South America/Antarctica on the Infinity

[brazilgirl]

This is a tale of tempests , missed ports , mayhem and raw beauty.

Where to begin? Buenos Aires , of course , the city of tango , classic architecture and succulent meat. Our cruise was to leave on January 31st , so we decided to arrive a bit early and take advantage of this lovely city.

As our family lives near São Paulo , our flight from GRU (São Paulo´s International airport) to EZE (BA´s international airport) was a mere 2 hours and 40 minutes. Our kids were thrilled , as they are used to 11 hour flights! We arrived Thursday afternoon , giving us most of Thursday , Friday and Saturday to explore the city and Sunday would be our day to embark on the Infinity.

We opted to stay in the Palermo district , a hip part of BA. It is filled with chic boutique hotels , cute shops and delicious restaurants. We chose a hotel called Vain - there are only 15 rooms , so a lot of personalized attention. The decor at Vain is lovely and the made to order breakfast is amazing.

Our hotel:

Thursday afternoon , we relaxed and later went to the beautiful Abastos Shopping Mall , where there is a wonderful interactive museum for kids. I highly recommend this activity for those with kids under 12.

Friday , we visited the lovely zoo in Palermo. a sweltering day , but very enjoyable. In the evening , we ate at "La Cabrera" , a mecca for beef lovers. Great atmosphere , Malbec and juicy steaks.

Saturday , we did the touristy El Caminito and Recoleta Cemetary. We had a lot of fun. The kids loved the cemetary. At night we hired a babysitter and went out to Osaka , a Peruvian/ Japanese fusion restaurant which offers a truly unforgettable dining experience. One of my favorite meals ever. Both restaurants mentioned require reservations.

Some images of Buenos Aires....

Coming soon - January 31st- Embarkation on the Infinity.

Edited February 18, 2010 by brazilgirl

[brazilgirl]

Sunday , January 31st

 

Destination , Infinity....

 

We had had hot , clear weather since our arrival. However , rain was the forecast for Sunday and the weather people were right!

 

We woke up , had a leisurely breakfast and finished up our packing. We arranged a pick up through the hotel for 1:30 , as we wanted to arrive around 2 and avoid the long lines and rush of noon.

 

We arrived at the port and were immediately confronted with a huge line of dripping people , standing in the rain with their luggage. We got into line ( backtrack- our group consisted of myself , DH , 3 kids ages 6 through 12 , and my best childhood friend , Amy).We chatted and waited to get into the terminal , which took quite a while.

 

We finally arrived in the terminal , filled our luggage tags and health forms and got in the embarkation lines. This was our third Celebrity cruise , the others being a Baltic cruise on the Constellation and a Med cruise on the Summit. This check in process was by far the most chaotic and slow and I noticed several passengers getting quite frustrated.

 

We tried to be patient and soon , we were on the ship! Yeah! We went straight to our staterooms to store our carry-ons and explore. We were fortunate enought to be in a FV corner aft stateroom (7202) , which is perfect for our family. We had one on the Baltic cruise also (7199) and I found the Infinity´s to be in better shape overall.

 

My friend Amy had a CC stateroom right next to us -7200 , which was very convinient.

 

We went up to the buffet for a quick lunch , went to the muster drill (which took a long time because of a medical emergency) and then went out on our enormous balcony for sailaway , with a bottle of champagne.

 

We had great stateroom attendents , Michael and Everett...we really liked them. Our waitstaff was also exceptional . we had a lovely table by a window (5477) and we we served by Alexis and Jackie. Truly ourstanding team.

 

More later...gotta go to work!

[brazilgirl]

We are now aboard , and supposedly headed for the the Falkland Islands.

 

Our original schedule had us leaving on Sunday , the 31st. We were to have 2 sea days before our arrival at the Falklands. We had a wonderful private tour arranged with the notable Patrick Watts to visit Volunteer Point , which is famous for the King Penguins.

 

Our first 2 days at sea were lovely , albeit the first was a bit rough. My middle son , who is the only one really prone to motion sickness , got sick the first morning of our cruise. I chose to speak to the ship´s doctor , as I knew that this particular cruise was going to be rough , because of the infamous Drake´s Passage.. I from then on medicated him daily with Dramamine. The first day we all had to get our sea legs , as there was quite a bit of rocking.

