Changes for South America cruises in Dec 2024 and Winter 2025

[mahdnc]

I wonder if the "operational issues" in Valparaiso have something to do with this:

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-01-05/valparaiso-chile-is-graffitied-decaying-unesco-world-heritage-site?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=mobile_web_share

[wineoclock]

11 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

Iguaza Falls was offered by Celebrity for our Valparaiso to Buenos Aires cruise as well.  I just remembered that the cost for my family of 4 would have exceeded the price of the cruise so we passed.  

If you ever get the chance take it to see Iguazu. Absolutely breathtaking. Did Brazilian and Argentinian side. Went to Niagara a few years later & was so so disappointed. 
 

We were wanting to do Chilean fjords in 2025 but hadn’t booked yet. So will keep an eye out. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

HAL is going to Chile , but ports in San Antonio 

I wonder if Celebrity is trying to change the port 🤔

 

[mahdnc]

3 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

HAL is going to Chile , but ports in San Antonio 

I wonder if Celebrity is trying to change the port 🤔

 

 

I mentioned that Celebrity had done that before in my first post (sailed out of San Antonio).  However the email you posted to start the thread said that Celebrity will convert your sailings into round trip cruises out of Buenos Aires.  Or are you saying something else?

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 minute ago, mahdnc said:

 

I mentioned that Celebrity had done that before in my first post (sailed out of San Antonio).  However the email you posted to start the thread said that Celebrity will convert your sailings into round trip cruises out of Buenos Aires.  Or are you saying something else?

Just speculation , actually I forgot the email said it was going to be a return to BA 😉

I was just checking to see what HAL was doing 

we received another email this morning from our TA and she still hasn’t heard anything from Celebrity 

[mahdnc]

I guess what is odd is that Celebrity will still be doing Valparaiso to Buenos Aires sailings for 2023/2024 (I count 5 sailings).  For those of you on the affected sailings, I suppose that becomes your alternative if you want to stay with Celebrity and still do South America. 

Edited April 14, 2023 by mahdnc

[Ex-Airbalancer]

4 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

I guess what is odd is that Celebrity will still be doing Valparaiso to Buenos Aires sailings for 2023/2024 (I count 5 sailings).  For those of you on the affected sailings, I suppose that becomes your alternative if you want to stay with Celebrity and still do South America.

We are also booked on the TA from Lisbon , so to switch cruise company it is cancelling the TA also 

Still a lot of time to decided 

more worried about the flooding in FLL as we fly there next Saturday for Reflection TA 

[mahdnc]

In fact my advice is to those thinking that they might switch to 2023/24: you should seriously think about booking one of those 2023/24 cruises now (refundable deposit) if you have your heart set on a certain cabin for a certain sailing during that season.  That way you avoid the possible rush from the crowd to rebook if the 2024/25 replacement sailings are not to the public's liking.

[mahdnc]

5 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We are also booked on the TA from Lisbon , so to switch cruise company it is cancelling the TA also 

Still a lot of time to decided 

more worried about the flooding in FLL as we fly there next Saturday for Reflection TA 

 

Yes, it's a bit of mess down there.

[Shiba_Lover]

I called and asked about the itenerary and the rep I got told me the itenerary was exactly the same, only change was the ship retuning to Buenos Aires.  I told her I did not think that was actually possible.  She insisted it was.  🤣

I again said I did not think so, but she said yes, that's the only change.  It has all the same ports.  It just returns to Buenos Aires.  So I said ok, thanks and let it go.  Unless that ship goes a lot faster than I think it does..... 😵‍💫😭😂

[mahdnc]

3 minutes ago, Shiba_Lover said:

I called and asked about the itenerary and the rep I got told me the itenerary was exactly the same, only change was the ship retuning to Buenos Aires.  I told her I did not think that was actually possible.  She insisted it was.  🤣

I again said I did not think so, but she said yes, that's the only change.  It has all the same ports.  It just returns to Buenos Aires.  So I said ok, thanks and let it go.  Unless that ship goes a lot faster than I think it does..... 😵‍💫😭😂

 

Sad and humorous.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

54 minutes ago, Shiba_Lover said:

I called and asked about the itenerary and the rep I got told me the itenerary was exactly the same, only change was the ship retuning to Buenos Aires.  I told her I did not think that was actually possible.  She insisted it was.  🤣

I again said I did not think so, but she said yes, that's the only change.  It has all the same ports.  It just returns to Buenos Aires.  So I said ok, thanks and let it go.  Unless that ship goes a lot faster than I think it does..... 😵‍💫😭😂

Maybe the Equinox has the same transporter that the Reflection has 

in the App for the TA , it shows we are in Royal dockyards at seven, 

10 in Cozumel

12:30 in Charlotte 

3:15 is last tender 

🤣

[Shiba_Lover]

Maybe we are getting close to an itinerary.  I went to look at something on my reservation - and it is not available now (other than the number with no info).  So perhaps they are in the process of loading the new route?  <hopeful>

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

I mentioned that Celebrity had done that before in my first post (sailed out of San Antonio).  However the email you posted to start the thread said that Celebrity will convert your sailings into round trip cruises out of Buenos Aires.  Or are you saying something else?

 

A couple years ago due to continuing Labor Disputes the shifted our Embarkation to San Antonio.   My understanding is Valparaiso is has lots of labor issues as it is a major freight port.

