Quest Grand Voyage around South America, 2023

[CanAmBrit]

To reply to lincslady’s question, it is possible to find tours into the desert.

We did a Seabourn tour into the Atacama desert yersterday from Antofagasta. Banquadamo is about 75 minutes from the city through the desert. There were two buses making the trip. Unfortunately, we were in the bus with a wonky microphone and a guide who spoke little English! Apart from “See a train on the left” and “A copper mine on the right” we did not learn much about the area. The other bus did not have the same problems. Passengers report that their guide was excellent. 
After a walk around the rather misnamed  ‘train museum’ (it appeared to me more of a dead train cemetery) we were bussed another 30 minutes to Chacabuco where the English speaking guide combined both groups for an interesting walk through the long abandoned town. 
An hour and a half silent bus trip retraced the way back to Antofagasta. 
Most Seabourn tours offer water for those who would like it and often some other types of refreshments. On this 5 hour tour, however, where it was extremely hot, with a blazing sun and no shade, there was nothing available anywhere! Later we were told that maybe we could have bought some in Banquadamo but the guide was not sure. Fortunately, we had taken our own water but many passengers had not. 
We did report our disappointment to the Destinations desk this morning and I am sure that they will do their best to correct these deficiencies.

 

‘

[lincslady]

I am pleased to hear that there was a trip to the desert, but rotten luck that you had the poor guide.  Maybe you will get a refund, but that is not really the point, of course.   My husband was  lucky enough to be taken out by car with Chilean colleagues, who were very knowledgeable.

[2SailingNomads]

15 hours ago, markham said:

I have no first hand knowledge although a google search would show any options. Yesterday in Antafagasta we simply walked around the square and waterfront to stretch our legs. The highlight was back onboard with a dance party starting at 19:30 for the entire evening with both bands and various pop singers belting them out to the delight of dozens on the patio for the 23:00 sailaway. “Oh, what a night” comes to mind.

About  the desert, we took a train from Iquique, a Seabourn excursion, when we were there 5 years ago.

 

We have a sea day today and on Friday a big passenger turnover in San Antonio (for Santiago). It is cloudy and cool but we are rewarded with hundreds of dolphins just now and before the Galley Market Lunch. I will keep an eye on frantic36 to ensure she does not overeat.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Did the same a few years ago when we stopped there.

[frantic36]

On 1/25/2023 at 6:39 PM, lincslady said:

I wonder if it is  possible to visit the Atacama desert from Antofagasta?

Thank you markham and CanAmBrit for replying as yesterday I was busy chatting via email & WhatsApp to family.

 

One of the crew took an Uber with friends to visit the sculpture "Hand of the Desert" in the Atacama desert. They said the drive was about an hour and they were glad they went. This photo was a stock photo but gives an impression of size. I wasn't interested in going as I have stayed at desert resorts before so didn't need to see another desert. My husband and I just wandered around, got some money changed to peso and had lunch. Antifagasta didn't do much for me as it just felt like a big city with lots of shops.

 

 

23 hours ago, markham said:

I will keep an eye on frantic36 to ensure she does not overeat.

Sad to say I did overeat a bit so your supervision failed. 😆

 

Another sea day today in which we will do the Champagne tasting lunch and I still have catch up with emails and report on our day in Iquique here.

 

My husband and I are doing a private wine tour and lunch from San Antonio.

[frantic36]

Iquique, Chile was another important place for Chile in the War of the Pacific. It was a site of defeat for Chile in a Naval battle but General Pratt the Commander of the ship Esmeralda is considered a brave hero and again they have a National Day on 27 May to honour the battle fought that day between the old, wooden Esmeralda and the new, iron built Peruvian ship. 

 

The Esmeralda was sunk that day but they now have a replica you can visit which is what we did. We were able to get audioguides in English as all tours are in Spanish. The Audios were a little glitchy to work at first but once we got the hang of it they worked well. Payment for entrance is in Chilean Peso only but since we had none we used a card. It was 1.5 hours well spent and wasn't far to walk from the shuttle drop off.

