Reviews

For the moment just three words - (sorry I am verry busy - just arrived at home) ... ALL SIMPLY PERFEKT. To a second moment then a longer review ... with love Dieter Kompatscher

I did the OTL27-19 Antarctic Peninsula - Basecamp trip from 29/12/18 to 9/1/19. It was by far the most enjoyable experience ever! The trip was always going to be fantastic - because let's face it - it is the Antarctic. Just being there is awesome in itself. However, I'm not writing this review about the place but the people who made it special. The expedition team & ship crew were awesome. The ones that stood out were Beau, Sandra, Gracie, Mal, Marijke, Sigi & Melanie. We were blessed with excellent weather & as such there was no down-time for the expedition crew. It is easy to deduce that the exceptionally fine days meant that Beau & Sandra had to work extra hard to make sure we muggles were suitably entertained, happy & had nothing to complain about the whole trip. I am truly appreciative of all their efforts and for going above and beyond to ensure we had the best experience ever. You can credit Beau & Sandra as the reason that I have already booked my next trip with Oceanwide - and if i don't get to see them on that trip, then whoever is part of the expedition crew will have some big shoes to fill as I will be comparing their levels of enthusiasm, caring and dedication :-)

The whole experience was above my expectations. The staff and crew were so helpful and I never felt I was a bother when I need a little extra help here and there. I would definitely recommend this voyage to anyone who enjoys wildlife. We were blessed with exceptional weather and crossing the Drake Passage was a breeze.

This 18 days on board the Plancius was the best trip I have ever done. No words or photos describe the experience being surrounded by seals whales and penguins in every direction. The crew on board went above and beyond to make the time unforgettable.

Captain Barria and Toni Salo, made the Drake seameless!! Not even dramamine was needed! Beau and the expedition team, was just extraordinary! We had 12 days or magnificent sunlight, and they made sure every day was filled with so many activities, from lectures to landings! They really went out of their way to make this a memorable experience! I engaged in all the activities, which made me enjoy every second on and off board! Pete did a great job, giving EVERYONE a chance to kayak! The Hotel Services were IMPECABLE! 7 STAR SERVICE thanks to Sigi and Melanie! We went to bed each night, looking forward to Sigis cheerful Good morning, Good morning, Gooood morning wake up announcement each morning! The food at the restaurant was delicious and very varied. The service at the restaurant, was always so friendly and they seemed to know us all by names...and our usual drinks! Rolando, at the bar, seemed as if he had know us all for a lifetime! He knew exactly what we wanted to drink and when! We are well aware that the energy of all the passengers, was demanding so much from the crew and staff, but at all times were they so friendly, accomodating... and all around Best in Class!

Our trip to Antarctica was absolutely amazing! The landscapes were straight out of a dream. We were very lucky with the wildlife spotting and there is no such thing as seeing too many penguins, they are the cutest and funniest (and smelliest) little creatures. The activities that we did as part of the base camp where very professionally guided and loads of fun. I would recommend this trip to everyone.

A fantastic trip to very remote areas of the world. I usually hate using the word but it really was awesome - beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife, pristine environments and so much more to just keep you smiling in wonder. The guides and organization were great,, and the food and service wonderful. Thanks to everyone for making this a very memorable trip!

it was really great, unforgettable!

Couldn’t have been better! Staff was amazing— knowledgeable, smart, fun, friendly, and absolutely always made sure we were happy and safe. Although Mother Nature did not cooperate for much of the trip, Captain Ernesto and expedition leader Katja seeked out amazing alternatives. The Hotel manager DJ and assistant Alex always made sure we were comfortable and snuck in some awesome surprises for us. I can’t recommend Oceanwide highly enough! Thank you!

Spending Christmas in Antarctica was magical. The wildlife and the scenery were fantastic, and the crew made it very special with an outdoor BBQ and Christmas stockings. Highly recommended.

This trip was beyond anything I could imagine. The quarters were very nice and the service 5 stars. The food was unbelievable! Some of our activities were cancelled due to weather but the staff did the best to keep us occupied and our eyes dazzled. They changed the route to keep us seeing more of the unknown. My only complaint was the ship photographer. She took many photos but stated she cannot share any of the good ones because she will be putting them on her website to sell. Many of us were relying on her to get photos different from ours pictures of us and we all discussed how disappointed we were. The ship prior to us with some friend on it were gifted a 25 minutes slide show. She presented an unedited 4 minute slide show that had us all disappointed.

The King Penguins on South Georgia stole the show, but many other Oscars were handed out amongst six other penguin species and the loyal birds, especially the albatrosses providing a guard of honour for our ship. Fur seals made sure we knew whose beach we had landed on whilst Elephant seals mostly stared in wide-eyed amazement. The ever-forgiving Humpbacks and Orcas enchanted us and kept camera-shutter fingers exercised. Accolades must also be handed out to our wonderful Expedition Leader and her dedicated, skilled and knowledgeable team, who ensured that opportunities to enjoy the wildlife onshore were maximised, whilst risk to the humans and disturbance to wildlife were minimised. This talented team not only drove us ashore brilliantly in Zodiacs when the sea was rough, but also filled our days at sea with lectures on just about everything we might want to know about the region and its history. Thanks must also go to our brilliant captain, aided so competently throughout 3600 nautical miles by his crew and also to the catering and housekeeping staff. We left Plancius with heads and hearts full of images and memories from an outstanding and magical trip.

It was our first time with Oceanwide Expeditions and we both are extremely happy that we have chosen you! Thank you for the excellent adventure. All the staff were great. The food and service were much more than we expected. We would like to stress the professional attitude of Katja, our expedition leader. She and her team were going constantly an extra mile to provide us with experience of Antarctic. Although the weather conditions were extremely bad - it was strong wind during almost all our cruise time -, we were able to experience most of the adventures and we have seen a lot of Antarctic peninsula and its wildlife! Thank you all of the cruise staff. We would highly recommend this cruise to friends. Mimoza and Jove

I was expecting something great, I was not expecting something so fantastic. The expedition crew lead by Ali was exceptional, they did their best to share wonderful moments with us, from spending time in the middle of pinguins colonies and seals to ensuring perfect landing even in windy conditions. Staff very competent, with great sense of humour and always cheering you up. Ali was the head and accomplished it perfectly, but each member was as wonderful. Thank you all for making me live magic moments. I don't forget the rest of the staff who ensured that every moment was just perfect: hotel and crew staff. Food of great quality and excellent meals and a captain and his crew who managed to keep us as comfortable as possible even in a mid shake Drake.

An experience never to be forgotten. From boarding the ship in Ushuaia to disembarking 20 days later, this was a myriad of amazing scenery, stunning wildlife, and great camaraderie. The expedition team are extremely knowledgeable, friendly and helpful, but look out if you stray from the chosen path..... you WILL be told off! Conservation and protection are their mantra, and we all left more educated than when we arrived. Even an ignorant "point and shoot" person like myself became enthused when Petrels or Fulmars appeared! The food was just outstanding, with full 3 course meals at every mealtime. Lectures were on the whole quite interesting, but sometimes difficult to understand from a layperson's view! All in all an amazing trip, which I would love to do again in a different month.