Feb 4th NCL Star cruise to Antarctica , Argentina round trip via Chile and the Falklands with a 14 day stay photo travelogue

[PBM13]

Have seen a couple of these go on line and I would like to try and document my NCL Star cruise in Feb this this year.  I will attempt to post the information that will assist others wanting to consider this cruise.

 

The cruise starts in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the 4th on Feb 24 calling at Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, Ushsuai, Stanley (Falkland Islands) and back to Buenos Aires.  We will also travel the CHILEAN FJORDS, CHILE, PARADISE BAY, ANTARCTICA and ELEPHANT ISLAND/CAPE LOOKOUT, ANTARCTICA.

 

I will try to keep you up to date with photos and what is going on on the ship.  

 

The countdown has begun

[kmurph22]

thank you,  I look forward to following!  We are considering this cruise for 2025 as well as a Princess cruise that does not include Antartica but goes further up the Chilean coast, ending in Santiago. Can't decide what to do.

[MkeCruzn]

Yep, I would like to see this too. We're trying to decide whether to do Antarctica on NCL or Celebrity, but Celebrity isn't going there in 2025, so we will have to wait if we want that.

We took the Star for our recent Iceland/Norway cruise (September 2023), and they had some serious issues with staffing, long lines, service in the MDR, etc. There are a lot of reviews (including mine!) regarding this. I'm not sure I would look forward to another itinerary on the Star until they get this fixed.

If you could keep an eye on this, it would help everyone! Thanks!

[zqvol]

26 minutes ago, MkeCruzn said:

Yep, I would like to see this too. We're trying to decide whether to do Antarctica on NCL or Celebrity, but Celebrity isn't going there in 2025, so we will have to wait if we want that.

We took the Star for our recent Iceland/Norway cruise (September 2023), and they had some serious issues with staffing, long lines, service in the MDR, etc. There are a lot of reviews (including mine!) regarding this. I'm not sure I would look forward to another itinerary on the Star until they get this fixed.

If you could keep an eye on this, it would help everyone! Thanks!

MCL is fully staffed so if that is an issue for you, you definitely need to consider another option 

[milolii]

12 hours ago, PBM13 said:

Have seen a couple of these go on line and I would like to try and document my NCL Star cruise in Feb this this year.  I will attempt to post the information that will assist others wanting to consider this cruise.

 

The cruise starts in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the 4th on Feb 24 calling at Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, Ushsuai, Stanley (Falkland Islands) and back to Buenos Aires.  We will also travel the CHILEAN FJORDS, CHILE, PARADISE BAY, ANTARCTICA and ELEPHANT ISLAND/CAPE LOOKOUT, ANTARCTICA.

 

I will try to keep you up to date with photos and what is going on on the ship.  

 

The countdown has begun

Yea!  Will follow  your adventures.  We are booked for 2nd of February next year, same itinerary.  

[MkeCruzn]

22 hours ago, zqvol said:

MCL is fully staffed so if that is an issue for you, you definitely need to consider another option 

I don't know if it's fixed or not. I would like to know if the Star is better for this cruise than one we took 6 months ago (with many examples of service not being up to prior standards). And yes, I would like to know to add it to planning future cruises.

If you have more evidence that staffing has been improved, please share it.

[FLAHAM]

Looking forward to two weeks on the Star this summer from New York through the Canadian Maritimes to St. Pierre, Greenland and Iceland.

[MkeCruzn]

24 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

Looking forward to two weeks on the Star this summer from New York through the Canadian Maritimes to St. Pierre, Greenland and Iceland.

Iceland was amazing. If you can plan extra time there, it's well worth it!

[FLAHAM]

27 minutes ago, MkeCruzn said:

Iceland was amazing. If you can plan extra time there, it's well worth it!

I have booked 3 nights in Reykjavik, before flying to London for 3 nights, then flying home.

[mingo]

22 hours ago, MkeCruzn said:

Iceland was amazing. If you can plan extra time there, it's well worth it!

I LOVE Iceland.  We've been there twice so far and will go back in a heartbeat.

[milolii]

Back on topic which is NCL Star Feb. 4, 2024 cruise to Antarctica, we are excited to learn about your adventures. 

[PBM13]

Well the clock is counting down and we are about to depart for Buenos Aires via Frankfurt.  looking forward to getting on the ship on Sunday.  ⏰

[PBM13]

Well it's the day of embarkation.  After multiple airline cancellations we have managed to get here.   Thanks to cruise club UK. Com for eventually rescuing is and finding some flights to Buenos Aires.  The hotel we are staying at (SAVOY) has a lot of people booked on cruises.  The staff have been great.  Off to the port. 