 

One afternoon (I believe it was the second) , we were at the MDR for a lucious brunch , and we saw a group of about 10 dolphins cavorting right outside the window. Thrilling! By the way , we had 2 sea day brunchs during the cruise , which are not to be missed. they are scheduled from 10 to 1 , and are simply wonderful.

 

Our second sea day presented itself with nice weather. We opted to have dinner delivered to our balcony.We had a delicious dinner from the MDR delivered. The room service was the only real service issue on the ship. I had had outstanding room service on the Constellation , and I felt the Infinity was less organized and slow in this aspect.

 

Sadly , we got an announcement that our stop at the Falklands was cancelled due to weather issues. I was really disappointed as the Falklands were on the top of my list. However , I knew that this was a possibility , as the Falklands are notorious for their weather problems. I heard a lot of grumbling on board.

 

We later received an announcement that we would have an additional day in Antarctica due to the cancellation of the Falklands , visiting Elephant Island , Deception Island , as well as Paradise Bay and Gerlache Strait. 3 days of viewing instead of 2 -yeah , as Antarctica , was of course the main reason for the cruise. But , little did we know , more problems were on the horizon...to be cont.

[helpmesailaway]

I am really enjoying your trip report. I look forward to reading the next chapter!

 

Sorry you missed the Falklands - you will just have to try again:)

[brazilgirl]

Thank you for your kind input! I still have the Falklands on my "to do " list....

 

We were all ready and eager for our 3 (!) days on Antarctica. Then , the dreaded ding dong and the loudspeaker came on....along with the announcement that because of a low pressure front , high winds , strong waves and ice , Antarctica was cancelled , at least for the time being and that we needed to wait for further information.

 

Please bear in mind that this particular cruise was not your typical "Caribbean, Fun in the Sun" type cruise. Ports are substituted , cancelled , etc ...all the time . Let´s be frank...although the Caribbean Islands each have their unique attractions , they all are pretty much about beaches , blue skies and rum. This cruise was all about destination...Antarctica. People choose this cruise for that reason . We can all argue about the cruise contract and cancelled ports , but people were very , very disappointed and upset.

 

This cruise was by far the cruise with the greatest mix of nationalites I have ever been on. Large groups of Germans, Indians , Russians , Koreans , South Americans....a really fascinating array of passengers. People flew from all over for the purpose of seeing "The White Continent". After the announcement , the frustration was palpable.

 

What was my own perspective? I , of course felt incredibly sad too. I had prepared my children for months for our visit , reading about the fauna and geography of the continent. My kids knew about Shackleton and we had talked about the different kinds of icebergs...My youngest , Nicholas , who is 6 , would wake up every day on the cruise and ask "Are we in Antarctica yet?". So , you can imagine our feelings as a family.

 

However , because I was with my 3 kids , safety was also a huge priority. Before embarking , I had read up on the dangers of large passenger ships in the Antarctic region. I was totally aware that the weather was extemely unpredictable and that hidden growlers ( submerged icebergs) were a dangerous reality that demanded good visibility for those steering the ship. Therefore , I was confident that Captain Michail Margaritis had made the right decision.

 

Conclusion-6 sea days in a row...and a big question mark.Would we get to see Antarctica?

 

to be cont...

[BrendaInToronto]

Brazilgirl,

 

I am loving your trip report and waiting with bated breath. My DH and I are on the exact same cruise, but we're scheduled for January 30, 2011! You're absolutely right, the reason for this cruise is to get a rare chance to see Antarctica. We've been on vacation the past week and this is my first time on a computer since last Sunday so I haven't read any trip reports yet from that cruise, yours is the first. Fingers are crossed that you made it to Antarctica.......

[brazilgirl]

The decision was made to totally redo our itinerary and to make an attempt to visit Antarctica later in the cruise if the weather conditions permitted.

 

Mind you , we had already gone through the dreaded Drake´s Passage and were actually pretty darn close to Antarctica...but the Captain felt ( rightly so ) that the trip just could not be now.