 

Replica Esmeralda

Difference between crew dining and officer dining are. Other much has likely changed over the years.

 

After our enjoyable tour we went to the old Casino Espanol which has been converted to a restaurant. We noted a group of Seabourn passengers had been brought there some food as part of a tour. 

 

The interior was very elaborate with various paintings depicting Don Quixote's story.

 

 

The food was delicious and pisco sour was very good but one was enough. I had a Marinara Risotto and the Risotto included squid ink. My husband had the Marinara Salad.

 

 

 

 

[lincslady]

Antofagasta is certainly not very exciting, hence my reference to the desert!  Can't think why there was a stop there apart from a visit to the Atacama - some aspects of which are apparently very interesting.

 

That  meal looks lovely.

[markham]

Antafagasta was not the only clanged. The other one was the banana port in Ecuador. And  to my amazement Quest is hitting both in 2024. I mean, really…, and Quest is the only cruise ship going to these ports in both years!

 

And about Ecuador, Guayaquil was only 50 miles away which makes me plead again who is making these silly decisions in Seattle anyway?!

 

To end my rant on the positive the internet coverage has been very good since Miami.

 

Happy and healthy sailing !

, 

[Mr Luxury]

4 hours ago, frantic36 said:

Iquique, Chile was another important place for Chile in the War of the Pacific. It was a site of defeat for Chile in a Naval battle but General Pratt the Commander of the ship Esmeralda is considered a brave hero and again they have a National Day on 27 May to honour the battle fought that day between the old, wooden Esmeralda and the new, iron built Peruvian ship. 

 

The Esmeralda was sunk that day but they now have a replica you can visit which is what we did. We were able to get audioguides in English as all tours are in Spanish. The Audios were a little glitchy to work at first but once we got the hang of it they worked well. Payment for entrance is in Chilean Peso only but since we had none we used a card. It was 1.5 hours well spent and wasn't far to walk from the shuttle drop off.

 

Replica Esmeralda

Difference between crew dining and officer dining are. Other much has likely changed over the years.

 

After our enjoyable tour we went to the old Casino Espanol which has been converted to a restaurant. We noted a group of Seabourn passengers had been brought there some food as part of a tour. 

 

The interior was very elaborate with various paintings depicting Don Quixote's story.

 

 

The food was delicious and pisco sour was very good but one was enough. I had a Marinara Risotto and the Risotto included squid ink. My husband had the Marinara Salad.

 

 

 

 

The Chef looks angry by the way he did that balsamic glaze.

[frantic36]

The sea days tend to pass in a blur with chatting to others or reading sending emails to family. I regret to say I have not attended any lectures but friends who have said they have been very good from a Nasa space expert to the Expedition Team giving talks about wildlife and what to expect re kayaking and zodiacs when we get to Antarctica. They do repeat them to watch on the television for those of us who don't get the lecture.

 

Yesterday was a bit difficult and frustrating for passengers and crew as Seabourn has changed providers for supplying jackets and boots. The quality is still good but the provider mixed up orders so many people received goods larger or smaller than what they ordered. So what is usually just some people needing to swap items out meant it was basically ship wide. The rare person received the correct jacket & boots, of which I was one, but most needed to change including my husband. he now has correct boots but is waiting to get his jacket since they are going to fly new jackets in to one of our upcoming ports. 

 

I felt for the crew as some of the loud, usual complainers onboard were berating them for something that they had no control over. Sure people have a right to express their frustration but yesterday the crew needed to have signs up like displayed in many businesses post Covid asking people not to be verbally abusive with staff. By that I am speaking in a loud, aggressive tone about how useless Seabourn is in general rather than this one incidence which onboard staff have no control over. The crew handled themselves professionally and diplomatically keeping calm. 

