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Live Machu Picchu (pre cruise), Mariner Lima to Buenos Aires 23 Jan -13 February


WesW
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Following the outstanding example taught by my good friend and fellow truly exceptional Regent blog poster, Mr. Rumour; wanted to set the Table for our Mariner thread later this week. Welcome other Lima to Buenos Aires

cruise critics to post here too. Believe our long time cruise critic friend NJbelle (Janice) will also post her very cruise experienced thoughts too.

Plan to post photos with many posts. Once we land in Lima our guide is planning to take me to get a new SIM card for my IPhone—thus will be able to post live during our MP tour. Also, with the approval of Regent Corporate and assist of the General Manger will profile some of the hardworking Mariner crew while we are on board. We generally profile select crew (e.g., members of the galley team, rations team, dry cleaning team, in other words crew that do not get told "Thank you" by the guests)

 

Later this week, we will first enjoy as Kuoda Travel says, "An Amazing Peru Adventure," as we depart for Lima in a few days. We decided doing our own Machu Picchu tour at the same price as the Deluxe Regent Machu Picchu tour since we get private guides and get an extra full day in Machu Picchu.

We will start taking Diamox (Acetazolamide) beginning Tuesday to help prepare us for the high altitude.

 

We fly from Lima to Cusco, check in to the Belmond Montesario follow with a leisurely tour of Cusco. Highlights of our afternoon privately guided tour will be stopping at Qoricancha Temple of the Sun, one of the most sacred Incan sites. We will then head to the Cathedral of the Plaza de Armas, then head to the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas. Our afternoon tour highlight will be to see the Sacsayhuaman Incan ruins above the city.

 

The next two days will be visiting Machu Picchu by taking the Hiram Bingham train. Our Kuoda Travel guide will then give us a private tour of this ancient city. We will remain over nite in the Belmond Sanctuary lodge. The next day our guide will take us to Inti Punku (Sun Gate) about a two hour hike on the flank of Machu Picchu mountain. Wanted to take the "stairs of death (Huayna Picchu) but Ida overruled. Later this afternoon via the Vistadome Train we head down to Cusco. We will overnite in the Belmond Palacio Nazarenas. Early the next afternoon we fly back to Lima a day before boarding the Mariner (we want to make sure we do not miss the ship).

 

Expected highlights of this Regent voyage; visit to Machu Picchu, cruising the Chilean fjords, dining & dancing with Ida, meeting fellow cruise critics at the meet & mingle and on board, and meeting long time cruise friends we have known for 10+ yrs (digitally, cruise critics Marq & jpr) but yet to have met, Ushuaia port visit, getting to cruise again with one of our favorite servers, Ley and cruise again with GM, Michael Coghlan, and (hopefully if sea conditions permit our stop) seeing the penguins at Port Stanley.

Edited by WesW
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Wes and Ida so looking forward to your posts and photographs. You always manage to take us along with you by your style of writing and information just like Mr Rumour.

Hope you manage to make land at Port Stanley. It’s one that seems to evade many cruises for weather reasons.

I have seen many photos of the penguins as my husband had detachment there whilst in the military so fingers crossed you are fortunate.

As you always say in your posts safe travels and have a wonderful pre cruise trip and cruise. Jean.

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We are so excited for your adventure! If you have not already read it, Mark Adams' "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" is a marvelous book. I read it after we came back and laughed myself silly as I could now visualize everything. You can download it on iBooks, too. He hiked the Inca Trail, which, as you know, is not for the faint hearted. As travel writers go, he is one of the best!

 

We hope you travel safely with no hiccups on the journey. The flight into Lima over the spine of the Andes is beautiful as well as the flight to Cusco which is downright thrilling (in a good and bad way as it seems you are flying between the mountains - an exaggeration, I'm sure, but I'm not the best flyer!)

 

Jennifer & Georges

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Sounds great! Have a wonderful trip.

 

Don't let the tales of Huana picchu scare you off. I hiked it pregnant with my first son so certainly doable though we tried to hike slowly. You get breathtaking views of the sacred valley. I think it's worth it!

 

It's awesome regardless - especially at staying at the sanctuary lodge at sunrise as all the day trippers have not yet arrived.

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Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Looking forward to your reports, particularly Machu Picchu.

 

We were just on the Mariner for the Amazon cruise, and I can report the ship is in fine shape - even prior to the drydock. Amazing crew. If Olga is still onboard, she will take care of your drinking needs! We were a fixture at the Mariner Lounge bar most evenings before dinner, and she was a delight.

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Excited to follow along! We’re going to be on the Holland America Zandaam on a South America/Antarctica/Brazil cruise about the same time. I just checked our itinerary, and our two ships are going to be stalking each other, with stops in Puerto Montt, Puerto Chacabuco, and Ushuaia on the exact same days. Then you head off to the Falklands while we journey south to Antarctica.

We were on the Explorer last year, and loved it. Seriously considered your itinerary on the Mariner, but we’ve never been to Antarctica and wanted to give it a try.

