Buckeye94

4 minutes ago, Iriel said:

 

Thank you for the reply! Are there stairs to go into the tenders? Sorry for so many questions! I'm trying to book excursions, but Celebrity won't give me details about the tendering 😤

Yes, there have been steps to the tender platform. I don't recall if there was a ramp option. I remember a walker and maybe a wheelchair on the tender, but I didn't see the passenger with the chair to know their mobility and ease of getting on and off the tender. 

We made it around Cape Horn! Unbelievably calm seas! 

I had told my family about the rough seas as the Pacific and Atlantic oceans collide, the history of shipwrecks, and even about the Viking Polaris being hit by a rogue wave (incidentally, still docked in Ushuaia). I had to take pictures of the navigation channel and screenshots of Google Maps as proof that I was here!  😂 We were very fortunate to have such calm weather and to be able to circumnavigate Isla Hornos.

It was also nice to see crew coming out onto the decks to take photos. They were as excited as we all were. 

Julie

On 1/4/2023 at 10:48 PM, gizmodog said:

Thank you for the review of dining. Ocean view at dinner it is being said has been cut back to hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza  and salad bar, wondering what you observed.

also do you feel the ship is looking old? Thoughts on your cabin.

glad you are having fun, really enjoying your post.

I've made it up to Oceanview a couple times around dinner. They have much more than hamburgers, hotdogs, and pizza. In addition to the salad bar, they have a prepared salad station, and tonight, they have a Caesar salad station.

There's a Chefs Selection station. One night, it was Caribbean food, another night German, steak, chicken, fish entrees. There's a pasta station.

You won't get hungry or be stuck with pool bar food if you choose not to dine in a restaurant. 😀

Julie

1 hour ago, Iriel said:

Amazing pics! I love Ushuaia so much! I have some old pics in the National Park, back when we used to print photographs 😂

 

Was it a tender or dock? I'm wishing for a dock in my cruise because I'm a wheelchair user.🤞

So far we have tendered at every port. We will dock tomorrow in Puerto Madryn.

They have improved the tendering process since Puerto Montt where we waited in long lines for over an hour. Last tender was supposed to be at 5:30, but I still saw tenders heading back to the port at about 7:00. Since then, lines have moved much better, but I don't know if that's due to passenger behavior, staggered excursion returns, or more tenders.

Ushuaia

We have had fantastic weather this sailing. The tour guides kept thanking us for bringing the nice weather.

I did the Charles Darwin at Tierra del Fuego tour. It felt rushed, and I wish I'd done something different. The first half was a bus tour through Tierra del Fuego National Park, over the river and past  the peat bog to the visitor center at Lago Roca we go...

Fun fact: Where the tree line ends is the border between Chile and Argentina. 

The visitor center had a cafeteria, restrooms, a very limited gift shop, and a museum that was interesting. It had English subtitles on most things. It covered glaciers, the history and partnership between Chile and Argentina to develop the park, and the birds and animals of the area.

From here, we made a quick photo stop among the crowds at Lago Acigami. I think it took longer to unload, reload, and get turned around to exit than we had for pictures and exploring. But, it was beautiful! 

Then, off to Lapataia Bay for the second half of the tour aboard a catamaran through the Beagle Channel. We were rushed straight to the line for the catamaran, hence the quick photo of the famous sign with an unknown family instead of me. The water was so smooth today.

The catamaran was packed full! After we set off, I went outside to get fresh air and pics. We stopped by an island to see cormorants and sea lions. Smelly, noisy, so cute! 😀

Then to what used to be the lighthouse at the end of world. Heard they built another one further out, but this is the historical one. Lots of sea lions here. Check out big Papa! 

Then, on the way back we passed many beaches full of locals enjoying the warmest day in quite a while. Check out the long line of cars! I think everyone, except tour guides, was out enjoying the parks and beaches. We also saw the windswept trees. 

Then, back to port for the obligatory sign photo and to the ship.

Julie

We had clear weather for Glacier Alley! 

Fireflies! 💕 I enjoy summer nights on my porch watching them.

Has anyone here gone to TN to see the synchronous fireflies? Pre-pandemic I was in the lottery a couple of years, but never got tickets.

https://www.pigeonforge.com/synchronous-fireflies/

No better time to catch up than 2 sea days! 

Punta Arenas

I did not have an excursion here. It was an easy walk to the main square, La Plaza de Armas, to see the statute of Magellan, the cathedral, museums, artisans, and performers. Note: Many museums close between noon and 3pm. 

I was also on a mission to find king crab! I found it at Sotitos. Chupe de Centolla is a classic dish of the area. It's a baked dish of crab, cream, cheese, and bread served in a clay bowl. It's like a bowl of crab dip, but you are expected to eat it with a spoon. Who hasn't wanted to dig into a bowl of hot crab dip? It's acceptable, nay, encouraged! 😀 That with a local beer? Perfect lunch! 