 

On a happier note all was calm in the evening where we had our last formal night for this segment, I think. Many in dark suits or even tuxedos in the MDR and others more casually dressed in other zones and everyone mingled happily. We shared a convivial table with friends where we had good food and wine. The lobster with saffron risotto was lovely and the lobster was tasty, not watery at all. Our friends had Beef Wellington which was perfectly pink with the only issue was the portion size was rather large. I broke my usual rule and and had the Grand Mariner soufflé which was delicious. No photos as too busy eating, drinking and chatting with friends.

 

Puerto Montt today and we are doing a Seabourn tour to Emerald Lake. Overnight the ship's foghorn has been going since early morning. A tip is to bring earplugs for these occasions. There is still a drizzly fog outside which I think is lifting as we drift past the buildings of the city. Hopefully it will lift enough so I can get photos of the volcano later.

 

 

[frantic36]

2nd February,

Sorry for the radio silence but internet has been very poor. They fix it for a short while and then it disappears again. While I have it I have been using the time to contact family and friends. We have just docked at Punta Arenas and I have been able to turn on my phone to get internet connection. 

 

Yesterday we went through the Chilean Fiords and the scenery was stunning. We stopped for a while at El Brujo Glacier and it was spectacular. Unfortunately my phone and my laptop have stopped sharing photos so until I get that sorted I can't share any.

 

3rd February

Yesterday was Punta Arenas where we got a chance to stretch our legs and passengers and crew got the chance to stock up on any essential items, like snacks for the crew,  before leaving civilisation. The other important thing we picked up was a new modem which the IT staff connected overnight so today we have good connectivity.

 

In the afternoon we were informed that because there was a major storm about to hit Drakes Passage our course was being changed. So today we are sailing through more Chilean Fiords, Glacial Pass and again the scenery has been beautiful. We are due to pick up the pilot for Ushuaia in an hour and will be anchored there from ~3pm when we will stay overnight. Depending on weather conditions in the Drake Passage will be when we leave Ushuaia. The plan is for 8am leaving. We realise this may impact time spent in Antarctica but we are safe and can still enjoy wandering the ship. I was told but haven't been able to confirm that a ship that did do the Drake had to confine all passengers to their rooms and only room service was available. 

 

We are enjoying the misty/slightly rainy weather. I looked in briefly and trivia is packed. Today for the first time in many years we are going to the MDR for lunch.

 

Julie

[Sunviking]

Just to follow on what Julie wrote, we've been sailing through the Beagle Channel which separates the larger main island of Tierra del Fuego from many of the smaller ones. It passes through an area called Glacier Alley where this morning we were able to see a number of spectacular glaciers. While it is disappointing that our time in Antarctica will be a little shorter, this is a pretty interesting area we would otherwise have missed on this voyage. We just passed a tiny island, more of a rock really, where I could see hundreds of cormorants of the variety that look a lot like small penguins except they can fly.  And at the edge of the rocks with binoculars I could just make out a few seals lying around.

[florisdekort]

The Beagle Channel and Ushuaia are stunning, and it’s a glaring omission from this year’s and next year’s Grand South America itinerary. 
 

[Fletcher]

Just looked at CruiseMapper and it seems that the Quest did a little detour from the Beagle Channel and sailed right around Cape Horn and is approaching Ushuaia from the east.  If that's the case, a rare treat.Maybe @frantic36 or @Sunviking will confirm.  

[tjcox9]

We actually departed anchorage in Ushuaia at midnight. The change was announced ysterday evening. This morning, it isn't bad at all although rough seas were predicted starting about 5:00 am. There is minor movement, nothing unusual at 8:00 am. Yeah! And the internet remains fine this morning.

[markham]

Yes, we do have internet, and have had access for about 36 hours. We left Ushuaia yesterday after holding there to permit a storm to pass a bit, and are now heading to Antarctica in very rough seas.

