Chilean Fjord

Celebrity CruisesInfinityby Joe ReynoldsSouth AmericaFebruary 1, 2004

We departed home on January 28, 2004 to prevent missing a connection as we did before on another previous trip because of weather. We spent the night in Atlanta and flew out of Atlanta arriving in Santiago, Chile on January 30. We had a beautiful room in the Santiago Sheraton Hotel & Convention Center. This city of 5 million people living here on about 117 square miles located between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. We took a tour with Hilda Cerda Chilebbtours 246 Rafael Canas Street, Flat 1, Providencia, Santiago, Chile . e-mail: hildacerda@hotmail.com She drove the van and had an English speaking guide. We visited the working La Vega Central Market in Santiago rather than the tourist market. Having a small group of 6 we were able to accomplish this without difficulty. Tour cost was $48/p and we considered it well worth it.
We stopped in a neighborhood and visited some of Hilda's aunts and were served Empanadas (meat pies) and wonderful Chilean wine.
We were taken to the Artisan's village called El Pueblito de los Dominicos. After some more sightseeing we visited Hilda's small modest home and were treated to a home prepared meal with wine and or fruit juice. This was a most rewarding experience.
After the tour we were dropped of at the cable car ride to visit the top of San Christobal hill for a magnificent view of the city. Hilda and her guide contacted us in Valparaiso for possibly taking a tour there, but we were on the ship and opted not to leave since we had to take a shuttle bus back to the ship terminal. Hilda and her guide had been hired by another couple to take them and their luggage from a hotel in Santiago to the ship terminal in Valparaiso and they did a tour before boarding the Infinity. There was not enough room for three couples with luggage in the van.
The Sheraton Santiago Hotel & Convention center has the San Christobal Tower that has a wonderful view of the city also along with a very nice restaurant.
On Sunday Feb. 1, 2004 we boarded Celebrity's Gas Turbine Ship Infinity and watched the Super Bowl Game on the satellite hookup. We sailed from Valparaiso at 9:00 PM
Feb. 2 -At Sea - Ate in the wonderful United States Restaurant aboard the Infinity.
Feb. 3. At 8:00 AM we arrived in Puerto Montt. We visited German communities of Frutillar and Puerto Varas. Saw the Volcano Osorno and visited Petrohue Falls. We used Carlos Galindo galindotour@hotmail.com Cell phone 98224932 Tour cost was $90 per person.
Petrohue lake covers 73 square miles. Lunch was excellent and I ate things I had never seen before. We departed Puerto Montt at 6:00 PM.
Feb 4 & 5-We sailed the Chilean Fjords and the Strait of Magellan and the views were magnificent. Large Glacier feet came down to the water in some places with many water falls. Many mountains and steep cliffs to the water's edge. Cliff hanging glaciers in abundance.
We entered the Beagle Channel named after Charles Darwin ship the Beagle. On Feb. 6th at 8:00 AM we arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina Tierra del Fuego which is the community that is in the southern most location in the world other than Antarctica. We took the train to the end of the world. It was interesting, but not much to brag on, and time could have been better spent on something else. We however did enjoy the trip.
Got a picture of a Condor in the distance. Lunch on our own was excellent with a king crab being cracked and pealed and served just under the shell. The wind in Ushuaia was strong enough that the bow thrusters on the Infinity were used to keep the bow against the dock and take the strain of the bow lines. We departed Ushuaia at 5:00 PM.
Feb. 7 At 7:00 AM we docked in Punta Arenas, Chile Tierra del Fuego and had a tour company waiting for us. We used Patricia Perez Patagonian Discover Tour Company and went to the Penguin Colony and the Penguins did not disappoint us. Saw some of the town with views from high points, and had a wonderful tour. We departed Punta Arenas at 5:00 PM.
Feb. 8 We had wonderful weather and sailed completely around Cape Horn for one hour. Cape Horn had been cancelled on our itinerary but since the weather was so good we made the trip. One announcer stated it was the best weather he had seen in 30 years around Cape Horn. Other trips by other Celebrity ships around Cape Horn have been very rough with damage to the ship.
Feb 9
At 9:00 AM we sailed into Port Stanley, Falkland Islands with an over cast day. We just walked around the town and had lunch at the Globe Tavern. Nice visit... Not much there fighting over except there is suppose to be a large deposit of oil reserves. We sailed at 7:00 PM. We had seen enough Penguins.
Feb. 10 A day at Sea
Feb. 11. At 9:00 AM we arrived in Puerto Madryn. We took the shuttle bus to the center of town along with Ernie Borgnine who was fun to be around. Ernie was a guest celebrity aboard the ship for the entire cruise. He made himself seen around the ship and never seemed to be bothered by talking to people. He seemed to enjoy himself. He enjoyed posing for pictures and always wanted the beautiful lady in the middle. When we asked him to pose for a picture, he said: "I thought you would never ask". Puerto Madryn had a nice town square with a rather older couple doing a wonderful street side Tango. Many nice booths with arts and crafts. The square had a statue to Ferdinand Magellan.
We did not opt to take the 100 Km ride to the Peninsula Valdes which of course was on another dusty bump road just like Punta Arenas.
Watched some divers working while on the ship. Puerto Madryn is the most important national area for the practice of scuba diving. Left Puerto Madryn at 7:00 PM.
Feb. 12 day at Sea
Feb. 13 At 8:00 AM we docked in Montevideo, Uruguay. Montevideo has a population of about 1.5 million. It is the largest city, the chief port and the capital of Uruguay. It is located where the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean meet. We visited the Casa Mario leather factory. I had previously visited Casa Mario in 1975 and again in 1991. Brought them some pictures from those days. They all had a good time looking at them and posted them on their board. We visited the Independence square and were not bothered by the rain. We had a wonderful meal down in the docks area where there are several little restaurants in one area. This is a don't miss area. They all cooked on an open fire.
We saw the monument to the Graf Spee and the mast sticking out of the water in the harbor. The German ship, Graf Spee was one of the most advanced battleships of it's time in the second World War. Montevideo under British Pressure refused to give the ship shelter when chased by British Warships and she was scuttled by her commander in about 36 feet of water when she was outnumbered in a battle. She is in the process of being raised for a museum construction.
Feb. 14 The Infinity arrived in Buenos Aires at 8:00 AM .We apparently had a mix up and did not get with the person I had made previous arrangements with to tour Buenos Aires. I think when this tour person with the same name saw my Rolex watch, he decided he would give us the tour. We toured the city, and went to a restaurant for lunch where a professional hit was put on me. My Rolex was stolen off my wrist in a split second move by a thief on a dead run as I got out of the van. He had to be waiting for the mark (that's me) to arrive. It was obviously a setup, but I have no proof of who was involved, and it is shameful that all are suspect. I really felt bad that I had gotten with the wrong person for the tour. I did not find out until I returned home and my e-mail from the real Gustavo asked what happened. I had promised the individual that I would use him for touring with four person group we had We went on a Tigre River boat ride later and to a Tango Show at night. I did not let the loss of the watch mess up the rest of our trip. Buenos Aires is a very large city with different neighborhoods. We visited the La Boca, Recoleta, San Telmo, Palermo and the docks area. The 9th of July Avenue is the billed as the widest street in the world, but it is actually four streets separated by neutral grounds. Nice restaurants in many places. We visited Evita's grave area and the large cemetery.
Feb. 15 Disembarked the ship to the Sheraton Libertador Hotel. We walked the famous Florida Street and visited the Gallerios Pacifico a very nice mall.
Feb. 16 We flew to Iguazu Falls and stayed at the Sheraton International with a wonderful view of the falls. We walked on all the paths to the falls viewing area, but did not go to the Brazil side. One would need a visa for that. People that went did not mention if it was worth the extra trouble. The view is supposed to be better.
Feb. 17. We flew back to Buenos Aires and visited Florida Street again for some more looking and shopping.
Feb. 18. Most people flew home this day, but we stayed another day and toured the Antique flea market and walked the streets viewing the many monuments. Had some nice snacks and drinks on a balcony overlooking the Antique market square watching the Andalusian and Tango dancing.
Feb. 19th We flew Home arriving on Feb. 20, 2004 Advice would be to be sure the person you use for a tour has your name. Don't assume that if he has a tour company by the name you are looking for and the same name that it is the right person. I did not ask him if he had my name. That was a mistake.
Pictures can be viewed at cruisemates.com in the Photo Gallery under Joe Reynolds Author




















