Buckeye94 as LIVE as I can be: Infinity 2 Jan 2023 Patagonia and Argentina

[hawkesbaynz]

Following too as we do a similar cruise in February on Oceania (adding Antarctica & Falklands). We usually sail X and are looking forward to our first M class next year (The Millenium).
 

Who did you book the Iguaza Falls for the day with? 
 

All our tours are private with mainly Toursbylocals. The O tours were really expensive. 

[Barwick Cruiser]

I’ll def be following as well. This itinerary is on my bucket list for sure so any details you provide will be most helpful! I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time and because you’re sailing solo I imagine you’ll meet so many future friends! Have fun! 
 

[cameronp12]

Following as this is a bucket list itinerary for us! Also, we will be on the Infinity in April for her first Spain & Portugal cruise after she crosses over to Europe, so excited to know how she is looking. Thanks!

[mchell810]

@Buckeye94  I am thinking of doing this trip for 2024 or 2-25 so really looking forward to your posts; especially as I will likely be solo.   Enjoy!

[Lastdance]

I am here for all the information, as haven't done this cruise yet.  Thanks for sharing your time with us!

[gizmodog]

So excited to hear about the ship

[Buckeye94]

¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 

 

I made it to Santiago! First note for those who are considering this itinerary. If you are in Santiago for NYE reserve your NYE dinner/event early, and pack carefully. Very few stores were open yesterday, banks were closed, and many restaurants were booked or closed. Today, is a national holiday, so my winery tour booked almost a year ago was cancelled (months ago so not a surprise, just a disappointment). Very, very few restaurants outside of hotels are open.

 

But, that didn't stop me from having a wonderful day. I'm staying at Solace Hotel Santiago https://solacehotel.cl/santiago/ in the Providencia area. Nice spot near the embassies, shopping (any other time of the year), and restaurants. Today, I walked to the Sculpture Park.   https://santiagochile.com/parque-de-las-esculturas/  Peaceful outdoor setting with lots of benches and shade. Each sculpture had a marker with a QR code to learn more about the piece and artist. Fascinating! 

 

Food! 

Yesterday, I had lunch at Lomit's (https://lomitsrestaurant.com/) which was featured by Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods. Kind of bizarre, but not outrageous, I enjoyed the chacarera which is pork loin with tomatoes, peppers, and shredded green beans. It was delicious, and so was the pisco sour.

 

Today, I ate at the pizza place I had hoped to try last night (https://www.lapizzanostra.cl/). I enjoyed a beer from Punta Arenas as a preview to the days ahead.

 

Both restaurants accepted debit cards. Not sure about credit cards. Yelp only listed debit and my Spanish failed me on this subject. I had heard that BA favored debit cards, so I opened one with a limited balance before I left home.

 

Fun fact: Santiago closes some main streets every Sunday for recreation. Bikes, runners, families out enjoying the day walking down the middle of the road. 

 

Interesting trees:

Edited January 1, 2023 by Buckeye94
Spelling and more pics

[Jim_Iain]

Love the pictures.   Looks like you are having perfect weather.

[Buckeye94]

2 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Love the pictures.   Looks like you are having perfect weather.

As an expert reviewer, a technical question. To share pictures, I added/uploaded them. After I insert pics to my post, can I remove them from uploaded files or are the images in the post linked to the upload?  

 

[$hip to $hore]

Quick question on the information about the QR codes and the need for data to use them - do you have an international data plan, or did you purchase one while you are in Chile? If you purchased one, where did you get yours from. I'm from Canada and our data packages internationally are ridiculous. Likely the highest priced cellular plans on this planet. 

[amcco]

On 12/30/2022 at 8:25 PM, Buckeye94 said:

Re: shore excursions

 

For this cruise, I am sticking with Celebrity excursions for a few reasons. 1) I'm traveling alone really far from home and my Spanish is iffy. 2) Lots of tender ports. 3) Important sailing days between ports. I'd hate to miss the Chilean Fjords and Strait of Magellan because I missed the last tender at Puerto Montt, or sailing around Cape Horn because I was delayed in Ushuaia.

 

I know many people who do independent, and in the Med where ports are close and less meaningful sea days, I do independent. Here, they got me with the peace of mind.

 

More expensive, you bet. Maybe next time. 😀

 

But, yes, I will share my perspective on the excursions. Penguins, 

sea lions, toninas, on my! 😀

 

On 12/30/2022 at 8:08 PM, janabelle61 said:

Julie, Looking forward to following along!  I just booked the reverse of this cruise and will be interested in your port activities and the experience around the horn.  Please enjoy and post when you can.  Jan

I would say for Ushuaia go with Celebrity excursions. We are on the January 14th sailing and we were supposed to be tendered. They wrote a few weeks back and said they now have a spot at the pier and will be tendering Celebrity excursion passengers only between 10-2. Then once docked at 2 everyone else can get off. Not sure what those who have private excursions will do. They are hoping to still be able to tender. 

[amcco]

On 12/31/2022 at 11:09 AM, countess5 said:

 

Following along, been looking at this cruise for the future.  Would be interested from anyone who has visited Iguaza Falls, who they used and how you went abut visiting the falls. 

