LIVE from Pursuit, Buenos Aires - Rio, Feb 25-Mar 7

[travelberlin]

24 minutes ago, mchell810 said:

 

I love Trapiche wines!  Looks like yo had a lovely meal.

Yes! And that wine was a Trapiche Malbec Reserva. Since I was alone and I do not drink a whole bottle by myself I have asked them to keep it for me until next day. I went again to have a nice meal 😋

Ivi

[travelberlin]

4 hours ago, uktog said:

Anyone from the UK care to chip in how is Buenos Aires for British guests.  Our cruise to Antarctica next year starts/finishes there and we have to think about days pre cruise in particular.  We have done all the tourist spots so do not need long but as a cruiser who likes contingencies, we will want to arrive well ahead "just in case" flights go wrong.  Last time we stayed in BA in 2014 we experienced a lot of unprovoked hostility to British travellers even though we never raised the "small island" issue or mentioned Margaret Thatcher (!).  In 2019 we flew home direct from the ship so weren't "mixing around" as much.  Just curious

 

And really looking forward to reading this live from

Fact is that the dispute of the Falklands has left a bad taste in Argentina. However I would not think that this has implications in Buenos Aires in the way how they treat foreigners. Just think that Porteños (how Argentinians from Buenos Aires are called) are not the friendliest folks around. This is noticeable even from people who are not British and speak Spanish.

The picture is from Ushuia.

Ivi

 

 

[TeaBag]

Have a great cruise and thank you for taking time to bring us all along!  Since you are already in Buenos Aires, I wonder if you would have time to see Iguazu Falls.  It's a short flight from BA and really worth seeing.  It was one of the highlights of our trip.

[asnaleah]

Thanks to all for the excellent suggestions and cautions. The Alvear Palace is lovely - charming AND updated. Smart TV’s, lots of electrical outlets with provided converters, USB port, pretty good WiFi alongside crystal chandeliers and marble appointed bathroom. We were upgraded to a lovely suite (thanks Uncle AmEx). I should have taken a few photos before we strewed our stuff around. Will try tomorrow after housekeeping has been here. The steak restaurant looks lovely and I think we will try it tonight. 
 

We have been a bit concerned about walking around on our own so we will be sticking to guided tours. We start tomorrow morning with a half day city tour to get the highlights, followed by a food tour of the Palermo district tomorrow evening. Our plan for this afternoon was to have been a tour of the Recoleta cemetery; best laid plans, etc. We had not one but two flight delays due to mechanical issues (only two flights, so you know how our day was 😕) and didn’t arrive at the hotel until nearly 1:00 pm. (Should have arrived by 9:30 am.) I won’t bore you with the gory details, but we are exhausted and recovering from the stress. Very happy we booked an extra, extra day!

[Grandma Cruising]

Recoleta is very easy to get to on your own by taxi. We spent a lovely hour or two there a few years ago.

[VeroFrance]

Hi all we are Vero and Alain, already in BA since 2 days and ready to embark on 25 th. We love Azamara   ( 7 times ). Very easy to visit BA by walking and Uber is very cheap. My sug is to visit all the parks near Ricoleta  , we are at awwa suite & spa hotel , perfect location and the inside swimming pool too. Hope to see you soon 

Vero & Alain 

[asnaleah]

We had a great day today in Buenos Aires! First, we had a private tour with another couple. Here is the link. Our guide was Mariano and he was terrific! https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g312741-d19092848-Reviews-DePasseios-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html
 

After a short rest, we joined a tour for 10 from Sherpa Tours for a foodie tour of the Palermo district. Lots of walking, but delicious food and wines, well organized. Took a taxi from the hotel, Uber back. Both were fine and inexpensive. 
 

Looking forward to our tour tomorrow and then ready for our cruise!

[bob brown]

You’re lookin’ good from here…😉🙂

[Sarnia 432]

On 2/22/2023 at 12:50 PM, uktog said:

Buenos Aires for British guests

We were there in January this year.  Stayed 3 days post cruise, walked round independently, ate locally, even wore my cap with a small Union Jack on the back.  We had no issues at all being British.  Only problem was not being able to speak Spanish, but we muddled by.

[asnaleah]

 

 

Great day yesterday! Had a terrific tour guide through Signature Tours. There was also a driver, and a nice van. Took the advice of @trk_koasince we are staying at the Alvear Palace and had dinner last night at the Alvear Grill. It was an excellent meal, great steak for two, beautifully presented. I must remember to photograph before I start eating! Anyway, the restaurant is lovely, very comfortable with plenty of room between tables. A nice touch was a dulce de leche eclair, wrapped and tied with a bow for breakfast. Got a photo before diving in! 

Now it’s nearly time to repack and head for the port!