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#1
May 11th, 2004, 09:04 AM
xpcdoojk
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reviews of cruises around the Cape
HiI am planning a trip to South America in 2005. I have been scanning this site looking for information about people's experiences. So if anyone has posted a review or just a portrait of their cruise experience, I would love to read it. Please give me a link or where to search. We are currently, contemplating booking the HAL Rotterdam VI leaving Rio on November 20, 2005. I have never cruised HAL, but I like the way they go from Rio instead of BA. I would like to visit both, so it is a plus. I am interested in all lines as far as your reviews or experiences. A little about me, I am 45 and married. We have cruised to Hawaii and we cruised from New Zealand to Tahiti and Hawaii last year. I have cruised the Med and of course the caribbean. We are doing a land vacation to Europe this fall, and I am contemplating a trip to Austrailia in 2006 for our 25th anniversary. I really like to read about your experiences so please feel free to relate away! Thanks, to all of you for your help in planning my trip.jcLegend of the Seas RCI 3/03 New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Adventure of the Seas RCI 2/02 Southern Caribbean, Radiance of the Seas RCI 10/01 Vancouver to Hawaii, Millennium Celebrity 10/00 Eastern Mediterranean, Galaxy Celebrity 12/99 Southern Caribbean, Sensation Carnival 4/98 Eastern Caribbean, Majesty of the Seas RCI 1/96 Western Caribbeanemail me at xpcdoojk@yahoo.com

