Liz Masterson

On 9/11/2024 at 9:45 AM, deec said:

We took this cruise 2 years ago and we only went on one hike that was a difficult climb and even that one was difficult because of the wind!  I don't see it on your list. The walks/ hike were on good paths.  When you first get on the ship, go to Guest Services and go over your list with them.  They will have a far moer accurate description of excursions.  I do not know why doesn't provide those before booking.

We did this cruise as the world was emerging from Covid and had lots of restrictions and did 4 legs it was a fantastic.  We would do this itinerary again!  The scenery/ cruising days were great and we had wonderful naturalists on board for whale and bird sightings.  Adding it to a Transatlantic either before or after was great.  If you don't do that try and get to see Iguaza Falls.

Did I read somewhere that you did the hike in Ushuaia with the dogs? 

How difficult did you find that one if you did...

You should have no problem. Just grab a towel from the pool area and return it when you come back. 

49 minutes ago, AstroExeter said:

I am onboard from November until mid-January.

Terrific!
 

Do you have any recommendations for YouTube videos that might give us a jump on learning about the South American itinerary and maybe some of the celestial highlights? 

On 1/17/2024 at 9:19 AM, gam888 said:

We are going on a South America cruise with Sapphire Princess in February. We have booked some excursions with the ship. We are still looking for some excursions for Ushuaia and Punta Arenas. We are not that keen on the tours Princess is offering for these 2 ports. We are hoping to find a cruise that goes around the Beagle Channel in Ushuaia, or a tour that we can see more penguins. In Punta Arenas, we are looking for some local tour possibilities as well. 

If any folks have had a good experience with any tours with the local vendors, please share with us. Any other ports in South America you would like to share would be welcome as well. Thank you in advance.

Have you returned yet? Any suggestions for these two ports? 

13 hours ago, AstroExeter said:

I have just returned from Viking Jupiter where I was the Resident Astronomer. I did many live shows in the planetarium which were all very well received. I will be back on board in November for South America.

All you be celebrating the New Year on board? Maybe I’ll see you there! I promise to try not to doze off! 😉

I wonder if they wish they hadn’t built that big church…

Loved this extension. My only gripe was not enough time at the villa to enjoy it. We actually stayed back one day to sleep in a bit and walk in the olive groves and soak in the beautiful deep tub.  
 

We were especially lucky to be able to make an unscheduled stop at the American Cemetery just in time to walk around and take it all in Effie watching them lower the flag and play taps. It was one of the most moving travel experiences I’ve had. 

This is a great question. I’m on this itinerary this coming winter as well. 
 

I don’t know the answer but you might ask it in the South American Ports Board here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/47-south-america/

I would list the ports in your question. 
 

Jupiter seems to be the ship that sails this itinerary each winter.  So you might also get some ideas from looking through past Jupiter roll calls from winter 2023 and 2022. 
 

On 9/10/2023 at 12:44 PM, Sea42 said:

Thanks so much for the information! We're not going until 2025 but I enjoy planning😊

We are going in 2025 as well. We've chosen to go with Kidney Cove Tours. They seem closer to town and hopefully, the ride out will be a bit less intense. Also... they say they have Rock Hopper Penguins and they are so comical! 🙂 

Thank you for posting all the lovely photos @Mercruiser!

So many Penguin options. I am booked to see them in the Falklands, but looking for other options since it is not uncommon for ships to skip their Falklands port call due to weather. 

Lots of options for Penguin Tours in the Falklands. Thank you all for contributing to this discussion!

On 4/28/2023 at 11:28 AM, Rondo said:

Shuan must be popular, as I did not get booked with him as he is full for the date I needed.😐He did give me two other possibilities, but have not heard back from them. I am afraid I might have to settle for a lesser tour on Viator. Seems like Volunteer Point tours are sold out for Jan. 11.

 Another option might be Kidney Cove Tours. I have not yet tried them but I am booked for Janaury.

Thank you all for your contribution to this discussion! I'm delighted to have found Kidney Cove Tours here and I hope our cruise makes it to port! 

5 minutes ago, cccole said:

Liz Masterson - I hope you saw my reply to your post.  Cherie

Yes! Thank you. I have booked and someone else on our cruise is considering it as well. It seems like a less intense excursion than Volunteer Point. Adian told my friend he thought her husband's mild back issue would be fine and he tries to go as gently as he can. And I like that it is a bit shorter. I love the look of those silly rockhoppers. 🙂

On 2/19/2024 at 6:00 PM, cccole said:

I cannot comment on the above tours but I can comment on our tour with Adrian at Kidney Cove Tours.  There were only 4 of us.  His ranch begins about 45 minutes from Port Stanley and besides the beautiful scenery we saw 4 species of penguins close up.  Adrian was a great guide and made sure we had a good time.  We did this tour in January.  Cherie  

Thank yo Cherie,

Can you go into specifics about what kind of vehicles you were in and on what types of roads for how long? My friend was worried about the longer trip to Volunteer Point. They are considering this one because it appears to be shorter. 

How far do you travel until you see the penguins? 

