Review Time
12 night Iceland/Greenland cruise in August 24 with SH Vega, via a Travelzoo/Destinology deal.Discussed around booking about the opportunity to see polar bears, which I felt had been marketed & was a main reason for travelling -& it seemed a lot of other travellers had the same hopes. It was thought that this would be possible, although became immediately apparent once on board we would not -we had a lecture to dispel our hopes , as this was in fact not the case and a sighting highly unlikely-.I felt misled…but fortunately the cruise around Greenland took in the most beautiful awe inspiring scenery which made the trip very worthwhile.One saw beautiful fjords, glaciers and icebergs. A definite trip to do for nature enthusiasts!Embarkation of the ship was smooth, although Swan Hellanic let themselves badly down with logistics. They promise warm coats, waterproof rucksacks and water bottles to use and take home, as well as a welcome bottle of champagne in your cabin on arrival.Unfortunately most of these promises were hollow, not to mention very inconvenient.The low stock of coats meant I had to use a one two sizes to big, -I was advised if you need to exchange the size chosen there is stock, & the rucksack and insulated bottle were missing, as was the champagne. We were told they had supply problems!Had travellers been informed prior to travelling, own arrangements could have been made. As it was some had no suitable bag to carry cameras etc in a safe manner during the cruise.The champagne eventually was delivered to those who made a fuss, the rucksacks and water bottle to be sent home if we left our name and address.Hence, nothing heard for two months, and on chasing this up I have been advised that they are now unwilling to send them out and instead offered an non negotiable $100 voucher against a future cruise or on board credit!This is not an acceptable level of customer service expecting you to re book a cruise costing thousands in order to be recompensed for items contracted in a previous booking!A poor reflection of customer care & value!Such a shame coming from a luxury cruise company where cruises cost several thousands of pounds.The luxury ship, delightful committed staff and itinerary provided an enjoyable trip, the staff on board working extremely hard to ensure guests enjoyment.The company needs to support their hard work and keep customer service standards high. -The CEO of the company was on board this cruise, surely if these problems were unavoidable, they could have been handled better, & overseen by him!As it is, this response by SH does not unfortunately engender trust or indeed loyalty to the brand.-Of note: Swan Hellenics global head of guest relations provided the afor resolution, & assures in agreement with the CEO.
Exceptional Customer Service including staff remembering my name, greeting me with genuine kindness & interest in my wellbeing. I felt seen & heard. The ships are small & intimate which fit the purpose of this adventure which for me included a Chopra Retreat experience. The ship was also very clean & well maintain with staff that paid attention to detail e.g. making sure I had supplies for my morning espresso. I honestly cannot think of even a small complaint.
I loved pretty much everything about my trip on SH Vega. From being met at Keflavík airport and being whisked to my hotel and an envelope of information for me which was just what I needed. Then the next day arriving at the port right by the pretty Vega. From getting off the coach, boarding, checking in then to sitting down to lunch was under 10 mins. Then to explore, but first my cabin. Gorgeous, just as it looked in the photos, but the surprise was the amount of storage! Storage everywhere. I met my steward who I would see most days, on the bumpy day he stopped to check if I was feeling seasick, which I wasn’t. Captain Lubo and Staff Captain Christian both often available for chats and questions from the guests. Puneet in the restaurant making sure all was well, checking if I wanted to join others or eat alone, on each evening. And checking on me during the meal, which I really appreciate as a solo traveller.Expedition Leader Mariam always thorough at explaining how the next day would go, making sure we all understood, and her team always available for questions. All the staff and crew, whether restaurant, cabin, maintenance based, all seemed genuinely happy to be there and always greeted with a smile. Gorgeous ship, fantastic team. I want to go on SH Vega again, that cabin was my bedroom and that ship was my home for 8 nights.
Everything was wonderful! The expeditions and team, the hospitality and housekeeping. The expedition team were so knowledgeable and friendly. They went out of their way to make sure you saw as much as possible every day, despite fog! The food and service were incredible, with the staff remembering any little details about what you liked to drink, eat etc.Cabin suit was great, loads of storage and a great balcony.A trip of a lifetime, worth every penny!
The Swan Hellenic Svalbard expedition cruise exceeded my expectations. The SH Vega had 162 passengers, a large number of staff, delicious food, great expeditions in zodiac boats, and was all-inclusive. No worries about drink costs or tipping. Also, the crew was able to vary the itinerary to compensate for weather.
I went on this amazing adventure in July 2024. I can't praise the expedition team highly enough for their diligence, planning, organisation and expert knowledge which allowed us to experience 5! sightings of Polar bears in this vast wilderness plus walrus, reindeer, arctic foxes and seals.All of the team members on board were helpful, friendly, attentive and nothing was too much trouble for them to make this trip so special for all the passengers. The food was really more than 5* giving lots of choice of fresh well prepared ingredients.The only down side was that this fabulous experience ended much too quickly!!
We sailed with Swan Hellenic to Antarctica in January this year and it was hands down, the best experience of our lives. It was so good in fact, that we've just come back from Svalbard in the Arctic, also with Swan Hellenic for our second time on the SH Vega.SH specialize in "expedition cruising" which is more like an adventure than a vacation. You'll listen to "briefings" and complete "operations" in some of the most remote places on earth where you'll see wildlife in their natural habitats, awe at breath-taking scenery and really be part of some once in a lifetime moments.And all the while, you'll be surrounded by luxury. A practically brand new ship, with teams who work to such a high standard they completely obliterate and surpass even the concept of 5 star service. The ships are intentionally smaller than traditional cruise ships so they can navigate into small and (what feels like) hidden locations. It is certainly quality over quantity and it is not comparable with traditional cruising which you might think of - this is more like a holidaying on a very large private yacht.A huge shout out to Puneet the restaurant manager (and his team) who makes every single meal special and all of the expedition team, who have such an enthusiasm in their areas of expertise, it becomes infectious.We've now been to around 74 countries and all 7 continents and as we continue to travel we will 100% be going on another Swan Hellenic adventure in the future and I suggest you do too.
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