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#2
May 11th, 2004, 01:57 PM
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We did the Amtserdam this past March Santiago To Buenis Airies,It was so fantastic the scenery you cannot believe,I notice the cruise line youve been on has been the RCCL.Your will find HAL a little more upscale.If you are leaving from Rio Be sure you book a Starboard outside varandah ,This way you always see land and the coast line from your cabin.If you are traveling the reverse make sure its a port side Cabin.

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#3
May 12th, 2004, 11:49 AM
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Thanks for the tip, Acrusa. I have also cruised Celebrity, and my brother is a double digit HAL cruiser, so I think I have a good idea about the atmosphere on HAL, but you are correct that it is a little more formal than RCI. Although, I have done several non-caribbean long cruises and those tend to have a much more mature crowd. On the last cruise I think there were only about 10 people under the age of 18. We are comfortable in formal wear on formal night.How was the weather, on your cruise? Was there a significant amount of rough seas? Did you do any must do tours?thanksjc

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#4
May 12th, 2004, 01:25 PM
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We left Valparaiso Chile at 5 PM 80 degrees.that night very rough seas,and the next day.Captain canceled formal night and the show,told the ladies not to wear heels.After that first night it was like sailing on a lake all around the horn and into Buenis Aires.The Falklands where no problem 65 degrees and sunny,Ushuaia 85 degress and hot.The must see is Puerto Montt Chile the lakes and volcanos in my oppinion.If you are over nighting in Buenis Aires you must have lunch on afternoon at the Alvea Palace Hotel Fantastic buffet for $18.00 pp.We stayed at the hotel for 3 nites Fantastic place.

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#5
May 13th, 2004, 08:55 AM
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Thanks again Acrusa. I have to get on the rest of my group, starting with my wife this weekend and get this trip booked!Anyone else reading this want to relate your stories and direct me to reviews you may have made for you trip?Acrusa, I am now going to visit tripadvisor.com and see what they say about Alvea Palace Hotel. Thanks so much for the tip! Keep em coming! thanksjc

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#6
May 13th, 2004, 01:38 PM
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Just a reminder when you book your cabin,Make sure you are on the porper side of the ship always facing land,So when you travel thru the Chilean Fjord and the Glacers, you could be relaxing on your Verandah and have a full view without leaving your cabin.Book early you can always cancel and all those cabins are booked up first.

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#7
May 13th, 2004, 02:58 PM
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jc: we did the SA/Antarctica cruise on the Amsterdam from Dec 18-Jan 8 and were blessed with great weather and smooth seas for the vast majority of the 21 day cruise. We had low clouds and rain the one day in the Chilean fjords and Pius glacier and one rough night in the Pacific after we left Puerto Montt, going south. The morning we sailed around Cape Horn brought us broken clouds and flat seas (kind of disappointing in a fashion). Temperatures in Valpo and Puerto Montt were in the 70s and then it got cooler as we progressed south-on Christmas day in Ushuaia it was in the 50s and the same in the Falklands on New Years Eve. Buenos Aires and Montivideo were each in high 70s/low 80s, but Rio it was very warm and humid, in the high 80s. I think the sea state is just the luck of the draw for the most part, for a SA cruise. Our itinerary was from Valpo to Rio, by way of Antarctica. Hope this helps you.Bill S-------

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#8
May 13th, 2004, 07:00 PM
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Hi JC,Go to www.cruisereviews.com and www.cruisemates.com and you will find reviewsand photos of S.A. cruises this year and the past two years. I'll post some more sites when I recheck them for you. We did Valparaiso to Buenos Aires February 1, 2004 on the Infinity and had wonderful weather and calm seas. We all took heavy clothes and seasickness meds and didn't need them. We met people on this board and it made the cruise even more enjoyable. We had over 65 people at our Cruise Critic party.

