kathy16

We are on our way to Atlanta- then Santiago for our cruise leaving January 29- so excited!

Thanks for the recommendation- will stop at drugstore on way home from work- May not need but just in case. 😮

So excited about upcoming trip!

With how expensive this trip is , why does SS continue with such a miserable charter experience.Really can impact on the perception of the whole trip.

Originally, I planned to fly to Ushuaia on our own from Connecticut, via Atlanta and BA (EZE), then I was apprehensive given the potential unreliable SA airlines- didn’t want to miss the “boat”, even though we are leaving early.

My knees can hurt sometimes , and I am apprehensive about the zodiac embarkation/disembarkation- but hadn’t thought about the cramped charter seat

Thanks for the info- much appreciated.

i really enjoyed everyone’s postings on this site- including the pictures and personal observations. I am so excited about my upcoming trip- Antarctica is a trip of a lifetime . Now I am deciding what to pack.

Kathy 

We are scheduled to board Wednesday January 29. Very much enjoyed reading about your voyage. How was the charter air , etc coming/going?

NOT looking forward to the drake!

Any helpful hints about dealing with it?

Anyone use the electrical stimulus band to improve tolerability?

We will be flying to Santiago Saturday via Atlanta. Haven’t heard too much about political situation there on these boards.

Thanks,

Kathy

We will be in 621. Is there any kind of straps to hold you in bed?

We are on the January 29, 2020 cruise and are looking forward to all your posts about the trip.

I guess it's time to pay  for our cruise tomorrow- 10 % discount if pay by 2/28- then i will buy trip insurance. I am so excited about this trip and it's not until the end of January 2020.

Still haven't decided whether I will do SS air or my own arrangements- still too early to see the prices.

We did do a circumnavigation of SA on SS several years ago starting in Santiago and ending up in BA (with a 2 night side trip to Iguazu Falls),  which we enjoyed. That is why we just want to do Antarctica cruise now- and my vacation time is not as lenient as it previously had been with a different manager.

Thanks for all the replies- I am looking forward to reading about your Antarctica cruise review. I guess I will take the SS "free" economy air- and see what they come up with considering I want to go out of another airport a day or so earlier (winter travel)- realizing I will have to pay an air deviation fee of at least $150 pp, or take their non-use air credit. Air fare is pretty expensive and n/a yet for my specific dates.

I did book a balcony on deck 6 - how are the balcony rooms during the infamous Drake passage?

So excited about this trip even though almost a year away!

This is fascinating to read. I am planning an Antarctica trip for January 2020- but on SS. I already did the Santiago- BA cruise, and I just wanted Antarctica- and SB wasn't doing that at the present time- I tried to book that on my recent SB cruise to Caribbean -maybe on the new expedition ship in the future.

Is it especially nice to have a balcony on the Antarctica part of the cruise- I have the option of a SS vista suite window or a balcony (for quite a bit more money)- but  Didn't really use the balcony much on my Alaska cruise- enjoyed the more panoramic view from the decks.

Love all the pictures posted - bought a new Go-Pro for my husband- hopefully that will result in good pictures,too

Trying to decide whether to spring for a balcony on Silver Cloud- anyone on this particular cruise feel a balcony was especially nice? Did you actually use it- or frequent other areas of the deck, with a more panoramic view?

Also, wondering whether it's better to use the special air, hotel, transfers now being offered on our cruise- or make own arrangements. I do want to fly at least one day earlier, due to potential "winter" problems, and fly out of my local airport (Hartford) and not JFK- knowing that a deviation fee of at least $150 pp required and that a $1000 pp non-use fee is available if don't use SS special air, etc.

Also thinking of spending few days in Ushuaia  pre-cruise (if i arrange my own air via BA- not Santiago). Is there much to see in Ushuaia for that to be worthwhile?

I  have read some trip reports where it seems the ship returns to Ushuaia a day early- if so- does that give enough time for sightseeing there, before returning home? Did you feel you missed out on some Antarctica cruising by leaving earlier?

Thanks, 

Kathy

I did look into making my own flight reservations for my trip next year using examples from this years flight schedule- and it looks like it would be via BA not Santiago with an airport change in BA which would be an excuse for 1 night stay in BA before flying to Ushuaia.

The “free” air, hotel, charter, transfers are apparently being offered as included with the cruise reservations 

Thanks- I would appreciate the info. I did see that SS offers a credit if the “included “ flights apparently don’t work out. I would need to pay a deviation fee of at least $150 pp, if I wanted to change the “included “ flights to a day earlier and/or change from NYC to my home airport 

The arrangements by SS for travel arrangements to Antarctica cruise do sound unpleasant. I’m thinking of booking our own travel arrangements for the cruise on January 2020. - leaving a few days earlier due to potential bad weather given it’s winter in the USA- perhaps spending night in BA on way down and night in Ushuaia before cruise and home from Ushuaia after cruise. For all the money I am spending on this cruise- I don’t want to be more uncomfortable than necessary- and arriving in Ushuaia early gives the opportunity to look around there prior to cruise. Have others done this without problems?

Thanks- we will be taking a taxi there from our one night hotel room.

Where specifically does the Odyssey dock in st Maarten? I can't find specifics in my cruise documents and I am leaving on 1/5/19 for cruise SXM to Barbados?

Any idea which port will have the beach BBQ on the St Martin to Barbados itinerary?

We were on a Tauck tour land vacation in Japan last September- and it rained constantly. We were on a Seabourn cruise from HK to Singapore in late January to mid February- wonderful weather. We ended up in Singapore for Chinese New Year- it was very interesting and fun- but essentially everything closed down for the Holiday

Was informed that my Alaska Mariner 6/14/17 cruise did not meet the minimum- so no M/M for me!:(

We are leaving the lodge that day, and should be back at the entrance to Denali around noontime. We are planning to take small plane/fly by Denali on the way to entrance parking lot.

I just received 2017 Milepost from Amazon, but I was looking for personal recommendations on activities to do/stop at/on the 4+ hour drive back to ANC- including suggested detours) but I figure we will have to be at airport around 10 pm- probably also stop for dinner somewhere- (advice?).

Thanks,

Kathy

We are spending 3 nights at the North Face lodge in Denali after our cruise. We have a rental car, and plan to drive from Denali to ANC for a flight just after midnight. Suggestions on activities for our last day, that would get us to the airport, just in time to check in?

Thanks,

Kathy

Thanks for the info. We weren't really interested in dining with the captain - we don't "rent" the expensive suites. On SB, and SS, we have been invited to dine with the CD and staff, the entertainment staff,etc at a relatively large table. Spouses don't sit together, and we have met some very interesting people. We have not had a bad experience (so far).

Does the Mariner offer any "hosted dinners", that passengers can request invitations for?

We enjoyed several on SB - met a lot of different people- entertainment staff, some officers, etc.

For dinner on a cruise- Alaska, the Med, or Caribbean, I pretty much wear basic black pants, with a couple of nice and/or dressy tops, and a black dress for the fancy occasions. As well as a nice black sweater, if I'm too cool. Really cuts down on my packing requirements, but my husband still complains that I bring too much!!!