Swan Hellenic Atlantic Voyage Cruise

Last Updated on June 20, 2025

An Introduction to Swan Hellenic Diana

What do you imagine when someone tells you they are going on a cruise? Something approaching The Titanic, with luxurious fittings, simpering staff and food fit for a king (if you happen to be in First Class)?  Or perhaps one of those floating shopping malls, with West End theatre level entertainment every night, with a casino – a 24/7 party at sea.  My kind of cruise is at the other end of the spectrum, and a recent trip with Swan Hellenic Diana was just what I look for. With capacity for 192 passengers and with a staff-to-passenger ratio of between 1:1 and 1:2, it’s an intimate and personal experience.  Swan Hellenic is an exploration cruise line with a background in running specialist Arctic and Antarctic trips. But, even if you are travelling around Europe, you can expect a very different approach to the other small ship cruise lines I’ve travelled with. It’s more considered and genuinely informative without ever being boring.

Getting to Swan Hellenic Diana

My Swan Hellenic Cruise was booked with flights and transfers included.  That meant I flew to Lisbon a day early (leaving London at a respectable time) and arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, with enough time to do some sightseeing and last-minute shopping.

Staying in a central Lisbon hotel, there was a cruise reception desk where we were given luggage tags and embarkation instructions for the next day and were offered help with what to see and do in Lisbon.  It was a fabulously relaxing way to start the trip with no worries about airport delays.  Transfers to the ship were smooth with minimal queuing, and we were greeted on board with a glass of fizz, a hot towel and some great smiles. 

I’d made the mistake of travelling with two rolling bags (one was intended to be cabin luggage for the flight, though TAP had other ideas) and was grateful for the assistance getting my cases to my cabin.

About Swan Hellenic Diana

The Cabin

I have a mild obsession with the layout of cruise ship cabins.  Small details can really make a difference to comfort, from the quality of the bed linen through to the storage provided.  My Balcony Class stateroom with Swan Hellenic was practical, charming and just a little bit quirky.  For a start, everything worked – the balcony doors were easy to open and close, the shower was powerful, the bathroom was well laid out, and there was more storage than I could imagine ever needing.  While the careful design was probably at least in part to facilitate rougher seas than we’d be likely to encounter, there was nothing boring about the cabin itself, which came with a pretty flickering flame electric fire, a good quality Illy coffee machine, a kettle and a fridge.  Scandi style décor – a little metal bird, dried grasses in a tiny vase and neutral tones throughout made this a truly restful place to escape.

My double bed was the standard zip-together of two singles, but with an excellent quality topper that meant it worked perfectly.  And, I loved the simple white cotton sateen bed linen.

There were European and American sockets everywhere. I was impressed that there was no compromise in the number or siting of these. Details like USB ports on both sides of the bed and on the desk make a huge difference in our tech-led world.

The sofa was comfy enough that on the first night, I curled up in my fluffy white robe to relax a bit and fell asleep watching a film. The large flat screen TV not only acted as the Ship’s main communication device but also had a full range of TV channels and some excellent films. The balcony was large enough to happily seat two people – a great place to watch as we pulled into harbour.

Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, there was champagne in the fridge, a Swan Hellenic rucksack and water bottle and a pretty glass tower of chocolates and dried fruit snacks to enjoy. 

Food and Drink on Board

Swan Hellenic Diana has two restaurants and an outdoor grill that’s open when the weather is fine.  The Swan Restaurant offers silver service fine dining every day, while the club lounge on the 7^th deck offers buffet-style food.  Breakfast is served in both restaurants and is also available in your cabin at no extra cost (my own favourite indulgence).  There’s also 24/7 room service – and you can enjoy the same menu that is offered in the Swan Restaurant delivered to your room during meal times (the rest of the time, the menu is a little more limited).

With no speciality dining reservations required onboard, guests were free to indulge without the need for advance planning. Each day brought fresh culinary inspiration, thanks to rotating specials crafted by both the ship’s head chef and acclaimed guest chef Heribert Dietrich of Gasthaus Höhwald in Switzerland, a member of the prestigious JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs, a group of talented young chefs who are collaborating with Swan Hellenic to provide an enhanced gastronomic experience.

One of the voyage’s standout experiences for me was a refined gala dinner – an event spread over two nights and hosted by Dietrich alongside Master of Wine Keith Isaac and the ship’s effervescent Hotel Director, Mauricio Dos Santos. Despite its culinary grandeur, the occasion retained a sense of intimacy, offering an elegant showcase of fine food and wine. More of that in a separate feature because the food and wine offering was quite unique.

The Spa, Gym and Pool

On the eighth deck of Swan Hellenic Diana, there’s a spa and salon. I tried a fabulous, age-defying La Mer revitalising facial on my second day on board and can thoroughly recommend the services, which use top-quality products all delivered with classic techniques.

Next door to the spa, there’s a well-equipped, spacious and modern gym with everything you need to keep fit while at sea.  A hot tub just outside on deck is complemented by an efficient and super clean sauna and steam room.

There’s definitely a focus on wellbeing – the hot tub is set up so that it’s unmistakably part of the fitness suite.  But, on the 7th deck, if you are looking for more of a leisure option, there’s a small but elegant infinity pool that opens out to sea.

Leisure Facilities

As mentioned, Swan Hellenic Diana has a delightful, small but well-formed infinity pool on the seventh-floor deck, which is also home to an outdoor bar, loungers and tables and the grill.  The club lounge restaurant on this floor has a large bar to the rear that serves a range of excellent cocktails too.

