Puerto Williams: new Antarctica port

[FauxNom]

I just noticed that many of the Explorer Antarctica cruises will begin and end in Puerto Williams, rather than Ushuaia. Does anyone have intel on this?

 

Editing to answer my own question: https://cruisereport.com/cruise-industry-news/puerto-williams-as-new-departure-port?fbclid=IwAR126-GqOH21EREHVmYbinYQ_m3tx-l_n9N4egLjtvqla7zKf3kA75F2Ckg.  

Edited April 29, 2021 by FauxNom

[caradara]

We're on the Valparaiso to Ushuaia (now Puerto Williams) Oct. 29, 2021 and received a letter from Silversea.  There will be a charter flight from Puerto Williams to Santiago at the end.  So that will be the start of the Antarctica season and it avoids Argentina.

I really hope that this cruise goes.  It's the opposite of the one that you took that ended early with the pandemic start.  It's the finish of the Guayaquil to Valparaiso one that we took when you did.

[Host Jazzbeau]

From Cruise Industry News:

Silversea to Homeport in Puerto Williams for Silver Explorer's Antarctica Cruises

[FauxNom]

2 hours ago, caradara said:

We're on the Valparaiso to Ushuaia (now Puerto Williams) Oct. 29, 2021 and received a letter from Silversea.  There will be a charter flight from Puerto Williams to Santiago at the end.  So that will be the start of the Antarctica season and it avoids Argentina.

I really hope that this cruise goes.  It's the opposite of the one that you took that ended early with the pandemic start.  It's the finish of the Guayaquil to Valparaiso one that we took when you did.

I wish you luck! It is a great itinerary--at least the parts we got to experience 🙂 Sticking to one country seems like a very good idea at this point, so it seems like your chances are good. And then you'll have bragging rights to basically covering the entire Pacific coast of South American. How cool that would be!

[Fletcher]

Looks like a clever idea  from Silversea.  Puerto Williams is principally a naval base with 2 or 3 basic hotels.

[taxatty]

"As part of Silversea's all-inclusive Antarctica package, guests will depart from a private terminal in Santiago, Chile, on an exclusive lunchtime flight reserved only for Silversea guests to Puerto Williams -- with extra legroom and additional baggage allowance enhancing the journey. Escorted by a Silversea representative during this personalized and enriched in-flight experience, guests will enjoy a set of gourmet experiences inspired by S.A.L.T., Silversea's immersive new culinary program. Upon arrival in Puerto Williams, guests will not need to clear customs; instead, they will enjoy a quick transfer that will whisk them directly to the pier to embark Silver Explorer. " This sounds like a much better experience than the Ushuaia transfers and flights SS uses.

[etual324]

1 hour ago, taxatty said:

"As part of Silversea's all-inclusive Antarctica package, guests will depart from a private terminal in Santiago, Chile, on an exclusive lunchtime flight reserved only for Silversea guests to Puerto Williams -- with extra legroom and additional baggage allowance enhancing the journey. Escorted by a Silversea representative during this personalized and enriched in-flight experience, guests will enjoy a set of gourmet experiences inspired by S.A.L.T., Silversea's immersive new culinary program. Upon arrival in Puerto Williams, guests will not need to clear customs; instead, they will enjoy a quick transfer that will whisk them directly to the pier to embark Silver Explorer. " This sounds like a much better experience than the Ushuaia transfers and flights SS uses.

Hope changes for a trips our Wind trip is from Ushia

[kimanjo]

31 minutes ago, etual324 said:

Hope changes for a trips our Wind trip is from Ushia

I read up on the airport  there.  Few items.  Puerto Williams is 24 nautical miles from Ushuaia.The border is the middle of the Beagle Channel?  Runway is 4700 feet long. One airline Aerovias DAP ( charters)?   I think DAP flies BAe 146-200 /Avro RJ85/100.  Maybe seats up to 146 ??   Not sure of exact passenger capacity.  If that is  the largest aircraft flying, I think that would explain why the Explorer would be the sailings that use Puerto Williams.  I think the Wind and the Cloud have too many pax.  

[OlsSalt]

For Explorer passengers: about a three hour flight, from Santiago, Chile to Puerto Williams, Chile

[Lirio]

Vaccine in Chile is far advanced than in Argentina.

[Stumblefoot]

8 hours ago, taxatty said:

This sounds like a much better experience than the Ushuaia transfers and flights SS uses.

Boy, no doubt!  I wish we had that option instead of the LAN cattle carrier we were on out of Santiago in January, 2020.

[jpalbny]

On 4/30/2021 at 10:20 PM, Stumblefoot said:

Boy, no doubt!  I wish we had that option instead of the LAN cattle carrier we were on out of Santiago in January, 2020.

 

Yeah I know. Not exactly a luxurious flight.

 

And I won't even mention our neighbors across the aisle... 😉

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by jpalbny

[Stumblefoot]

7 hours ago, jpalbny said:

And I won't even mention our neighbors across the aisle... 😉

 

Could you imagine if we had known about Covid-19 at that time, what with all of the coughing, regardless if there was a handkerchief involved, or not?