“The screening process is not adequate and there were clearly people on the trip not capable on the modest physical requirements - getting on and off the zodiac and walking around the islands. Very unfair on the ships crew who have to lift (not assist, but lift) these people in and out of the zodiacs. I paid way too much money to stand around watching these people stumble about. Very lucky not to have a major injury.”
“Wake of Mawson 2017/18 was a trip to remember and was pretty much hassle free for my partner and self. Of course you cannot predict the weather but if you are prepared and flexible then you will manage. Thanks Chimu!”
“We were impressed with the customer service that we got on the Ortelius from Oceanwide Expeditions. They took great care of us, offered a range of interesting lectures, put a lot of effort into briefs and debriefs, shared some amazing photos of our trip as part of this and then shared many of them. At Christmas and New Year they went to a special effort to give us free drinks, a Christmas stocking, toasts etc. We were allowed access to the bridge which gave us great sightings of birds and whales as well as when we entered gorges/bays. The highlights of the trip were the vast penguins colonies of South Georgia in stunning scenery full of glaciers, some lakes, penguins nesting, moulting, swimming, grooming, boldly coming up to us, the amazing seals snarling, snoozing or swimming and the birdlife. In the Antarctica, even in overcast weather the bays were extraordinary with their stark beauty, iceberg and icy lakes. We were blessed with calm weather the whole time and only missed one landing because of wind and swell. When we couldn't land in South Orkney because the harbour was frozen, or in Deception Island, we landed elsewhere instead, or visited where Shackleton's men camped for 5 months waiting for rescue. We hardly saw another ship despite peak season. Chimu was very supportive in answering our questions re preparation and also choosing the best itinerary for us. Ortelius is an expedition ship adapted for cruising and so is not as grand as some boats but we got excellent value for what we paid compared to some others we checked out.”
“The entire trip went smoothly. The team on-board were fantastic. We were very lucky with weather and wildlife spotting and there were plenty of activities to do. The other travellers and staff on board were fun and we cannot fault the trip. Would highly recommend the base camp adventure.”
“Tour companies sell experiences. However, getting nature to cooperate is unrealistic. Somehow nature was listening to this tour. On our way back North, we stopped to spend time among grounded icebergs. The shapes looked like something out of a fantasy movie. We were almost ready to return to the ship when one of the massive bergs suddenly collapsed. Fortunately, none of the kayaks was near the collapse but one of the zodiacs was. Someone on the zodiac got fantastic images of the collapse. If that wasn’t enough, that same day as we went through a narrow passage between two islands we had more excitement. The plan to push aside a small iceberg didn’t work out as planned. Part of the berg broke off and it flipped over. We got quite a thrill as the ship tilted to the left and right several times. I was fortunate to be on the bridge when it happened and caught it on video. My travel companion was on the 7th deck and got another view. WOW! What a trip.”
“Words can't describe the feeling, pictures can't show the beauty. Traveling with Ponant to the Antarctic was amazing. We did think it was expensive until we traveled and experienced all they included. The money was very well spent. Booked through Chimu Sydney . Thank you Jason our honeymoon was amazing.”
