ColdCruise

I thought the penguins were so amazing. It was so surreal to walk past a couple of basking seals (probably with bellies full of penguin) , then find myself surrounded by 100s or 1000s of penguins, all seemingly unconcerned or oblivious to my presence … that all backstopped by breathtaking icebergs and ice covered mountains and glaciers. Only time I teared up from viewing nature’s beauty . IMG_1667.mov

Someone earlier was asking about currency.. here’s an article about the “blue rate” https://wander-argentina.com/current-exchange-rates/ note that in Ushuaia, I was only there for a couple days pre-cruise and 1 day after, so I didn’t want a lot of cash. I think I exchanged $50 then found out that the posted blue rate was for exchanging $100 bills, not even $100 in smaller bills. The posted blue rate was almost double the official rate and I got about 100 A pesos less than posted …but still more than the atm rate. I found Trip Advisor forums useful for planning my ground game.

Thanks for the good pass info @HS2BS btw, is Chestnut Ridge north of Yonkers or western NY near Lockport off 104?

love this photo - you just captured the mood perfectly… along with all the variations of light. plus those are super photos of the penguins “flying” through the ocean (I have to go check my photos from spring, I don’t think I got any near as clear of this action!)

Once you visit Antarctica , you’ll be hooked @cmph went in Feb 2023, going back in 2025

That water looks amazing @scubacruiserx2 and those glaciers - awesome! I love looking at and listening to glaciers … such an awesomely beautiful and potentially destructive expression of nature! thanks again for sharing these fantastic photos!

@michebob where di you recommend reserving chairs on the beach at Carlisle Bay? google maps shows chairs set out at/near the Boatyard Club Lobster Alive/Brown’s Beach Carlisle Bay Divers And a handful in Bayside Beach (can’t determine which business they belong to) tia

I am terrible at remembering names & faces ….doesn't matter if it’s my new battalion commander, my bosses’ new 4 star, the new female CEO at my company (all of which embarrassingly occurred) … or the sommelier in the Prima Onda who happens to turn up 14 months later in the Viva Le Bistro. i was terribly flattered that I was recognized as she probably sees at least 700 new guests each week and I am a fairly average looking person. Totally unexpected !

@Von & John It was My Mom’s Thai. Interesting owner, hope get back up there (so many places to go…..)

Your photos of the park are inspiring and have moved Torre del Paine up in my queue of places to visit. But I must do more research as I think it might deserve several days (ie not as a cruise excursion). As ever, thanks 🙏

@scubacruiserx2 to be clear, the photos of the flight & excursion to Torres del Paine were completed as a HAL excursion (posts #61-6)? NCL doesn’t have a comparable excursion? But you are able to book such as part of your independent travels after the NCL cruise (but not independently during)? Happy Holidays and safe travels !

At least the penguin made those orcas work for their meal. I wonder how they portion out the meal? thanks for sharing !

Exactly I read others posting that they asked to remove the foie gras and they did not have the surcharge. I asked for the filet to be prepared without the foie gras but was still surcharged. I probably should have asked before hand but I think it (surcharge or not) is something that will be at the server’s discretion. It was still delicious but Onda’s was better — and no foie gras or surcharge 😄

And if you still can’t get the times you want in,one, use the chat function or call. I was able to get several reservations that showed unavailable online that way. Also if you want to secure MDR times they can only be booked online, could not make them on the ship, even using the concierge (suite, not Haven). Although that usually isn’t needed, but I like to have an eating plan so I fill every evening on my cruise planned.

@mking8288 All valid points. There may also be value in posting or reading the port stop threads. OTOH maybe no one on the roll call has experience or interest in the OP’s proposed travels or the OP is trying to broaden the base for input? Some roll calls are way more active early on and sadly some never get past a couple pages…. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all travelers today (IRL and armchair alike), 🎄

thank you for your review & comments. I enjoyed how you grouped the topics together. We did go to Syd Norman’s a couple times, which we weren’t able to do in Prima. The musicians were very capable and the Rumours cover was good. Our BTS tour covered the same areas you mentioned, and agree the theater backstage was the most interesting due to the enthusiasm and willingness to answer a LOT of questions. I think the lady who led that was getting off the ship shortly after our cruise, maybe in January?

@jemz1949 We were in a suite, which included the option the breakfast or lunch at Cagney’s. As I understand it, Haven passengers have a dedicated restaurant so don’t breakfast at Cagney’s. I think @BirdTravelswas in Viva Haven earlier this month, maybe check with her? She has a detailed live report here.

After final payment if you’re on a roll call and people say they’re getting reservations and you still can’t do it online, CALL or chat NCL and ask them to help. We’ve had to do that a couple times.

I would do as @debenson0723suggest in post #5. Nix NCL’s air. Spend 2 full days in London then go to Paris for a couple days. Seems this would be 5 days post cruise 2 London 1 travel 2 Paris with late flight from Paris. CDG is a good way outside Paris but can be reached by public transit. If you decide to do this, I’d suggest putting together your planned island itinerary & timeline, then post on the appropriate forums in Trip Advisor. I’ve had great luck with the feedback on my proposed itinerary, tweaking them and sometimes some suggests something else I’ve what I’d planned (eg megaliths in France en route to Chartres). alternately, if you can’t spare the time, when you’re at Le Havre a visit to the D Day battlefields would be highly recommended if that interests you. I’d go with that over the 2-3 hours each way to Paris. We used D Day Battle Tours - excellent operation! we focused on the US sector,,but they also do the Canadian and British beaches. But if you opt for Paris, stick with the NCL excursion- there was a cruise earlier this year that left people behind because of a snafu with traffic getting back to port. Search cruise critic for the thread.

Thanks for shari nag, again. Look forward to your photos and commentary in January.