Sailing on the Golden Princess in Feb 2014 ( Buenos Aires to Santiago)

[CraigRDR1]

My wife and I will be on the Golden in Feb (Buenos Aires to Santiago) and I'm just looking for some helpful tips from anyone who has sailed on this cruise in the past. We are veteran Princess cruisers ( this will be our 9th cruise) so we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Princess, just looking for some tips, experiences and/or issues that people have experienced in the past. Thanks!

[NearEnough]

There is a fairly active roll call for this cruise...here is the link

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=302

[skynight]

My wife and I will be on the Golden in Feb (Buenos Aires to Santiago) and I'm just looking for some helpful tips from anyone who has sailed on this cruise in the past. We are veteran Princess cruisers ( this will be our 9th cruise) so we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Princess, just looking for some tips, experiences and/or issues that people have experienced in the past. Thanks!

 

We did a similar itinerary in Feb 2012 on the Star from Rio to Valparaiso. It's a great cruise. About 25% of the passengers were from South America, another 20% or so from Europe, mainly the UK and most of the balance from North America. It's a nice international mix. Many of these passengers will dine late. Some of the DR waiters told us that they didn't finish up until 11PM.

 

Expect warm/hot weather the first 3 or 4 days, but then it starts to get cooler. As you head toward the Faulkands, round Cape Horn, make stops in Ushuaia, Punta Arenas and up the west coast you will be comfortable in long pants, and a jacket or sweatshirt. We also brought along a long sleeve thin polyester (silk like) undershirt which proved to be very useful. Since it is winter in Queens when you fly out it will be easy to wear rather than pack the outerwear. You don't really require heavy winter coats, just layers which is the key.

 

Enjoy yourself. remember to visit the roll call for this cruise where you can ask many questions.

[paul929207]

We did this on the Grand as part of the SA Circumnavigation earlier this year. Be sure to be in a good viewing place for the Amelia Glacier. Just beautiful. It was dark when we got to the glacier alley, so I can't comment on there.

[CraigRDR1]

We did a similar itinerary in Feb 2012 on the Star from Rio to Valparaiso. It's a great cruise. About 25% of the passengers were from South America, another 20% or so from Europe, mainly the UK and most of the balance from North America. It's a nice international mix. Many of these passengers will dine late. Some of the DR waiters told us that they didn't finish up until 11PM.

 

Expect warm/hot weather the first 3 or 4 days, but then it starts to get cooler. As you head toward the Faulkands, round Cape Horn, make stops in Ushuaia, Punta Arenas and up the west coast you will be comfortable in long pants, and a jacket or sweatshirt. We also brought along a long sleeve thin polyester (silk like) undershirt which proved to be very useful. Since it is winter in Queens when you fly out it will be easy to wear rather than pack the outerwear. You don't really require heavy winter coats, just layers which is the key.

 

Enjoy yourself. remember to visit the roll call for this cruise where you can ask many questions.

 

Thanks for the info... I wasn't sure what to bring and was going to just bring layers as you suggested. Thanks again

[jff50]

I did this cruise on the Star Princess this past Feb/Mar. One of my favorite cruises. Hope your weather is as good as ours was. We made all of our scheduled stops (Falklands included). Clear sunny days the whole way, except for some overcast or rain in Puerto Madryn and Puerto Montt. There may also have been some rain in Punta Arenas, but some of us missed it because we were in Antarctica. Took the Princess Antarctic excursion and absolutely loved it. About 41 degrees in Antarctica when we were there. Antarctica was the only Princess excursion I took, but the private ones I took were very good.

Puerto Madryn--Peninsula Valdes

Falklands--Patrick Watts to Volunteer Point. Interesting off-road trip, and lots of King and Gentoo penguins.

Cape Horn--clear and sunny.

Ushuaia--Lake Country and Tierra del Fuego

Punta Arenas--Antarctica, highlight of the trip for me.

Puerto Montt--2/3 of our group left our meeting place early, and ended up starting the excursion early. Left 5 of us behind. Kinda sucked, but didn't ruin a great trip.

The glacier viewing (Amalia Glacier and Glacier Alley) was outstanding--nice weather.

[DougH]

A couple of days before the cruusie in Buenos Aires are great as there is lots to see here. If you're stopping in the Falkland Islands the penguin tour with Patrick Watts is not to be missed. Sign up as early as you can as he sells out space quickly.

