MarkBearSF

pmacher61 - What about Uruguay and Chile?

You mention that Argentina is a special case. Does that mean that you would recommend ATMs and local currencies in neighboring Uruguay and Chile? (Given an overall preference for convenience and low risk)

We were invited on a Bermuda cruise on the Zenith years ago. A wonderful evening.

South America around the horn (Buenos Aires - Valparaiso) in January 2015 on the Celebrity Infinity. (30 years together)

OK - I did some googling. It IS a big holiday in the area. (Because of the date, it shows up first in most lists of Uruguayan holidays.)

Still interested from anyone on the impact. Are there any festivities we'd enjoy and should make plans for? (However, we're not religious and I'm a lapsed Catholic, so a church service would probably not be a biggie for us). And conversely, what will likely be closed or unavailable?

I believe that Epiphany, the celebration of the Three Kings on January 6 is a big deal in Mexico

Is it celebrated to that extent in Uruguay and Argentina?

We'll be on the Celebrity Infinity visiting Montevideo on that date and wondering if there's anything special (or if we have to worry about businesses being closed).

In February 2013, SFO had an on-time arrival rate of 81.47% and 80.38% in 2012. (source: http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/subject_areas/airline_information/airline_ontime_tables/2013_02/table_03)

You have a 1 in 5 chance of not making your connection. Do you feel lucky?

...and February 2013 was almost totally dry in SF. There are often winter storms in February, requiring one of the two runways to be closed.

Thanks as well to Pke-Atlanta who suggested taking a westbound crossing at the end of our European vacation instead of the start. I never would have considered the time difference in our planing and it's something we will consider.

Years ago, we had befriended a group on the QE2 that included the partner of the Mauritania Restaurant Maitre d' and thus, many of the crew. They mentioned how they disliked Eastbound crossings because the passengers lost 1 night of sleep 5 of 6 nights (this was before the current 7 day schedule) and they all got grumpy by the end.

When most people think of doing a European vacation and crossing, I think those old b&w photos with streamers come to mind and most people think of departing for the trip on the ship - although a Westbound crossing is much more preferable for that exact reason.

Just booked Celebrity Buenos Aires - Valparaiso/Santiago. 14 nights (Overnight in Buenos Aires). This is one of the most popular itineraries (including the reverse). HAL probably has the most sailings. Princess also has a few. You mentioned Oceania. Smaller ships, more upscale (and expensive). They get great reviews.

There are also similar Antarctica cruises (Celebrity's are split between the "around the horn" cruises and these). Some smaller, adventure & excursion itineraries and ships also visit Antarctica.

There are Amazon cruises. Personally, I've heard that it's mostly an immensely wide, commercial waterway and not as beautiful as you might think. And of course cruises back and forth between S. America and the US.

For us, it basically came down to the line and the ship. (Your mileage will likely vary)

We love HAL, but one of the ships (Maasdam?) was their oldest "S" class. However, the other (Zaandam) is a sister to the Amsterdam, which we enjoyed.

We've always felt "meh" about Princess and had sailed a sister ship (Star Princess) and also know that class ships have a very bad reputation to being susceptible to winds, so they quickly wound up #3 for us.

That left Celebrity, which we've sailed and truly enjoyed, but various circumstances have kept us from cruising with them for 15 years, so we were eager to reacquaint ourselves with the line.

Other considerations on the Around the Horn itinerary details besides access to Antarctica is whether you want to visit the Falklands (Maldives).

A good Travel Agent would answer your questions.

Years ago, I saw the Zenith Captain's quarters. It was a large mini-suite sized cabin with very nice wood furniture that was more like a home than a hotel. He had a nice desk area.

I seem to recall it was directly below the bridge.

We just booked a S. America cruise (for January 2015!) on Celebrity Infinity from Buenos Aires to Santiago/Valparaiso. We'll be spending a couple of days in BA before boarding and possibly a day or two in Santiago at the other end.

Any advice? (We're a couple of bears and at the time, we'll be 59 and 65). Looking for any great pointers - bars and restaurants you've enjoyed, hotels you'd recommend, any sights that we might overlook by just checking the usual tourist sites. ...as well as any advice from those who've sailed on the ship. (I've heard mixed reviews on the SS United States restaurant).

As the date gets closer, I'll start (or join) a roll call.

Mark & Steve

Looking forward to your posts. Bon Voyage!

I agree with Oz's approach to fully research all of the cruise lines, destinations, and options. Some people want a fully inclusive experience; nothing wrong with that. Others prefer to have some flexibility to do their own thing at times. Nothing wrong with that either. The point is to do the research to decide what works for you.