Opposite and facing forward is the observation lounge, a space where we’d all congregate each evening for a recap of what we’d seen and for a presentation on the next day’s activities. With floor-to-ceiling windows, I can imagine this is a great place to relax if the weather is inclement, though on our trip, there was no need.  Guest lectures take place here, and every evening there’s a pianist taking requests. 

There are games, jigsaw puzzles and more stacked neatly on shelves at the back of the observation lounge, too.

A Touch of the Explorer

While at first glance, Swan Hellenic Diana looks very similar to other smaller cruise ships, even when you are on a European cruise, there are hints of what this powerful ship provides.

Go to the 3rd deck to find the Library and Basecamp – you have your own locker there, which on some cruises will house your wet weather gear.  Of course, the library comes equipped with a plethora of books so that you can learn more about each destination.  But what is there feels a bit like graduating from secondary school to university – it’s all about depth of knowledge. There’s also a small expedition lab off the basecamp – and the ship’s clinic.

The Zodiacs (inflatable dinghies powered by an outboard motor provide guests with the opportunity to explore the parts other cruise ships won’t reach. On our itinerary, there was little reason to use them, though the crew took guests out for a spin around the coast at St Malo. Swan Hellenic Diana is equipped with a marina platform and crane system for smooth and safe launching and retrieval of the Zodiacs, even in challenging conditions, and there are 15 of these military grade rigid inflatable boats. Now I’m aching to cruise with Swan Hellenic again, so that I can experience is essential for enabling guests to reach remote destinations where the ship cannot dock, in Arctic tundra, Antarctic ice shores, or on small islands.

What was evident from the start was the quality and expertise of both the ship’s own guides and of guest lecturers brought on board at various points.  If your idea of travel is to see and learn, Swan Hellenic is a great option.  Guides ranged from qualified mountaineers to ornithologists and biologists – each one with a specialisation to ensure a unique insight into the destinations.  And, the focus of our onboard photographer was less on taking pictures of the guests and more on recording some of the amazing sights.

Make sure you take time for a Bridge Tour. Apart from arguably the best view on board, the tour is one of the most informative ones I’ve experienced – we learnt how the ship is specially equipped to ensure stability at sea and how the various instruments provide an amazing level of safety, identifying objects ahead and to the side of the ship even when visibility is poor.  And, how the senior officers, including the captain, have their quarters just off the bridge so that in the case of any issues, they are always on hand.

The Itinerary – Swan Hellenic The Atlantic Voyage

One of the most compelling aspects of cruising is witnessing the gradual transformation of the landscape. A recent voyage from Lisbon, tracing the Portuguese coastline, continuing north to Spain and France, and concluding in Portsmouth, offered a vivid illustration of this. Each port revealed a new layer of culture, scenery, and atmosphere, making the journey as captivating as the destinations themselves. It’s worthy of a separate article – the destinations ranged from the popular through to the quirky and unusual, but each one had its own story to tell. And the whole journey provided a fascinating historical and cultural insight.

There was very little daylight time at sea – just one morning (when I managed to have my facial) and that meant all the more time for exploring our destinations. At each one, there was an excursion that was included with the cruise, and at some, there were extra excursions for specialist interests. More of that to come. My favourite destination – Mont St Michel. My favourite unexpected delight – a 5km hike to Santiago de Compostela. The Atlantic Voyage is worth a feature in its own right!

Discovery at Sea – what makes Swan Hellenic Special

This cruise was special. For me, part of the joy was that the itinerary took me to places I’d never visited. Part of it was that it gave me experiences that went beyond the ordinary – a private view at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, for example. And part of it was that this cruise was staffed by guides with their own passions and interests – genuinely interesting people who enhanced the learning experience. Most of all of it was that Swan Hellenic Diana offered a very special kind of luxury. Understated perfection – the kind of luxury that doesn’t need a logo to be special.

There was an undeniable sense that the team behind Swan Hellenic was charting its own course and embarking on a voyage of discovery alongside its guests. That brought a unique energy to the experience, one that set it apart from the long-familiar itineraries of the cruise industry.

Rather than being handed a pre-packaged journey, passengers with Swan Hellenic Diana were invited into a fluid, ever-unfolding narrative, where information was shared with a thoughtful determination. The result was more than just a trip; it was a learning experience and a shared exploration. And perhaps that’s what truly defines meaningful travel: the opportunity to discover, not just arrive.

Fact Box

I travelled on the Swan Hellenic Atlantic Voyage from Lisbon to Portsmouth from Monday, 12 May to Wednesday, 21 May 2025 

For more information about Swan Hellenic, please call 0207 846 0271 or visit www.swanhellenic.com 

Price – CRUISE ONLY

A 10 night cruise only, 11-Day Luxury Cruise: Portugal to Netherlands | Swan Hellenic, departing 15 May 2026, on board SH Diana, costs from £6,380 pp (two sharing) and includes all meals onboard, 24-hour room service, coffee, tea, soft drinks, and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours per day, lecture programme by experienced expedition team and guest speakers, one selected shore excursion/activity per port of call, standard Wi-Fi, onboard gratuities and port taxes. A branded Swan Hellenic expedition parka and the use of rubber boots are offered in the Polar Regions. 

The following services are not included with the cruise only:

• Flights 
• Transfers 
• Pre or post-cruise accommodation