[milolii]

Yahoo, you made it!  We are on this cruise in one year. 2nd of February, 2025.

Edited February 4 by milolii

[PBM13]

On 1/16/2024 at 10:58 AM, PBM13 said:

Have seen a couple of these go on line and I would like to try and document my NCL Star cruise in Feb this this year.  I will attempt to post the information that will assist others wanting to consider this cruise.

 

The cruise starts in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the 4th on Feb 24 calling at Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, Ushsuai, Stanley (Falkland Islands) and back to Buenos Aires.  We will also travel the CHILEAN FJORDS, CHILE, PARADISE BAY, ANTARCTICA and ELEPHANT ISLAND/CAPE LOOKOUT, ANTARCTICA.

 

I will try to keep you up to date with photos and what is going on on the ship.  

 

The countdown has begun

Well this is shocking the cruise terminal is bedlam been waiting for over an hour to transfer to the checking area.  At the rate they are calling people for the transport from luggage drop off to the checking, it will be at least another hour 

[scubacruiserx2]

17 minutes ago, PBM13 said:

Well this is shocking the cruise terminal is bedlam been waiting for over an hour to transfer to the checking area.  At the rate they are calling people for the transport from luggage drop off to the checking, it will be at least another hour 

 

Been there and done that . We hoped that would have fixed it by now . Best wishes on your cruise .

 

[ziggyuk]

55 minutes ago, PBM13 said:

Well this is shocking the cruise terminal is bedlam been waiting for over an hour to transfer to the checking area.  At the rate they are calling people for the transport from luggage drop off to the checking, it will be at least another hour 

 

If you have status that gives you priority you can use it there to get on the next available bus, they gave us a blue ticket and we went on the next available bus after arrival, we were only there 10 minutes.

[PBM13]

Amazing obviously platinum is not high enough.  

[scubacruiserx2]

2 minutes ago, PBM13 said:

Amazing obviously platinum is not high enough.  

 

 Nor was an Owner's Suite as a full line passed next to us advanced . We went after they were empty . On the ship it may work but not on the shore .

[PBM13]

Well this is gone from bad to worse. NCL announced that the time in Antarctica has drastically reduced. No explanation.,  no offers of compensation.  Rumours are that the captain meet with a number of people to explain why, but not sure what they were advised.   

[scubacruiserx2]

49 minutes ago, PBM13 said:

Well this is gone from bad to worse. NCL announced that the time in Antarctica has drastically reduced. No explanation.,  no offers of compensation.  Rumours are that the captain meet with a number of people to explain why, but not sure what they were advised.   

 

  We aren't there so you're our man on the scene . But you appear to be headed to Elephant Island with the dotted line projection course show you bouncing back to the Falkland Islands . No projection toward the Antarctica peninsula . We hope that it is wrong and that you make it to Paradise Bay . 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9195157

 

 There is a new thread on the Roll Call section that says that the next cruise on the 18th will miss Antarctica totally . We hate it when cruise lines do that after final payment .

 

 

 

Edited February 11 by scubacruiserx2

[PBM13]

20 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

  We aren't there so you're our man on the scene . But you appear to be headed to Elephant Island with the dotted line projection course show you bouncing back to the Falkland Islands . No projection toward the Antarctica peninsula . We hope that it is wrong and that you make it to Paradise Bay . 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9195157

 

 There is a new thread on the Roll Call section that says that the next cruise on the 18th will miss Antarctica totally . We hate it when cruise lines do that after final payment .

 

 

 

 

[PBM13]

Just now, PBM13 said:

 

We get 2 yes 2 hours in admiralty bay then 2 hours at elephant island.

22 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

  We aren't there so you're our man on the scene . But you appear to be headed to Elephant Island with the dotted line projection course show you bouncing back to the Falkland Islands . No projection toward the Antarctica peninsula . We hope that it is wrong and that you make it to Paradise Bay . 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9195157

 

 There is a new thread on the Roll Call section that says that the next cruise on the 18th will miss Antarctica totally . We hate it when cruise lines do that after final payment .

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

35 minutes ago, PBM13 said:

We get 2 yes 2 hours in admiralty bay then 2 hours at elephant island.

 

 

 

  We don't understand that type of logic ,When you spend all of that time and fuel to reach there why not stay and play ?

 That's why we usually add on days before and after a trip if we can . It doesn't seem to be a good marketing strategy for NCL .

[PBM13]

It so sad, especially as it is so expensive.  If they had warned us before we set off we could have cancelled