2017 Feb. from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires- BLOG

[HazelButtercup]

Like Floris said, we've been very lucky with weather. Today was GORGEOUS. We took the tour of three churches which enabled us to see more of the countryside. There are a lot of nice homes on this island. They love to paint their everything bright fun colors.

 

Outside of the church in Castro, since is was such a beautiful day, there was lots of activity in the square – a running event, families soaking up the sun, a small group dancing in a circle holding hands (Chilean version of southern line dancing...?) I watched for a while trying to get the steps, a simple pattern, and eventually, someone asked me to join them. Highlight of my day!

 

The Patio Grill is definitely the place to go on a day like today. The view was stunning.

 

Wish I had brought:

SMALL BILLS – a bunch of five and one dollar bills for tips to the guides and donations for the places we are visiting. (No need for tips on the ship.)

[Catlover54]

I thought of something else to bring that would be nice- a battery operated clock (or watch) to keep on the bed stand to check the time at night. There is no power at the bed stands.

 

 

[ SNIP]

 

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iphone and the bigger ipad (not sure if you have the latter with you) have Night Stand and Alarm Clock apps you can download off the internet app store and set to glow the time in a 'stay on' position for the night, plugged into power on the counter area opposite the foot of the bed. The digits are pretty big and fill the entire screen display so during nocturnal awakenings, one can just glance down the bed and know what time it is, without having to take along a separate alarm clock.

 

But if your vision is such that you need something right at bedside, very close, as there is no power there, this approach would not work.

[galeforce9]

Like Floris said, we've been very lucky with weather. Today was GORGEOUS. We took the tour of three churches which enabled us to see more of the countryside. There are a lot of nice homes on this island. They love to paint their everything bright fun colors.

 

 

 

 

Outside of the church in Castro, since is was such a beautiful day, there was lots of activity in the square – a running event, families soaking up the sun, a small group dancing in a circle holding hands (Chilean version of southern line dancing...?) I watched for a while trying to get the steps, a simple pattern, and eventually, someone asked me to join them. Highlight of my day!

 

 

 

The Patio Grill is definitely the place to go on a day like today. The view was stunning.

 

 

 

Wish I had brought:

 

SMALL BILLS – a bunch of five and one dollar bills for tips to the guides and donations for the places we are visiting. (No need for tips on the ship.)

 

 

Perhaps the guides would prefer chilean pesos?

 

 

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[800below]

Thanks hazelbuttercup you have been very industrious gathering all this information so quickly.

At Seabourn square they will happily change large notes into smaller ones for no commission

 

 

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[HazelButtercup]

...plugged into power on the counter area opposite the foot of the bed. ...

 

We don't have power on the counter area at the foot of the bed or "opposite the foot of the bed". We have three sources of power:

 

1. At the vanity near the front door- a US outlet (2 flat prongs) and an international outlet (2 small round prongs)

2. Near the floor next to the dining table – a US outlet (2 flat prongs) and an international outlet (2 small round prongs.) It's at the base of the TV stand (on the outside) facing the opposite side of the foot of the bed. If someone had a long extension, they could run it from here to the counter area at the foot of the bed but it would have to be about 6' to 10' long.

3. Inside the bar next to the bed – an international outlet only (2 small round prongs.)

 

By the way, since we have a lot of electronics, we did each bring a small power bar that contains 2 usb outlets and 2 US outlets. It works well except it's a little awkward in the vanity outlet because it bumps into the light switch there.

 

Maybe the rooms are not all the same. For my bed stand "clock", I ended up getting a US to international adapter, plugging in my iPhone, running a 2-meter power cord out the closed bar cabinet door and set it on the bed stand. I can tuck it behind the phone so it's not in the way if I get up in the middle of the night.

[dalliowner]

you can usually split dollar bills to small values in the square:D

[florisdekort]

Good morning! All is well on Quest as we slowly work our way south towards Punta Arenas. We crossed the Gulf of Penas yesterday and spent the afternoon cruising the scenic Fallos Channel. This morning we arrived at the beautiful Amalia Glacier just as the sun was coming out from between the clouds; a great start to the day! We'll be sailing through channels and fjords all day today. Tomorrow, in Punta Arenas, I'm taking the all day tour to Torres del Paine. Greatly looking forward to that!

 

Floris

 

 

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[HazelButtercup]

Antarctica landing briefing this morning. There is a lot to know but I'm sure it is easier after the first experience. We hope that everyone listened carefully because cooperation will affect us all... like getting on and off the zodiac: be hands free, sit quickly then scooch, etc.

