highplanesdrifters

We're doing Cloud Puerto William's to Walvis Bay in 2024. So safari post Antarctica. Thinking of doing something similar with one bag. Would love to know how it works out. Luggage Forward served us well this summer to Oslo. We put smart tags in and enjoyed watching their journey. Who knew our luggage was a Chick-Fil-A fan. 😀 Thanks.

Here's a few videos to wet your whistle. Caveat: They were all taken on calm days. We were not on a tour. But our first visit on a tour was still great and led us back for an extended trip. On our tour, current was strong and there were a few scrapes. After the passes there is usually some hang around on the beach time. Consider using this time to walk/swim back into the gardens. There are lots of channels to explore. GH010194_1625711539712.MP4 GH010253_1625795811316.MP4 GH010285_1625795811316.MP4

Assuming the original location was The Coral Gardens, can you tell me what the new location was? Thanks.

Have a fabulous trip! Hope it's the lake and not the shake. Look forward to your posts.

TA and Biz class. You're solid! Have a great trip.

Our flight was at 10pm. Arriving at the airport 3 hours ahead should be OK if you're in biz class. But I'm not an expert.

Unless of course you drink 4 Pisco Sours. 🤣

Any other activities or restaurant suggestions? We're headed back next year.

I believe wifi is free, at least our was. Fans of MO get breakfast included. Silversea had it's own room for breakfast. We got there late and it was slim pickings. The other mornings we ate at the MO breakfast buffet which was a mixed bag except for the final day when the hotel was empty. We booked through our TA and had the benefits.

FWIW, we drove around Valparaiso on our way to Santiago, and we are not in any hurry to go back. Vina del Mar a bit north is the luxury area of weekend condos. Unless there is something specific you want to see there I think there are better options. Perhaps others have a different take. Lots to see in Santiago without all the road time. Consider a trip up to Inca Lake in the Andes. If you do go, report back we got lazy.😁 You want PENGUINS? You're guaranteed Penguins and lots of them. Chilean Base Who has the right of way? 20180101_131253.mp4 20180105_162550.mp4 South Georgia

I was thinking about how this happened. The article mentioned that one women survived in an air pocket. I wonder if some were trapped under the zodiac. Life jackets inflated when they hit they water making it difficult to get out from under a flipped zodiac.

Does she have the heels and bag to match? A diamond choker would really bring it all together especially with the dark fur.

Yes there were, and we were booked on one which was sadly canceled. Our TA participated in a recent Seabourn expedition zoom seminar. One agent queried about more exotic itineraries like the one you mentioned. The response was sad news. Seabourn are going to concentrate on the polar regions as that is what the ships were built for. One can only hope that they consider some interesting routes during repositioning.

Terribly sad news, thoughts and condolences go to all involved. From the article: They also noted that the waters around Elephant Island are usually calm. Reality: Elephant Island waters are notoriously vicious. Zodiac rides are rare.

No silly questions, especially when it come to health safety. We drank bottled water but were told by the MO that we could drink tap. MO provides lots of bottled water so no need to search. We ate plenty of salads and had ice cubes in our drinks. That being said one person in our party became extremely ill with food poisoning symptoms when we got to the airport. Somehow she pulled it together and we got her home, whew. No way to know the culprit, could happen anywhere. Tiramisu also has an extensive Italian menu. Top 10 pizza in the world for me. Yeasty bubbly crust with quality ingredients. Their salad verde is large, fresh, and great for sharing. As mentioned earlier you'll need an app to catch a taxi in most zones. We went to the W hotel (across the street) to catch a taxi back to MO. We were able to score the hotels van for $15. Another note on Santiago. It is a clean modern metropolitan city. Many areas are safe and walkable. Like any major city, the downtown area around Plaza de Armas has some issues with pickpockets, and of course the bird poop scam. Just ask the concierge or bellman about the area you want to visit. It is one of our favorite international cities. Lots of open space, wonderful food and people. You will have an amazing trip!

Correction, the terrace suite was originally booked for $550 a night. Typo.