 

Here are some photos from our stay in the “Paris of South America”.

 

 

[asnaleah]

Street Tango, Eclair, street scene of La Boca, mausoleum where Evita is buried, and the famous Evita balcony.

 

[asnaleah]

Captioning the photos is challenging for me. Sorry. Here’s one more of the sculpture called “The Flower”. It used to open and close with sunrise and sunset, but it was wearing out, so now it only does that 4 times a year. 

[asnaleah]

On board! Our suite is beautiful! I will post photos next. We have a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and an Uruguayan Sauvignon Blanc. Waiting to see if our Butler can source a bottle of tequila reposado for DH. Bottled water, beer soda, etc. We have an Owners Suite which includes specialty dining. Aqualina tonight. Still working on captions. 

A quick word about embarkation - do not be in a hurry to arrive. Stick to your assigned time. The facilities are quite basic. Celebrity Infinity and Oceania Insignia boarding at the same time, so basically a mad house. No escalators and one tiny elevator. There are buses to take you to your ship. Very friendly port staff but they were a bit overwhelmed. Not complaining ever again about FLL or MIA!!

[aliaschief]

Bon Voyage! Thanks for sharing your cruise experience.

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, asnaleah said:

On board! Our suite is beautiful! I will post photos next. We have a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and an Uruguayan Sauvignon Blanc. Waiting to see if our Butler can source a bottle of tequila reposado for DH. Bottled water, beer soda, etc. We have an Owners Suite which includes specialty dining. Aqualina tonight. Still working on captions. 

A quick word about embarkation - do not be in a hurry to arrive. Stick to your assigned time. The facilities are quite basic. Celebrity Infinity and Oceania Insignia boarding at the same time, so basically a mad house. No escalators and one tiny elevator. There are buses to take you to your ship. Very friendly port staff but they were a bit overwhelmed. Not complaining ever again about FLL or MIA!!

Regarding captions - insert one photo then hit return a couple of times the insert a caption before inserting the next photo. 

[asnaleah]

Suite photos.

 

Balcony. Table seats 4, but will have to move things around to actually seat 4. There is also a chair with footstool but apparently I didn’t take a photo. Sigh.

[asnaleah]

 

Two bathrooms! I think some of my photo’s aren’t showing up because I know I took one of the beautiful big shower. Hmmm.

[asnaleah]

 

Bedroom, some of the massive closets. Beautiful linens, comfy mattress.

[asnaleah]

 

 

Living room. Very spacious, yet more storage. Bottom photo shows our carry-on luggage. No checked bags!! Also, champagne from the hotel director.

[asnaleah]

Please ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer. Also, if food photos are wanted, let me know and I’ll try to take some before I start eating!

 

Last night we had dinner at Aqualina. Nice table by the window. Not so nice electrical storm! DH and I both chose the branzino/sea bass. It was nicely prepared. DH had the included seafood risotto and I asked for extra roasted vegetables instead. Very tasty. 
 

For my fellow wine drinkers - after a discussion with the Sommelier, we decided to purchase a wine package rather than the Ultimate package. The Sommelier was very truthful that some of the listed wines by the glass were either in short supply or missing altogether. I really appreciate his candor and it’s good to know Azamara is not pushing the package. Now, if we were cocktail drinkers, the package would be a good choice.

[cavaaller]

What a beautiful suite. Thank you for sharing!

 

Did you habe a choice of liquors/spirits as the first bar set-up?

[asnaleah]

We did have a choice of spirits. It took some doing, but our Butler sourced some reposado tequila for DH. Nothing exotic, but decent.

[Backbord]

Good morning al! Just wondering when and where the meet & mingle party will take place. I can't find any information on that. Thanks!

[wjfan417]

24 minutes ago, Backbord said:

Good morning al! Just wondering when and where the meet & mingle party will take place. I can't find any information on that. Thanks!

It will be listed in the daily Insider. On the 4 cruises we took last year, they were on Embarkation Day.

[takemewithyou]

4 hours ago, asnaleah said:

Please ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer. Also, if food photos are wanted, let me know and I’ll try to take some before I start eating!

 

Last night we had dinner at Aqualina. Nice table by the window. Not so nice electrical storm! DH and I both chose the branzino/sea bass. It was nicely prepared. DH had the included seafood risotto and I asked for extra roasted vegetables instead. Very tasty. 
 

For my fellow wine drinkers - after a discussion with the Sommelier, we decided to purchase a wine package rather than the Ultimate package. The Sommelier was very truthful that some of the listed wines by the glass were either in short supply or missing altogether. I really appreciate his candor and it’s good to know Azamara is not pushing the package. Now, if we were cocktail drinkers, the package would be a good choice.

Do you remember who your Sommelier was?