 

A few things of interest to me:

 

PATIO GRILL- We have enjoyed being outdoors for dinner. Fresh air, late sunset, intimate environment have all helped deal with some of the stuffy indoor venues. Very cold and rainy last night but with the right clothes and the blankets they provide, it was quite nice.

 

PATIENCE- During sea days, no one is in a hurry so I'm learning to slow down and not expect quick service. I normally like to walk quickly but it's OK to stroll... (still taking myself into this mode...)

 

CAMERA ON PHONE- Don't forget pano mode (Panoramic.). It works beautifully.

Amalia Glacier- captain woke us up at 7AM to tell us to look out the window...

 

 

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[HazelButtercup]

Good morning! All is well on Quest as we slowly work our way south towards Punta Arenas. We crossed the Gulf of Penas yesterday and spent the afternoon cruising the scenic Fallos Channel. This morning we arrived at the beautiful Amalia Glacier just as the sun was coming out from between the clouds; a great start to the day! We'll be sailing through channels and fjords all day today. Tomorrow, in Punta Arenas, I'm taking the all day tour to Torres del Paine. Greatly looking forward to that!

 

Floris

 

 

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I'm enjoying your point of view! We are doing Tycoons of Patagonia tomorrow so I'm looking forward to hearing the review of your tour. We will have to meet before cruise-end.

 

 

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[florisdekort]

I'm enjoying your point of view! We are doing Tycoons of Patagonia tomorrow so I'm looking forward to hearing the review of your tour. We will have to meet before cruise-end.

 

 

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Would love to! Very curious about your tour as well; I almost booked it.

The weather forecast is looking remarkably good for tomorrow... I hope it holds! [emoji846]

 

 

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[Alipius]

For those on board going into the town at Punta Arenas, may I suggest a purchase of the superbly crafted Three Penguins sheep-skin mat seemingly sold no-where else in S America but the Town Square (it's the bus deposit and pick-up).

 

Ours has Pride-o-Place on the bedroom floor. It is superb underfoot and looks truly wonderful, in my opinion.

[galeforce9]

For those on board going into the town at Punta Arenas, may I suggest a purchase of the superbly crafted Three Penguins sheep-skin mat seemingly sold no-where else in S America but the Town Square (it's the bus deposit and pick-up).

 

 

 

Ours has Pride-o-Place on the bedroom floor. It is superb underfoot and looks truly wonderful, in my opinion.

 

 

Can we have a pic please?

 

 

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[HazelButtercup]

For those on board going into the town at Punta Arenas, may I suggest a purchase of the superbly crafted Three Penguins sheep-skin mat seemingly sold no-where else in S America but the Town Square (it's the bus deposit and pick-up).

 

Ours has Pride-o-Place on the bedroom floor. It is superb underfoot and looks truly wonderful, in my opinion.

 

Hi Alipius,

I found it! But alas, did not buy it...

(By the way, one must be VERY PATIENT to use the Internet while on the ship in this area. It takes a LONG time to get to any page, let alone upload photos...)

[Emperor Norton]

Yup, deleted messages. No messages, light still blinking.

 

Had that same issue. It was something that only went away between cruises (turnaround day on a B2B) but then came back. Might ask for some gaff tape to cover it ;)

[HazelButtercup]

We have had THE MOST AMAZING weather. For every single port so far, the rain stops and the sun shines for us. Today in Ushuaia... the captain said he had never seen such a beautiful day there. We did the tour, Ushuaia in Depth, which was a bus ride up in the hills that stopped at scenic view stops along our way up to the ski area. We had a lamb lunch at a restaurant (be sure to have the coffee at the end.) It was next to a Husky (dog) ranch and my husband tried to pet all 142 dogs. Also stopped at the prison. I really enjoyed the picturesque views.

 

In Ushuaia, it's fun to walk around the town a bit on your own and get a photo in front of the End of the World sign just off the pier (on the right.)

 

Good weather and a tail wind are getting us to Antarctica a day early! Very exciting!

 

Lots of debate taking seasick meds through the Drake Passage (it will take 24 hours.) Although we don't get seasick, I decided to take a pill (Bonine) and my husband put on the patch. We decided better safe than sorry.

 

Schedule tomorrow is full of briefings and lectures about landings, whales, and penguins.

 

Getting out the clothes we need for landings- they do sell a lot on the ship and since we are the last cruise of the season, cold-weather clothing is half price. Husband bought some wool socks and we both got fleece hats that cover our ears and have visors.