Happy travels!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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Safe travels Wes and Ida! Peru remains one of our all time favourites and we'd return in a heartbeat. Needless to say, we'll be hanging on your every word (and photo!) Have a wonderful time and thank you for sharing your travels, as always.

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I look forward to your posts especially beginning with MP. it will take me back to our trip there a number of years back. We also stayed at the Santuary and it was worth every penny it cost. Most expensive place we have ever stayed at but being able to stay on the mountain after most people have gone and being there before the crowds in the morning is priceless. We also hired a private guide and as far as i am concerned it is the only way to see the area. There is so much fascinating history.

We also took the medication and had no issues with altitude sickness. I wish you the same success. We spent the first night down in the sacred valley so had a more gentle introduction to the altitude. Cuzco is actually a lot higher than MP.

I envy you the experience. Would love to do the sacred valley again as we just didn't have enough time to see even a small portion of the sites.

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Beautiful job of "setting the table," Wes! This is an itinerary that's on our cruising radar, so I'll be feasting on your words and pics, as well as on all the fun onboard posting you do (definitely including your wonderful crew member profiles). Good on you for arranging to secure a SIM card so that you can post from Machu Picchu and elsewhere on your land tour. Wishing you and Ida safe travels and a fantastic experience!

 

Rich

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Following the outstanding example taught by my good friend and fellow truly exceptional Regent blog poster, Mr. Rumour; wanted to set the Table for our Mariner thread later this week. Welcome other Lima to Buenos Aires

cruise critics to post here too. Believe our long time cruise critic friend NJbelle (Janice) will also post her very cruise experienced thoughts too.

Plan to post photos with many posts. Once we land in Lima our guide is planning to take me to get a new SIM card for my IPhone—thus will be able to post live during our MP tour. Also, with the approval of Regent Corporate and assist of the General Manger will profile some of the hardworking Mariner crew while we are on board. We generally profile select crew (e.g., members of the galley team, rations team, dry cleaning team, in other words crew that do not get told "Thank you" by the guests)

 

Later this week, we will first enjoy as Kuoda Travel says, "An Amazing Peru Adventure," as we depart for Lima in a few days. We decided doing our own Machu Picchu tour at the same price as the Deluxe Regent Machu Picchu tour since we get private guides and get an extra full day in Machu Picchu.

We will start taking Diamox (Acetazolamide) beginning Tuesday to help prepare us for the high altitude.

 

We fly from Lima to Cusco, check in to the Belmond Montesario follow with a leisurely tour of Cusco. Highlights of our afternoon privately guided tour will be stopping at Qoricancha Temple of the Sun, one of the most sacred Incan sites. We will then head to the Cathedral of the Plaza de Armas, then head to the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas. Our afternoon tour highlight will be to see the Sacsayhuaman Incan ruins above the city.

 

The next two days will be visiting Machu Picchu by taking the Hiram Bingham train. Our Kuoda Travel guide will then give us a private tour of this ancient city. We will remain over nite in the Belmond Sanctuary lodge. The next day our guide will take us to Inti Punku (Sun Gate) about a two hour hike on the flank of Machu Picchu mountain. Wanted to take the "stairs of death (Huayna Picchu) but Ida overruled. Later this afternoon via the Vistadome Train we head down to Cusco. We will overnite in the Belmond Palacio Nazarenas. Early the next afternoon we fly back to Lima a day before boarding the Mariner (we want to make sure we do not miss the ship).

 

Expected highlights of this Regent voyage; visit to Machu Picchu, cruising the Chilean fjords, dining & dancing with Ida, meeting fellow cruise critics at the meet & mingle and on board, and meeting long time cruise friends we have known for 10+ yrs (digitally, cruise critics Marq & jpr) but yet to have met, Ushuaia port visit, getting to cruise again with one of our favorite servers, Ley and cruise again with GM, Michael Coghlan, and (hopefully if sea conditions permit our stop) seeing the penguins at Port Stanley.

 

 

Your private tour sounds great. I know some people who are using Belmont for the hotel and train as they have their own program. I used an American and added in more places with more time in Lima.

 

I know someone who did the hike if death. Not yet 50 and in great shape but she said very hard.

 

I could not de used in which hotel in Cusco and think you were very smart to try both.the agent kept pushing one for a pool.why would you need a pool when it is 4 to 8 degrees always.

 

Glad you have the pills .inwas told by dr the day before but on the website the morning of the day you fly from Lima.

 

You did not mention going to the Valley or what you were seeing in Lima. Guessing you are staying at the Belmont there too.

 

Really looking forward to hearing all about the trip.

 

Have fun.

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Have a wonderful trip, Wes and Ida. Good job on starting the acetazolamide early. Diet Coke won’t taste good, neither will champagne, but it is worth it to avoid altitude sickness. And stay way away from that scary trail. I do not want to hear about any more broken noses.

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Excited to follow along! We’re going to be on the Holland America Zandaam on a South America/Antarctica/Brazil cruise about the same time. I just checked our itinerary, and our two ships are going to be stalking each other, with stops in Puerto Montt, Puerto Chacabuco, and Ushuaia on the exact same days. Then you head off to the Falklands while we journey south to Antarctica.