More perfect weather, so I enjoyed a walk along the parkway, taking in the Endurance and Shackleton Monuments.

Fantastic sailaway and dinner views. Aditya, my waiter, took a photo for me from the aft windows after seeing me take photos across the room.

10 hours ago, mahdnc said:

The evening skies will be getting darker with each passing cruise day because the moon will be rising into the night sky later and later.  Take advantage of the moonless  period in the night and if it's clear take a look at the sky because many of the stars in the southern hemisphere are not visible from Ohio.  Hopefully you can find a somewhat dark spot on the ship to do this.

 

Some things about the southern sky worth noting if you are interested (most people are not):

 

1. The highly recognizable constellation of Orion will appear high in the sky, but it will be upside down compare to what you are used to seeing in Columbus.

 

2. The stars that form the well known Southern Cross (also made famous by the Crosby, Stills, and Nash song of the same name) is virtually impossible to see from the USA but will be well placed in the night sky during your cruise.   

 

3.  Near the Southern Cross is a very bright star, Alpha Centauri which is the star system closest to us earthlings at a "mere" 4.3 light years away.

 

I could go on, but I will spare you.  Whether you like to star gaze or not, I hope you are enjoying your cruise.

I love stargazing! I grew up in rural Ohio away from the city lights. It's one of my favorite parts of going home. I love all space and star related things. Can't wait for April 2024 when we'll be in the path of totality for the next eclipse.

It's been cloudy, but hoping for a clear night. It would be fun to see Orion upside down. 

Thanks for the tips! 

I'm not an expert having only sailed concierge once or twice, but it looks like some cabins that used to be veranda are now concierge, so location and some space, maybe. 

Yes, the footrest was nice. They bring afternoon canapes that I was rarely around to receive, but a couple of times it was nice. Seems like a waste of food. If you're in the room, okay, otherwise you don't know how long it's been sitting there.

Biggest thing for me was embarkation day lunch (if you're boarding time allows) and the disembarkation lounge. A nicer way to end the trip than with the crowds of tired grumbly people in the theatre...by hanging out with fewer tired grumpy people with coffee and pastries in comfortable chairs! 😀

5 hours ago, vickykay said:

Good morning.   Was the lunch at Tuscan a set menu?  Thanks.

Enjoying your amazing photos!

There were two main options seafood platter or surf and turf. All of the listed sides were on the platter. I didn't see anyone ordering the turf. You also got lobster bisque. While it was very tasty, it was not the Murano version with pieces of lobster which I kind of expected for a specialty lunch. Dessert was your choice, or both, of a flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce or mango tiramisu.

Here's a pic of the menu. It appeared in the app a couple days before sailing.

Good morning from Punta Arenas! 

Gorgeous morning (I'm running out of superlatives) to enjoy my Belgian waffles with orange butter and sausage. I could eat this every day...wait, I have! 😀 But, my porch in Ohio in January does not compare to the aft deck! 

Day 2 through the fjords and into the Strait of Magellan was cloudy but not foggy! Hoping for good weather when we get to the glaciers! 

Today I joined my new friend from Roll Call to attend the Seafood Lunch at Tuscan ($35+20% gratuity). It made up for the chewy calamari the other night! 

Ended my night sitting on my balcony sipping a scotch taking in the late sunset (10:20). This is the life! 

Julie

On 1/5/2023 at 12:28 PM, gizmodog said:

Agree, rather nervous as I think this has been my most expensive cruise to date with airfare and sailing. Hate to pay so much for a disappointing cruise, although seeing Antartica is my husbands dream. I will try to think positive, we do have a sunset veranda so that is a plus if the cabin is not too shabby, hate shower curtains, but they’re better then no shower at all!

Oh dear, not a disappointing cruise at all! I'm sorry if my comments have leaned negative. These are all things to be expected on an older ship. The crew is fantastic! The entertainers have been wonderful, and that's all icing because I'm here for the itinerary. The scenery has been amazing! 

21 hours ago, kathynorth said:

What a beautiful way to end the day! So sad that you had all that fog in Glacier Alley. Hopefully all will go your way for the rest of the cruise. If you find yourself at Guest Services at some point, would you mind asking how many Mahjong kits that they have for passenger use? 

I asked tonight, and they have 1-2 Mahjong sets on board for passengers and only one was checked out at the time.

5 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

Loving your review... I'll be on this sailing in March (along with many others), so you're basically acting as a surrogate vacation planner for all of us right now.

 

Re: Crush. That's actually the vodka bar/high top to the left of the Martini Bar. There's a big wall display that they usually fill up with crushed ice and bottles of vodka and gin. Picture below of a chic night display from a recent Summit sailing. 

