Back From Infinity South America

[MrsTravelBug]

My husband and I were on the March 11 to 23 sailing from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. Most of what I have written here was just published in the Celebrity Review section of Cruise Critic.  If anyone has any questions I would be happy to try and answer.

 

It has been several years since we have been on a Celebrity cruise. All in all, we had a wonderful trip.

 

There were some negatives. The ship is tired and needs a lot of maintenance. When we arrived in our balcony stateroom, there was a light bulb burned out, a broken drawer in the closet and the safe would not open. After 2 days the bulb was replaced, and new batteries put in the safe. A few days later the bathroom light went out. We called to report it as urgent because we couldn’t see in there. Our cabin steward also reported it. When we got back at the end of the evening, there was still no light in the bathroom. My husband went down to customer service in hopes of getting it taken care of ASAP. He was told no report was on file! The light did get fixed after midnight and a future cruise credit given for the inconvenience. On the second to last night we had no hot water in the shower. We didn't report it because we thought it was 'a one of'. I didn't appreciate my cold shower the next day. Although the cabin had lots of problems it was kept spotless by our steward Marilee.

 

We have sailed on both RCCL and NCL this year. IMO the main dining room food on the Infinity was better than NCL and way better than RCCL. Our waiter Hannah was so much fun we asked for her table every night. Along with her assistant Amalia we felt like like family with all the friendly banter and excellent service they provided. The Argentina Malbec wine was so popular, much to our disappointment, it ran out a few days before the cruise ended. The buffet food was good but it was difficult to find seating especially on sea days. We did spend money on room service one morning before a shore excursion because I knew how hard it would be to find a table. The food arrived hot and I felt it was money well spent.

 

The cruise director Alejandro was among the best. The entertainment was good but not to the standards of NCL or RCCL. We were never bored though and did find lots to do.

 

It only rained once that I remember, but it sure was windy. Punta Arenas was cancelled and replaced with Puerto Montt because of wind and high seas. I'm a seasoned sailor but I got very seasick as did some staff. Puerto Montt has a nice walkway along the waterfront and a huge shopping mall. We didn't have time to research what else to do there.

 

Montevideo was very walkable, very clean and we enjoyed being on our own. Being a Sunday, many shops were closed but there was a Sunday market and places to stop for coffee.

 

Punts Del Este - booked the Punta Del Este Highlights with Shore Excursions Group. There wasn't a lot to see and we wished we just hired a guide at the pier. One couple we talked to took a taxi tour for $50usd total and saw everything we did.

 

Puerto Madryn - booked a small group tour to see the sea lions of Punta Loma with Shore Excursion Group. It turned out to be just the two of us and a guide. We rode in a pickup truck and loved getting to the sealions before the crowds.

 

Ushuaia - took the Celebrity tour, Journey to the Sea Wolves & Penguins. The catamaran was enclosed with lots of outside viewing areas. It was docked very close to the ship so no transfer was needed! Washrooms were available and there was food and beverage service. We really enjoyed the experience and took many photos of penguins and sea lions from the deck. There was a professional photographer on board too. After the boat tour we were able to walk into town to look around.

Valparaiso to Santiago. If anyone needs transportation from the pier to the airport, I highly recommend Julio Turismo Chile. Julio met us at the pier and gave us a tour of Valparaiso by bus, funicular and subway. We then drove to Vina del Mar and later stopped for wine tasting on the way to Santiago. Julio was so wonderful to deal with when I first contacted him that had him book a hotel for us for 2 nights instead of trying to find one on our own. We took 2 other tours with him too. One day we went to the Andes and on the last day we had a tour of Santiago before being driven to the airport for our flight home. Julio is great guide and provided many special experiences that we will always remember.

 

As long as you know that the ship is old and pack your patience, you should have a wonderful time.

[mahdnc]

Thanks for posting your trip.  We took Infinity on the same cruise as you, but in reverse back in 2016.  

 

It was disappointing to read about the maintenance issues.  Did you see any problems with the condition of the public areas?

[NutsAboutGolf]

Thanks for the review, will be doing a simular sailing next year

[cameronp12]

How was WiFi? (If you used it?)

[MrsTravelBug]

1 hour ago, mahdnc said:

It was disappointing to read about the maintenance issues.  Did you see any problems with the condition of the public areas?

It is an older ship but the public areas were ship shape albeit dated.

[MrsTravelBug]

14 minutes ago, cameronp12 said:

How was WiFi? (If you used it?)

