Port or Starboard - Santiago to Buenos Aires

[S&B]

Whlie aboard the Tahitian Princess we booked a Princess SA cruise starting in Santiago for Feb. of 2008. We are currently booked on the port side, midship, Baja deck. Did we make a good decision? It is still early and can change cabins if we want the other side. They said that in 2008 the Princess Star will be doing this cruise.

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[dileep]

Whlie aboard the Tahitian Princess we booked a Princess SA cruise starting in Santiago for Feb. of 2008. We are currently booked on the port side, midship, Baja deck. Did we make a good decision? It is still early and can change cabins if we want the other side. They said that in 2008 the Princess Star will be doing this cruise.

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

We had starboard from BA to Valaparaiso and like it. The one plcae where it did make a difference was when we left Ushuaia and the Chilean glaciers were on the right side in pouring rain!

 

Port in the other direction should be good!

[Aussie Gal]

S&B,

 

You have booked on the correct side. We went the opposite way from Rio to Valpariso in January and we were on the starboard side which was perfect for that direction.

 

You will have a wonderful cruise. Enjoy.

 

Jennie

[S&B]

Thanks for your responses.

 

AussieGal, I see that you went in January and had very bad weather. We have the choice between the second week in Feb. or second week in March. I don't know which would be better.

 

I also see that you are going to Tahiti next year. We just returned and you will be in paradise on that trip. We are anxious to return someday. We did have three bad sea days on our trip which was unusual during August. We also want to take the AUS/NZ cruise to see your part of the world.

 

Did you have any airport fees in Buenos Aires? I understand that it is $100.00 pp when you enter Santiago. Someone said that is why they took the cruise starting in Arg. as you did. We still have enough time to change.

 

Thanks again.

[Aussie Gal]

S&B,

 

Actually we didn't have bad weather where it counted in January though we did miss three ports. First of all, we couldn't tie up at Puerto Madryn even though it was a beautiful sunny day because the forecast said that it was going to get windy later on and our Captain was very cautious and didn't want to risk the damaging the ship later on when we were leaving that port.

 

Secondly we did have very bad weather for the Falklands and couldn't tender in. That was a big disappointment. We then went through a Force 11 gale going south to Antarctica which wasn't nice for those who suffer sea sickness. A lot of the crew were ill as well but once we got to Antarctica we had the most wonderful weather you could imagine with bright blue skies and very little wind.

 

We also had a calm passage going round the Horn and two lovely days in Ushuaia. Thirdly, we did miss Chacabuco due to rough weather in the Pacific Ocean which slowed the ship down after we had left Punta Arenas. I believe this wasn't such a big loss but we did score the most wonderful day in Puerto Mott plus an extra day at being amongst the Fjords. It was sunny, warm and cloudless which apparently for that area is a bonus.

 

Overall it was a fantastic trip and we were even credited money back for the ports we had missed.

 

We actually departed on our cruise around South America from Rio so only had to have a Brazillian visa which actually costs us a lot more than paying for the $100 to leave Chile. If I was doing your trip I would start from B.A. as you do not have to pay any fees there and I would finish in Valpariso because you do not pay out money to leave Chile. I would try and go to B.A. a couple of days earlier and see if you could make it to the Iguazu Falls as it was one of the highlights of our trip which included many wonders - eg. Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands as well as Antarctica, the Chilean Fjords and the Iguazu.

 

Which ever way you decide to do it is an amazing experience.

 

We went to Tahiti in March of 2004 and loved it so much that we are returning to do the different itinerary this time finishing in Honolulu which is great. On that cruise we did not have any bad weather and yet that is the time of year when we do get cyclones down this way. We were able to tender into Raratonga which was I think the first time for that year.

 

Jennie