 

Cheers! 

We are doing three nights before our Antarctic cruise in Iguazu Falls. We booked our flights from home to Iguazu (IGU) which connect in São Paola. We are staying on the Brazilian side. We then fly from Iguazu on the Argentinian side (IGR) to Buenos Aires. We land at the downtown airport so it is only 3 km from our hotel. 
 

We decided to splurge and are staying at the Hotel das Cataratas in the Brazilian National Park. That gets us 24 hour access to the falls so before and after it is open to the public. We booked it 9 months in advance and prices have now more than doubled! We also wanted to stay a few nights with access to get the full moon shots over the falls.  The Gran Melia in the Argentinian National Park has the same privileges and depending on when booking prices are comparable. 
 

I just planned this out on my own. 

[Buckeye94]

34 minutes ago, $hip to $hore said:

Quick question on the information about the QR codes and the need for data to use them - do you have an international data plan, or did you purchase one while you are in Chile? If you purchased one, where did you get yours from. I'm from Canada and our data packages internationally are ridiculous. Likely the highest priced cellular plans on this planet. 

I get slow data, 2G, internationally on my plan. Lomit's offered a copy when they thought I was having problems with the code. I'm sure they'd find a way.

[amcco]

3 hours ago, $hip to $hore said:

Quick question on the information about the QR codes and the need for data to use them - do you have an international data plan, or did you purchase one while you are in Chile? If you purchased one, where did you get yours from. I'm from Canada and our data packages internationally are ridiculous. Likely the highest priced cellular plans on this planet. 

We are probably going to go with Holafly for an eSIM card. Check to see if your phone supports that. It is data only so helps in these situations. 
‘Chose the plan that suits you best and buy your South America eSIM card from our online store. Destinations: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Uruguay.’

$40 USD for 6GB over 15 days. 

[irvington]

Thanks and I'm really looking forward to this. I am really interested in the itinerary and also the experience of cruising solo. (I think I may try a solo cruise for my 60th birthday.)

[$hip to $hore]

2 hours ago, amcco said:

We are probably going to go with Holafly for an eSIM card. Check to see if your phone supports that. It is data only so helps in these situations. 
‘Chose the plan that suits you best and buy your South America eSIM card from our online store. Destinations: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Uruguay.’

$40 USD for 6GB over 15 days. 

Thank you for the information - I'll definitely look into it. We will be in Antarctica first and then in South America for two months (including our cruise on the Infinity in March).

 

[amcco]

1 hour ago, $hip to $hore said:

Thank you for the information - I'll definitely look into it. We will be in Antarctica first and then in South America for two months (including our cruise on the Infinity in March).

 

Sounds like a fantastic trip! Enjoy 😊 

[Buckeye94]

I feel like Princess Anna. It's Embarkation Day! 

 

Wish I could have seen more of Santiago. Next time! 

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 12/30/2022 at 10:46 PM, mahdnc said:

Be sure to read your Celebrity Today (Ushuaia) to see the exact early morning schedule for when Infinity passes the glaciers along the Beagle Channel.

 

 

Ack... we're on the 23 March sailing this year, and these wakeup times seem brutal for scenic cruising. Maybe they'll just keep the disco going all night in the observation lounge and we'll get to see them on our way to bed in the morning? 😉

Edited January 2, 2023 by AstoriaPreppy

[Beachlover1989]

3 hours ago, Buckeye94 said:

I feel like Princess Anna. It's Embarkation Day! 

 

Wish I could have seen more of Santiago. Next time! 

So excited for you! There’s nothing like Embarkation Day!

[jwlane]

My brother-in-law is on this sailing.

[kathynorth]

On 12/31/2022 at 11:09 AM, countess5 said:

 

Following along, been looking at this cruise for the future.  Would be interested from anyone who has visited Iguaza Falls, who they used and how you went abut visiting the falls. 

 

Cheers! 

 

We did Iguazu Falls as a DIY in Dec 2018. I posted a summary of our plan on the South America board. You can probably find it by searching for my screen name and my posts from early 2019.

[gizmodog]

Will you address when you can if there is a $9.95 delivery room service fee on the Infinity? Also if the burgers at the mast bar are still complimentary.

I will be on her next month and am reading all sorts of stuff that celebrity is supposedly imposing. Would love to hear from someone actually on the ship.

[Jim_Iain]

18 hours ago, Buckeye94 said:

As an expert reviewer, a technical question. To share pictures, I added/uploaded them. After I insert pics to my post, can I remove them from uploaded files or are the images in the post linked to the upload?  

 

 

When I upload pictures, I do not upload them to CC in advance.  I only add them to each message individually by choosing the drag file or chose file option.    If you delete from that location it also deletes from the message.

 

If you are adding the image first as a Gallery Image and then linking from there I would assume if you delete it from the Gallery it will also eliminate from the message.

 

 

 

From your question I believe you may be uploading first and then

[Jim_Iain]

16 hours ago, Buckeye94 said:

I get slow data, 2G, internationally on my plan. Lomit's offered a copy when they thought I was having problems with the code. I'm sure they'd find a way.

Yikes.. 2G would really be difficult for any type of media or most web pages.