 

Enough for now- on to Antarctica...

 

 

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[florisdekort]

As HazelButtercup wrote, the weather in Punta Arenas, the Beagle Channel and Ushuaia has been phenomenal. Blue skies, abundant sunshine and 18c / 65f. Absolutely wonderful.

 

I just woke up to a Drake Lake - it's cloudy and drizzling as we cross to Antarctica but the ocean is almost flat. We should arrive at the South Shetland islands at 5 am tomorrow / Saturday morning, indeed a day early (although I now understand that's the case on every eastbound cruise).

 

My full day tour to Torres Del Paine National Park was beyond spectacular, of course helped a lot by the clear blue skies. If it's cloudy, the famous "Torres" aren't visible, so that makes the hefty price of this tour feel a bit like gambling - but it worked out splendidly. We made about 6 scenic photo stops in the park before lunch at a hotel restaurant with perhaps the best views of the Torres. The flight from Punta Arenas to Punta Natales is about 35 minutes and a great adventure in itself :) We made it back to the ship 10 minutes after departure time but as it's a ship's tour they waited for us.

 

Yesterday in Ushuaia I did the "Trekking in Ushuaia" tour which was advertised as "very strenuous" and "only for those in excellent physical condition". Unfortunately it turned out to be more of leisurely stroll by my standards but the scenery and the views were absolutely stunning so all in all an OK experience.

 

Life on board is wonderful. I love the Observation Bar and the food at The Restaurant has so far been consistently excellent!

 

Next - Antarctica [emoji3]

 

 

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[florisdekort]

Also, somebody asked about crew turnover in Buenos Aires after the Antarctica season. I was told by my dinner host last night it's indeed high (he actually said "probably too high"), about 25% and includes most senior officers including Captain, Hotel Director and Cruise Director. A new team will take the ship back to Florida. The new Cruise Director is apparently really new, and returning to Seabourn after a >10 year absence. If my memory is correct his last name is Cannon (?) - but I had had a lot of delicious Carmenere by then :)

 

 

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[Kauaijim]

Its been such a fun trip so far ,I haven't checked CC. Fun blog to read and my only comment is the Drake has been mainly mild since we left port last night. tomorrow the Penguins etc for 6 days.

 

Our thought on the TK Grill as well as others we have talked to is that it has been great. The veal chop was superb. I thought i was at peter lugars. The service and atmosphere in it was terrific. 3 times is not enough IMHO.

[florisdekort]

Its been such a fun trip so far ,Our thought on the TK Grill as well as others we have talked to is that it has been great. The veal chop was superb. I thought i was at peter lugars. The service and atmosphere in it was terrific. 3 times is not enough IMHO.

 

 

Isn't it great that tastes differ? I thought the TK Grill was a huge disappointment [emoji846]

 

I'm going to give it a second chance but if the experience is the same, I'm not going back. Service was rushed. I still had the last spoon of soup in my mouth when the bowl was already pulled and the main course put down. They had me out the door in just under 70 minutes.

 

As for the food, the Boston Clam Chowder only had large chunks of raw potato in it; there was no fish to be found anywhere. The Dover sole was by far the worst Dover sole I have ever been served; they clearly don't know how to make this dish. On top of that it was totally drowned in a thick, calorie rich sauce.

 

I guess next time I should try the veal, lamb or steak. Perhaps they are better with meat dishes.

 

Lastly, I was stupid enough to order a $229 bottle of wine but could barely finish two glasses during the rushed service - and ended up taking the rest of the bottle to my room. The wine list itself is very poor. Mostly medium quality wines. All the premium Napa brands are missing: no Nickel & Nickel, no Opus One, etc. etc. - a real shame for a Keller venue.

 

I'll refrain from commenting on the Keller dishes in the main dining room (The Restaurant); at least those can be ignored. However, the effective closing of the Colonnade on 3 out of 8 nights this cruise already for Keller "family style" dining is another huge annoyance. It doesn't work for solo travelers and large plates of fried chicken of KFC quality isn't fine dining in my humble opinion.

 

End of rant :)

 

Floris

 

 

 

 

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Edited February 10, 2017 by florisdekort

[Emperor Norton]

Are we taking about two different TK grills? One in the Colonnade the other its own space? In the Colonnade version my experience was very hit and miss.

 

 

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[florisdekort]

Are we taking about two different TK grills? One in the Colonnade the other its own space? In the Colonnade version my experience was very hit and miss.