 

I am not one of those terribly experienced cruisers...I cruise for the ports. I love traveling and I have found that with 3 kids and innumerous suitcases , that cruising offers a practical and pleasant alternative. In my limited cruise experience , I have cruised the Caribbean a couple of times , the Med/ Adriatic/Aegean Seas and the Baltic region.

 

None of these experiences came close to the unique , exhilirating and unpredictable opportunity of sailing around the Horn , through Drake´s Passage , and along the South American coast. All the crew (many very experienced /20 years plus on cruise ships) said that the weather/ waves were like nothing else on earth. I must admit I was a bit nervous before leaving , but I found it all quite exciting. Very primal. One evening ( the 11th night , if I am not mistaken) , the waves / wind / weather were so brutal that no one got any sleep all night ...I mean at least 10 hours of bashing , banging , tilting , crashing....Really a wild ride.People mentioned 27 foot waves ( I am not sure what the biggest was ). My children slept threw the night , not sure how.Many crew members expressed fear and discomfort. i know this cruise was hard for them , due to the fact that of the 14 days , we ultimately only had 3 port days.

 

I digress....We are now on day 6...no land for 6 days.The Captain had decided to visit Cape Horn today ( around 1) and then tomorrow , visit Ushuaia ( translation=steping off the ship...). We arrived at Cape Horn for viewing at the appointed time , to calm seas.

 

It was very pretty-a rugged beauty. To tell you the truth , I would have rather had an additional port day , if feasible.

 

Cape Horn

 

2 of my boys and I at Cape Horn.

 

More later....

Edited February 20, 2010 by brazilgirl

[gregdude]

Brazilgirl,

You have such a great attitude and way of telling a story. I have gotten so much information from your previous posts that I feel well prepared for my upcoming cruise out of Rio on the Veendam in early March. Unfortunately we will only being as far south as BA, but will then turn north and go down the Amazon. Next year I may do the Cape Horn cruise (but have to build up the nerve!).

 

You have a great looking family! Can't wait to read the how the rest of your trip went.

[brazilgirl]

Thank you so much ! If you have any further questions about Brazil , I am at your service.

Kim

[Christine Frances]

Wonderful reading!! It's like being there. I also love your pictures. Can't wait to hear more.

Cheers

Christine

[brazilgirl]

We left off with an angry mob and Cape Horn...the next morning , Saturday the 7th , was to be our first step on land since Sunday´s embarkation. The Captain had moved up our visit to Ushuaia.

 

What a wise Captain. We arrived early . I went out onto our balcony and was greeted by the most beautiful sunrise reflecting on the water.

 

 

This sunrise brought with it a perfect day. Really. Tomorrow I´ll tell that story.

[brazilgirl]

Ushuaia

 

Months ahead of time , I´d researched all the alternatives for tours in this port. I decided to contact the firm "Canal Fun" , which specializes in unique experiences tailored to your individual needs.

 

It was an excellent choice. We were picked up in a van and promptly taken to the marina , where we embarked on our little motor boat , the Rosaura. Our guide was Frederico , an outdoorsy , well spoken young man and our boat "captain" was Beto , a former Olympian!

 

We cruised down the Beagle Channel , to the traditional Isla de los Lobos , a reserve which protects sea lions , seals and sea birds and to see the famous Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. We got very close to the wildlife.

 

 

Nicholas and Captain Beto

 

We then continued down the channel , exploring nooks and crannies . There was no one else in sight . We saw a great sunken ship (lot of shipwrecks in this area.)

 

 

We then stopped at Martillo Island , a penguin reserve. A stunning setting , with majestic mountains in the bakdrop. We saw Gentoos , Magellenic Penguins , and one single , solitary King , who nobody knows how got there.

 

The solitary King and a friend

 

 

Martillo Island

 

 

Have to go to lunch , will finish reliving this wonderful day later.

[dileep]

This is a tale of tempests , missed ports , mayhem and raw beauty.

 

Found this review written by one of your fellow travellers

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63449

 

Now I can see what you mean in your opening post! Looking forward to the rest of your story!

Edited February 21, 2010 by dileep

[brazilgirl]

Dileep-

 

I had already read this fantastic review..so well written! It was fun to read someone else´s perspective of our voyage!

