We're Baaack! Infinity Nov 25, 2007

[CrabbyHarper]

Tony: We went on Celebrity shore excursions at each stop. See my review on the "review" boards. Each one was terrific, and I recommend them fully. A bit pricey, but the ease of booking and the security of buying through the cruise line was worth it.

 

Weather WAS changeable and I was glad for a set of very thin long underwear in the Falklands (It snowed a bit!) and on the catamaran cruise from Ushuaia.

 

It was impossible to get local currency ahead of time. My bank here in the states, which easily gets Euros and pounds, could not get Chilean or Argentinian pesos. Nor did the ship have them. But you CAN use small amounts of US dollars - not sure about UK pounds. They often give you change in the local currency, which you can use for tips or smaller purchases.

 

Have a great trip!

[CathyK2]

I've enjoyed reading all the tips and information from those of you that just got of the South American Infinity cruise.

 

I had read that the first nights dinner may be open seating and was wondering if that was the case with your cruise. Also, when did they have the life boat drill? It would seem that fitting it in in the late schedule would be tough since it may clash with dinner before some passengers got onboard and since we have a port call the next day, still wondering when they do it.

 

Thanks for the insight especially about the ships not having the peso's. What did most of you do about cash on the trip since I doubt most of us want to carry that much cash with us for the cruise? Sounds like credit cards aren't widely accepted and ATM's have a lot or restrictions on what we can take out. Any help on this is greatly appreciated.

 

Cathy

[CathyK2]

I've enjoyed reading all the tips and information from those of you that just got of the South American Infinity cruise.

 

I had read that the first nights dinner may be open seating and was wondering if that was the case with your cruise. Also, when did they have the life boat drill? It would seem that fitting it in in the late schedule would be tough since it may clash with dinner before some passengers got onboard and since we have a port call the next day, still wondering when they do it.

 

Thanks for the insight especially about the ships not having the peso's. What did most of you do about cash on the trip since I doubt most of us want to carry that much cash with us for the cruise? Sounds like credit cards aren't widely accepted and ATM's have a lot or restrictions on what we can take out. Any help on this is greatly appreciated.

 

Cathy

[Tenngal]

Cathy,

On Infinity, we had the muster drill at 10:30am on day 2 of the cruise (our 1st sea day). I don't know how your ship will do this, but I'm sure they'll work it out.

 

As for getting pesos, just get US$ from the ATM, bank, or casino on the ship. Then make a small purchase (like wine:D or a souvenir) at the port, and you'll get change in pesos or, sometimes in US$, depending on what the vendor has on had. On the night before each port stop, I would get about $100-200 in cash from the ship's bank, ATM or casino, in $20 bills, and would use that as my spending money. For many items, and especially more pricey items, credit cards will be accepted. Don't worry. There was really no problem with having only US$ in the ports of call.

[epiala]

Cathy, I agree with Tenngal that you should get your money from the casino teller or bank. Monies are put directly on your seapass card so you avoid ATM and exchange fees. Make sure you have enough U.S. cash when disembarking in Santiago or Buenos Aires. ATMs in these cities do not release US dollar bills and this is a hassle when you want to get enough bills to purchase those leather jackets at incredibly low prices (substantially lower than using a credit card). Buenos Aires did have a very large and centrally located American Express Travel Center that gave US dollars. The first night dinner is open seating.

 

Tony, we only did one X excursion in Ushauia and our group was disappointed especially in light of our private tours at the other ports which were cheaper and much more interesting. Our group especially enjoyed our private tour to Volunteer Point - definately NOT to be missed!!!!!

[New KAJO]

Hi guys,

 

We are leaving on friday on the Infinity for a SA cruise.

 

Can someone give us an idea about the weather along the cruise.

 

We always cruised in the Caribbean, Mexico or Hawaii in hot temperatures, but now I think the temperatures will be much lower.

 

Is it really cold ?

What kind of clothes do we need ?

Should we expect rain ?

Is it possible to swim ?

Is the atmosphere on board different from a sun-cruise ?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Kajo

[CrabbyHarper]

It was HOT in Santiago and Buenos Aires! It was COLD in the Falklands and Ushuaia. In between, it was in between.

 

We layered a lot in the cold. For me it was long undies (Cuddl-duds), winter weight slacks, a long sleeved turtle-neck, a sweater, a rain jacket and hood, wool sox, heavy walking shoes, a wool hat and gloves.

 

It may be cold aboard the ship in the Falklands and Ushuaia. Otherwise, I wore sandals and short sleeves on the ship.

 

Rain? Always a possibility. There was an umbrella in our cabin that was available for use, but DH and I prefer to rely on our hooded rain jackets.

 

We did see some activity around the outdoor pool on the last few days of the trip. And we arrived in Santiago a few days early and it was hot enough to make the hotel pool look tempting. Buenos Aires was hot enough for swimming.

