Swan Hellenic Avis 146

We booked a balcony cabin on SH Diana (operated by Swan Hellenic) for 14 night Arctic Cruise in Svalbard, Greenland, and Iceland, scheduled for 16 July 2026. We paid 20% deposit in June 2025 and continued to plan and book non refundable accommodations and sightseeing activities in Norway and Iceland, before and after this cruise. Unfortunately we opted for non refundable accommodation bookings because Europe, especially Iceland, is extremely expensive. Anyway in the end of Aug 2025, we suddenly got an email from our travel agent, Adventure Life, saying, Swan Hellenic cancelled this cruise. We were encouraged to take another of Swan Hellenic's similar cruise at a later date. Taking full refund was also an option.

Since we were already heavily committed with non refundable bookings (worth approx A$10k) , we could not take Swan Hellenic's other cruise offer. Even then, it was extremely difficult to find another cruise to fit within the time frame we had. It was a nightmare! Plus we still had to cancel/rebook a couple of things, which set us back approx A$ 2600.

Though we did have travel insurance - they did not accept our claim, because the cruise was cancelled because of "operational reason". That is Not a covered reason!

Hence, Swan Hellenic is highly unreliable, in our experience. What a waste of our hard saved money!!

This was my second expedition with Swan Hellenic and both were exactly what I wanted to accomplish.

Unfortunately we have had terrible experiences with Swan Hellenic. In March 2024 we where booked from Lima to Panama and they cancelled 2 weeks before. They did pay for our cancelled flights and pre cruise hotel booked separately so we thought we would give them another chance. Big mistake, now 3 weeks before our Rio to Buenos Aires Cruise on 6 November they have cancelled again, supposedly due to low occupancy. The ship has to go to Buenos Aires any way, so why not take the passengers.

Their only offer was a 6 night cruise from Salvador to Rio departing in 2 weeks at the same price as our 8 night cruise but they would give us 3 nights hotel accommodation in Rio, some on board credit, or we could have a refund without charge!

They will not pay for cancelled flights or hotels.I would definitely avoid them unless you are happy with short notice cancellations and don't mind potentially loosing thousands of pounds in airfares and hotels.

It was my first cruise experience, and I couldn't have been more impressed. Facilites were in uniformly exquisite condition, and staff and service were impeccable. I might prefer more presentations focused on cultures in the areas we visited, more casual access to the lecturers, and a better understanding (on my part) as to what each excursion included/entailed.

The Swan Hellenic cruise line truly delivers on its promise of "cultural expedition." Sailing on one of their new, boutique ice-class vessels, like the SH Vega or SH Diana, is an experience that seamlessly blends five-star luxury with genuine, deep exploration. The ships themselves are a marvel of Scandinavian design—elegant, spacious, and immediately comforting, feeling more like a high-end floating hotel than a traditional cruise liner. The staterooms boast high-quality finishes, plentiful storage, and large balconies, ensuring your comfort even in the most remote polar regions.

What elevates Swan Hellenic above competitors is the expedition team and the dedication to immersive travel. The expert lecturers, naturalists, and guides are world-class, offering fascinating lectures and ensuring safe, intimate Zodiac excursions. With a small passenger count (under 200), the experience is personalized; the staff quickly learns your name and preferences, and the ship is nimble enough to access hidden coves and react quickly to wildlife sightings, maximizing every moment of discovery. The included transfers, premium amenities, and exceptional dining—featuring both delicious buffet options and refined à la carte dinners—further cement this as a top-tier choice for the discerning traveller seeking adventure without sacrificing sophistication. It's an investment that offers incredible value for a once-in-a-lifetime journey.