 

After visiting Martillo Island , we motored along to the famous Estancia Haberton. it was the first ranch founded in Tierra de Fuego (1886) and it is a national historical monument. It is visually stunning.

 

The tour operators at Canal Fun have an agreement with the owners of the Estancia , and we were allowed to have a picnic in a closed off meadow , with views of the mountains , water and pebbly beach. The tour guide had brought surprisingly delicious lunches with salami , cheese , sandwiches , brownies and Malbec wine for the adults.

It was so lovely.

 

 

a ranch building

 

 

picnic

 

 

part of the estancia

 

After our picnic , we left our boat behind and drove back to Ushuaia in a minivan , going through the forest. This way , we were offered to perspectives of the area , by land and water. Back in the town , we finished the afternoon having tea and doing some shopping on San Martin Street ( a duty free zone). Highly enjoyable.

 

We tendered back to the ship , tired and satisfied.

We had a sea day next in a second attempt to get us back to Antarctica.

Edited February 21, 2010 by brazilgirl

[brazilgirl]

We are now on day 8 , having visited one port (Ushuaia) and having viewed Cape Horn on day 6.

 

Day 9 is the target , Antarctica. So much has been changed and gone wrong that frankly , I didn´t expect us to make it. We were in the midst of such unstable weather systems and we had had so many problems that I wasn´t really letting myself hope.

 

I am an optimist by nature. I tend to look for the positive , but I had resigned myself to trying to enjoy life on board as much as possible and let my expectations lie low. Day 8 presented itself with "weather" again , winds and waves that had become our "new normal". So day 9 , Antarctica didn´t look so good. We heard the dreaded "ding dong dang" telling us not to go out on deck etc.

 

But sometimes, luck is on your side. On day 9 , my husband woke up and looked outside around 4:30 and called to me- "Kim , I can see icebergs....". I literally ran outside and sure enough , there they were. Trying not to sound excessively corny , I got tears in my eyes. My husband told me to get back to sleep for a bit more , but there was NO way I was going to. I sat out on our balcony , contemplating the sunrise as we headed into Paradise Bay.

 

 

While sitting out in the quiet silence , I saw a whale right next to our balcony (Aft FV7202). So close , I hollered for the children. They ran out , like Christmas morning , in their pyjamas. By then it was 5 ish , so I got them dressed and we went up on deck.

 

I live in Brazil , today it is over 100 degrees. In other words , we aren´t used to the cold. The weather at 5 a.m in Antarctica was incredible. The first hour and a half on desck , we had no need for hats or gloves. It was crisp , sure...but there was no wind at this time and we were comfortable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am trying to use more images than words to convey this wonderous place. It is impossible to find adjectives to describe such perfection . Pristine , untouched , splendid, awe-inspiring. No words can come close to capturing the contrasting , varied shades of blues and whites ( who knew there are so many shades of white?).

[brazilgirl]

Penguins on a berg

 

 

 

My daughter ( I love this photo!)

 

We saw seals , penguins swimming through the water and on icebergs and humpback whales. As the morning swiftly past and we headed out of the Bay and into the Gerlache Strait , the wind picked out and it became more difficult to stay out on deck. We sought out the shelter of our aft balcony , which offered protection from the wind. We took our mugs of hot chocolate and enjoyed the peace of seeing no pollution , cars , building , man....

 

 

I am going to add one more photo , of an expedition ship that was "accompanying" us in Antarctica. It helps have a notion of the scale of the Antarctic beauty.

 

.

 

As we left Antarctica , I felt so blessed. What an incredible gift to be able to see the one place on earth that man hasn´t altered. There are rumors that the large cruise ships will be banned from Antarctica by 2011 , due to environmental and safety concern , making this gift all the more special.

 

My kids can´t stop talking about Antarctica and I know I´ll never forget it.

 

Next..Patagonia/Puerto Madryn.

[brazilgirl]

We last left off in Antarctica , headed now for Puerto Madryn . 2 sea days (Considering the fact that we have only gotten off the ship in Ushuaia , we have been on the ship for 10 days.)