[hobbsie65]

5 minutes ago, Shiba_Lover said:

Maybe we are getting close to an itinerary.  I went to look at something on my reservation - and it is not available now (other than the number with no info).  So perhaps they are in the process of loading the new route?  <hopeful>

This is showing on mine now - makes sense & I presume missing days are sea days 

 

Day 1 Buenos Aires

Day 2 | Montevideo, Uruguay

Day 3 | At Sea

Day 5 | Port Stanley, Falkland Is

Day 8 | Ushuaia, Argentina

Day 9 | Strait Of Magellan

Day 12 | Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Day 15 | Buenos Aires, Argentina

Edited April 14, 2023 by hobbsie65

[mahdnc]

I am not surprised that the Falkland Islands were added although my understanding is that it is a hit or miss port due to weather.

[Shiba_Lover]

Yes - I am OK with this new list.

 

[hobbsie65]

1 minute ago, mahdnc said:

I am not surprised that the Falkland Islands were added although my understanding is that it is a hit or miss port due to weather.

I think the Falkland's are more miss than hit tbh. We will cancel & do Patagonia by land spending a month going from Santiago finishing in Rio. We just booked a back to back to back from Singapore to Vancouver for 2025 so happy to mix it up with a land adventure as well. 

[jelayne]

8 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

I am not surprised that the Falkland Islands were added although my understanding is that it is a hit or miss port due to weather.

Fortunately we hit and had a wonderful day sunny day.
 

[wrk2cruise]

1 hour ago, Shiba_Lover said:

I called and asked about the itenerary and the rep I got told me the itenerary was exactly the same, only change was the ship retuning to Buenos Aires.  I told her I did not think that was actually possible.  She insisted it was.  🤣

I again said I did not think so, but she said yes, that's the only change.  It has all the same ports.  It just returns to Buenos Aires.  So I said ok, thanks and let it go.  Unless that ship goes a lot faster than I think it does..... 😵‍💫😭😂

 

We just got back from the last sailing of this route last weekend.  The Infinity was cruising at pretty high speeds (19 knots) most of the time.  There is no way they could do the same itinerary and get back to BA.

 

Iguazu Falls   We spent 2 night post cruise at Grand Melia in a falls view room and a night in BA and still came out less for the 2 of us than the 1 night Celebrity extension for 1.

 

A couple of notes for people who may be considering visiting Iguazu.

1) The Grand Melia is a very nice property.  Public areas are spectacular.  Rooms are fairly large and ok but they could have done more renovating the rooms.   Still I'd stay there or the Belmond in the park on the Brazil side.

2) Brazil is going to reinstate the Visa requirement for US citizens in October.  The border crossing to Brazil was a bit of a mess.  We had a private guide who expedited things for us so it was painless.

3) See both sides if at all possible.  If not do Brazil side.

4) Mosquitos.  Heard that they were bad so we did get Yellow Fever vaccine before we went.  Saw 1 mosquito!

5) AEP (domestic) airport is maybe 10 minutes away from the BA cruise port.  Don't be afraid to book a mid morning flight after the cruise.  We chose to drop our cruise suitcases at the BA hotel we were going to return to before going to the airport and weren't sure of the timing so we booked a 2:45 flight.  We arrived at the park after it closed at 5 pm but we were still able to see the falls as soon as we walked into the hotel.

6) BA hotel recommendation Recoleta Grand.  Very nice property and extremely nice people.  I contacted them months in advance.  They agreed to check our bags while we were in Iguazu.  They arranged private transfers from Port to hotel to drop bags, Hotel to AEP, AEP back to hotel when we returned from the falls, and finally to EZE for our return flight home.  They pointed us to the Western Union 1 block away to change money at the Blue rate.   Argentina was very reasonable between using the Blue rate for small amounts of cash and credit card with the tourist rate.

 

View from our room:

[Shiba_Lover]

59 minutes ago, hobbsie65 said:

This is showing on mine now - makes sense & I presume missing days are sea days 

 

Day 1 Buenos Aires

Day 2 | Montevideo, UruguayDay 3 | At Sea

Day 5 | Port Stanley, Falkland Is

Day 8 | Ushuaia, Argentina

Day 9 | Strait Of Magellan

Day 12 | Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Day 15 | Buenos Aires, Argentina

Yes - sea days show for me

Edited April 14, 2023 by Shiba_Lover

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Here is theitinerary from an invoice

[Ex-Airbalancer]

We not to excited about the changes 

may cancel and just send more time in Portugal before the transatlantic

[soniam]

14 hours ago, mahdnc said:

I wonder if the "operational issues" in Valparaiso have something to do with this:

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-01-05/valparaiso-chile-is-graffitied-decaying-unesco-world-heritage-site?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=mobile_web_share

 

I didn't realize it had gotten so bad! We visited in 2000, and it was so beautiful.

[soniam]

1 hour ago, hobbsie65 said:

I think the Falkland's are more miss than hit tbh. We will cancel & do Patagonia by land spending a month going from Santiago finishing in Rio. We just booked a back to back to back from Singapore to Vancouver for 2025 so happy to mix it up with a land adventure as well. 

 

That sounds fabulous. Patagonia is so beautiful. If you are going in peak southern hemisphere summer, bring layers. It was a lot warmer in some places than we thought it would be. Hope you have a great trip.