kathynorth

Elements to consider: - How many days are you cruising in Antarctica? - What are the ports of call? - Is willdlife viewing (penguins and whales) a priority or secondary? - Do you plan to stay extra days pre/post cruise and would this impact the length of the cruise portion of your trip? The Chilean Fjords are beautiful, but what would you be missing if you took the HA cruise instead of the Princess cruise?

The 14 night BA round trips go to Ushuaia, Argentina and then Punta Arenas, Chili. These are in the Patagonia region of SA.

infinity

On my last cruise there were waiters with trays of drinks including sparkling wine near the Martini bar during embarkation.

Was it 10% off the rate that pops up when you do a mock booking on the Celebrity website? I know they require you book with the refundable deposit rate. It would be great to try to see if this is or isn't a good deal without having to call them.

We cruised on Summit twice in the past year. The mattress was nice on one trip, but uncomfortable on another. Our cabin attendant was able to locate an egg crate topper that I slept on for the rest of that cruise. It worked well for me.

We’ve taken 2 cruises on the Infinity within the past 6 months. Both were in standard veranda cabins (deck 6 forward and deck 7 aft). The decor of the rooms seem tired but not so bad as others have experienced. We’ve been on NCL in the past and our MDR experience on these cruises were substantially better than on NCL. As an FYI, any passenger can book for $ at one of the specialty restaurants on the Infinity: Tuscan, Raw on Five, and LePetit.

We’ve been on 3 cold weather cruises on 3 different Celebrity ships. There were plaid throw blankets available on all of them.

Since married individuals typically have the same captains club level then yes you would both get 90 mins. You can’t transfer your minutes to your husband’s account. You would create 2 individual accounts. When his 90 mins run out then he can log into your account and use your 90 minutes.

There should be a set of directions in your cabin that explains how to set up an internet account. When you sign into that account you’ll see a list of options to purchase minutes. Select the choice for your captains club minutes. If you are careful about logging out when you are finished you can save your remaining minutes to use periodically throughout your cruise.

Maybe they are waiting for me to be contacted before posting the winners list. I haven't received a phone call or email yet.

I think I finally found the mast grill, but don't see a hat or X anywhere.

So sorry to hear of your experience. I bet that was quite an adventure in itself! When I read your post it jogged my memory that it actually started to rain while we waited on the tender line.

Your cruise is similar to ours. Are you leaving from Buenos Aires? We loved our time there. Also when we went to Iguazu. It’s very easy to plan a side trip to Iguazu and that’s a lifetime experience on its own. We felt similar to you. Splurge with an expedition cruise or drive by that will allow us to afford additional sailings elsewhere. Have you been to Iceland? Absolutely beautiful everywhere we went. However this is definitely a place where I’d recommend a DIY land tour. Super easy to navigate, friendly locals.

Our ship used the ship lifeboats. When we arrived it was windy with light rain, choppy water, but waves were manageable. Tendering took around 20 mins. It was pouring by the time we reached the dock in Port Stanley. We quickly found our tour guide and it turned into a sunny day about 15 mins outside of town. The water was calm when we tendered back to the ship in the late afternoon.

What is the name of this private travel forum? Thanks

I agree with what @kaisatsu says. We were recently in Antarctica on a drive by and visited the southern coast of Greenland in August. We couldn’t manage an actual foot landing for too many reasons to post here, but I do consider ourselves to have been to Antarctica. We saw more wildlife when we visited Ushuaia, Volunteer Point, and El Pedral than we saw while in the waters of Antarctica. For us, the best part of the Antarctica portion of our trip was the witnessing of unspoiled nature. We were very lucky to have wonderfully sunny weather during our trip. Others have reported limited visibility due to rain, snow and fog. Switching gears here, cruising through Prins Christian Sund in southern Greenland was absolutely stunning. My guess is that northern Greenland might yield more of the same. Hopefully someone who has been to northern Greenland will post about their experience.

I suppose this could be done in a long day, but it would be better if you stay 1 or even 2 nights if possible. I suggest you take an Uber from your hotel. Some of the taxis we took were a bit sketchy. It’s my understanding that flights between BA and Iguazu can run late so beware if your schedule is tight. Not sure of the quality of taxis between airport and the falls, but there were plenty available when we arrived. Our hotel had arranged for a ride at a very reasonable rate. You probably won’t be able to do the boat ride with just the 1 day. The boat ride requires a reservation, takes time to get there and back, plus the ride itself, maybe 3 hrs in all. That time will be needed to visit all the trails to see the beauty of the falls. You don’t need a guide for the falls; you’ll receive a map when you enter the park. The trails are very easy to negotiate, but it is a lot of walking, so takes time to move between viewing areas, waiting for the train up to Devil’s Throat, etc.

Depends on the port you are going to.

I’ve sailed several times with non elite cabin mates and they have never been denied entry into the Elite breakfast.

We love a good steak! Our favorite dinner while in Buenos Aires was at LaCabrera in the Palermo neighborhood. They offer a "Happy Hour" deal from 6:30-8pm where everything on the menu, and I mean everything, is 40% off if you arrive for check in around 6pm for a 6:30 seating. They don't take reservations for Happy Hour, so it's first come first served. That list was full well before 6:30 and we saw quite a few people turned away. The waiter recommended we share a rib eye or filet because they are huge. Our bill for a fabulous meal that included appetizers and wine was less than $100 for our party of 4. You can take a taxi or Uber from your hotel to Palermo for less than $5 each way, so no need to stay in your neighborhood for dinner. However, if you want to stay in walking distance, try Cabana las Lilas, which is just across the bridge, maybe 2 blocks from the Hilton. We had a wonderful meal there on a past trip.

Yes, it's quite a bit of walking to get through the airport. If you're wife uses any sort of walking aid, like a cane, an attendant will hopefully offer to move the two of you to the local immigration line instead of the very long foreign entry line. At least this is what happened for us when they noticed me on line with a cane.

Yes, the penguins do smell a bit, but it was quite windy during our trip, so not too bad unless you are overly sensitive to smelly animals and like to stand close to them. When we arrived at Volunteer Point one of our fellow cruisers offered me a pair of OR booties to wear, which I initially declined. Not 2 minutes later I was gratefully accepting her offer. The poop was everywhere! We also walked amongst the penguins at El Pedral, but it wasn't so bad there.

We've been to BA twice. We stayed at the BA Hilton in Puerto Madero in Dec 2018, then at the Palladio just south of Recolleta area in Feb 2023. Both of these areas were very nice and close to popular sites. This past trip we took taxis and Ubers all over the city for less than 5 usd/ ride. Set up an Uber account while still at home if you don't already have an account, then log into your account after arriving to your hotel. It takes some time for Uber to verify you as a legitimate user in a new country. Since it's very easy and inexpensive to travel to the various BA neighborhoods make your decision based on what feels most comfortable to you. If we visit BA again, we'll probably stay closer to the Recolleta Cemetery mostly because I liked the old European feel of that neighborhood. Puerto Madero had more of a modern contemporary feel.

We picked up one of those touristy maps from the front desk of our hotel. I did use my iphone during our 3 days of touring in BA, but I was super careful the entire time. My DH laughed at the time, but I was cautious after watching several YouTube reports on how to protect your phone while in BA. Suggestions like keep the phone in your hand that's closest to a building and not on the street side. Put the phone in your purse or pocket if you hear a scooter or motorcycle approaching. Don't leave your phone on the table while you eat. These may seem unnecessary, but we did meet 2 separate couples on our cruise who had iphones stolen from table tops while in BA. One person distracts you so you look away, while another snatches the phone. Very sad.