 

Once again , we get an announcement to be prepared for rough seas and bad weather. The Captain has announced a change in our route in order to avoid the worst part of the storm ( this change would affect our arrival and departure time in Port Madryn- arrival and departure would be later by an hour).

 

Even with this change , we hit a really wild storm , the worst of the trip. My balcony chairs (on deck 7) were flung to the front of of the balcony ...don´t know if was the motion our a wave. Waves were 27/30 feet high and I can´t tell you what the wind force was...it looked like movies of the ocean during a hurricane. Unforgettable to say the least...we didn´t sleep , as this lasted all night.

 

Once in Puerto Madryn , we were met by Felicity , the naturalist who would be accompanying us on our visit to the Peninsula Valdes. We headed in our van to the nature center , where we bought some water , looked at the nice exhibits and then we went on our away to Punta Norte. Punta Norte is the home of sea lions and the giant elephant seals. However , February isn´t the best month to view the elephant seals. We saw a few , along with lots of baby seals. Our favorite part of this portion of the trip was the friendly armadillo which lives in the parking area.

 

 

 

We also saw several herds of guanacos during the trip.

 

 

After visiting Punta Norte , we drove to the Estancia San Lorenzo , which has a famous Patagonian barbecue and a penguin rookery . Because of issues of a flakey travel company , with which I had done my reservations ( far ahead of time I might add) , we almost didn´t get into the rookery and we did not get to have lunch.

 

The rookery was fascinating . Our naturalist gave us amazing details about the penguins. They were so close , we could have just picked one up. The landscape of this area of Patagonia is arid , with low brush , no trees and high winds. There are many sheep being raised in this area. It is rather barren , but ruggedly beautiful in its own way.

 

 

 

 

My family with the penguins.

 

 

It was an interesting day , which required some patience , as a bus broke down on the only road leading out of the rookery. We were forced to wait quite a while to get out , spoiling our plans to visit the city of Puerto Madryn and to have lunch. However , the interaction with the penguins made up for all this.

 

Last day.. Montevideo coming next.

Edited February 23, 2010 by brazilgirl

[janecambridge]

Hi Kim

We left on the same voyage a few days after you on Princess Star. We were exceptionally fortunate with the weather and all our ports of call. So sorry you missed The Falklands. We were thrilled to get onto these beautiful islands.

I hope the rest of the trip went well.

[brazilgirl]

Jane-

 

I am jealous!I so wanted to visit the Falklands. But , even with our "mishaps" , we had a unforgettable and wonderful experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to finish this novel up today! So , we are now at our last port , Montevideo (Uruguay). A nice city , with an intriguing port area. Lots of stunning architecture in the Ciudad Vieja (old city) , which is undergoing renovation. It has a delapidated , decandent look which is charming. The day was hot , and we explored a bit in the morning. We did some shopping , as there were many nice handicrafts. We then opted to lunch at the Mercado Del Puerto , which is famous for the "parrillas" ...barbecues.

 

 

After a great lunch , the kids headed back to the ship and I set out on my own to explore a more of the area. I saw majestic squares , visited a museum of decorative arts , went to an antique market ( bought a nice cameo) and visited the cathedral. Several times I was literally the only soul on the deserted streets , which was a bit disconcerting. However , I´d frequently run into "tourist police" , who seemed to be doing a good job.

 

details

 

 

Palace of Decorative Arts

 

Cathedral Patio

 

As the ship sailed away from Montevideo , we swam in the outdoor pools (first and only time! ) and listened to the band.

 

We arrived in Buenos Aires the next morning. We had a 1:30 flight back home. We left the ship at 9 (smooth) and came out to face the chaotic Buenos Aires terminal. It was the first time in my life I wished I had hired the Celebrity transfer to the airport ( $27 per person). We were met with enormous lines for taxis and a taxi mafia charging absurd rates.

 

We ended up paying the taxi mob pins ( with 3 kids and 6 suitcases....)and had a smooth and uneventful ride to the airport , with plenty of time to spare for our flight.

 

My last installment will discuss the ship specific aspects 9 not itinerary-speciality dining , entertainment , Fun Factory...and that will be a wrap!