To all heading to Antarctica: Be very excited. You are going to have the most amazing time of your life. On another thread there was discussion of the AA lounge in Santiago. It is correct, there is none. However, AA does provide access to Pacifico Lounge for Biz class. It is not really a lounge, but a crowded fluorescent place with tables. Avoid. SCL departure. We were advised that with Biz class we would not need a lot of time at the airport. WRONG! Lines were long everywhere. We allowed 3 hours and were glad we did.

Sorry folks, no current info on Antarctica flights. We just got off the Wind. I suggest you check out previous threads, but do remember, things have changed so much.

It's complicated, but Ill try to explain. We had booked multiple reservations in advance when prices were low and also because SS didn't release hotel info until weeks before departure. SS paid for a basic room for one night. Our group booked for 3 additional nights. Our TA found our friends an executive suite, buy 2 nights get one free for $296 per night . Upon check in, the MO graciously upgraded them to an executive suite on their SS night. We were told the Tetrace would be an additional $500 to upgrade. Àt checkout, we got a $400 a night rate on the Terrace suite. Crazy number. It was originally booked for $650 a night for the three non SS nights. I don't know how they came up with the final number, but I didn't complain. They also sent us a bottle of Champagne every night. We were pampered and I'm not sure why. 😁 In the US a suite like this would easily go for $1,500 plus a night. The Terrace suite does have a large tub. We really spent a lot of time lounging on the terrace and cocktails with friends. Lovely view of the Andes and peaceful. We could see the pool and would pop down for a few hours and a swim when it wasn't too crowded. Our last day, which was a Monday the hotel was empty. No weddings, no cruise ships. Total Bliss.

As promised here are a few bits about the hotel and transfer from Valparaiso. We are here for 4 days have really enjoyed out stay so far. The critiques are just a heads up. There are still some post covid staffing issues, please be patient. We took a private transfer from Valparaiso and arrived after one of the busses around noon. Even though there were only a few people in line, check at the Silversea desk took 30 minutes. Some MO staff were less than competent. Find the competent person and make friends. 😉 Most rooms were ready. Ours was not ready till 3:30. We upgraded to a Terrace suite. Well worth the money and wait. Luggage is an issue. Quite the scrum. Some delivered to wrong rooms. But, the Bellman were fantastic given the circumstances. TIP: Keep your luggage with you, or collect it before you go to your room. The hotel is servicing Silversea, Lindblad, and Hurtigruten. It can be chaotic in lobby with multiple ships, and service at restaurantscan be slow. Silversea has its set up in the main lobby. The tables are full of delucious fruit drinks and water when processing ships. FOOD Matsuri - Japanese Peruvian fussion. OUTSTANDING! Make a reservation before you arrive. Senso - Italian Quite good. Breakfast Buffet - Can be quite busy and food sometimes not replenished. Lots of pastries and breads. Fruit, OK. Hot food mediocre. You can order, but sometimes takes forever. We didn't find any interesting restaurants nearby. The nearby mall had plenty, but a bit of a scene and a lot of chains. Perhaps others did and can chime in. Uber - we couldn't get ours to function. But didn't try very hard you might have better luck. Most Taxis only operate on Apps. We did head over to El Golf area one day to eat at Pizzeria Tiramisu. One of our favorite pizza/Italian restaurants. It's right near the W Hotel. The street is packed with great restaurants. The area lovely for walking. Parque Arauco Shopping Mall It is a 5 minute walk from MO. It is large and full of international chain stores. There are lots of chain restaurants. We did find a wine store and a luxury store selling Baby Alpaca called Kuna. Mission accomplished! Otherwise I see no reason to go there. You can also catch the Hop on Hop off bus here. It's right by the entrance to the parking garage before you get to the mall. If anyone wants more details on Bus stops just yell and I'll post. The hotel pool area and grounds are beautiful. Lovely to refresh after a day of walking or touring, or just post cruise chill. But again, can be busy. Terrace suite and room service. Worth every penny with great views of Andes. Room service fun. The Pre Cloumbian Museum only had one floor open. Worth the $8 admission, or trip to the bathroom🤣 Inca Knots Plaza de Armas and area Street Art