I've already booked... because rockhopper penguins are there and I find their comical eyebrows and antics irresistible. 🙂

On 6/26/2024 at 3:08 AM, Jeff 1957 said:

We were on the Orion during the difficult voyage (late 2022) from New Zealand to Australia where bio-foul prevented us from being allowed to stop at destinations.  Hence, there was a more than 8-day period of being stuck on the ship (unplanned).  The Planetarium was one of the distractions that made it all work.

 

Guests were ignoring the Planetarium during the first 3 days (when the ship was allowed to dock), but by the end of the at-sea phase, the shows were fully booked and the Guest Services even posted a "guard" at the entrance to check that guests in line actually had reservations!

I hope we have a good astronomer on board the Viking when we sail over New Year's. The South American cruise already has an abundance of sea days. Because we will miss our first port on New Year's Day, I'm assuming many excursions were unavailable because of the holiday, etc., we will have even more! 

I've sailed on Jupiter from Norway to Iceland before and was unimpressed with the Planetarium. Of course, I was tired from busy days... I dozed off in the presentation. The seats in there are very comfortable! And it is dark and warm... and we were crossing the north sea and the ship was gently rocking... 

But I am willing to give it another shot. Now I know how to get tickets. 🙂 Still... I do miss the extra seating. I love to tuck away up there sprawled out on a sofa with a book on a sea day. 

Tip... Yes, Viking provides a box lunch. Maybe they have improved since June 2022... however, I'd suggest you pick out something nice from the train shops. They have a lovely variety of options better than the blah Viking cheese sandwich we got.  Just my 2 cents...

On 6/1/2023 at 1:05 PM, deec said:

We did a wonderful excursion from Ushuaia that included a 4x4 ride along a river bed, forest hike, and a great  lunch wth local wine that we ate outside and saw dog sled dogs!

 

 

 

Was this a Viking excursion or an independent one? 
I’m going in December!

On 3/24/2024 at 11:50 AM, Alberta Quilter said:

Good Morning! My sister and I are planning to cruise from BA in early 2025.  We plan to arrive at least one day prior to our cruise, probably two days.  I'm wondering if we should bite the bullet and pay for a pre cruise hotel/tour with the cruise line.  I did this before when my mother and I went fourteen years ago but it does add significantly to the cost (hotel and tour info are not yet posted on the cruise line website).  My sister has never been so I'm sure she will want to do some touring.  Any idea how safe it is for two women on their own (who don't speak Spanish)?  We do know not to be flashing any bling but I'm sure we'll still stand out as tourists.

 

Thank you for your help!

I’d go ahead and book my own hotel. Look for a nice private guided tour online. You’ll probably have more fun for about the same cost as the pre cruise guided package. 

I’m off to enjoy a long weekend in Dublin next month. Let me know your best tips. 😊

Remember there is a free laundry room on board! 🧺 

I’d wear a pair of jeans/pants and pack a pair. 
I have a long black maxi dress and a no heal sandals that I wear for dinner. I change it up with a scarf or necklace. Otherwise that’s my dinner outfit unless I’m going to the buffet. 
As has been mentioned layers are your friend. I do not think you will need long underwear… but if you have a pair of leggings that you can wear with a tunic to the buffet it can do double duty. 
DO NOT FORGET YOUR BATHING SUIT. 🩱 You can wear it with your provided Viking robe to the spa while your spouse does the laundry. 😉 

Sigh….

😔 

I cheered myself up by booking a cool transfer/tour from our Santiago Hotel to board Jupiter in Valparaiso this winter.  Going to explore Zapallar and take a boat ride around an island of penguins and have a tasting of local cuisine and wine before we make our way to the ship. 
 

Made me feel a little better! 

Thank you for posting about the crew enjoying their time while waiting for the passengers to return! I felt the same as you but your post changed my mind. Thanks for all your amazing posts. Now what will I read before bed… sigh….

11 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

 

We stopped at the end of the beach at Brasão Leca for lunch. This local chain has lots of traditional dishes and we split Porto’s heart attack on a plate - a Francesinha, Porto’s version of a Croque Madam if as Mike put it a Croque Madam was healthy!  It’s a sandwich stuffed with sausage, steak, ham, and cheese. Then covered with more cheese, broiled until melty, then topped with an egg and served in a slightly spicy tomato sauce…with fries!  So tasty!  

 

 

 

We ordered a bowl of vegetable soup (likely some sort of pumpkin or squash-very good) and a “Mustard & Orange” salad. We expected mustard greens with some oranges…what we got was so much better!  Juicy ripe oranges with red onions in a mustardy vinaigrette.  Unlike at the places we ate in Lisbon the last two days, here we were happy to see bread, butter (in this case smoked ham butter!), and a bowl  of olives and capers delivered to the table.  In Portugal these are usually brought when you’re greeted and you are charged for them (in this case €1,85 pp) but if you don’t want them you ask them to take away.

 

 

SMOKED HAM BUTTER!?! 🫨😮🤤 YES!! PLEASE! And that all looks amazing!