And now for my rant:

We had no internet for almost 4 days though, and if it were not for cellphone service in Punta Arenas, and wifi at the cruise terminal, I would have been outta my mind with backed up home issues that needed addressing. We NEVER were told by the captain or anyone else why this was the case and this left everyone to make up excuses/answers about satellite positioning and obstructive mountains. None of this was true. But we learned from the captain at noon yesterday (he did not bother giving a noon address the day before) that the ship receive a new modem in Punta Arenas. A NEW MODEM? Why doesn’t the ship have a spare new modem anyway?

 

This is shabby, and Seabourn owes a lot of people a huge apology! This negligence is plain for all to see, and the captain’s apparent nonchalance is galling. No contrition in that noon announcement at all…. Imagine if we were in Antarctica for 11 days with no way to get a modem shipped to us? 

I won’t get into another sort of sloppy management/handling issue that exists: there were an insufficient number of parkas ordered and/or delivered such that passengers are being asked to share their jackets. Can you believe this?! And since we could not land at Ushuaia it was not possible for passengers to go ashore and buy their own. I don’t know how many were impacted, but this is pathetic.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

 

 

 

[lincslady]

Sorry to read about these inefficiencies, Markham.  It is a pity if you have a Captain taking you to the Antarctic who does not sound up to the usual standard.    Most unusual for Seabourn, I must say.

[SLSD]

This does not sound like efficient planning or transparent communication.  When you are critical Markham, I pay attention.  Of course when I read your post to Mr. SLSD (the bankruptcy attorney) he said,  "That is a company in financial distress."

Edited February 4, 2023 by SLSD

[lincslady]

36 minutes ago, SLSD said:

This does not sound like efficient planning or transparent communication.  When you are critical Markham, I pay attention.  Of course when I read your post to Mr. SLSD (the bankruptcy attorney) he said,  "That is a company in financial distress."

Oh dear.  I truly hope not.

[markham]

I don’t know if this is a case of “direct” financial distress (as in no one wants to pay for a modem) or financial distress as in there is not much of a risk management/customer team which would actively seek to mitigate bad things getting outta control - for nearly 4 days. Nor is there anyone who sets communications standards after the fact of the modem failure so we would not stew in the rumour juice for so long.

 

Also, this lack of attention to detail reminds me of the Sojourn cruise we took in 2018 from Rio to Singapore when the Internet ceased to function en route to Tristan da Cunha. All in all we were outta Internet for 5 days. The captain (not this one!) had to use his emergency phone line to get in touch with Seattle. We learned that during an earlier dry dock modems had been switched and the spare removed, meaning that then too there was no spare.

 

I don’t remember how we got service restored in the middle of nowhere but this clearly shows that lessons have not been learned on modem provisioning. But that captain did keep us informed daily, and we were pleased with that. Here and now, my written complaint of 4 days ago asking for timely and daily technical updates remains unanswered. Different captain and thereby a different culture prevails.
 

Happy and healthy sailing!
 

Edited February 4, 2023 by markham

[frantic36]

As markham mentioned the seas have become rougher over the day and I suspect looking at the deepening troughs they are likely to get rougher before they get better. The current Captain has many years experience on HAL not Seabourn though he did indicate he was still employed to help maintain the ships during the shutdown. So this Captain is not used to the Seabourn culture. 

 

I am using my time to do some laundering of my silk dresses which I won't send to laundry. We gave our cabin stewardesses the day of cleaning our room which they were grateful for, and no Mr L. it is not because we are messy.🙂

 

My husband is one who unfortunately received a jacket in the wrong size but he has a down jacket which he can wear as an inner jacket and will just swap out the outer jacket. My understanding was the number of jackets received was correct but the sizing was very poorly supplied so people ended up with jackets either bigger or smaller than they ordered. My jacket was fine thankfully.

 

I have managed to get a few photos to download to my laptop. So here are three from Glacier Alley yesterday...

 

 

And this was our view of Ushuaia yesterday evening at 8.30pm in TK Grill when we sat down for dinner...

