S. America and Chilean Fjords Mini-Review and Photos

[cocopico]

We did the South America and Chilean Fjords Cruise aboard the Viking Jupiter in January, sailing from Buenos Aires to Santiago.  This was our sixth Viking Ocean cruise and the ship and crew were great.  Unfortunately, the weather was not as welcoming.  We had the expected hot days in Buenos Aires, mild days right next door in Montevideo, and returned to the heat in Puerto Madryn.  The sail to the Falklands was nice, but by the time we arrived in the morning, the winds had kicked up and the Captain made the call not to tender anyone ashore. He thought we could probably make it on shore, but the expected 50-60 mph winds would prevent him from getting us back to the ship in the afternoon.  This was a major disappointment for us, but the captain clearly made the right call.  The weather conditions began to deteriorate rapidly. So, we turned around and headed for Cape Horn and Ushuaia, where we would get an unplanned night in port.  (As it turned out, that was one of my favorite nights of the whole cruise!)  The two-day passage to Ushuaia was rough — very rough!  Lots of passengers were seasick, despite the ubiquitous patches people were wearing behind their ears. Viking put out candied ginger as an additional remedy, and of course freely distributed seasick pills to guests who hadn’t thought to bring their own.  Again, rough seas in that part of the world are not unexpected.
 

Despite high winds and rough seas, we did manage to round Cape Horn, which was great.  Our trip up the Chilean Fjords was hampered by strong winds, low dark clouds and, at times, thick fog. Nevertheless, the landscapes were beautiful, especially if you were on the starboard side of the ship, where you could watch the mountains and glaciers roll by from the comfort of your cabin or balcony.  We also got very close to the Amalia Glacier, which was beautiful despite the terrible weather.   Amazingly, we had the place to ourselves and the captain took full advantage to give us a lot of time there. 
 

The weather in Punta Arenas was sunny, but again high winds played havoc with our plans.  Having missed the excursion to see the King  Penguins on the Falklands, we were looking forward to our visit to a penguin colony in the Straits of Magellan, but alas high winds caused that excursion to be cancelled too.  We went from thinking we had booked too many penguin excursions to seeing very few penguins at all.  Instead, I walked from the ship to the amazing Punta Arenas cemetery - definitely worth a visit!

 

The stop in Puerto Montt was largely forgettable.  We did get some great views of the Osorno Volcano and had a nice ride on Emerald Lake, but many of the stops were very crowded and it was very hot.  We ended the trip in Valparaiso, but the situation at the port made it difficult to get around on your own. The current “unrest” in Chili also was more noticeable in the big port city (and in Santiago).  We never felt unsafe or anything, but there was graffiti everywhere as a reminder of the current political climate. 

 

The transfers to Santiago were perhaps the most frustrating part of the trip.   We made our own air arrangements but paid for the Viking transfers to the airport, both arriving and departing.  Most of the international flights depart Santiago late at night, starting at around 10:00 p.m.  Of course, disembarkation from the ship is typically before 9:00 a.m.  For those of us with Viking transfers, we were going to be transported to the airport right away, meaning we would get to the airport approximately 12 hours before our flight!  If you booked your air through Viking, though, you would be transported to a hotel in Santiago, where you could wander around the new part of the city or hang out in the hotel ballroom for the day, where they provided drinks and snacks, until you were transported to the airport at a more reasonable time. For those of us with transfers only, we could take advantage of this hotel stop for an additional charge.  Viking also offered a tour of Santiago on the way to the hotel for yet another additional charge.  I think we paid something like $49/person for the tour and hotel option, which was on top of the $49/person we had originally paid for the transfer to airport.  I didn’t mind paying extra for the tour, but I think anyone paying for a transfer to the airport should have been included in the hotel holding area option for no additional charge.  Viking had to know that no one in their right mind who pre-paid for a transfer would want to spend 12 hours at the airport.  
 

All in all, it was an interesting trip and most of the “negatives” were beyond Viking’s control.  We ended up spending 9 of our 18 cruise days at sea, which cured us of earlier thoughts of doing an ocean crossing!  We love the ships, but like to spend more time ashore than this cruise offered. (Again, we knew what we were getting into so can’t complain — just making an observation.)   If you are fortunate to get favorable weather, I think the cruise would be amazing.  I’ve included a link to some photos from the cruise below, and would be happy to respond to any questions anyone might have about this itinerary. 

 

https://milsteen.smugmug.com/Travel/Viking-South-America-Chilean-Fiords/

 

[Jack E Dawson]

cococipo,

Thanks for the great review. I'm impressed by your ability to make lemonade out of lemons. But even more impressive are your amazing pictures that you linked. They are National Geographic quality. You must be a professional photographer. Can't wait for our April, Empires of the Med. journey, however I might be a bit intimidated on posting any pics. 

My only advice is to not close the door on a trans-Atlantic cruise. We have taken two on the QM2, a ship designed, staffed and programed for just that route. Each time the 7 night crossing left us wanting for a few more days.