[socialworker]

I did this cruise on the Star Princess this past Feb/Mar. One of my favorite cruises. Hope your weather is as good as ours was. We made all of our scheduled stops (Falklands included). Clear sunny days the whole way, except for some overcast or rain in Puerto Madryn and Puerto Montt. There may also have been some rain in Punta Arenas, but some of us missed it because we were in Antarctica. Took the Princess Antarctic excursion and absolutely loved it. About 41 degrees in Antarctica when we were there. Antarctica was the only Princess excursion I took, but the private ones I took were very good.

Puerto Madryn--Peninsula Valdes

Falklands--Patrick Watts to Volunteer Point. Interesting off-road trip, and lots of King and Gentoo penguins.

Cape Horn--clear and sunny.

Ushuaia--Lake Country and Tierra del Fuego

Punta Arenas--Antarctica, highlight of the trip for me.

Puerto Montt--2/3 of our group left our meeting place early, and ended up starting the excursion early. Left 5 of us behind. Kinda sucked, but didn't ruin a great trip.

The glacier viewing (Amalia Glacier and Glacier Alley) was outstanding--nice weather.

 

Just curious, was your side trip to Antarctica the expensive one where you are flown to one of the research camps? We did the So.Amer,/Antarctica cruise on the Star in 2010 and lots of folks (wanting to step foot on the continent) paid BIG BUCKS for such an excursion. Unfortunately, 30 minutes out from their destination, the weather turned, and they had to forego the trip. There was much disappointment.

 

Well if that's what you did, congratulations! I'm sure it was wonderful.

 

I also thought that that was the best cruise ever.

 

Judy

[jff50]

Just curious, was your side trip to Antarctica the expensive one where you are flown to one of the research camps? We did the So.Amer,/Antarctica cruise on the Star in 2010 and lots of folks (wanting to step foot on the continent) paid BIG BUCKS for such an excursion. Unfortunately, 30 minutes out from their destination, the weather turned, and they had to forego the trip. There was much disappointment.

 

Well if that's what you did, congratulations! I'm sure it was wonderful.

 

I also thought that that was the best cruise ever.

 

Judy

 

That was the excursion we were on. Seems like it goes less than 50% of the time. As soon as we got of the ship our guide said that we had the go ahead. It was a great excursion. Pricey, but worth it. As I recall, it was only the second time the excursion got to Antartica last season (and they do excursions for other cruise lines besides Princess).

 

We didn't have a lot of people signed up for the excursion (fewer than the minimum participation listed on the Princess excursion description). Thank goodness they went anyway.

[CraigRDR1]

I did this cruise on the Star Princess this past Feb/Mar. One of my favorite cruises. Hope your weather is as good as ours was. We made all of our scheduled stops (Falklands included). Clear sunny days the whole way, except for some overcast or rain in Puerto Madryn and Puerto Montt. There may also have been some rain in Punta Arenas, but some of us missed it because we were in Antarctica. Took the Princess Antarctic excursion and absolutely loved it. About 41 degrees in Antarctica when we were there. Antarctica was the only Princess excursion I took, but the private ones I took were very good.

Puerto Madryn--Peninsula Valdes

Falklands--Patrick Watts to Volunteer Point. Interesting off-road trip, and lots of King and Gentoo penguins.

Cape Horn--clear and sunny.

Ushuaia--Lake Country and Tierra del Fuego

Punta Arenas--Antarctica, highlight of the trip for me.

Puerto Montt--2/3 of our group left our meeting place early, and ended up starting the excursion early. Left 5 of us behind. Kinda sucked, but didn't ruin a great trip.

The glacier viewing (Amalia Glacier and Glacier Alley) was outstanding--nice weather.

 

It doesnt seem that Princess is offering the Antartic excursion on this trip...or at least they havent posted one as of this date. Do you know the name of the private tour that goes there?

[jff50]

It doesnt seem that Princess is offering the Antartic excursion on this trip...or at least they havent posted one as of this date. Do you know the name of the private tour that goes there?

Ours wasn't posted until closer to our sailing date. I checked periodically, because I was really interested in the excursion. You can call Princess and ask them when it would be posted.

 

I'm almost certain it can't be done with a private tour. They had to hold the ship for our excursion to get back. I think it was coordinated through the airlines (DAP Antarctic Airways). You can check online through them.

[caribill]

Ours wasn't posted until closer to our sailing date.

