moments.I would be remiss if I failed to mention the hospitality side of the crew. The hotel staff, restaurant staff and bar staff are absolutely professional and the service is top notch and very one on one. The Executive Chef and his staff prepared simply wonderful meals including a marvelous selection of beef, pork, chicken, seafood and vegan/vegetarian entrees, along with a wide variety of side dishes, soups, salads, and of course, desserts. In the evening, entertainment was provided by an on-board pianist, and on this voyage, we had a small tango troupe who performed a couple different acts on different evenings. There were two Karaoke nights and a “Two Truths and a Lie” game performed by members of the Expedition Team that was great fun.While visiting Antarctica was our primary objective and a “Bucket List” item, our visit to the Falkland Islands (or Islas Malvinas if you are from Argentina) was an unexpected delight, as was South Georgia Island. Both offer magnificent scenery, peaceful natural harbors and inlets teaming with wildlife, and occasionally dramatic ice sculptures created by Mother Nature. Both the Falklands and South Georgia are sparsely populated with about 3600 and 1000 people respectively, although South Georgia’s diminishes during their winter month. We were able to visit a couple whaling and sealing stations, fortunately abandoned about 60-70 years ago, and it was quite eye opening to see the magnitude of these operations. If I recall correctly, one of the whaling stations “processed” on the order of 177,000 whales. We were very glad that we were able to visit both the Falklands and South Georgia. Few ships go there but they are fascinating destinations in their own right and certainly worth your time.Antarctica itself almost defies description with its jagged mountains, glaciers, mammoth icebergs, and rugged coastline. It is an absolutely magnificent place to visit and one of those places that you must see to believe. We were fortunate to see whales, seals, penguins and other sea birds in their natural environment, along with more natural ice sculptures. It should be noted that all of the places we visited on our voyage have strict protocols in place with regard to the maximum number of people permitted on shore, together with environmental procedures to preclude contamination. Swan Hellenic has the necessary procedures, training and equipment in place to adhere to these requirements and allow their expedition members to visit.In closing, we would certainly recommend a Swan Hellenic expedition to anyone who is interested in really experiencing these regions. Swan Hellenic’s tag line is “See What Others Don’t” and they are absolutely correct. This is not a cruise where you sail by and wave, it is truly an unforgettable boots on the ground experience.
Claim your business profile now and gain access to all features and respond to customer reviews.
Cultural Expedition Cruises