Thanks again for sharing.

 

Jack

[SM77]

Cococipo,

 

Thanks for sharing your review of SA & the Chilean Fjords - we loved this cruise and were lucky enough to tender in to the Falklands but you got to see the volcano in Puerto Varas!  I echo Jack, your photos are amazing; my husband and I felt like we were back on the cruise again!  

 

Regarding your frustrating experience with fees for the hotel, I would contact tellus@viking.com to let them know your dissatisfaction.  I had contacted them regarding the hotel arrangements for the day (which was not the best) to let them know that it was not optimal so that Viking can learn from our feedback to improve the logistics regarding disembarkation.  Viking is very receptive to constructive feedback.  I did the feedback so that Viking can improve on the experience for future cruise passengers.    I was contacted by Viking's customer service so that they could ask questions and get some additional details of what I encountered.  I agree, the hotel stay should have been included as part of your transfer and it was reasonable for Viking to charge for the excursion.

[Azulann]

Thank you for taking the time to write a review  sharing your adventure.

 The weather is beyond anyone's control especailly in that part fo the world.

 I hope to see the Chilean fjords some day. 

 

 

[SM77]

11 hours ago, SM77 said:

Cococipo,

 

Thanks for sharing your review of SA & the Chilean Fjords - we loved this cruise and were lucky enough to tender in to the Falklands but you got to see the volcano in Puerto Varas!  I echo Jack, your photos are amazing; my husband and I felt like we were back on the cruise again!  

 

Regarding your frustrating experience with fees for the hotel, I would contact tellus@viking.com to let them know your dissatisfaction.  I had contacted them regarding the hotel arrangements for the day (which was not the best) to let them know that it was not optimal so that Viking can learn from our feedback to improve the logistics regarding disembarkation.  Viking is very receptive to constructive feedback.  I did the feedback so that Viking can improve on the experience for future cruise passengers.    I was contacted by Viking's customer service so that they could ask questions and get some additional details of what I encountered.  I agree, the hotel stay should have been included as part of your transfer and it was reasonable for Viking to charge for the excursion.

Actually it's tellus@vikingcruises.com, I had the wrong email...

[cocopico]

On 2/23/2020 at 3:41 PM, Jack E Dawson said:

cococipo,

Thanks for the great review. I'm impressed by your ability to make lemonade out of lemons. But even more impressive are your amazing pictures that you linked. They are National Geographic quality. You must be a professional photographer. Can't wait for our April, Empires of the Med. journey, however I might be a bit intimidated on posting any pics. 

My only advice is to not close the door on a trans-Atlantic cruise. We have taken two on the QM2, a ship designed, staffed and programed for just that route. Each time the 7 night crossing left us wanting for a few more days.

Thanks again for sharing.

 

Jack

Thanks for the kind comments, Jack, and for the advice about trans-Atlantic crossings!

[bobinnv]

Just wanted to say great pictures. I went on this cruise last October, did iPhone photos only - after seeing yours, I will bring a real camera next time :)

[CCWineLover]

Yes, thank you so much!  We did the Dec 21st cruise - Valpo to Buenos Aires, disembarking Jan 7th.

Your pictures are fantastic and made me relive some of the great memories!   We were blessed with great weather - and saw the Volcano (Osorno) at Puerto Montt/Varas, had an amazing time at Amalia Glacier and the Fjords, as well as the early morning steaming through the Beagle Channel, an amazing unexpected sunny day in Punta Arenas, and a glorious sunny (but cool) day in the Falklands to go see the King Penguins.

What an amazing itinerary this South America trip is, that is for sure!

[Respbj]

Thank you for your information and pictures. We recently booked this cruise for February 2022, but we have Empires of the Mediterranean and Elegant Elba.

[albertamom]

Wow!  Your photos are breathtaking!  This itinerary is definitely on my bucket list.  Thank you so much for sharing. 😃

[TayanaLorna]

Great review.  Photos are stunning.  Its interesting to read how other SA cruises turned out.  We went the other way beginning Jan. 24.  Had rolly seas to Puerto Montt with pool closed.  Saw all the volcanos in PM and the sights on a private tour which avoided the busses.  Mostly misty cloudy in fjords and glaciers but spectacular.  Punta Arenas had penguin and kayak trips cancelled as well as hike with ski lift ride.  Winds were 60-100 kilometers.  Talk about the famed patagonia winds!  Ushuaia was perfect as was rounding the cape horn.  Landed in the Falklands but called back after an hour toward Volunteer Point.  At least we  got to land and see a bit of town.  Too windy for other tenders.  Weather rest of ports was perfect 70's.  Worst seas we had was first day out of Puerto Madryn.  Seventy knot winds and 20-25 foot waves.  All decks were closed and balconies got salt encrusted.  Quite a ride.

 

I am doing a blog of our cruise but only have two days posted so far.  Its at Tomko2Travel.blogspot.com if anyone is interested.