 

Based on the other comments here, it is possible they are no longer offering it:

 

a) Few sign up because of the expense

b) Does not go much of the time

c) May start, but have to turn around before getting there.

 

The time we were on a cruise that had this, it was cancelled after being in the air and Princess did not want to give any refunds. Refunds were finally given, but after that a condition was added that if the flight takes off, there would be no refund. I do not know if that condition still exists.

 

(I do not see this excursion listed at all in the shore excursion part of learn about Princess.)

[soccerref]

My wife and I will be on the Golden in Feb (Buenos Aires to Santiago) and I'm just looking for some helpful tips from anyone who has sailed on this cruise in the past. We are veteran Princess cruisers ( this will be our 9th cruise) so we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Princess, just looking for some tips, experiences and/or issues that people have experienced in the past. Thanks!

 

 

Hi Craig,

 

My husband and I did this cruise on Star Princess in January this year but the reverse itinerary. Below is part of my review that you may find helpful. We loved this cruise so hope you enjoy it too. (Sorry the font keeps changing. I've tried to alter it but nothing happens!)

 

Ports and shore excursions

We booked ship’s excursions in all the ports. We did this because I have some mobility problems so my husband and I did several tours separately and I, especially, felt more secure in a group of familiar people. There were pros and cons for using the Princess tours:

PROS:

· A relatively safe environment.

· The ship delayed departure for an hour in Ushuaia when there was a problem with a ship’s tour not returning on time.

· Generally knowledgeable guides.

· Good quality transport.

· Mostly English speakers on my bus.

· It was difficult, pre cruise, to find information about the availability, quality and proximity of local taxis.

· There were no charges made when the ship did not make the call at the Falklands.

CONS

· Relatively expensive.

· Sites got a bit crowded.

Puerto Montt

My husband and I did the Lake Esmeralda, Petrohue River & Puerto Varas tour. This part of Chile is rightfully named ‘the Lake District’ and it has stunning scenery with snow topped volcanic peaks. Our tour was comprehensive and included sailing on beautiful Esmeralda Lake aboard a catamaran; a stroll along the picturesque and impressive Petrohue Falls; a shopping stop at the handicraft market in the pretty lake side resort of Puerto Varas and some panoramic views of Puerto Montt. We had lunch at a delightful restaurant with magnificent views over the lake and a friendly family of Llamas to pet.

· This is a tender port. The ride was approximately 10 minutes.

· There is a small terminal building.

· There are taxis available outside the terminal.

· There was a spectacular sail-away through the fjord.

· Puerto Varas has a lovely lake front walk with beaches.

· There is a small local handicrafts market in the centre.

· There were shops, a supermarket and cafes.

Amalia Glacier – Scenic cruising.

Scenic is an understatement which hardly describes the magnificence of the views of the Fjords, glaciers and waterways of this area. We were very lucky with the weather as it was clear and sunny for much of the day.

· You need to be up early to get the full benefit of the scenery. We were up at 5.30a.m. and had breakfast on the balcony as we sailed majestically through the Fjord watching the sunrise.

Punta Arenas

My husband and I did different tours here. I did the City Drive & Museum and, to be honest, there wasn’t a huge amount to see. The town is relatively small and I think we were shown the best that they have. We spent some time at the Sara Braun Museum housed in a 19th-century mansion which had some interesting exhibits of the flora and fauna of the area along with information on the history. We also went to the City Cemetery where there was time to walk along the avenues lined with cypress trees and view the magnificent mausoleums......an odd attraction I know but strangely compelling. The open air museum gave us a chance to see how the pioneers who colonised the area arrived in their wagons and the type of homes they constructed.

My husband did theMagdalena Island Penguin Reserve and spent a few hours with the whimsical Magellanic penguins on the Island. It was a 90 minute ferry cruise to the island located in the Strait of Magellan. He said there were 1000s of penguins and several different sorts of sea birds so, as a bird watcher and photographer, he was in heaven!!

· This is a tender port

· There is a small terminal building with an information kiosk and a small souvenir shop.

· The town centre is uphill and a 10 to 15 minute walk from the terminal building....turn left on the main road, walk to the hotel and then take the road directly opposite the hotel. This brings you to the town square.

· There is a supermarket to the left of the terminal building on the opposite side of the road that has wine, pisco.....the local fire water.... and soft drinks at very reasonable prices. We had no problems bringing all 3 items back onto the ship.

