NCL Sun Review - Buenos Aires to Santiago - Jan 2nd to 16th

[ChicagoBarb]

"As much as I didn’t want to do it, I ended up booking NCL transfers back to the airport. I had procrastinated quite a bit on resolving our departure so eventually just gave in. All in all it was actually a pretty good tour/transfer."

 

I will be on the Sun - San Diego to Santiago in November. We'll be using NCL transfer to the airport as it's just easier to deal with.

 

Was your tour/transfer the only option or did they have a couple to choose from? There are no excursions posted yet for our cruise so just wondering what the options are.

 

Thanks!

[OzCanuck]

"As much as I didn’t want to do it, I ended up booking NCL transfers back to the airport. I had procrastinated quite a bit on resolving our departure so eventually just gave in. All in all it was actually a pretty good tour/transfer."

 

I will be on the Sun - San Diego to Santiago in November. We'll be using NCL transfer to the airport as it's just easier to deal with.

 

Was your tour/transfer the only option or did they have a couple to choose from? There are no excursions posted yet for our cruise so just wondering what the options are.

 

Thanks!

 

There were three options -

1. get there a.s.a.p. - just a transfer

2. Vina del Mar, Santiago tour and transfer

3. Winery, Santiago tour and transfer

 

I think the latter two were priced around the same, though maybe the winery was a bit more expensive.

[ChicagoBarb]

Thanks for the info.

 

I certainly don't want the "get there a.s.a.p." My flight home isn't until 9:30 pm so I have plenty of time. A tour would be great.

[tv77]

Thanks for the info.

 

 

 

I certainly don't want the "get there a.s.a.p." My flight home isn't until 9:30 pm so I have plenty of time. A tour would be great.

 

 

Check out south excursions. We did a valpo / vina del mar / winery / Santiago / airport drop off your which was really nice. Small bus (13 people) and maybe $90 pp? You paid for your own lunch, and we stopped for ice cream as well. Went from 9:30am until @ 7:15pm.

[ChicagoBarb]

Check out south excursions. We did a valpo / vina del mar / winery / Santiago / airport drop off your which was really nice. Small bus (13 people) and maybe $90 pp? You paid for your own lunch, and we stopped for ice cream as well. Went from 9:30am until @ 7:15pm.

 

Thank you. I have saved the web site and will check it out.

 

Appreciate all the help.

[OzCanuck]

Here is a time lapse while we sailed through the Beagle Channel. I had originally set up my camera in Ushuaia, but we were delayed 90 minutes leaving so I have 90 minutes of trucks moving around the dock. I recharged and started it again after about an hour.

 

This video takes in the first deep cut on the north of the channel, and sails through brilliant sun, rain and clouds until we bear north west into the Northern arm of the channel. Passing some traffic right near the end. Watch in HD if you can.

 

 

[YOUTUBE]TNvb00E324Q[/YOUTUBE]

[burm]

Spectacular. I almost felt as if I were there. Thanks.

[Sauer-kraut]

Is it just me, but I cringe every time I hear that lovely space formerly called Il Adagio called La Cucina. One inspires the images of a grand graceful space while the other calls to mind a brick facade and checkered tablecloth pizza oven place. *sigh* I wish they had left the cookie cutter branding off the the SUN and left that beautiful restaurant as Il Adagio :mad:

[herdingdogmom]

Fantastic - looking forward to the Beagle Channel. We sail a week for Saturday.

 

Although, I admit I'm very concerned about the wine provisioning problem. I don't see why they couldn't open a bottle to serve by the glass for the UBP. I may have to talk to the F & B Manager if they stop serving my favorite by the glass. I can do without the arugula though.

[pspercy]

Here is a time lapse while we sailed through the Beagle Channel.

 

 

 

Is that from a forward facing balcony ? Were you using a GoPro ? Very stable image, thanks.

 

I hope NCL keeps doing this route, I hope to do it winter 2017/18.

Edited January 22, 2016 by pspercy

[OzCanuck]

Is that from a forward facing balcony ? Were you using a GoPro ? Very stable image, thanks.

 

I hope NCL keeps doing this route, I hope to do it winter 2017/18.

 

Yes - we were in penthouse suite 9201, right underneath the bridge. I stood on a deck chair and affixed the camera to the front ceiling. I think it is the auto suction cup attachment. Works well if you clean the salt off the surface first, as I have learned before.

[Calicokat]

Yes - we were in penthouse suite 9201, right underneath the bridge. I stood on a deck chair and affixed the camera to the front ceiling. I think it is the auto suction cup attachment. Works well if you clean the salt off the surface first, as I have learned before.

 

Makes me wish I had a GoPro ! Thanks for posting both your reviews and tips as well. We will be aboard in a forward suite in late March. What a spectacular view for this cruise !

I read somewhere that the majority of penguins may have left some of the more southern ports by the first of April. Although Puerto Madryn would still offer a large colony. Did you hear anything about this?

[Clay Clayton]

We cruised on Sun's 2010 last cruise in the region prior to this year. As I recall, our cruise left in late April. We did not see the massive colonies of penguins that I believe earlier cruisers experienced but we did see penguins in both Puerto Madryn and Stanley...well outside of Stanley, this is the only place we did a ships excursion - it was to a point well outside the city, first on a bus over paved roads, then 4wheelin it to the site. Was interesting to see cows and two types of penguins co-habituating!:D

[Calicokat]

We cruised on Sun's 2010 last cruise in the region prior to this year. As I recall, our cruise left in late April. We did not see the massive colonies of penguins that I believe earlier cruisers experienced but we did see penguins in both Puerto Madryn and Stanley...well outside of Stanley, this is the only place we did a ships excursion - it was to a point well outside the city, first on a bus over paved roads, then 4wheelin it to the site. Was interesting to see cows and two types of penguins co-habituating!:D

 

Thank you. We have booked Puerto Madryn for Penguins and not Stanley because ship may skip this port if bad weather.

[SuzyLovesNCL]

Hey OzCanuck, since you were in a suite, can you tell me if they still have DVR players and a library to choose from? Or have they switched over to the new on demand movie system?

 

If a DVR player, do you know if it was BluRay?

 

Thanks in advance!

[PegasusGM]

Thank you for the great review!

 

I am taking the reverse cruise from Santiago Feb 13th to Buenos Aires Feb 27th on the Sun. :D

 

Looking forward to more posts from you. :)

 

Hubby Cliff and I are back to backing Feb. 13th to March 12th. Peg

[OzCanuck]

Hey OzCanuck, since you were in a suite, can you tell me if they still have DVR players and a library to choose from? Or have they switched over to the new on demand movie system?

 

If a DVR player, do you know if it was BluRay?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Sorry Suzy, missed this post!

 

They do not have the new on demand system yet; I assume it will be in place after the dry dock. Definitely not bluray - just your old standard DVD. List hasn't changed much since our last cruise.

[SuzyLovesNCL]

Thanks Oz - I appreciate the info!