 

Have a great cruise! I envy you!

[BurBunny]

Make sure you have enough U.S. cash when disembarking in Santiago or Buenos Aires. ATMs in these cities do not release US dollar bills and this is a hassle when you want to get enough bills to purchase those leather jackets at incredibly low prices (substantially lower than using a credit card). Buenos Aires did have a very large and centrally located American Express Travel Center that gave US dollars.

 

Does this mean that the leather shops in BsAs prefer US Dollars to Argentinian Pesos? Or just that they prefer cash of whatever type to get the lower prices?

[CathyK2]

epiala,

 

You mentioned getting money from the casino or bank. It's my understanding that when we depart from Santiago, the casino is closed until we hit Argentina. If this is indeed a fact, won't it be closed for getting money? Is the bank outside of the casino on the Infinity?

 

 

Everyone has been so much help and it sounds like you had a wonderful time. Thanks for all of your guidance and experiences.

 

Cathy

[Tony UK]

Thank you all so much for your helpful information and tips. We got our tickets today, so the packing panic will set in.......!

What was the Ushaia trip that was disappointing. What was it that left you feeling like that?

We only have the day before our flight home - better to spend the time in Valpararaiso or Santiago? I'd be interested in your views.

 

Have a wonderful New Year, and Happy Sailing.

 

Angie

[CrabbyHarper]

Tony/Angie

 

We took an excursion through Celebrity - the Catamaran Cruise through the Beagle Channel to a penguin rookery and were not disappointed. We DID see the Lighthouse at the End of the World, which the folks on the private tour did not see, and I think that was the source of their disappointment.

 

The Catamaran is a very large and stable vessel with lots of indoor seating. Very comfortable. It WAS cold up on deck!

 

We also saw whales "spouting" although we did not get closer to the whales. We saw a Sea Lion Island, and a penguin rookery. We saw spectacular scenery and got close enough to the Lighthouse to get some great pics.

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise!

 

:)

[Tony UK]

Thanks for the information. We have had so many tips for this cruise which are so useful. We decided to hike in the Tierra Del Fuego National Park from Ushaia. It looks so beautiful. We just can't wait to get going!

Angie

[DrKoob]

Just a comment on drinks: most martinis I got were quite acceptable - just gin, vermouth, ice and lemon twist, but the Manhattans varied in quality really badly. And IMHO the drink prices were a bit high.

 

Crabby,

 

Did you get your martinis in the Martini Bar? If so, they should have been priced in the $10 category. Were they? If so, we have watched them made. They have more than 6 shots of booze in most of them. They are massive. Have never seen one that big on land. And you get the incredible service on top of it.

[Lexcruiser]

What about tipping on the excursions. Can you use U.S. $ for the guides?

[shdcd]

Hi all,

 

I was also on this cruise. Tendering is a BIG problem for those of you on independent excursions!!! However, it did get better as time went on... A group of us around 15-20 did independent shore excursions in every port except Ushauia and we made every tour on time, although our first stop was a hassle. My advice is to 1) make friends with someone in guest relations 2) definately go to the Cruise Critic Party as Jeff, the Cruise Director and Allen, the events coordinator shows up. Both mentioned on separate occassions that cruise critic is very important to Celebrity and it helped to reassure them ,while waiting to tender, that reports on their poor organization skills would surely be posted on cruise critic as soon as we got home. After the debackle at the first port, our cruise critic group was permitted to leave the boat earlier than most X shore excursions. Also Concierge Class DOES NOT have priority disembarkation on the South American itinerary, a comment they forgot to include when people were booking so make sure to go with a large group.

 

The Rodizo was nice, it had typical Spanish sides as plantains, yucca and empanadas, as well as numerous meats.

 

We did not dock in Punta Arenas, not sure if it was due to our size or that NCL scheduled first but we did do our own excursion to Magadelena Island and was on the ferry before the X buses got there. Did I mention that the tour cost half of X and we were on the same ferry and had the same lunch?! So do not be afraid to book independently.

 

My husband and I left BA on Wednesday and the airport was empty and it literally took us 20 minutes to clear customs and get to our gate.

 

Along with Crabby Harper and Tenngal I would be happy to answer any further questions about the cruise or our tours.

 

Read the above post. We are leaving on this cruise next week. Have already booked shore excursions through Celebrity, but can cancel by Feb 4. My question is, did you book the private shore excursions ahead of time or did you wait until disembarking in each port?

 

Thanks

[Susie51]

I love visiting lighthouses. The lighthouse at the end of the world sounds like something I don't want to miss. When I was on Infinity, the T-pool jets weren't working properly. I love the ship in spite of this problem.

Thank you for providing such great info.