· There is a large craft and souvenir market in the town square.

Ushuaia

We sailed through the Beagle Channel first thing in the morning so, once again, we were up at dawn to make the most of the sunrise and views and, once again we were not disappointed. This time we passed by 8 separate glaciers nestling among the mountains before finally reaching Ushuaia at 11.45a.m.

I was very excited to get to Ushuaia and to be on Tierra del Fuego as I have had a fascination for this part of the world since learning about the explorers at school. I never, in my wildest dreams then, ever thought I would actually visit the place!

Once again my DH and I did different tours. Mine was the Drive to the "End of the World" which entailed a drive through Ushuaia and then into the Tierra del Fuego National Park and a stop at the end of the world's longest stretch of road, the Pan American Highway. We visited Ensenada Bay, Roca Lake, and Lapatia Bay to experience ancient forests, deep blue lakes and unique fauna on this very pleasant and non strenuous trip. The scenery was stunning and we were very lucky with the weather even though it was relatively cold as we had mostly sunny periods with only a couple of heavy showers.

DH did the ‘Tierra Mayor Natural Reserve Trek’ so he saw much of what I saw but on foot as the group trekked with their guide through the old-growth Lenga forest. They saw the beaver dams and peat bogs on their way to the Five Cascades Waterfalls.

· The weather was the expected weather for mid-summer, cool, breezy and showery so take appropriate layers of clothing.

· The ship docks 10 to 15 minutes walk from the town.

· There are taxis available outside the port.

· There is a pleasant visitors’ centre in the park which has a small museum, restaurant, souvenir shop and toilets.

Cape horn – scenic cruising

We had reasonable weather again today and so got really good views of the dramatic scenery of Cape Horn as we sailed around the island but as on the previous days it was an early start to see things at their best........this holiday is certainly not for people who like to lie-in!!!!

The Falklands

Unfortunately we were not able to land in the Falklands due to the force 11 winds that had blown up during the night. A ship’s tender was sent out to try the crossing to Stanley but it was a very frightening sight to see it disappearing between huge waves and being tossed around like a cork. I cannot understand the people who complained so vociferously about not being allowed ashore. I know it was disappointing but the Captain had the safety of his passengers and crew to consider and he made, in most people’s opinion, the right decision.

Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn turned out to be a fairly large and pleasant seaside resort but, as it was Sunday, most of the shops were closed. This town is the gateway to the Patagonian Steppes and the sights were quite a distance away. DH and I had chosen different tours again from a very limited number on offer. I did the Palaeontology Museum & Punta Loma which involved a 2 hour coach ride across the flat and featureless terrain to the town of Trewlow in the Chubut Valley which has a museum that is a mecca for dinosaur fans with 300 million years of history recorded in the fossil collections. This was followed by a long drive to the Punta Loma peninsula for views of the sea lion colonies. To be honest, there really wasn’t much to see.

I think my husband got the better deal with his Valdes Peninsula, Estancia San Lorenzo & Punta Norte trip where he experienced the rugged beauty of Patagonia although it was a 2 hour drive. The Valdes Peninsula is one of the world's great wildlife preserves and he saw the sea lion and elephant seal colonies at Punta Norte along with a vast rookery of Magellanic penguins and plenty of different birds.

My tour was back by mid-day so I had chance to have a walk along the sea front in Puerto Madryn.

· The dock pier is very long and there is a free shuttle bus to the dock exit but some people did walk it.

· There is a lovely wide, sandy beach at the pier exit and a pleasant promenade to stroll along.

· There are shops and cafes along the street next to the promenade although a most of these were closed as it was Sunday. The shops in the small Mall were open

· Taxis were available at the pier exit. I would imagine it would be quite expensive to hire these to go to the sights visited by the tour buses as everything was a long way from the town.

Montevideo.

This was the surprise of the whole trip as I had no concept of what a pleasant place Uruguay is. I’m so glad we chose to do the Punta del Este & Ralli Museum trip because, although Punta del Este is a 2 hour drive from the dock, we did see some of the lovely city of Montevideo and the beautiful, lush countryside before arriving at the thriving and elegant resort. The tour included a visit to the Fundación Ralli Museum which featured contemporary Latin American art, including works by Salvador Dali. We also had a delicious lunch at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Marina. Our only disappointment was the lack of free time to explore Punta del Este but the tour really was a full day so compromises have to be made.