 

 

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I was talking about The Grill in the former Restaurant 2 space. (I loved Restaurant 2.) Only the very last paragraph is about the Keller Colonnade experience.

 

 

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[florisdekort]

Day 1 in Antarctica at Half Moon Island was a huge success. Despite some rain early in the morning, fog, sunshine and thick fog late afternoon all color groups made it to shore and all kayak tours ran as scheduled. We saw tons of penguins (including the cutest chicks) and fur seals. My afternoon kayak trip was absolutely awesome; we got very close to icebergs and lots of wildlife. The Expedition Team is doing an excellent job.

 

Today is day 2 and unfortunately it's a very different story. A storm has moved in and high winds have turned today into a sea day; all landings and kayak trips have been cancelled. Let's hope for better luck tomorrow!

 

Floris

 

 

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[florisdekort]

Early morning day 3 Quest arrived at Cuverville Island. I was very lucky to be in the very first, 8 am landing group. (More on that luck shortly.) The zodiac navigated past icebergs and even a humpback whale to a rocky shore packed with Gentoo penguins. The island was beautiful with lots of penguins and their chicks as well as an occasional fur seal. As we were on shore however, the winds and waves picked up dramatically and the ride back to the ship became quite the adventure. Unfortunately for many other guests, Seabourn subsequently had to cancel all further landings for the day, so only one of the five color groups made it to shore today. For the other color groups, it meant that day 3, just like day 2, became another sea day. Clearly not everyone was/is happy with that.

 

Here's to hoping for better weather tomorrow; we will apparently be in a secluded bay at a Chilean research station.

 

I have booked The Grill again for the 18th and will see if it's a success this time. I'll order meat dishes only :)

 

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and Seabourn isn't handling it very well in my opinion. They sent a flier to all staterooms reading "pre-order Champagne for your special loved on today!" I would have filtered out the solo travelers from this promotion. The elderly lady who just lost her husband and is on her first trip as a widow does not need to find something like that on her bed... [emoji15] And it's somewhat awkward for other solo travelers too. Anyway, just my opinion. Not a big deal of course; just a lack of attention to detail.

 

Cheers,

Floris

[HazelButtercup]

Floris has kept up notifications of our itinerary changes and weather... not so great for landings (my group was canceled yesterday.) But we are first today and it's looking good. Just arrived at the Gonzalez Videla station (sp?) They have a place to mail postcards and a souvenir shop. The sea looks calm. It is overcast and there is a glimmer of possible sun in the distance. I think Floris's group may luck out because they are last to go today and it might be beautiful sunshine by then.

 

Landing advice for someone like me:

1. MUDDY PANTS: Bring string, masking tape, or something to secure waterproof pants. On a guano scale of 1-10, it's a 47 so if your pants are long, they will get muddyyy... I am trying to tie them up so they don't drag at all. Had to wash EVERYTHING last time.

2. COLORFUL-IDENTIFIABLE: Not necessary but would have been nice... for landings... Everyone has black pants and an orange jacket and my husband is always freaking out trying to find me. I have purple ski pants at home and should have brought those so he could find me in the crowds.

3. PHOTOS-GLOVES: I take lots of photos with two cameras. I'm very happy with my give situation and lucky because it's not that cold. I'm wearing thin gloves that are flexible and made for using electronics. I have a half glove that goes over the top of that is open for fingers. My hands are warm but still useful.

 

One other point about landings- it's not as cold as I thought. It's been just over freezing so I have only needed one layer (on the bottom) under my lined ski pants and two layers (on top) under my liner and jacket. No sweater. It gets hot moving around on shore, even if the sun is not out. But then again, some from Floris's group were cold because they were on the zodiac in rain and cold wind as they had to wait for the ship to turn in order to receive them. Bottom line, you never know.

 

One more thing I've learned... with patience and an open mind, everything is wonderful and even perfect.

 

 

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[florisdekort]

One more thing I've learned... with patience and an open mind, everything is wonderful and even perfect.

 

 

Amen! What a wonderful attitude!

 

All groups indeed made it to shore today. I was in group 3 at 11:15 am and we had a mix of clouds and sun. The island was packed with Gentoo penguins. It was wonderful to see so many chicks and watch the mother penguins feed them. I didn't do any shopping but focused on the wildlife. Many enjoyed the souvenirs and postcards though!

 

I can't believe tomorrow is already day 5. Let's hope for good weather and see where they take us next. I'm booked for kayaking again.

 

Floris

 

 

 

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