Cape Horn was the most anticipated and most memorable experience but the other zodiak trips were truly exciting as well. Table 15 was the 'best' in many ways as it was chock-full of interesting people telling stories about their lives on four continents; best too because we won the trivia contest (with a little help from our excellent waiter, Manuel). I loved not only what I saw, but also what I learned. The emphasis on new knowledge about the environment was much appreciated. The views from the cabin window were a plus as I saw great vistas of beauty right from my bed.

It was an event-rich experience with great food, wonderful staff and much fun. It was better than I'd anticipated.

Maybe

Swoop was great during the planing stages. Every question was taken seriously and answered well--especially when we were at the considering options stage. I didn't have much further need of assistance once the trip was planned and paid for. The paying part was the only thing that had a few wrinkles. There needs to be more attention paid to North American payment methods. In Canada, we mostly don't do bank transfers and the credit card route had a few wrinkles.

The wait for boarding was a bit too long in Ushuaia but once aboard, it all went beautifully. The cabin 209 was lovely but right over either an anchor or a turning mechanism--i.e. VERY LOUD at times. I'd give patrons of this cabin a warning or a discount. Scenery was spectacular and we couldn't have wanted more. Staff on board were SUPER--all of them. I'd recommend that you offer an activity in Ushuaia for those waiting for hours. We did the Maritime Museum as it was nearby but a small tour would have been a lovely plus.

The wildlife talks and visits were great. The staff were knowledgeable about flora. I'd have liked a little more bird information as I love birds. We saw and identified condor but there were other birds that weren't identified. Considering all the work Darwin did on finches, I'd love to have heard about the birds of Cape Horn--were they particular to those islands? That's not to say that the guides weren't great. They were. I especially liked the focus on SAFETY. Well done.

The food was outstanding. Kudos to the pastry chef! He took great pride in his work and it showed. Our waiter Manuel went the extra mile and made the trip lots of fun. The ship operator did a talk on early maps of Patagonia--also superb. I loved that I could see the vistas of the Magellan Strait right from our cabin window. The zodiak excursions and landings were most impressive for their emphasis on safety. One issue which is probably insoluble--I could find no public washrooms. I always had to run back to the cabin which was not convenient, especially once during a meal. I should also like to note that ALL staff took great care to be helpful. Our cabin cleaning crew was as helpful as those leading the tours.

The SWOOP Patagonia tour was expensive when you consider that it was really only three days, BUT, it was well worth the expense as it was well organized, experience-rich, very safe, run by superb and knowledgeable staff and chock-full of epic scenery.

I missed at least two talks and I regret that. The staff was trying to preserve 'rest time' but, alas, with no announcement in the cabins for the talks, I missed them. I think that the talks should also receive public announcements. Finally, THERE MUST BE MORE EMPHASIS ON THE FACT THAT THE SHIP HAS NO WIFI. I did not tell my husband I would be out of touch for four days and he worried big time. I had no way to reach him. If I'd known ahead of time, I could have warned him and all would have been well. If there was prior notice about wifi, it wasn't enough.