From onboarding SHVega to our departure we had a great luxury cruise, fabulous service, wonderful experiences in nature and a fautless class of accommodation and food not experienced before

Our Arctic experience
We have just had the ultimate trip of a lifetime and totally recommend SH Vega and their crew. We were on suite 625, spacious well laid out, plus added touches, like a log fire, that you don't experience else where, our Stewardess Myrish, always left the suite beautiful with added personal touches
Rene, our evening entertainment, he is a very talented man, request's we're not an issue
The bar staff, Alan with his very competent members, always asking wether they could assist
The dinning room level 4
and 7, not sure how Swan Hellenic are able to select such fantastic stall, there are just to many to name and not wanting to forget anyone, brilliant
The expedition stall, so knowable and skilled in handling all passengers on zodiacs in sometimes tricky conditions we're great and talking with them during their cruise, always willing to assist and correct answers
My most praise goes the Captian and head Chef
The Captain, wether giving a presentation or conversations with the passengers always eliminated, we would enjoy another cruise with him at the helm
The Chef, the meal presentation and selection would be hard to find in some highend restaurants, each evening would come through the restaurant and ask about the meal, if any changes could be made, dedicated to his profession
We can not leave without mentioning Dr Mish, ( hope we got that right), always caring and around passengers answering any queries that they may have
Thankyou for the Experience
Warren Lynn Affleck

When the accident happened the crew members , very kind people, were asking if everything is ok, but the main doctor never approached, asking anything about injury, even she was present at the scene and she saw everything what had happened. Had to admit to the medical room and report about the accident, while was bleeding, and the first thing heard from the main doctor in the emergency room was, "I thought you had slipped" and after the nurse proposed to write the report, the doctor's first response was "Let's do not report". The passengers cannot feel safe if main doctor tries to hide evidence. The whole accident was captured on a video and pictures of injury were taken. Later on have sent email with details about the incident to security manager Kim, and got vague response, looked like they are trying to downgrade the whole accident and not willing to take any actions to insure the passengers would get proper handling In case of injury and get necessary medical assistance in case of emergency. The whole vacation experience significantly has been impacted by the injury on the ship and main doctor's ignorance

A unique small ship cruise with experienced and helpful explorer team to venture in to the desolate Canadian North filled with awesome sights of dramatic glaciers, ice bergs ,stunning scenery of hills and mountains with polar bears, muskox, seals, walrus, fox, hare and a peek at 4 narwhal with lots of birds Amazing lectures on history, culture, mammals and wildlife of the North. A truly wonderful experience helped by the generous assistance of all the crew And of course a terrific northern light show to cap off the trip. Perfect weather

A terrific expedition trip! Small number of guests, very attentive staff, very interesting ports of call (sometime riding in Zodiacs, sometimes tenders & sometimes walking off the ship to get to our destination.) Excursions were varied & fun!

Evening talks were very interesting. Food was delicious, and Guides were great.

Excellent ship. Max 150 passengers. Good expedition team. Good food. Nice cabins.

My husband and I cannot say enough good things about this cruise. Greenland and Iceland were magnificent. The cruise ship staff were exceptional. The food was beyond outstanding; one could tell that the chef took great pride in it. The excursions to the shore were perfect. The lectures were wonderful. The rooms were great and the views--unbelievable. This was a trip of a lifetime. (Even the weather was perfect, but I don't think we can credit the cruise line for the weather). We loved, loved, loved this trip and this cruise ship. (Although we have not been on a lot of cruises, we have traveled extensively; we are picky people. So this review is genuine--it was simply a wonderful trip)

The ship SH Vega radiated a cozy and homely feel from the time we stepped on board. The personalized and warm service by the officers and crew and the hospitality staff made our stay extremely comfortable. The expedition team led by Nikki was absolutely professional in everything they did and the daily briefings were very informative and insightful. Attention to detail on all matters, and especially safety, was just superb. Overall, an experience of a lifetime and we look forward to the next SH cruise.

We had a wonderful trip. Perhaps it made it even better as we did a trip in February on the SH Vega. Many of the staff remembered us from the previous trip which made it very special . The service was great. I could not fault anything. I turned 77 on the 2nd day in and did the polar plunge. A wonderful experience.