· This was an industrial dock so you had to go outside the dock gate to find taxis.

· Montevideo is a large city with some impressive buildings in the centre but also some beautiful beaches on the outskirts.

· There seemed to be plenty of cafes around the central square.

· The Ralli Museum is free to enter but is in the suburbs of Punta del Este. There are beautiful gardens around the museum building. There are toilets but no shop or cafe.

· Punta del Este is a beautiful and large holiday resort with some very exclusive shops, lovely beaches and an impressive Marina.

Buenos Aires

There had been some speculation as to whether the ship would be allowed to dock here at all as there is some ongoing political wrangling about the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and rumour had it that ships that visited the Falklands would be denied entry to Argentina. As it was we did dock although 3 hours late. The reason given was ‘the volume of ships needing a berth’ and, I have to say, the port was very busy.

People who had made independent travel arrangements for Buenos Aires were given free access to telephones on the ship so they could rearrange their schedule but I was so glad our trip was all organised through Princess as we were able to leave everything to them.

· There are compulsory shuttle busses to the port terminal building.

· The terminal building is quite small

· There were taxis available outside the building but it was chaotic as the parking area is very small and there were a large number of tour buses using it too.

· The city is large with a number of impressive buildings, parks and the colourful ‘La Boca’ area.

· Princess arranged a variety of tour options for independent travellers ending at either hotels or the airport.

[jff50]

Based on the other comments here, it is possible they are no longer offering it:

 

a) Few sign up because of the expense

b) Does not go much of the time

c) May start, but have to turn around before getting there.

 

The time we were on a cruise that had this, it was cancelled after being in the air and Princess did not want to give any refunds. Refunds were finally given, but after that a condition was added that if the flight takes off, there would be no refund. I do not know if that condition still exists.

 

(I do not see this excursion listed at all in the shore excursion part of learn about Princess.)

All I know is that it was offered (and went) on our cruise. Ours was the last trip around the horn/straights of Magellan for the 2012/13 season.

 

I don't see any information on it either. However, I don't see any excursion listed for Torres del Paine National Park either. That was another pricey excursion (involving a flight) that was available on our cruise. In fact, that was the alternative in the event we couldn't get into Antarctica. Princess' website lists Torres del Paine National Park as a point of interest for Punta Arenas excursions, but doesn't list any excursions that go there.

 

I don't have an interest in speculating. All I know is that it was offered on Princess' last cruise to stop at Punta Arenas. Hopefully, they will continue to offer it to those that are willing to spend the money and take the risk. I'm certainly glad they offered it on our cruise, and I'm pretty sure that everyone that took the excursion with me was too.

[CraigRDR1]

Thank you for taking the time to post all that great info!!

[CraigRDR1]

Hi Craig,

 

My husband and I did this cruise on Star Princess in January this year but the reverse itinerary. Below is part of my review that you may find helpful. We loved this cruise so hope you enjoy it too. (Sorry the font keeps changing. I've tried to alter it but nothing happens!)

 

Ports and shore excursions

We booked ship’s excursions in all the ports. We did this because I have some mobility problems so my husband and I did several tours separately and I, especially, felt more secure in a group of familiar people. There were pros and cons for using the Princess tours:

PROS:

· A relatively safe environment.

· The ship delayed departure for an hour in Ushuaia when there was a problem with a ship’s tour not returning on time.

· Generally knowledgeable guides.

· Good quality transport.

· Mostly English speakers on my bus.

· It was difficult, pre cruise, to find information about the availability, quality and proximity of local taxis.

· There were no charges made when the ship did not make the call at the Falklands.

CONS

· Relatively expensive.

· Sites got a bit crowded.

Puerto Montt

My husband and I did the Lake Esmeralda, Petrohue River & Puerto Varas tour. This part of Chile is rightfully named ‘the Lake District’ and it has stunning scenery with snow topped volcanic peaks. Our tour was comprehensive and included sailing on beautiful Esmeralda Lake aboard a catamaran; a stroll along the picturesque and impressive Petrohue Falls; a shopping stop at the handicraft market in the pretty lake side resort of Puerto Varas and some panoramic views of Puerto Montt. We had lunch at a delightful restaurant with magnificent views over the lake and a friendly family of Llamas to pet.

· This is a tender port. The ride was approximately 10 minutes.

· There is a small terminal building.

· There are taxis available outside the terminal.