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#9
May 14th, 2004, 09:37 AM
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Thanks Bill S and shoshona2. I am busy checking out the links you posted, I haven't visited the cruisereviews site for years, and I haven't posted at cruisemates in a long time, either. jc

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#10
May 19th, 2004, 04:39 PM
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I have learned a lot about my future Austrailia cruise because of this thread. thank you Ann!But I still want and need more information about SA cruises. So let me know about your hard work writing a report on your past trips!jc

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#11
May 20th, 2004, 11:26 PM
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We did the Cape route on the Celebrity Zenith and loved it!!!! She's a perfect size and the food and service was great!

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#12
May 24th, 2004, 10:31 AM
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narobThanks, for the information. I would like to take Celebrity, but they do the Valparaiso to Buenos Aires, and HAL does it to inclued Rio de Janeiro too. I would like to see Rio since I am going all of this way. That is a huge advantage that HAL seems to be unique in offering.Keep your stories coming!thanks to alljc

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#13
May 27th, 2004, 07:26 PM
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We too are looking into cruising to South America in November, 2005, and have been looking into the Rotterdam. Would love to hear more about people's experiences on the ship or on this route.

#14
May 28th, 2004, 08:18 AM
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Hi PonstadWe booked this cruise this week. I have started a roll call on the HAL roll call forum. I hope you can join us. I have, also, discovered from reading a travel guide book on SA, that the right whale season is from June to December, and that this is the best cruise for seeing the whales. Just a little bonus.Keep linking us to reviews of your experiences!thanks everyonejcPS note my updated sig!!!!! Upcoming cruise HAL Rotterdam VI 11/2005 South America Legend of the Seas RCI 3/03 New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Adventure of the Seas RCI 2/02 Southern Caribbean, Radiance of the Seas RCI 10/01 Vancouver to Hawaii, Millennium Celebrity 10/00 Eastern Mediterranean, Galaxy Celebrity 12/99 Southern Caribbean, Sensation Carnival 4/98 Eastern Caribbean, Majesty of the Seas RCI 1/96 Western Caribbeanemail me at xpcdoojk@yahoo.com

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#15
May 31st, 2004, 02:58 AM

