Swan Hellenic Antarctica Cruise Review

In the interest of becoming an Antarctica Specialist Travel Agent, I had to make my way back down again to my beloved White Continent to try out a new brand, Swan Hellenic!  I was very intrigued by their claims of being both luxury and science-based, so… let’s crack in and do some Swan Hellenic reviews!  

Swan Hellenic Antarctica Itinerary

Day 0 ~ Arrival Day!

Like other companies that also include flights to Ushuaia, Swan Hellenic provides a hotel in  Buenos Aires the night before the trip.  We stayed at the Sofitel Hotel, which was quite lovely!  I had a fun day of hanging out in Buenos Aires (Check out my Buenos Aires Guide) before making my way back to the hotel.

Upon arrival at the hotel, there was a prominent welcome desk that gave us information for things to do in BA and meeting times.

That evening, we had a cocktail reception meet and greet with some extra information and excitement!

 

Day 1 ~ Heading to Ushuaia!

The second day is the first real day of the trip! Times may vary, but we woke up quite early for breakfast and then were shuttled to the airport as a group.  We were all on the same chartered flight down there which made it quite relaxing because we knew we definitely would all get there together!

Upon arrival in Ushuaia, we were given a little free time to wander about Ushuaia before embarking on the Vega.

Then it was time to get on board!  Checking in was quite smooth as we just gave them our passports (to get back later), and we got our room keys (They were attached on a lanyard which was so convenient) . And champagne 😀

After a quick run around to see the beautiful ship, we had a mandatory muster/safety meeting, and we shipped off into the Beagle Channel!

Day 2 – 3 ~ Drake Passage Crossing!

I wish you an easy Drake Passage crossing!  You can either get the Drake Lake or the Drake Shake, and really it just all depends on the weather (much like the whole trip!)

While crossing the Drake, there are several activities to do on board. There are presentations on different topics (they’ll vary but generally there’s always a penguin, whale, and history presentation at least)  I did find that the expedition staff was open to making presentations based on interests.  I was asking them about certain topics, and they would put them in their presentations!  I also sometimes saw them in the snack area working on them, so they made them special!

There are also the ship amenities to use like the sauna and gym.  But I spent a fair bit of time wandering the ship to check off all the places on my Scavenger Hunt!  (I made this Antarctica Travel Journal, and if you book with me, I will send it to you!)

But I always like to be out on deck practicing my photography on those swooping birds! Most of the birds you’ll see during the crossing, you won’t see them once you leave the Drake.  

Day 4 – 7 ~ Around Antarctic Peninsula!

When you’re actually around land there are landings and excursions!  They try and get you off the ship twice a day, but as you’ll get used to hearing, “It depends on the weather.”  Landings are on the land, obviously, but they’ll also have zodiac cruises and kayaking.

For excursions, you’ll be sorted into groups (they don’t want everyone getting ready in the mud room at the same time!), and the order rotates who gets to go first each time as well.  But never fear, everyone gets off!

Landing sites will vary as (I know I know), it depends on the weather.  They will try and position the ship in the lee of land to make sure the conditions are as good as possible

Day 8 – 9 ~ Crossing the Drake again! 

On Drake days, it’s pretty chill on board.  There are still lectures that you can go and see either in person or from your room, movies to watch in the room, and ship amenities to use around onboard.  Mostly spent getting ready to leave too soon!

Day 10 ~ Disembarkation

The saddest day!  Disembarkation was run rather smoothly.  We put our luggage out the night before, and then we left in groups.  We had some time and were able to wander around, see the Ushuaia sign, and then we were taken back to the airport.

Swan Hellenic Reviews for Accommodations

There are several room categories (which should have their own blog post soon), but I stayed in a balcony suite!

I absolutely LOVED the fireplace in the room, and we left it on almost all the time.  The room also had ample storage which was so convenient to unpack and really feel at home.

The bathroom was really pretty as well. I’ve had some larger bathrooms on other ships, but I’ve also had smaller haha.  It was definitely big enough and wasn’t cramped.  I also really loved the robes.  You can see they also provided shampoo and conditioner, so that was one less thing to worry about!

