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

[AstoriaPreppy]

9 hours ago, kathynorth said:

Looking forward to hearing more. Have there been any guest speakers specific to this itinerary? Any special events that have made this trip a unique cruise?

 

Also, curious to know if Celebrity has done anything special (outside of a speaker or two). From my experience, the cultural enrichment, special food/bev, destination parties stuff on these longer unique itineraries is more Princess/HAL territory and not something Celebrity does. 

[AZshasha]

I’m looking forward to your post

[AZshasha]

30 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

Also, curious to know if Celebrity has done anything special (outside of a speaker or two). From my experience, the cultural enrichment, special food/bev, destination parties stuff on these longer unique itineraries is more Princess/HAL territory and not something Celebrity does. 

 

[mahdnc]

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.

[Beachlover1989]

40 minutes 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.

Thank you for this information! 

[mahdnc]

24 minutes ago, Beachlover1989 said:

Thank you for this information! 

 

You are welcome.  If you are not that familiar with the night time constellation and planets, there are a lot of free stargazing apps that turn your smart phone into an awesome constellation identifier using the phone's camera, location, and time information.  It's amazingly useful.  You need an internet connection to download the app onto your phone.  Once downloaded, you don't have to have an internet connection to use the main features of the app.

 

[Beachlover1989]

9 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

You are welcome.  If you are not that familiar with the night time constellation and planets, there are a lot of free stargazing apps that turn your smart phone into an awesome constellation identifier using the phone's camera, location, and time information.  It's amazingly useful.  You need an internet connection to download the app onto your phone.  Once downloaded, you don't have to have an internet connection to use the main features of the app.

 

What's your favorite??

[mahdnc]

12 minutes ago, Beachlover1989 said:

What's your favorite??

 

I have used Sky Guide (free?) and SkyView Lite (free) on my iPhone for years.  I like them, but there are so many new stargazing apps out there, I hesitate saying that those two are the ones to get or that they are the best.  I would recommend googling to see what the current favorites are and then download a couple free ones.  Every app will allow you to point your phone toward the sky to see the names of the constellations, stars, and planets that you are looking at.  That's the important thing.  The pay apps will have more bells and whistles.

Edited January 9, 2023 by mahdnc

[Irish Mary]

Thank you so much for your posts! 

[mchell810]

9 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.

 

Thanks for this; most especially the information on Orion.  It's the only thing I can ever find in the sky; knowing it will be upside will save me a lot of heartache 😜

 

Also thanks for the info on apps.  I am saving all this now for the day when I actually make it to the southern hemisphere.

[Buckeye94]

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! 

[mahdnc]

11 minutes ago, Buckeye94 said:

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 spent part of my teen years in Springfield, Ohio.  Our house was in a rural area as well and we got great views of the night sky and the fireflies.

[Jim_Iain]

11 minutes ago, Buckeye94 said:

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! 

 

The most amazing star gazing we ever had was on a cruise.    We were in the Pirate's Area in the Indian Ocean.   The ship had to turn off all lights and all windows were required to be covered.   We were sitting in the center of the ship near the pool at night and absolutely no light -  was incredible.

[Jim_Iain]

1 minute ago, mahdnc said:

 

I spent part of my teen years in Springfield, Ohio.  Our house was in a rural area as well and we got great views of the night sky and the fireflies.

 

I chuckled when you mentioned fireflies.   We don't have them in Northern California.   When my kids saw them the first time at my Mother's in Alabama  they were mesmerized. 

[mahdnc]

Just now, Jim_Iain said:

 

I chuckled when you mentioned fireflies.   We don't have them in Northern California.   When my kids saw them the first time at my Mother's in Alabama  they were mesmerized. 

 

Yes, it is a sight to behold if you never have seen it before.  I lived in the Bay Area for a summer and I don't remember the lack of fireflies.  Too many other things to see for me I guess.  They wouldn't like the weather you are having of late!

[Buckeye94]

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.

[mahdnc]

That was Mount Sarmiento you saw from the MDR at dinner yesterday. 

[Buckeye94]

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/

 

 

[Buckeye94]

We had clear weather for Glacier Alley! 

[mahdnc]

13 minutes ago, Buckeye94 said:

We had clear weather for Glacier Alley! 

 

Nice. Worth getting up early for, don't you think?

[AstoriaPreppy]

2 hours ago, Buckeye94 said:

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! 

 

 

Forget the glaciers... this is the content I'm actually here for  🦀  🙏

[Buckeye94]

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

 

Edited January 10, 2023 by Buckeye94
Remove extra photos

[Iriel]

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.🤞

[Buckeye94]

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.

[Redking]

6 minutes ago, Buckeye94 said:

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.

Sounds like Puerto Montt is a challenging tender port. We had the same issue 10 years ago. Three ships in Port all tendering and very long wait times. Thankfully a very memorable port of call to balance it out. Loving your review, thank you.