We were on the Explorer last year, and loved it. Seriously considered your itinerary on the Mariner, but we’ve never been to Antarctica and wanted to give it a try.

Happy travels!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

Think you licked the better cruise. But years ago I sailed parties if the Anarcitica but never did landing which many love.

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Thanks Focused 1, Liptastic, briar14, forgap, LynnRuns, NCCruzQueen, Pamela1, RJ2002, Gilley, 1982CruzStart, cruiseluv--for you very warm cruise well wishes.

 

flossie007/Susan & David, RachelG; Promise no face plants leading to another broken snoz--and thank you for your cruise well wishes.

 

txladycruiser/Karen & Wayne; Pamela1/Pam; have mentioned to Ida that you look forward to seeing what she is going to wear. Last nite during some pre packing she said, "am taking 20 outfits,"...hun, I said--do I get any luggage space :).

 

BarbarianPaul; Fair Winds and Following seas for your special HAL So America & Antarctica voyage. We are doing River Rafting in Puerto Montt, then Highlights in Puerto Chacabuco. In Ushuaia we are doing Tierra Major Trekking. Maybe we will see you on an excursion or at the pier.

 

forgap/Mr. Rumor; thanks so much for your cruise well wishes. And Fair Winds and Following seas on your early February Voyager Singapore to Sydney cruise. During our voyage we look forward to following y'alls Co-Blog too, please if you remember give our warmest regards to David, Voyager Restaurant Manager.

 

ellbon; thanks for the very nice Machu Pichu tour well wishes. Our very good Silversea cruise friend (like RachelG as an MD) retired as one of the senior radiologists at the Cleveland Clinic, recommend to me to start taking the Diamox (Acetazolamide) three days before getting to Cusco. See you on board soon.

 

One last comment for those who also join in the miles/points hobby. Most of us get multiple credit cards to earn thousands of miles/points for our flights/hotels. We are flying on America BC over on miles, to Cusco BC on Avianca on miles, home from Buenos Aires on Delta BC miles. We are staying at Lima Hilton Exec suite on points.

 

However, for this voyage planned six months ago to earn travel credits with cards. Will get $300 Travel Credit for our Chase Sapphire Resere card, $325 for our US Bank Altitude card (also earned $100 credit from points on this card), $200 travel credit for Bank of America Visa. We also will get the NCLH $250 SBC. Can't let Ida know about these SBC we have no luggage space for her Boutique purchases :).

Edited by WesW
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adn Wes & Ida, can't wait to see the pics. Sure you won't be disappointed with Kuoda and please say hello to Mari for me. You will absolutely love their service. Really hope you get to the Falklands. We made it in November and our trip out to volunteer point with Patrick Watts was excellent. He has the pole position parking space at the point and our driver's Mother in Law made all the lunches and put a special thumb drive in our lunch that had wonderful pictures. They also took a different route thru the peat fields and we were first to the Point. Wonderful penguins and got great pics. He puts together tours and can get more vehicles. Price was less than half the Seabourn price. Send him an email pwatts@horizon.co.fk Sure this will be a pay for tour with Regent and bet you can get booked with him at this late date. Have a wonderful cruise. Oh, and you pay on the day of the tour so if you don't get in, no cost.

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Wow! I step away from the computer to pack for a few hours and this thread is already on the second page! So glad to see the excitement for this cruise. Eric and I leave tomorrow. Turns out we are also doing a pre-cruise trip with Kuoda! Just a coincidence that we are doing this like Ida and Wes. However, we decided to take a bit longer trip - we will have 2 days in the Sacred Valley first and then do the 2-day thing in MP. Then to Cusco for 2 days and then to Lima for 2 nights. We have done this particular cruise before (but from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso). We loved it and said "We will do this one again". Anyway, I had always wanted to see MP, so when I saw this cruise was starting in Lima, it seemed it was meant to be.

 

We are going to go the ibuprofen route. We don't get side effects from it and we did it this way when we went to Tibet and didn't have any problems. Doesn't mean we won't this time, but (I'm a retired physician, btw) I didn't like the potential side effects for the Diamox (not talking about the champagne and Coke tasting flat - but that didn't help!) for us. Anyway, fingers crossed that we will all be safe and breathing well. We are going to take MP leisurely and slowly - no big climbs of Death for us. I get vertigo when I am up high and look down. I freaked out just looking at the videos on YouTube of that climb. Beautiful scenery but I will be happy with the basic tour. We also will get two bites of the apple - since it is the rainy season, it will likely not be great weather, but at least with being there for two days, we may have some luck.

 

As Wes says, I will post as well, although I haven't ever done pictures. Not really sure how that works, but just realized that I will have access to a first-class teacher as soon as I am on board. So, Wes, make some room in your schedule for a little seminar on posting photos on CC!

 

We are being picked up at 8:00 tomorrow and then get into Lima about 10 PM I think. Then off to Cusco and the SV on Tuesday morning. I will return!

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