South America Cruise Trips

We had a wonderful trip. All the crew on the ship, the bar and restaurant staff and particularly the young and enthusiastic expedition staff were absolutely fantastic. We upgraded to a very comfortable junior suite and Rafael, who looked after us, was great. The organisation was excellent and we felt very safe in a dangerous environment.

On the whole this was a good trip. we saw lots of animals in their natural habitat. However we did have a 'wasted day' on the change over day, 24th March(day 4). The only activity arranged was 45min trip to the Interpretation centre and a short visit to Frigate Hill, on San Cristobel Island. We spent quite a few hours on board with little to do. There should have been more activities such as snorkeling...This day was also made very fraught for us by the boat staff and captain. From day one, our air con system malfunctioned, after several attempts to repair it we were promised another cabin with a working air con during the change over, day (4). As you can imagine it was very uncomfortable to be in a small cabin near the equator, without air conditioning. As day 4 progressed and the new guests arrived, it became more obvious that we were not going to change cabins. The Captain assured me that someone was going to come to fix our machine and pleaded with me 'just to wait'. By late afternoon nothing had changed. I contacted Andean Travel, who contacted Onric who organised a different cabin at about 6pm as one other passenger was going to be late and we could transfer to his. Emails were received pleading with us not to disclose the problem with other passengers. I agreed to this but pointed out that the saloon was now full and we would be transferring our baggage through the saloon. We received a letter from Onric apologising about not reaching their 'expectation of making us comfortable' on half of our trip, with a bottle of house wine. Considering the cost of this trip, a bottle of house wine hardly recompenses us for those 4 days, half our trip, in a stiffling cabin. I have kept the letter. In view of the angst of having to 'fight' for a change of cabin was I disappointed to find on our last night, 4 envelopes (2 per person), on our bed, in which to place our tips. Two were for the guide and two for the crew. The suggestions for the amounts would have added about $500 to the cost of our trip (which is a very significant cost and should be mentioned by Explore at the time of advertising the trip). It was suggested that the tip for the crew should be $20 per day per person ($40 per couple). I have one of these envelopes. I feel that Andean Travel should offer a financial recompense for the very uncomfortable 4 days, half our trip.

The trip was amazing! We did not have any problelms, delays. No missing points or places. Our guides were great and made everything to make our trip unforgetable and fantastic. Galapagos islands were absolutely must to see and to be. Incredible place!

The ship and staff for the journey provided enthusiastic, effective and patient support, with a well-executed itinerary that I'd trust for future trips. Food and accommodation were excellent. Waters were very calm once reaching Antarctica, to relieve anyone's seasickness. Mountain and Glacier landscapes were great. The wildlife in the area is plentiful, where we saw at least some whales, seals and penguins every day we were in Antarctica and probably 20ish whales overall. The animals aren't afraid of humans and so at worst ignore you as you get fairly close. Extra downtime filled with interesting presentations about history, animals, current antarctic science and recent environmental issue affecting it. If you absolutely must have Emporer penguins, elephant seals or Orca, check the season you're going as we saw just a few but they were unusual and not to be expected at the time/places we went. I'd recommend this trip to anyone I knew going to Antarctica who hasn't been there before and doesn't have extremely specific desires for wildlife that I didn't mention. It's fun, comprehensive, and the minimum commitment required for the adventure it offers. This trip took place on the Ocean Endeavor, in early-mid February, on the West side of the Antarctic Peninsula.

THIS TRIP IS MY GREATEST TRIP FOR ALL THESE YEARS. I LOVE YOU ALL!

Where can I apply ;-) loved it so much! Too bad the scales only go to 5, so i give it a 10 out of 5