 

 

Also, thanks for your fair assessment of the ship. Booking a non-revolutionized M-class ship was absolutely a concern for us, when we're only done Millennium and Summit lately. It's disappointing that Infinity never got the refit, but we'll make the best of it. 

Ah yes, the high top table with the bottles of vodka that are never opened. I seem to recall a vodka  and caviar testing there in the past, but it seems like an odd use of space now.

Since I forget what changes are coming as part of the revolutionizing, I guess can't miss anything! See, bright side! 😀

When I'm sitting on my balcony with a glass of wine watching the sunset listening to the sound of the sea, I am oblivious to a little rust, honestly. As long as she gets us where we're going, I'm good. 😊

Well, I can't access my notes from last night...or was it the Cattier? Anywho, room and service notes.

I've seen glimpses of the Celebrity service I know and love, but a few missteps (see last night's dinner). Nothing that really takes away from my experience. I'll always try to find the bright side, and a day at sea in the fog (more on that later) is still better than a day at the office. And that is my first bright side observation. I often lament that I wish I was retired so I could travel whenever I wanted and do the B2Bs. But, working in a home office with a limited view or at the actual office in a windowless room makes even the "worst" vacation day wonderful. Would I like to see the fjords we've been sailing through for 6 hours? Sure, but fog. 🤷 Am I enjoying the few breaks of clear views? You bet! And sitting at the Sunset Bar listening to the wake is 100x "better than a day at the office." My new vacation mantra.

Oh wait, I'm supposed to be sharing my notes! It's almost not fair because my last sailing was on Beyond in Nov, and I haven't been on M-class since my first cruise on Infinity in 2009. 

A lot has changed, and I hope more changes when she's Edgeified. 

They still have signage for Crush. Wasn't that the long gone Champagne Bar? Luckily, Martini Bar is still here and is the rocking place to be. Gede is Sr. Flair Artist, or something like that. I met him on my first post-covid cruise on Reflection on Dec 2021. I love the ice bar that Edge-class is missing and the views of the ocean, another thing missing from E-class.

Love that they added a Cellar Masters, and it feels kind of like the S-class Ensemble Lounge - dark, lots of seating, nightly entertainment, on the way to dining. Great spot to people watch and quieter than Rendezvous.

The ship is showing some wear and tear. Obvious rust and feeble attempts to paint over the wear. There was gum or something pink stick to the carpet in my cabin, and the table was not very clean. The linens need a refresh as the bath towels are scratchy, and the sheets and towels have stains. The blue and white tile looks very, very dated and dirty (remember I just came from the marble glory of Beyond), and the attacking shower curtain is ever present. 

Of bigger concern to me was that when I got to my room there were no papers. No Captains Club event and benefit listing, none of my shore excursion tickets, no tote bag, nothing. At first, I thought maybe they delivered excursion tickets the night before the event since times could change, as they did yesterday, and maybe the CC events were cut. But, no. The helpful shorex people printed all my tickets for me. Guest relations was able to find the CC events.

At dinner night two, a woman said that she found half a bottle of open wine in the fridge, the bath was out of shower gel, and she discovered a pack of condoms in the nightstand. Service has slipped.

Service issues (at least mine) have been minor inconveniences that have been resolved. As a ship, she's just showing her age, but aren't we all? I've gained knowledge and stories over my years, and oh, the stories Infinity could tell. Maybe it is best to just paint over some of those and carry on. 

9 hours ago, chilliano said:

Loving your reports!  
 

dang, if you are a Buckeye fan, it was a tough loss the other night.  They dominated the game but lost by a point.  😞. 
 

back to better, more interesting cruise talk!

 

enjoy!

Heartbreaker of a loss, but at least xichigan lost. 😜 I'm an alumni of Georgia, too, so Go Dawgs!  

Dinner! Wowza! 

Had a lovely chat with the woman surviving the Select Dining people without reservations. (I came back to fix this autocorrect error, but it is too good as is. I meant seating, not surviving! 😂)  I wanted to dine alone tonight. "Oh, a romantic table for 1? " Me: "Haha, YES, I deserve it." Careful what you joke about...center stage, bottom of the grand staircase!  Tomorrow night if I get this table, I will ask to sit with my back to the steps facing out presiding over the MDR! Royal wave! 😜

Sommelier no where to be found. The waiter, assistant waiter, and maître d' all attempted to send a sommelier over to my table. Finally, at the last bite of my appetizer, he arrived. He

recommended a pinot noir with the seafood orzo.

Entree looked nice. Overcooked. The squid was like eating a rubber band and the orzo was gummy. Ugh, I know better than to order pasta! 