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I did the South America cruise on the NCL Dream. Different line than what you're doing but maybe some of the same ports. Here's parts of my review from that trip. We went BA to Santiago in March 2002.The Buenos Aires airport isn’t one of the better examples of efficiency and customer friendliness. The customs and immigration line is congested and confusing. The baggage claim isn’t very easy to maneuver. You have to wait in another line to have your baggage x rayed before you can leave the baggage claim area. Once I got out of the secure area I was confronted with masses of people holding up signs for this party or that party. There are no defined areas for people waiting for people. It’s a free for all. I did find the cruise line rep and handed my luggage off to the porters to take it to the ship. After being awake all night, I could have done without the hectic nature of the Buenos Aires airport. The group of us that arrived on my flight got on the bus for the trip to the pier. On the way we got some information about Buenos Aires. When we got to the pier, it was still pretty early and they had just started letting people get on board. This is funny...I just went through customs to enter Argentina but as I was getting on the ship I had to go through customs again in order to leave Argentina. You wouldn’t normally have to do that if the first port of call was Argentina but the first port was in Uruguay so we had to go through customs and immigration. I got several Argentinean stamps in my passport. This was the fourth time I had been on the Dream. On March 4 we were in Montevideo, Uruguay. Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and the country’s commercial, industrial and cultural center. That morning it was rainy and icky. I didn’t have a tour planned. I got off the ship and took the shuttle to a local leather factory. From there I went to a sweater factory and bought some souvenirs. I didn’t see any of the surrounding areas and from what I heard from people that did, I didn’t miss anything. On March 5 we were at sea. On March 6 we were in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. The big thing to do in Puerto Madryn is to go to the Punta Tombo Penguin Reserve. It sounds simple enough but it was a journey. Instead of doing the ship’s tour, Shary, Barbara and I hired a car with an English speaking guide and we went on our own. Punta Tombo is about 3 hours away by car. We made it in two hours. Raoul, our driver, drove 160 km an hour on the paved road. We were on the paved road for about 40 minutes. Then you turn onto a dirt and gravel road where we did 100 km an hour for an hour and twenty minutes. It was wild. We were in the middle of nowhere on a makeshift road in a foreign country. FINALLY we made it to Punta Tombo. There are approximately 750,000 Magellanic penguins at this reserve. They’re everywhere and they’re accustomed to humans so it was easy to walk among them. You couldn’t walk two steps without running into a penguin. They were molting when we were there so you could see them scratching away to shed their feathers. Before leaving the reserve we stopped at the little gift shop/cafe and bought souvenirs and ate lambs meat empanadas. After we left there, we went to the town of Trelew and to the Paleontology Museum to see the dinosaur bones recovered from the area. Then we went to Puerto Madryn and got a tour of the city. After that, we asked our guide if we could do a little shopping, go to the post office and go to a grocery store to buy sodas and water to bring back to the ship. We had a wonderful day. The guide we had spoke excellent English and we saw everything there was to see. On March 7 we were at sea again.On March 8 we anchored in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. It was a magnificent day. The weather was spectacular. It’s such a huge deal that the weather was good because leading up to Port Stanley, the captain was preparing us for terrible weather and the good possibility that we wouldn’t get to stop at all. As a matter of fact, during the whole season that the ship was doing South America, the ship had only been able to stop at the Falklands once. So to have the most beautiful day was like a gift from the weather gods. The captain even commented that evening that in his five years of cruising South America he had never had weather as good as we had that day. We anchored instead of docked because there isn’t a dock area perse in Port Stanley. I took the tender over at around noon. Because the ship could never guarantee that it would stop in the Falklands there were no ship organized tours. Once on the small pier area you could take tours offered but I didn’t. It was such a glorious day that I just wanted to walk around the island. Port Stanley is really a nice quaint town. All the buildings are painted in bright colors. When you look at the buildings along the waterfront you see a kaleidoscope of colors. I walked, I shopped and I went to the post office. I mailed myself a postcard so I would have a Falkland Island postmark. I really enjoyed this day. On March 9 we cruised around Cape Horn. The feeling of cruising around the very tip of a continent and being in a place traveled by so many explorers was special to me. I felt like I was initiated into a private club that not everyone gets to be a part of. It was a picturesque day even though the seas did get rough and it did rain off and on.On March 10 we were in Ushuaia, Argentina. Snowcapped peaks, crystalline rivers, white-ribbon waterfalls and dense woodlands are the backdrop for this southernmost town in the world and the closest city to Cape Horn. It was very cold and windy. I didn’t do a tour. Instead I got off the ship and walked around the whole town. It was a nice place. The mountains that backdrop the city are breathtaking. I did some shopping at a local market and then stopped into a cafe for a coffee as it started to lightly snow. It was peaceful. After leaving Ushuaia, we passed through the Beagle Channel and saw six different glaciers. It reminded me of Alaska only more scenic.On March 11 we were in Punta Arenas, Chile, our first stop in Chile. It was a little cold and unbelievably windy. I spent the day with Jahaira. We walked around the town and went to a few markets. Then we went to Sotito’s Bar for lunch. I heard from someone that Sotito’s had the best king crab in Chile. Believe me...it was. We both had huge lump crab meat in a bowl with a little cream to keep it moist and then covered with cheese and baked. It was an amazing meal. We both hated it to end. Sotito’s does have the best king crab in Chile and dare I say anywhere else. On Tuesday, March 12 we passed through the Strait of Magellan and saw the impressive Amalie Glacier. The captain got us up close and personal with the glacier and they even lowered a rescue boat into the water and retrieved some glacier ice.On March 13 we were at sea and you could feel that we were at sea every minute of the day. It was terrible. You couldn’t walk two feet without falling into a wall or bumping into something. Apparently, at this time of year in South America where they’re switching from fall to winter, you get these rough seas.On March 14 we anchored in Puerto Chacabuco. It’s generous for me to say that this is a port or even a city. Puerto Chacabuco is an entry point to the Aysen region. It lies in the eastern end of a very narrow fjord and has replaced Puerto Aysen as the main shipping port and ferry terminal to the area. The best thing I can say about this port is that you’re surrounded by the Andes Mountains. It was rainy all day. There were very few tours to do. I took the tender to the pier just to say I had been there. I walked a block up the pier and back, had my picture taken by the sign for the port, and then went back to the ship. That was it.On March 15 we were in Puerto Montt, Chile. Puerto Montt serves as the principal port for this region and it a gateway for cruising into Chile’s fjords. I decided to go with Shary and Barbara and hire a car. This trip wasn’t as good as what we had in Puerto Madryn but we did see some great things. First we headed to the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. We went to the Petrohue Falls. The water plunges over hard volcanic rocks to form gushing cascades. From this spot you can also see the enormous Mt. Orsorno. Mt. Orsorno is the perfectly shaped and incredibly impressive snowcapped volcano. From there we went to Frutillar, founded in 1856 by German settlers, it’s noted for its Alpine and traditional German style architecture. Back in Puerto Montt we went to the local crafts market and did some souvenir shopping. It started to rain cats and dogs and we were soaked when we got back to the ship. That night, as we headed back out into the Pacific we experienced 30 foot swells. The ship was rocking and rolling and you could hear things crashing to the floor all over the ship. They even had to cancel that nights show for the dancer’s safety. It was difficult to sleep and many people were sick. I don’t get sea sick but it was annoying to try and do anything with the ship moving as it was.March 16 was the last full day of the cruise. We were at sea. It was rough but not as rough as the night before. I packed and spent as much time as I could with the new friends I had made. On March 17 I disembarked. My flight wasn’t until 9 PM that night so I did the ship’s day tour to keep me busy. We traveled through Chile surrounded by the Andes getting commentary on the wine production in the area. We stopped once for empanadas and wine. Then we got to the city. We got a city tour that covered the President’s Palace, the National Cathedral and the race track that’s in the center of town. We were dropped off at the airport at around 5:30 PM.I really enjoyed this trip more than I thought I would because of the scenery and the weather. For anyone that loves nature, this is the cruise for you.Cecilialadyndnver@aol.comMy Wedding!

