Start to the trip was damp. 14 inches of rain in Ft Lauderdale and near gale force winds from the east caused water incursion into our deck 4 balcony on port side. Cabin attendants and water clean up crew were there vacuuming and with fans till late at night. How attentive. That event bonded us to our cabin attendants Ham and Bong from Bali. We got to know them well and enjoyed interfacing. They were perfect. We were sad about our Panama City shore excursion cancellation - protests by locals made it too dangerous. And Puerto Chacabuco was cancelled due to San Antonio authorities delaying our departure 8 hours due to high winds. The rest of our port visits were asesome. None of them did we get rained on except in the Falklands. Walked to the museum in Aruba, hung out on our balcony through the Panama canal - our cruise director Ed narrated with a truly informative talk as he did for each port and also when we viewed the glaciers later...superlative CD. We had a beer portside in Panama, walked the beach and wandered through a museum dedicated to indigenous folks in Ecuador, parited onboard for Orange night and the equator passing, took a Viator excursion in Lima to see downtown and grab lunch at Peru Gourmet plus drive by huacas and visit Love park, our HAL small boat tour off Pisco to the Ballestras to see penguins and sea lions was great, a walk to the mall in Coquimbo wa oksay, as was our pier boardwalk in San Antonio. Puerto Montt hotel Ibis was welcoming with local Flugel beer, the Chilean fjords and Brujo glacier - where our captain did a donut for full viewing - were breathtaking. Punta Arenas had Austral beer at a basement pub in the old Braun mansion - much welcomed after a long stroll to Braun cemeteary, and then the 6 glaciers near Ushuaia were otherworldly. Ushuaia was just a step into the town, but braved the cold and rain after a long tender ride into Stanley to have a scone in the Falklands at West Store. Shopping in Montevideo was fun using my Spanglish, and Buenos Aires HAL excursion was perfect with a bus to Recoleta cemetery and Casa Rosada and Tortoni cafe plus La Boca. Food on the ship is good. The 8 bottle Cellar 1 wine package at $260 was passable. The service we received was best on the seas (and we have been on 30 or so ocean cruises). We did have to use the medical facilities for a non life threatening event and were extremely pleased with the service and moderate price.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Although we had a 2:30 time slot we arrived early and were allowed to board making getting lunch easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We did no specialty restaurants. The main dining room had excellent fish entrees but I was disappointed with dessert offerings (where is the creme brulee and the souffles and cakes with buttercream frosting?). Best at Lido was when you stood in line for personally prepared pasta or quesadillas.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The only onboard events we did were the trivia "contests" which were lively and fun even though we did poorly.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
What we saw was excellent. The dance troupe was outstanding.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Seriously, the best on the seas. Responsive, kind, patient.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship is old and every effort to maintain it is obvious. We even had our balcony banister replaced while there. But the weather striping on the balcony door was deteriorated and let in the torrential rain from the gale force winds upon departure from Fort Lauderdale.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We were on the wild Pacific Ocean a lot. And the waves and swells were non-relenting at times so we definitely fell the "motion of the ocean" as our captain warned. Good news is that the balcony is a bit larger than others. And the port location was optimum for viewing the fjords and glaciers.
Ship tip
Watch for those BOGO at Billboard bar. Ends up cheaper than even doing the 8 bottle package.
You can walk and use the beach right next to the port terminal and then cross the street and go to the museum that showcases the indigenous folks from Ecudor.
We did a Viator tour here that was excellent. Saw all of downtown and then ate at Peru Gourmet (excellent ceviche and Pisco sour) and drive by huacas and onto Love Park in Miraflores.
Had fun walking to the VIVO mall and going to the top floor for photo op. Then stopped at McDonalds and worker helped me login to WIFI. Friendly folks.
Just walked the boardwalk and looked at the vendor tents and then watched the fishermen clean their fish throwing the scraps to pelicans and sea lions.
Loved the history here. The Brauns left their mark with the cemetery and the mansions. Went to a museum that even had taxidermy animals that live in Chile. Had Austral beer in the pub in the basement of the Braun home.
Took a HAL excursion via bus with 4 stops. One in Recoleta cemetery, one downtown by Casa Rosada, then an hour at Tortoni cafe, and to La Boca. The guide was great. Learned a lot about the city.
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