· There was a spectacular sail-away through the fjord.

· Puerto Varas has a lovely lake front walk with beaches.

· There is a small local handicrafts market in the centre.

· There were shops, a supermarket and cafes.

Amalia Glacier – Scenic cruising.

Scenic is an understatement which hardly describes the magnificence of the views of the Fjords, glaciers and waterways of this area. We were very lucky with the weather as it was clear and sunny for much of the day.

· You need to be up early to get the full benefit of the scenery. We were up at 5.30a.m. and had breakfast on the balcony as we sailed majestically through the Fjord watching the sunrise.

Punta Arenas

My husband and I did different tours here. I did the City Drive & Museum and, to be honest, there wasn’t a huge amount to see. The town is relatively small and I think we were shown the best that they have. We spent some time at the Sara Braun Museum housed in a 19th-century mansion which had some interesting exhibits of the flora and fauna of the area along with information on the history. We also went to the City Cemetery where there was time to walk along the avenues lined with cypress trees and view the magnificent mausoleums......an odd attraction I know but strangely compelling. The open air museum gave us a chance to see how the pioneers who colonised the area arrived in their wagons and the type of homes they constructed.

My husband did theMagdalena Island Penguin Reserve and spent a few hours with the whimsical Magellanic penguins on the Island. It was a 90 minute ferry cruise to the island located in the Strait of Magellan. He said there were 1000s of penguins and several different sorts of sea birds so, as a bird watcher and photographer, he was in heaven!!

· This is a tender port

· There is a small terminal building with an information kiosk and a small souvenir shop.

· The town centre is uphill and a 10 to 15 minute walk from the terminal building....turn left on the main road, walk to the hotel and then take the road directly opposite the hotel. This brings you to the town square.

· There is a supermarket to the left of the terminal building on the opposite side of the road that has wine, pisco.....the local fire water.... and soft drinks at very reasonable prices. We had no problems bringing all 3 items back onto the ship.

· There is a large craft and souvenir market in the town square.

Ushuaia

We sailed through the Beagle Channel first thing in the morning so, once again, we were up at dawn to make the most of the sunrise and views and, once again we were not disappointed. This time we passed by 8 separate glaciers nestling among the mountains before finally reaching Ushuaia at 11.45a.m.

I was very excited to get to Ushuaia and to be on Tierra del Fuego as I have had a fascination for this part of the world since learning about the explorers at school. I never, in my wildest dreams then, ever thought I would actually visit the place!

Once again my DH and I did different tours. Mine was the Drive to the "End of the World" which entailed a drive through Ushuaia and then into the Tierra del Fuego National Park and a stop at the end of the world's longest stretch of road, the Pan American Highway. We visited Ensenada Bay, Roca Lake, and Lapatia Bay to experience ancient forests, deep blue lakes and unique fauna on this very pleasant and non strenuous trip. The scenery was stunning and we were very lucky with the weather even though it was relatively cold as we had mostly sunny periods with only a couple of heavy showers.

DH did the ‘Tierra Mayor Natural Reserve Trek’ so he saw much of what I saw but on foot as the group trekked with their guide through the old-growth Lenga forest. They saw the beaver dams and peat bogs on their way to the Five Cascades Waterfalls.

· The weather was the expected weather for mid-summer, cool, breezy and showery so take appropriate layers of clothing.

· The ship docks 10 to 15 minutes walk from the town.

· There are taxis available outside the port.

· There is a pleasant visitors’ centre in the park which has a small museum, restaurant, souvenir shop and toilets.

Cape horn – scenic cruising

We had reasonable weather again today and so got really good views of the dramatic scenery of Cape Horn as we sailed around the island but as on the previous days it was an early start to see things at their best........this holiday is certainly not for people who like to lie-in!!!!

The Falklands

Unfortunately we were not able to land in the Falklands due to the force 11 winds that had blown up during the night. A ship’s tender was sent out to try the crossing to Stanley but it was a very frightening sight to see it disappearing between huge waves and being tossed around like a cork. I cannot understand the people who complained so vociferously about not being allowed ashore. I know it was disappointing but the Captain had the safety of his passengers and crew to consider and he made, in most people’s opinion, the right decision.

Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn turned out to be a fairly large and pleasant seaside resort but, as it was Sunday, most of the shops were closed. This town is the gateway to the Patagonian Steppes and the sights were quite a distance away. DH and I had chosen different tours again from a very limited number on offer. I did the Palaeontology Museum & Punta Loma which involved a 2 hour coach ride across the flat and featureless terrain to the town of Trewlow in the Chubut Valley which has a museum that is a mecca for dinosaur fans with 300 million years of history recorded in the fossil collections. This was followed by a long drive to the Punta Loma peninsula for views of the sea lion colonies. To be honest, there really wasn’t much to see.

I think my husband got the better deal with his Valdes Peninsula, Estancia San Lorenzo & Punta Norte trip where he experienced the rugged beauty of Patagonia although it was a 2 hour drive. The Valdes Peninsula is one of the world's great wildlife preserves and he saw the sea lion and elephant seal colonies at Punta Norte along with a vast rookery of Magellanic penguins and plenty of different birds.

My tour was back by mid-day so I had chance to have a walk along the sea front in Puerto Madryn.

· The dock pier is very long and there is a free shuttle bus to the dock exit but some people did walk it.

· There is a lovely wide, sandy beach at the pier exit and a pleasant promenade to stroll along.

· There are shops and cafes along the street next to the promenade although a most of these were closed as it was Sunday. The shops in the small Mall were open

· Taxis were available at the pier exit. I would imagine it would be quite expensive to hire these to go to the sights visited by the tour buses as everything was a long way from the town.

Montevideo.

This was the surprise of the whole trip as I had no concept of what a pleasant place Uruguay is. I’m so glad we chose to do the Punta del Este & Ralli Museum trip because, although Punta del Este is a 2 hour drive from the dock, we did see some of the lovely city of Montevideo and the beautiful, lush countryside before arriving at the thriving and elegant resort. The tour included a visit to the Fundación Ralli Museum which featured contemporary Latin American art, including works by Salvador Dali. We also had a delicious lunch at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Marina. Our only disappointment was the lack of free time to explore Punta del Este but the tour really was a full day so compromises have to be made.

· This was an industrial dock so you had to go outside the dock gate to find taxis.

· Montevideo is a large city with some impressive buildings in the centre but also some beautiful beaches on the outskirts.

· There seemed to be plenty of cafes around the central square.

· The Ralli Museum is free to enter but is in the suburbs of Punta del Este. There are beautiful gardens around the museum building. There are toilets but no shop or cafe.

· Punta del Este is a beautiful and large holiday resort with some very exclusive shops, lovely beaches and an impressive Marina.

Buenos Aires

There had been some speculation as to whether the ship would be allowed to dock here at all as there is some ongoing political wrangling about the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and rumour had it that ships that visited the Falklands would be denied entry to Argentina. As it was we did dock although 3 hours late. The reason given was ‘the volume of ships needing a berth’ and, I have to say, the port was very busy.

People who had made independent travel arrangements for Buenos Aires were given free access to telephones on the ship so they could rearrange their schedule but I was so glad our trip was all organised through Princess as we were able to leave everything to them.

· There are compulsory shuttle busses to the port terminal building.

· The terminal building is quite small

· There were taxis available outside the building but it was chaotic as the parking area is very small and there were a large number of tour buses using it too.

· The city is large with a number of impressive buildings, parks and the colourful ‘La Boca’ area.

· Princess arranged a variety of tour options for independent travellers ending at either hotels or the airport.

 

 

We must be on similar wavelengths... I've selected a lot of the same tours you picked. Sounds like a great trip. We can't wait! Thank you for taking to the time to post all that great info!!

:D

[Anniesails]

I did this cruise on the Star Princess this past Feb/Mar. One of my favorite cruises. Hope your weather is as good as ours was. We made all of our scheduled stops (Falklands included). Clear sunny days the whole way, except for some overcast or rain in Puerto Madryn and Puerto Montt. There may also have been some rain in Punta Arenas, but some of us missed it because we were in Antarctica. Took the Princess Antarctic excursion and absolutely loved it. About 41 degrees in Antarctica when we were there. Antarctica was the only Princess excursion I took, but the private ones I took were very good.

Puerto Madryn--Peninsula Valdes

Falklands--Patrick Watts to Volunteer Point. Interesting off-road trip, and lots of King and Gentoo penguins.

Cape Horn--clear and sunny.

Ushuaia--Lake Country and Tierra del Fuego

Punta Arenas--Antarctica, highlight of the trip for me.