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#16
June 1st, 2004, 11:00 AM
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Now that is what I am talking about. Thanks Host Cecilia! Keep those great memories coming! I have lots of time to anticipate and I love reading about your experiences. I find them to be very enlightening.jc

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#17
June 1st, 2004, 03:19 PM
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Now that we know what you really want, here goes:We flew to Santiago and stayed at the Hyatt Regency for one night-a wonderful hotel. We took a private half-day tour of the city and just had a quiet evening at the hotel to recuperate from the red eye. The following morning we took a transfer/tour with Port Compass guide and one other fun couple, from Santiago to Valparaiso. We asked our guide to focus on the destination, which she did. We saw a lot of Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso, including an outdoor lunch overlooking the city and port. We were able to ride a funicular and were on board the ship by 4pm. Embarkation was hassle-free.I was ill for our first stop, Puerto Montt, but it looked great from the ship, with Mt Orsano in the distance.At Puerto Chacabuco, well-described above, we took the all-day excursion to Lake Elizalde. It was a major disappointment-not much to see there but a scenic but very, very long bus ride, with a good portion on unimproved and bumpy road. Our day in the Chilean fjords was overcast and rainy, so we did not get to see the full majesty of the fjords and Pius glacier. It was still a relaxing day.The next port of call was Punta Arenas---we did the all day excursion to St Magdalena Island via bus and ferry. We thought it was great! There was an estimated 100,000-plus Magellenic penguins on the island and it has an old lighthouse in which you can climb up to the top. The ferry ride is about 90 minutes long and is very spartan-you can either walk around the ferry or stay on the bus or both. Upon return from the island, we were taken downtown for a short tour and allowed to remain and to return to the ship on our own or return to the ship via the excursion bus.We arrived in Beagle Channel on Christmas Day-it is stunningly beautiful and as was the backdrop to Ushuaia. Most stores were closed due to the holiday, but it is still a charming town. We also did a wildlife catamaran cruise up Beagle Channel to the east, around the famous lighthouse. Wildife abounds there and the scenery is beautiful.We rounded Cape Horn the next morning on flat seas and broken clouds, which gave way to major sunshine-great conditions!We then spent the next several days going to and sailing around the Antarctic Peninsula: truly an experience of a lifetime. We were blessed with excellent sea, ice and weather conditions, so much so, that our Captain made a spur-of-the-moment decision to bolt to Antarctic Circle-a first for a Holland America ship. Our next port was Stanley, Falkland Islands, where our good luck held to allow us to tender in just fine. In the morning we took a city tour-lots of fun and then had a couple of hours to shop and check out the local supermarket. In the afternoon we took the Long Island Sheep Ranch excursion-it was a lot of fun as well. It was a 30-mile drive out to a working sheep ranch and we got to see the real deal, including shoveling peat and watching sheep herding dogs and shearing of sheep. The weather was broken to overcast clouds and by mid afternoon the winds had picked up but not to the point where tendering was in danger. Following Stanley, we went to Buenos Aires, which we only saw from the expressway going out to the pampas. It was about a 2.5 hour drive out in the country for a visit to an estancia where we were treated to horseback and carriage rides, gaucho skill demonstrations, a barbeque of Argentinian beef and a folklore singing and dancing show. We passed on the tango shows. Afer an overnight sail back down the River Plate, we docked in Urugauy and took a city tour and a day trip to Punta del Este, the jet set resort at the mouth of the River Plate. It is a stark contrast to the rest of Uruguay - lots of money there. I liked Montivideo.Our final stop was in Rio. It is worth being up early and watchcng the approach to Rio! On the port side we could see Sugar Loaf and Corcovado very easily. The first day we took a full day tour of the city to visit Sugar Loaf and Corcovado and to see the famous beaches and pavillion for the Mardi Gras. We had a nice lunch, as well. The second and final day, we took the day long excursion to Petropolis, the location of the summer palace for the Portugese royal family, when they ruled Brazil. It is up in the mountains and was very comfortable, temperature wise. We had what was easily our best excursion lunch up there at a very nice resaurant-varied main courses and side dishes, all very flavorful and ample servings. From there, it was to the Rio International airport for our long flight home via Sao Paulo. It was definitely a great cruise-our best yet. I hope this helps and that you also have a wonderful time on your forthcoming cruise.Bill S-------