Food and Drinks (Swan Hellenic Reviews)

Breakfast and lunch are buffet style, which changes daily.  It seemed there was generally a theme to the food.  One thing I noticed is the first day I asked about raisins for the oatmeal, and every day after that there were raisins out!  I like that attention to detail!

The Swan Restaurant was the main restaurant, but there were other places to have some snacks.  

Dinner was also more formal than lunch, and it was considered a sit-down dinner.   Some menu options were available every day, and some menu options changed daily.  You’re able to order as much as you like and in any combination!  

EVERYthing is made on board which is quite impressive.  Even salad dressings!  

Room Service is also an option!  Super great if you’re feeling lazy!  I had a lovely lunch on my balcony on the Drake on the way back!

 

Food Allergies/Special Diets on Swan Hellenic Antarctica Cruise

Before getting on board, you fill out a food allergies and preferences.  While on board, I also reminded them.  My allergies are pepper, peppers, and onions (I know, right?), and often they would make sure my food came out ok for me to eat… even if that meant making it special for me!  Some people I met on board also were lactose intolerant and gluten-free, and they always had options as well.

For the lunch buffet, I would have more of a problem finding suitable food, so they would usually just whip up something just for me (just some butter chicken and broccoli) which was just perfect for me.

Alcohol and drinks are included, so get whatever you want! I do recommend making friends with the sommelier.  I am a little picky about what wine I like, and I described it to her and she made a suggestion that I loved.  

What To Do on Swan Hellenic Antarctica Cruise

Sightseeing

I mean, what else are you doing down here if not to see the sights!  I’ve said it before, but they always say the smokers see the most wildlife since they’re outside.  Plenty of places to observe outside or inside.  One thing I particularly liked about this ship is that all around the walkway are little alcoves with padded seats and offer some protection from the wind!

I also hung around the Observation Lounge because if something was spotted, it was easy to run outside really fast.

On Drake days, I spent a lot of time at the back of the ship watching the birds and practicing taking pictures.  And you never know when a whale will pop up!

The Swan’s Nest is in the front of the ship which also affords great views. It’s also a limited area, so you won’t be surrounded by a ton of people.

Then there’s also the Stargazing deck which I admittedly didn’t use as much as I should have! I only went up there one time, but I was the only one up there! I made the mistake of going on a particularly windy day, so I didn’t stay up there too long.

Lectures

Lectures sound boring, so let’s call them presentations.  The expedition staff will have them based on their areas of expertise!  If you missed the live one or want to rewatch it, you can also watch it from your room!

Entertainment

On my cruise, one of the expedition staff was also a singer, so he’d entertain us most nights.  We also had some group games, singing and dance parties.  There was also a guest who hopped on the piano!

All around the Observation Lounge were board and card games as well. 

 

Snack time

There were daily snacks to have at tea time.  A nice assortment of sweet and savory.  I particularly liked their little pizzas.

 

Health and Wellness

There’s of course a gym if you want to keep up with your fitness goals.  It has several quality machines as well as free weights.

Sauna is a nice way to relax and warm up.  It also comes with an incredible view!

My favorite was probably the jacuzzi (although there’s also a pool that has cooler water in warm water conditions but is heated for Antarctica).

There is also a spa on board for massages and even hair care!

Reading/Writing

There’s also a small library on board.  It has fiction books to borrow as well as informational books about the places all around the world that the Vega sails to.

I brought my own book as well as my journal and I spent a lot of time writing and coloring in it.

Hang out on the Bridge

Sadly because of Covid, this isn’t as prevalent anymore. But they did arrange for tours to go visit. We were also able to ask them questions and learn more about the ship!

Science Lab

This is always available to go in and see, but they don’t always have stuff set out.  But the marine biologist did come down and show us baleen teeth from whales, and let us look at microplastics she pulled from a whale stomach.

Swan Hellenic Antarctica Excursions:

Included:

Zodiacs are both the way to get you to land, but they also take you on fun little cruises around the area!  Sometimes the site doesn’t have a landing area or sometimes conditions aren’t ok for landings or sometimes the highlight of the area is in the water.  In those cases, they pop 10 -12 people at a time in a zodiac to go cruising around!  

