Penelope Carrington
(AN), Jan 2010)Antarctica is a beautiful place to visit and the weather can add an interesting perspective to the scenery and experiences. I enjoy photography and have taken many, many pictures of the penguins, fur seals, elephant seals, whales and seabirds. The 10 pm sunsets on the snow-covered mountains, the big chunks of sea ice and the unique and beautifully sculptured icebergs will keep you out on deck (freezing your butt off) for many hours. Then when a large pod of Orca whales or Humpbacks or Minkes swim near the ship and "perform" for us, it is extraordinary. This is an experience of a lifetime and difficult to adequately explain to people who have not been there.
This was my 3rd trip to Antarctica, all trips with Quark, and I would NOT go with any other company. Adventure Life facilitated all my plans and trip details with excellent care, and my trip planner, Jen, is always easy to work with.
The ship's crew were ALL friendly, helpful and genuinely eager to make sure we had the best trip possible. Captain Alexey worked well with Brandon (Expedition Leader) and they were constantly working to provide us with the best shore landings and the safest and most enjoyable experiences. The weather caused us to miss several planned landings, but they provided other alternate landings that prevented our missing any wildlife encounters. There was an excellent variety of food and plenty of it. The soups were especially good and I don't remember ever having the same food twice. The food presentation was excellent, as well as the taste. Many a meal, the ship was rocking and rolling and the dining staff was very helpful and good-natured about being sure we had enough to eat and enjoyed the meals, while hanging on to our table with one hand. In spite of challenging weather, this was a very enjoyable trip, due to the excellent staff and ship's captain and crew. The 70 guests were all a very congenial and interesting group of mixed nationalities. We made lasting friendships.
Additional Adventure Life Reviews & Testimonials :
Amazon | Antarctica | Argentina | Belize | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Costa Rica | Ecuador | Falkland Islands | Galapagos | Guatemala | Guyana | Honduras | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama | Patagonia | Peru | Uruguay
