Trip Reviews - Greenland Sailing Voyages

"What a magical and wonderful experience our holiday with you was! Terrific - should circumstances prevail we wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It really did tick all of the boxes - very professional tour leaders, a beautiful ship with a friendly crew and a great group of travellers. Above all LOTS OF WHALES!

Beverley, the onboard guest manager was fantastic: nothing seemed too much trouble for her. The Captain was a great character - quietly humorous and ran the ship without fuss or drama.

We met some really nice people; the sort you wouldn't hesitate to share another holiday with.

Also, Charlotte (Aqua-Firma guide), without sparing your blushes you did a great job. Your personal contribution played a large part in the success of the tour. And in similar vein the assistance and information provided by your company prior to the trip was everything we could have asked for: They played a major part in the the success of our holiday.

Once again, our thanks."

A & M King, Norfolk
Disko Bay Whale Safari, Greenland Sailing Voyage

"I would like to thank you so so so much for inspiring me about going all the way through this trip!!! It was a very Amazing one!!! Much Much more than expected :)

The Ship was wonderful, the Weather started bad for a couple of days than we had a very beauty Blue Sky and Full SUN for the remaining of the trip.

The Crew and expedition team were very professional and friendly

The Whales watching, towns visits, Hiking in empty areas, the Entrance of Illulisat were all so Amazing!!

It was my pleasure working with you and Aqua-Firma, and hopefully next year I'll be doing Antarctica!"

George Samaha
Disko Bay Whale Safari, Greenland Sailing Voyage

"The trip to Greenland was a wonderful experience and leaves me with lots of great memories.

There are lots of highlights including:

- 7 days of fine weather for being at sea with light winds and fair sea conditions.

- Time spent whale spotting with good numbers of Bowheads and Humpbacks encountered under very favourable conditions for photography. On one occasion we were able to drift in total silence among a school of about 10 Bowheads and listen to their breathing as they surfaced and watch them slip from the surface with the fluke showing as they dived.

- Plenty of icebergs of all shapes and sizes and visits to two Glaciers by foot and by zodiac where we got to see and hear these fabulous landscape and seascape features up close.

- Sightings of a range of birds including a large and impressive colony of Kittiwakes with Rooks raiding nests for eggs and a Gyrfalcon also present.

- Sightings of Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Long Tailed duck, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Arctic Tern, Skua, Snow Bunting and some others.

- Shore excursions ashore each day where we were able to stretch the legs and trek over tundra and rock and taking in panoramic views of wilderness.

- Visits to small and medium sized Inuit settlements where we saw something of the way of life of these communities living year round in this tough environment.

All in all the whole experience was wonderful for me as an outdoor person and wildlife professional.

I would have no hesitation in recommending the trip and Aqua-Firma as a tour organiser.

The two guides and the whole crew of the vessel worked very well together in making the trip a rich experience while accommodated individual needs.

I commend you on the way you have dealt with us from the first day when my wide made contact with you when she organised this surprise experience for me."

Anon, UK
Greenland Sailing Voyage - Disko Bay Whale Safari

What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The scenery along the coast and fjords of West Greenland was breathtakingly beautiful and constantly changing as we made our slow way north. The weather was bitterly cold but bright and the sun felt warm when we found a sheltered
nook on the deck. The beauty of the area was just magical.

What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take lots of layers but don't worry too much about buying lots of expensive technical clothing for the trip. Think about what you do have in your wardrobe - an old pair of leggings or yoga gear may be a good alternative to buying the latest in thermal base layers. Taking a variety of different gloves is worthwhile.

Some travellers held back from going on some of the hikes and zodiac trips. My advice is: don't hold back - these things are too good to miss. Our guides were great at making sure they catered for everyone's abilities and the more able travellers seemed very happy to help those who needed a bit of support.

Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I would think the most important element was the simple fact of bringing tourists to some less visited parts of Greenland. The potential economic benefits from tourism may help reduce the possibility of future harm from minerals
extraction and from over-fishing/hunting.

How would you rate your holiday overall?
It was fabulous and deserves 5 stars. The team and the expedition leader did a first class job in making the trip fun, comfortable and interesting.

Christine Symes & Richard Relf, Australia
West Greenland Whale Safari

"Well what can I say - another great adventure. This is my third adventure with Aqua-Firma, so they must be doing something right!!

The landscape of Greenland is breathtaking and the light at this time of year is fantastic for taking photo's. The sun never sets and I would be up till 4am still taking photos of whales, seascapes and landscape. We saw Bowhead whales, Humpback whales, seals, Arctic fox, Arctic hare and all types of birds, and icebergs as big as aircraft carriers!! The sea was like a mill pond all week and it was t-shirt weather, well for me it was!!! The whales seem to like the ship as we moved across the ocean with the engine off and sails up, it was a true adventure!!