If you’re really lucky, whales/penguins/seals can be quite close to the boat!

Polar Plunge

This is optional but I recommend it!  I’ve done it in Antarctica and the Arctic!  Don’t worry, there will be a doctor around just in case, but the real person you’ll want to see is the person with your robe and a shot afterwards!

Hiking

The hikes aren’t going to be hours long or anything like that, but certain landing spots have areas for you to walk around.  Not much too far inland because the penguins usually hang out by the water.

Not Included:

Kayaking

Kayaking is extra, but is $200 per time!  I definitely recommend signing up because it’s amazing.  It’s such a quiet, special way to experience the best place on Earth.  Some lucky few even get whales and seals close to them.  Want more info?  Check out my Kayaking in Antarctica guide.

Wildlife

For wildlife, I’m going to direct you to my other post when I went with another company because the animals aren’t really going to change! But suffice to say you can expect penguins, whales, seals, and lots of birds!

Staff and Crew on Swan Hellenic Antarctica Ship

Expedition Staff

Swan was my 4th polar trip (G Adventures, Quark, Atlas, and now Swan), and their expedition staff was super knowledgeable and very friendly.   It’s hard to pick my favorite expedition team member because they were fabulous, but I just LOVED the marine biologist Anya (loved chatting with her about the animals!) and Lars the ornithologist (also loved talking to him about birds. He even included me in a presentation lmao).

Hotel Staff

The hotel staff are in charge of keeping the ship tidy and feeding us!  I just loved my cabin attendant, Ricardo. 

They’re really amazing, especially working even if the Drake is intense. 

Sailors

I didn’t get a chance to chat with them much this trip, or see them too often. You mostly see them getting on and off the ship onto the zodiacs.  But they’re pretty busy keeping us safe, so not much time for chatting.  Always make sure to give them a smile and wave though because they do a lot behind the scenes that we don’t know about!

The Best ~ My Fave Part of the Swan Hellenic Reviews

I really set myself up for failure on these by even putting this category because it’s so hard to choose!  I’m going to say what’s under Swan Hellenic’s control (because the weather and landscape is going to be the same no matter what).  I’ve already mentioned the fireplace in the room, but my big WOW for sure was the free launderette on board.  It was so nice to wash clothes before leaving (since I had another week of travel) and dry my hat on a particularly wet day!

Also, they have a nice solo supplement at only 25% more which is less than the companies I know (without promotions).

The Worst ~ Swan Hellenic Antarctica Reviews

I’d really have to be nit-picking to come up with a worse.  It’s probably something no one else would even notice, but I only know about it because I’ve been with other companies.  I just wish they had a map showing all of our stops and where instead of just a general map of Antarctica. 

And I feel like I did have to ask what I could eat instead of them being proactive about just letting me know.  A few days into the trip though they were better about it (and it was the first trip of the season, so maybe it was just getting into it).

 

Compare Swan Hellenic Antarctica to Other Companies

It’s in the works to make an infographic to compare all the lines’ ships.  I think Swan has a really good balance of luxury and science, so they definitely live up to that claim!

How to Book a Swan Hellenic Antarctica Cruise

 

FAQ About Swan Hellenic Antarctica Cruise

How is money handled on the ship?

You actually get an account, and they just put it on your account, and you can pay all in one go at the end.  And good news if you’re using a travel card; it’s billed as the “travel” category. I got 3 points per dollar with my Chase Sapphire!

How cold was it? Did you have to buy any special gear?

I actually probably went way overboard (another nautical pun!) with the amount of stuff I purchased because once I got home I realized it was actually just as cold in Atlanta in winter as it was in Antarctica in Summer lol.  Here’s a special packing post!  But they provide the parka (that you get to keep) and access to boots to use while on board.

What if you get hurt on the tour?

There is a doctor on board who is available for anyone. ” 

What about the ice? Can the ship make it through?

Of course! They aren’t going to send us out in an unsafe ship!  Where we were didn’t have too much ice, so it was easy enough to avoid.

 

Thanks for reading!  Please reach out if you have any questions!