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#18
June 2nd, 2004, 08:23 AM

Host Cecilia
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quote:

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Originally posted by xpcdoojk:Now that is what I am talking about. Thanks Host Cecilia! Keep those great memories coming! I have lots of time to anticipate and I love reading about your experiences. I find them to be very enlightening.

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Thanks. Also, check out http://www.du.edu/~chardey/ It's a web site I made about some of the cruises I've done that includes some pictures.

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#19
June 7th, 2004, 12:42 PM
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Thanks again! I am glad that you found this to be a rewarding trip, Bill. I had to do a little salesmanship to convince my wife, fortunately, she likes adventure! Cecilia, I will check out your site after lunch. I am looking forward to it!I have been in Canada fishing since last week, and I appreciate the time you guys took to share your experiences!jc

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#20
June 18th, 2004, 09:08 AM
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Thanks again Cecilia!jc

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#21
June 21st, 2004, 08:45 AM
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I am running out of cruise review reading! Anyone else have a review or a link to a review for all to read?thanksjc

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#22
June 24th, 2004, 04:42 PM
StephenJohnson
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Fwiw, we have a review on our Homepage from Jan.2003 on Celebrity Zenith, Valparaiso - Buenos Aires
__________________Last cruise: Sun Princess, May 24/04 Whittier Southbound GlacierNext cruise: Infinity, Dec.5/04 San Diego-Hawaii returnOur groovy cruises.....

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#23
June 25th, 2004, 11:38 AM
xpcdoojk
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nice website
Very nice website. I enjoyed looking at it and will visit it again.I would highly recommend everyone to visit this website. thanks StephenJohnsonjc

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#24
July 14th, 2004, 12:13 AM

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Stephen,I did enjoy reading about your cruises. One thing we have in common and that is we have also sailed on the Empress of Canada alias Mardi Gras. We cruised on her in 1995 when she was renamed Olympic or Olympus for the Esporotiki line which is now Royal Olympic. We had a great 7 day cruise doing the Greek Islands and we were in one of her suites.Jennie
__________________The next cruise is always the best! 16TH JULY, 2005 MAASDAM - TRANSLATLANTIC 8TH JANUARY, 2006 REGAL PRINCESS - SOUTH AMERICA

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#25
July 23rd, 2004, 02:54 PM
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Question for Bill S
Bill - thanks for your Cape review. Did you do your tours through the ship or on your own? We're going in February and can't wait.

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