Puerto Montt--2/3 of our group left our meeting place early, and ended up starting the excursion early. Left 5 of us behind. Kinda sucked, but didn't ruin a great trip.

The glacier viewing (Amalia Glacier and Glacier Alley) was outstanding--nice weather.

Could you tell me a little more about the available Antartica excursion, I am taking this trip as well next Feb and am so excited there may be this excursion, I didn't know about it.

[cherylandtk]

The Antarctica excursion is not currently available. It was available last season when jff50 took it, but since then has been removed from the shore excursion listing in the individual Personalizer but is still in the main general shore excursion lists. Whether it gets added back for a specific cruise or not is anyone's guess.

 

As of the last time it was posted, the excursion was ~$3000 pp, non-refundable within 30 days of the cruise. If the plane cannot make Antarctica, it will divert to Torres Del Paine as a substitute excursion and there will be a ~$500 refund for the diversion. Overall, the excursion only made it to Antarctica about 50% of the time and they were very clear about that in the description.

 

You might find more details here:

http://www.princess.com/find/excursion/exDetails.do?tourCode=PUQ-150&t=S&exType=S

 

We are biding our time and waiting to see if this excursion becomes available before final payment or not. Even with the high price and 50/50 success rate, it was a major reason for choosing this particular cruise at this time. If not available, we might end up canceling this cruise and taking a land tour to Machu Picchu, fly to BA and then tack on a separate trip with a four day Antarctica cruise to that.

 

eta-I see new descirption now says NR within 45 days, BUT if it diverts the refund is now ~2000. They also now say it has 30% failure, 70% success rate; optimistic on that, I think.

Edited August 15, 2013 by cherylandtk

[jff50]

Could you tell me a little more about the available Antartica excursion, I am taking this trip as well next Feb and am so excited there may be this excursion, I didn't know about it.

Our group contained about 25 passengers. Since the Princess website says they need 38 participants, I was concerned that it may not go due to lack of participation. By the time we added in the Princess shore excursion staff that was going, our guides, and representatives of the airline; it seems like we had up to 40 people.

You take a bus from the ship to the Punta Arenas airport, and board a plane (holds about 120 passengers). They provide breakfast, give you a briefing, and give you a chance to buy/address postcards. I believe the postcards were $3 each with postage. If you address them, they will be mailed/postmarked from the Chilean research station. It took about 2-3 months for my postcards to arrive.

We landed at a Chilean research station on King George Island (in the South Shetland Islands). There are a total of 8 research stations on King George Island. They tend to congregate around the Chilean station, because it has a landing strip. A Brazilian Hercules transport (large plane) landed shortly after we arrived and left shortly before our return flight.

We visited the Chilean and Russian stations, and took zodiacs to another island that is a penguin reserve. Since they limit the number of people that can visit the penguin reserve at one time, we were divided into 2 groups. Our group got a tour of the Chilean/Russian stations first, and the penguin reserve second--the other group did it in reverse order.

After about 4 hours on the ground, we boarded our plane for the return trip. We were served food and drinks and had some great conversation. The flight back took us much longer than the flight there, so we were late getting back to the ship--they held it for us.

The cost was $3000 each. It does appear that it goes less than 50% of the time. They told us that it was only the 2nd time during the season that the excursion went. Not sure how many cruise lines do this excursion (Princess, HAL, ?), but 2 times a year seems like a pretty low percentage.

Don't go expecting to see the majestic, snow covered landscapes that you might associate with Antarctica. You are visiting a research station, and they are not going to put landing strips on the 90% of Antarctica that is covered with snow/ice/glaciers. You will be on part of the other 10% of Antarctica.

[jff50]

I checked my posts from last year, and our excursions (including the Antarctica one) became available in mid-July--for a Feb 25th cruise

[cherylandtk]

Thanks for the timing info jff50...unfortunately, it is well past mid-July and our cruise is scheduled for mid-January. Darn. I'll keep looking and hoping.

[grizzy08]

Hi,

 

Have you tried contacting Princess directly? I remember seeing this excursion in July but now I noticed it is gone. I am looking to book the Torres del Paine National Park excursion (which is also not there). Every time I have contacted Princess, they direct me to my travel agent since I did not book directly. I find it very frustrating to say the least.

[grizzy08]

Bump!

[CraigRDR1]

Seems that Princess is now offering the Antartica excursion...

[grizzy08]

Finally, Torres Del Paine National Park excursion has also been added!