 

 

Julie

[Mr Luxury]

26 minutes ago, frantic36 said:

As markham mentioned the seas have become rougher over the day and I suspect looking at the deepening troughs they are likely to get rougher before they get better. The current Captain has many years experience on HAL not Seabourn though he did indicate he was still employed to help maintain the ships during the shutdown. So this Captain is not used to the Seabourn culture. 

 

I am using my time to do some laundering of my silk dresses which I won't send to laundry. We gave our cabin stewardesses the day of cleaning our room which they were grateful for, and no Mr L. it is not because we are messy.🙂

 

My husband is one who unfortunately received a jacket in the wrong size but he has a down jacket which he can wear as an inner jacket and will just swap out the outer jacket. My understanding was the number of jackets received was correct but the sizing was very poorly supplied so people ended up with jackets either bigger or smaller than they ordered. My jacket was fine thankfully.

 

I have managed to get a few photos to download to my laptop. So here are three from Glacier Alley yesterday...

 

 

And this was our view of Ushuaia yesterday evening at 8.30pm in TK Grill when we sat down for dinner...

 

 

Julie

Thanks for the photos Julie,very nice.

Look after dear old Markham he's having a tough time of it.

I'm sure that he'll lead the keel hauling party for the Captain.

[frantic36]

I just realised photo 1 is upside down unfortunately. Here is what the base looks like properly.

 

I do understand markham's frustration and I have noticed some improvement with communication sometimes after he has chatted with the Captain but unfortunately the advice doesn't seem to stick for long. 

[SLSD]

58 minutes ago, markham said:

I don’t know if this is a case of “direct” financial distress (as in no one wants to pay for a modem) or financial distress as in there is not much of a risk management/customer team which would actively seek to mitigate bad things getting outta control - for nearly 4 days. Nor is there anyone who sets communications standards after the fact of the modem failure so we would not stew in the rumour juice for so long.

 

Mr. SLSD is always looking for evidence of both direct and indirect financial distress.  Of course financial distress can be mixed with lapses in risk management.  Financial distress can also lead to poor morale and a feeling of less obligation to communicate, especially if staff does not feel that communication with them has been adequate.  Just some thoughts.  I hope things improve.  Be sure to let us know how parka sharing works out.  

[frantic36]

3 minutes ago, SLSD said:

Mr. SLSD is always looking for evidence of both direct and indirect financial distress.  Of course financial distress can be mixed with lapses in risk management.  Financial distress can also lead to poor morale and a feeling of less obligation to communicate, especially if staff does not feel that communication with them has been adequate.  Just some thoughts.  I hope things improve.  Be sure to let us know how parka sharing works out.  

 

Hopefully you will get on one of the Seabourn ships soon and will be able to see for yourself how things are.

 

On a positive side note I wish to share a Seabourn moment I had the other day. I must have injured my right leg the other sea day while walking on deck. The next day when we got to Punta Arenas it was very painful. I dosed myself up with analgesics and we walked to the Crematorium and did some snack shopping for crew.

 

On the way back the analgesics stopped working and I limped aboard the ship. The Assistant Maitre D' in Colonnade saw me limping and on hearing of my problem went and got my some epsom salts from her personal supply and told me how she used it to soak her legs when she first started onboard. I did a long soak that afternoon and it did improve and by the next day my leg was fine. Though I soaked it once more to be sure. The staff have all been lovely to my husband and myself. There are some glitches and more training needed but overall they always smile and say hello.

[SLSD]

48 minutes ago, frantic36 said:

 

Hopefully you will get on one of the Seabourn ships soon and will be able to see for yourself how things are.

 

I sure hope we will!  I am ready, but Mr. SLSD is not!  He has been pouring over the financial statement of Carnival (mostly just for fun  as he has some decades experience in this sort of thing and we are on the topic).  He tells me he will type up a short summary shortly.  He says it is all about "what is the cash, where is it and how is it being used."