But, tonight is my favorite dessert night. I get to eat a decadent dessert and apparently be healthy. I thought this was a typo on Eclipse years ago, but it's always here. Chocolate lava cake, caramelized bananas, coffee ice cream, and caramel with a green check mark indicating Fit Fare! YES! I can have two! It's healthy, right? Must be the bananas. 😂

Alas, bubble burst when there was no lava. Womp, womp. Tastes great, but not the expectation.

Eka at Cellar Masters has not disappointed me yet, so I'm off to compose my notes on the room, ship, and service so far at Cellar Masters.

If I lose wifi, I'll see you on the other side...literally.

1 hour ago, gizmodog said:

May I ask your thoughts on the ship? Also is the evening buffet cut quite a bit in food? Is there a room service fee?

Working on my ship notes so far tonight over a glass (or glasses?) of Cattier at Cellar Masters. 😉🥂

I've only recently discovered the joy of Oceanview for dinner, so I can't do much of a comparison. Anything you're looking for? 

There is indeed a fee for room service, except for the Continental breakfast. I only ordered room service on early excursion days, so it's not a big deal for me, but I'm not thrilled with the string of cutbacks and added fees.

Puerto Montt! 

Today, I took the Petrohue Falls and Chilean Lake District shore excursion. Tendering went very smoothly, at least for those on excursions. Of course, I heard the grumbling of those waiting behind the excursions to join their private tours.

The weather changes so fast! It was partly cloudy at 8:30, completely overcast looking like it could rain at 9:40, and sunny with blue skies by 11:30. Fantastic day! 

We drove out to Petrohue Falls and had an hour to explore. The biggest flies I've ever seen and they bite. Didn't take away from the magnitude and beauty of the park. You could see Volcano Orsono and Volcano Calbuco (I think). Tip: The restrooms at the park are well maintained, but there is no toilet paper in the stalls. There are large dispensers on the wall as you walk in. Luckily, I had tissues in my pocket! Oh, and the restrooms are free. There are a few shops for souvenirs and Chilean crafts.

Lunch in Ensenada. Eh, it was okay. Salmon with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The Chilean bread with a spicy dipping sauce and carmenere were delicious.

Quick stop for another view and photo opp with Orsono

Then, to Puerto Varas for more views of Volcano Orsono and Lago Llanquihue and shopping. Gotta get those souvenirs! 

Fun fact: Many of the houses are clad in larch wood siding. It's a day growing tree and it's wood is lightweight and root resistant. You also see the German influence everywhere.

7 hours ago, prmssk said:

Does the menu mention any details about the lobster on the night the first it is complimentary?  The reason I'm asking is the menu they were testing on Royal with the same change listed a Maine Lobster instead of the small warm water ones cruise lines usually serve in the MDR.  I personally would rather one better Maine Lobster over multiple smaller warm water lobsters.

Here is what the app shows. I'm on Day 3, so I'll reply with more info in a week, if I learn more. Looks to be the usual offering, though. Also, this notice only appears on MDR menu. Blu doesn't mention a limit.

I'm on Infinity now. There's a note on the menu that one complimentary lobster dinner will be offered on sailings of 7+ nights. There's an additional charge of $16.99 + 18% gratuity for extra lobster. Not to say this won't move to "always extra," but at least I get one! (I'll post a picture of the details when I have better internet.)

Okay. Yesterday was a roller coaster, and I thought the rolling wouldn't start until we were at sea! 

The day started beautifully. I ventured up to the rooftop bar for morning pictures of San Cristóbal Hill to complement the sunset ones from the night before.

Then, I met up with Jan from the Roll Call for our shared transport to Valparaiso with a stop for a winery tour and lunch at Casas del Bosque on the Casablanca region. It was a lovely drive, fantastic tour and tasting with Christopher, lunch at Tanino, and then the rest of the drive to the port.

That's where things got rocky. You probably saw my earlier post of the 1.5 hour line to check in. I don't know why this is so difficult. My last cruise in Nov out of Fort Lauderdale had tech issues, too. At least there, they had Celebrity staff with water. Here, it was hot and noisy with little info as to why there was such a delay.

We were delayed departing Valparaiso for 3 hours. That, combined with weather overnight is delaying our arrival into Puerto Montt by 2 hours. Thankfully, they've extended our stay for 2 hours as well, so no missed port time! 

59 minutes ago, Beachlover1989 said:

Looks like a long line.  So you had to take a shuttle AFTER you checked in at the port??

Yes. Valparaiso is a commercial port. Very easy, though. Go through the metal detectors, out the door, and onto the bus that dropped us off at the ramp to board the ship. They had 3 or 4 buses running the loop, so there was no wait. We've been told the same will happen when we disembark in BA.

Really wanted that glass of welcome sparkling wine after scaling the ramp, but that appears to have been eliminated. I don't recall it on my Nov Beyond cruise either. 

Never fear, the Martini Bar was open! 🍸😃