 

Kim

__________________

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry , but by demonstrating that all people laugh , cry, eat , worry and die , it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other , we may even become friends." Maya Angelou

[Nonna and Papa]

Hi Kim,

 

I really enjoyed reading your review and was appreciative for your perspective on your sailing, especially after hearing so many different accounts of the Jan. 31 cruise. We just returned from the Feb. 14 sailing, and know how fortunate we were to be able to experience all that we did.

 

Mary

[brazilgirl]

Thank you Mary ,

 

I was glad to hear that your cruise went so well...I bit jealous! Ha! I´d love to read about your experiences. Did any of the crew comment on the difficulties we experienced?

I´d love to hear their perspective.

 

Kim

[Nonna and Papa]

Kim,

 

The crew was very circumspect regarding questions about the Jan. 31 cruise. I have no doubt that they may have been instructed not to say too much. The officers had slightly more to comment about, and that was mainly that there was much disappointment on board because of the weather limiting port access and visibility.

 

We were told of a serious passenger problem (could it have been the folks put off in Ushuaia), when we chcked out of our hotel in BA. There were two women checking into the hotel as we were leaving, who talked about a near riot on board, and people complaining that Celebrity chose to change the itinerary so that the passengers couldn't get off the ship and had to spend more money on board! We weren't sure, as we left to drive to the ship, what we were heading into!!

 

The cruise director mentioned that at the end of the cruise, another Cruise Critic gathering was held and a passenger spoke to a friend who lives on the Falkland Islands. This friend told the passenger that there was no way that the ship could have made port in Stanley because of the weather at that time. When related to the gathering at the party, we were told that this seemed to help with the passenger disappointment/anger.

 

All the passengers on our cruise felt so badly for all of you on the previous cruise and kept mentioning how fortunate we all were to have had such beautiful weather conditions. No one on our cruise took our good luck for granted, I can assure you.

 

Mary

[CruzinNoony]

Kim-Thank you so much for the great review. We are thinking about going on the Star Princess Dec. 20, 2010 for a 20 day SA, including Antartica. You mentioned Feb. wasn't a good month for the Elephant Seals in Ushuaia. When is the good season? :rolleyes:

[northwoods2]

We last left off in Antarctica , headed now for Puerto Madryn . 2 sea days (Considering the fact that we have only gotten off the ship in Ushuaia , we have been on the ship for 10 days.)

 

 

Once in Puerto Madryn , we were met by Felicity , the naturalist who would be accompanying us on our visit to the Peninsula Valdes. We headed in our van to the nature center , where we bought some water , looked at the nice exhibits and then we went on our away to Punta Norte. Punta Norte is the home of sea lions and the giant elephant seals. However , February isn´t the best month to view the elephant seals. We saw a few , along with lots of baby seals. Our favorite part of this portion of the trip was the friendly armadillo which lives in the parking area.

 

 

 

We also saw several herds of guanacos during the trip.

 

 

After visiting Punta Norte , we drove to the Estancia San Lorenzo , which has a famous Patagonian barbecue and a penguin rookery . Because of issues of a flakey travel company , with which I had done my reservations ( far ahead of time I might add) , we almost didn´t get into the rookery and we did not get to have lunch.

 

The rookery was fascinating . Our naturalist gave us amazing details about the penguins. They were so close , we could have just picked one up. The landscape of this area of Patagonia is arid , with low brush , no trees and high winds. There are many sheep being raised in this area. It is rather barren , but ruggedly beautiful in its own way.

 

 

 

 

My family with the penguins.

 

 

It was an interesting day , which required some patience , as a bus broke down on the only road leading out of the rookery. We were forced to wait quite a while to get out , spoiling our plans to visit the city of Puerto Madryn and to have lunch. However , the interaction with the penguins made up for all this.

 

Last day.. Montevideo coming next.

 

 

 

Brazilgirl - who did you book your tour with?

Was it a private tour for just your family?

[brazilgirl]

Yes , it was a private tour just for our family .We had an air conditioned van and driver , as well as a naturalist just for us.

 

We booked the tour through douglas.arg@gmail.com However , there were some glitches and I would not give him my wholehearted recommendation. But , I would highly recommend going on a private tour , as we had a much richer experience I believe , than those in the huge groups with few guides.

 

Kim