Precisely. I really appreciate how John's post gives a great example of how to tease out the differences in exactly what's included in the prices and how to adjust for the components to compare apples to apples. As a result of his analysis and preferences, he found Tauck to be the best fit. Caviargirl did a similar breakdown and found AMA suits her well. Both have done the same thing, but reached different results based upon their preferences and pricing in their country. No bad choices and I'm sure both will enjoy their trips.

Thanks again for such a good example of breaking costs down to reach your decision.

We sailed AmaCello on a Rhine cruise a couple of weeks ago and I cannot imagine a better line. We were satisfied with all aspects of the experience and the service and quality exceeded our expectations.

Re train fares.... Just for kicks, check first class. When I started doing planning for our cruise the next day, the fares for first class train to Paris were significantly cheaper than coach. (I suspect this is due to capacity pricing driven by that trip's demand (especially if it originates in a larger city like Zurich)

...and their site has now been updated

"Every lunch and dinner on board includes free-flowing regional wines as well as complimentary beer and soft drinks. In Europe, complimentary sparkling wine is also served with breakfast."

Althoiugh you may have been given wine onboard at lunch during your cruise, it is not a published amenity. Here's what AMA's website says:

"In Europe, AmaWaterways includes a wide selection of complimentary amenities …. All of your meals are included on board and complimentary wine, beer and sodas are flowing freely at dinner."

 

Viking recently announced their new "all-inclusive" program, which includes beer and wine at lunch. I believe that AMA is doing the same as a wise marketing tool.

They may not have updated the main pages on their site, but I found this on a "What's New" Press Release

"New Amenities: Starting in 2013, AmaWaterways offers complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with dinner and lunch on its European fleet (except for the AmaVida and AmaKatarina)."

http://www.amawaterways.com/news/newsitem.aspx?id=34

Mark

Another angle to all this is shipping suitcases. Not really a solution for a 2 week cruise, but in our case (2 nights pre-cruise + 7 nights onboard + 6 days on land) - Before we leave, I'm planning on shipping a suitcase to the post-cruise hotel in Paris and when we debark in Basel, sending one off with dirty clothes.

Yes, it's more expensive - but when you add in the extra bag charges on airlines and expensive onboard laundry, it can be more reasonable than you expect.

We've been on 23 cruises. Of these, two have been on gay charters (Atlantis & RSVP), 5 with gay groups, and the remainder on regular cruises. We've enjoyed them all.

In general, we don't seek out the gay charters, primarily because of price, and the fact that we're usually looking at a different itinerary or schedule that year. However, on occasion, if friends are on a cruise and it meets our schedule, we'll consider it.

While gay charters are more "comfortable" than others, it's not a major deal. (And, to be frank, since we live in the Castro, it's not as if we need to cruise to be surrounded by a gay atmosphere). We also did notice attitude on them (moreso the Atlantis Caribbean cruise than the RSVP Alaska cruise - but that could be due to the itinerary as much as the provider) However, after a few days, most everyone gets the casual cruising attitude.

Traveling with a gay group, you have a built-in group to socialize with - and as long as there are a few people to hang and visit ports with, you've got your comfort of the "family" without the limitations and expense of a gay charter (and the Friends of Dorothy meetings allow you to find others as well)

Yes, the entertainment is specialized on charters - that may or may not be a factor in your calculations. Since we're not dancing bears (HATE dance music), the many dance parties were more of a negative than a positive for us (takes up a public room and draws people from other events) The "special" entertainment can be a mixed bag.

Luckily, there are no "bad" answers here - all the choices wind up with a cruise - a very good thing!

Mark

We leave on Sunday 12 July for 10 days in the Baltics on the Eurodam.

It'll be a huge help. Appreciate all yoru hard work in putting it together and answering questions.

Mark

Interesting seeing all the replies and noting that most of the ships are no longer in service (or most often that they have been sold, renamed and are serving in less-glamorous situations)

In our case it was the Cunard Princess.

Our next cruise (number 21) will on the Eurodam, shortly followed by a 4-day outing on the QM2.

Interesting seeing all the replies and noting that most of the ships are no longer in service (or most often that they have been sold, renamed and are serving in less-glamorous situations)

In our case it was the Cunard Princess.

Our next cruise (number 21) will on the Eurodam, shortly followed by a 4-day outing on the QM2.

Love talking cruising.

We leave for Europe on the 15th - taking the QE2 from Rome - Southampton and then transfer to QM2 for a crossing. (yea!)

Nothing booked after that -- but thining that the Baltics are in our future in the next year or two.

Mark