I suspect you're familiar will all of this, but just in case. I have found that when I was waitlisted it would clear a few weeks before departure. That is the timeframe when someone from excursion team gets into the weeds and sorts out what the realistic numbers are for excursions. That is also the time, if possible, that another bus might be added. If it didn't clear, once on board I would check regularly with the expedition team, especially the day before. Very annoying to become that person, but it is the state of things. One now needs to be an advocate for oneself more than ever. If still waitlisted, and if I really really wanted to go, I would show up for the excursion and hope that someone else drank too much the night before. 😃

Coquimbo, Chile Another less than ideal bus tour of town. Our only option other than staying on the ship. Pretty much sums up the tours on this leg. A local market. If only. Tempting. Japanese garden . Nice leg stretch. 20221117_142250.mp4 A black Swan event. We are hoping that's what this cruise was. I have never been so ready to get off a ship.

Isla Pan de Azucar, Chile Lots of Humbolt Penguins today. What a treat. And, finally a Zodiac ride. First on this segment which has been sorely lacking in anything that resembles an expedition excursion. Chilean lead boat. Pelicans We hit the jackpot with Martin as our driver and guide. He has encyclopedic knowledge, a witty repartee, and lazer eyes for finding wildlife. Chronicle Blurb Isla Pan de Azucar is the largest of several rock formations of highly metamorphosed sandstone and mudstone in front of a small ranger station at Caleta Pan de Azucar within the Pan de Azucar National Park. The national park of 43754 hectares straddles two of Chile’s regions, but just 1.1 square kilometers are formed by Isla Pan de Azucar, the neighboring Las Chatas islets and Las Mariposas (Butterfly) rocks. To protect the South American sea lions and elusive marine otters seen on the island and islets, the park does not permit landings. Ships are not allowed to anchor either and even Zodiacs cruising along the shores need to be accompanied by local boats. During a Zodiac cruise several bird species including Humboldt Penguins, Inca Terns, Kelp Gulls, Peruvian Boobies, as well as Peruvian Pelicans, Peruvian Diving-Petrels, Red-legged Cormorants, and Turkey Vultures might be seen closer.

Very interesting indeed. I hadn't noticed!

Antofigasta, Chile Again, we chose the city tour over 16 hours in the bus. This tour was better than Arica. Granted there are always local and post covid issues but the second segment of the trip is far from expedition. But it was a georgous day and we enjoyed strolling about. A lovely viewpoint north of the city. A hike would have been nice instead of the rush through. There was a museum strike. But luckily Oscar found us a private museum to visit. Reminents of an old silver refinery (1892) that only operated for about 30 years due to the collapse in silver prices. Looks pre Columbian from a distance. An interesting art installation. The white dates represent calm times. The red dates represent eras of violence, including wars, killings, and the long red stretch is Pinochet. The town plaza was historic and beautiful. Last but not least, ceviche and drinks at the yacht club followed by a stroll to the historic pier from mining days. A local diving for scallops in the harbor. 20221115_094737.mp4 Due to some TMI circumstances we missed the Stars in the Desert. But here's some pics from friends who loved it, and a few from the deserted ship. Nice blurb in the Chronicle. Antofagasta If archaeological zones, landscaped plazas and well, giant hands, are your travel cup of tea then look no further than Antofagasta. Set between the Pacific Ocean and the mountains, the city is Chile's second most populated place, and by far the largest in the northern region. Once the country's primary export port, notably for minerals including nitrate and later, silver, today Antofagasta is still the country's centre for mineral mining. Antofagasta was once part of Bolivia, and only became Chilean in 1904 after it was captured in the War of the Pacific. Under the subsequent treaty, Chile agreed to construct a rail link to Bolivia in return for the city. Today the city still enjoys relative stress free travel to La Paz, through some of the most scenic and spectacular landscapes in the world. The railway link, which extended south as well as north, naturally brought colossal growth, expansion which is still continuing today. In recent years, Antofagasta has seen high rise hotels and buildings sprout up amid the jumble of old-fashioned plazas, former Railway Stations, and wooden-fronted Victorian and Georgian buildings that can be found along the Barrio Histórico. The city borders the arid Atacama Desert, aka the world's driest place. As if the lunar like landscape was not enough, the aforementioned "Hand of the Desert", an 11-metre tall sculpture of a hand reaching up to the stars is located about 60 km from Antofagasta, and is surely a must for anyone who is interested in alien experiences.