The two guides were very good. Thor has lots of knowledge to share with everyone and Charlotte (from Aqua-Firma) is an excellent guide, with a wealth of knowledge on both the Arctic and Antarctic, reefs and loads of other great stuff, this she gets over in her own special way!! As I said I have been on three adventures with Aqua-Firma and have been lucky to have had Charlotte as one of the guides on all my adventures with Aqua-Firma, she has already talked me in going to the Antarctic again in 2014.

The ship has just been refitted and they have made an excellent job, the cabins are comfortable and wet room works well. The interior of the ship is very comfortable and tastefully done, the food is of a good quality, the bar (which I spent a lot a time at) is small and cozy, like an old snug bar. The viewing from the decks is very good (over 2000 photos taken by me) the crew and captain are all real characters and we had lots fun and laughs' with them, must give a special mention to the housekeep/bar person Beverley, who looked after all the guests on the ship and never stopped from the time we boarded to the time we disembarked.

All the people on my adventure from all parts of the world made for a fun time, as well as for being interesting to talk with at meal times and on the deck as we sailed.

We got to go to places that people had not been to in hundreds of years and met the great people of Greenland who welcomed us into their homes and made tea and cake!! Always goes down well!!

I had a fantastic adventure!!! Go see it and enjoy it."

Iain Dark, London
Disko Bay Whale Safari, Greenland Sailing Voyage

"The sky was blue with a warm sun on the horizon; the ocean was lightly shimmering due to the breeze which under full sail was carrying us along the magnificent coastline of Disko Island.... There was so much to see and do that I did not want to miss a moment that night by sleeping.

It is an adventure that will stay etched in my heart always, and I thank Aqua Firma for providing that to me. To get me there, the team worked endlessly to ensure I had all the information required for the trip, at any time they were on hand to answer questions and assist with day trips in Iceland prior to setting sail in Greenland. They took the worry and strain out of my holiday, for which I am truly grateful. Charlotte joined the crew during my trip and the Aqua Firma customer care continued. Tirelessly she worked all round as a crew member. She was on hand to wash up and ask questions, she gave talks on icebergs and Whales and whilst out on day trips on land she was a guide. It was a privilege to have her show us the marine life. Her great personality, kindness and helpfulness rounded off an amazing adventure. Thank You. I cannot wait to join more."

Samantha Johnson, Flintshire
Disko Bay Whale Safari, Greenland Sailing Voyage

"Greenland was both grand and spectacular. I loved every minute of my two weeks away, each one very different. The weather was pretty kind to us with lots of sunshine and blue skies. It was fairly cold at times but as long as you have the right clothes it is all OK. The entire crew onboard were helpful, caring and friendly, the food was fantastic and the ship itself was very comfortable and warm. We saw lots of whales and birds, a few seals and an arctic fox. It was also great to meet some of the local people in the towns we visited. All in all it was a wonderful experience, one that I feel lucky to have had and I don't think there would be a better way to do it than sailing aboard that particular vessel.

Thanks once again for helping to organise our holiday, everything ran like clockwork."

Jill Bech, Australia
West Greenland Whale Safari & Disko Bay Whale Safari

"We were so lucky with the bowheads and the humpbacks but especially the bowheads! I was stunned by our zodiac trip to explore the basalt columnar cliff face and arch. But really taken aback by the flight over East Greenland..... thanks for being such a cheerful and inclusive guide. I have always marvelled at what a difficult job you guides do.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know how much we both enjoyed the Greenland trip."

Eve Wee, London
Disko Bay Whale Safari, Greenland Sailing Voyage

"We found Aqua-Firma to be really helpful with all our queries, with many long Skype discussions with Ralph and all (6) of us at all hours, which helped us come up within our final itinerary. The vessel is lovely and we enjoyed the trip immensely. Having Charlotte from Aqua-Firma with us on the trip was a major factor in helping us enjoy the voyage. Her bright, cheery and knowledgeable presence was an extra bonus. Thanks for arranging the good weather!"

Elly Brooks & Alan Reid, Australia
Disko Bay Whale Safari, Greenland Sailing Voyage

"The two weeks were amazing.

The cabins are spacious and the crew were great, especially the chef, who Catered for me with gluten free options where necessary. The two guides on each voyage were enthusiastic, knowledgeable and fun.
Thanks for all your help."

Leonie Webb, Australia
West Greenland Whale Safari & Disko Bay Whale Safari

"We had an excellent trip, the weather and ship were fine and we saw 21 Bowheads, 8 humpbacks a porpoise and quite a few harp seals plus 14 Arctic Hares and two Arctic foxes. We also saw 32 species of birds."

Jim Glover & Chrsitine Skinner, West Sussex
Disko Bay Whale Safari, Greenland Sailing Voyage

Tel 0844 412 0848
Int'l +44 1428 620012