The Cruise Ship is just exotic & luxurious. A monster in cutting through the ICE.
The Captain & his senior team were so down to earth and available to their own team and the customers, all the time. Very intimate experience.
The Cabins were luxurious with all thinkable amenities & well kept by HK throughout the ten days.
Dining in regular room and outdoors @ Swimming pool when it was sunny & bright were always a looked forward to events. Food was great, too. We vegetarians were lovingly taken care of.
The Expedition team was exceptional with an able team leader and well versed experts & special invitees. Such humane experience and we learnt a lot from them - topics covering Geology, Ecology, Botany, Zoology, Greenland and its brief history & immediate future goals (courtesy ex PM of GL), Culinary expertise from Michelin star chefs ---.
The briefings were to the point, safety given utmost priority and we could achieve almost everything planned barring one event because of ill weather.
The Observation Deck - the HUB of all our meets and briefings/lectures is a wonderfully laid out place. We spent more time here than the cabin, meeting and getting to know each other. Wonder co-cruise mates from USA, Canada etc. We ourselves were two couples - senior Indian citizens, ticking off our bucket list in retirement.
The polar plunge was a surprise event and only we two menfolk did it along with 27 others. Is a chilling experience - rest assured.
Didn't spot many wildlife. Personally, I am happy because it gives me equal pleasure seeing them on videos and not disturb them in their habitat. GL is one of the last natural places in this Earth - let us NOT leave any footprint here.
Once again, The Captain of the Ship is such a delightful person and leads the team with such simplicity & humility. His command is omnipresent everywherre by the crisspness of servie & experience. Lastly, the Crew was friendly and participatory, always.
Score 5 on 5.
Next, Antartica Cruise in Feb 2026.

Great destination, best service and amazing crew and expedition team

The 13 day stay on the Vega was exciting, comfortable and knowledgeable!
Both the Staff and Expedition Team were very forthcoming and encouraging!
As soon as someone saw u struggling either with the safety gears or negotiating steps or terrain they would be physically assisting you or accompanying u till u felt comfortable and at ease! At other times words of encouragement did the trick!
The staff were extremely polite and ever ready to serve....I would particularly like to mention Robinson (at the reception).
Looked forward to the 'trips' on the Zodiac....they were exciting, well managed, informative and felt very safe even when the sea or weather was otherwise!
The food was amazing....the items were tasty and Chef Amit made it a point to interact with most of the Guests!
On the whole loved the vibe .....interactions with Ferdinand Fernandes, The Captain, Dr. Mila, Bert, Mike, Chef Amit, Jeffrey, Robinson, the staff at the Bar(on 7) will always be cherished and remembered!

Extraordinary cruise line. Fantastic personalized service. Immaculate ship. Very experienced Expedition team and lectures given by knowledgeable people. Highly recommend this cruise line.

Sehr engagiertes Expeditions- und Hotelteam. Saubere und geräumige Balkonkabine. Sehr gutes Essen. Reise mit SH Vega uneingeschränkt zu empfehlen.

Wir haben mit der SH Diana von Swanhellenic im Juli 2025 eine Expeditionskreuzfahrt in die Arktis gemacht. Es war einfach unglaublich!
Das Schiff ist hervorragend. Modern eingerichtet, sehr gepflegt und hat alles was man braucht. Der gesamten Crew geben wir 10 Punkte. Alles Top organisiert, ob Fahrten mit den Zodiacs oder Vorträge, geführte Wanderungen.
Das Essen ist super lecker und hat auch 10 Punkte verdient. Wir haben Eisbären, Walrosse, Polarfüchse und jede Menge Vögel gesehen. Es wird auf die Natur und Tiere geachtet. Das finde ich super.
Aber am meisten fand ich die Freundlichkeit am Board unfassbar. Man merkte dem Team an, wie gerne es dort arbeitet. Einfach toll ❤️ Wer eine außergewöhnliche und luxuriöse Reise machen möchte, dem kann ich Swanhellenic nur empfehlen.