I just had the basic WIFI and it was not the best.  It cut out a lot and often wouldn't connect.  When we were docked the signal was the best

[cameronp12]

1 minute ago, MrsTravelBug said:

I just had the basic WIFI and it was not the best.  It cut out a lot and often wouldn't connect.  When we were docked the signal was the best

Thanks for your response! We’re on the first sailing out of Lisbon at the end of the month and will likely be upgrading to premium WiFi.

[MrsTravelBug]

It was amusing because there were LOTS of us that couldn't connect on the first day.  Instructions were provided but didn't help.  When we went down to the Customer Relations area, there were a lot of staff members walking around showing people how to configure their phones.

[MrsTravelBug]

Before the cruise I heard a lot about the crime rate in South America.  While I felt safe, others would remind me to be watchful of my purse and to put my phone out of sight once I took a picture.  In Buenos Aires we saw firsthand how quickly a theft could happen.  We had a small group tour the morning before embarkation.  As the group got on the minibus, a man came up behind the last passenger and tapped his head as if he was going to steal his cap.  When the fellow put his hands up to protect his hat, the thief grabbed his wrist and removed his watch in mere seconds.  It was unbelievable how fast it all happened.  The thief jumped on his bicycle and sped off.

 

 

[soniam]

2 minutes ago, MrsTravelBug said:

Before the cruise I heard a lot about the crime rate in South America.  While I felt safe, others would remind me to be watchful of my purse and to put my phone out of sight once I took a picture.  In Buenos Aires we saw firsthand how quickly a theft could happen.  We had a small group tour the morning before embarkation.  As the group got on the minibus, a man came up behind the last passenger and tapped his head as if he was going to steal his cap.  When the fellow put his hands up to protect his hat, the thief grabbed his wrist and removed his watch in mere seconds.  It was unbelievable how fast it all happened.  The thief jumped on his bicycle and sped off.

 

 

 

Did you experience anything like this in Chile? I ask, because we have been a few times and have family that live there. Generally, we felt Chile to be very safe, even in Santiago. We haven't been to Buenos Aires. We have only been to small towns in Argentina in Patagonia, so not a lot of people, much less crime. Hoping to do a South American cruise one day.

[MrsTravelBug]

Soniam, I hope you get to do a South America cruise.  It was wonderful. 

 

We only spent 2 days in Chile after the cruise and I always felt safe.  Our guide was very cautious on our behalf.  When he met us at the ship, he suggested that it would be best to leave our luggage in his van.  As a precaution, he said it was safer to leave it at the cruise parking lot where there was security and the bus drivers would keep an eye on it.  We then conducted our tour using public transportation.  He was always reminding me to put my phone away after I took pictures.  When I went to use an ATM he suggested I should wait until we could find a bank.  I laughed and said I though he and my husband would keep me safe.  He explained it was more that the machine could have a hidden camera to capture my pin number etc.  Those are things that can happen anywhere and sometimes we all need to be reminded to be careful everywhere.

 

 

[TeeRick]

On 4/3/2023 at 1:21 PM, MrsTravelBug said:

My husband and I were on the March 11 to 23 sailing from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. Most of what I have written here was just published in the Celebrity Review section of Cruise Critic.  If anyone has any questions I would be happy to try and answer.

 

It has been several years since we have been on a Celebrity cruise. All in all, we had a wonderful trip.

 

There were some negatives. The ship is tired and needs a lot of maintenance. When we arrived in our balcony stateroom, there was a light bulb burned out, a broken drawer in the closet and the safe would not open. After 2 days the bulb was replaced, and new batteries put in the safe. A few days later the bathroom light went out. We called to report it as urgent because we couldn’t see in there. Our cabin steward also reported it. When we got back at the end of the evening, there was still no light in the bathroom. My husband went down to customer service in hopes of getting it taken care of ASAP. He was told no report was on file! The light did get fixed after midnight and a future cruise credit given for the inconvenience. On the second to last night we had no hot water in the shower. We didn't report it because we thought it was 'a one of'. I didn't appreciate my cold shower the next day. Although the cabin had lots of problems it was kept spotless by our steward Marilee.

 

We have sailed on both RCCL and NCL this year. IMO the main dining room food on the Infinity was better than NCL and way better than RCCL. Our waiter Hannah was so much fun we asked for her table every night. Along with her assistant Amalia we felt like like family with all the friendly banter and excellent service they provided. The Argentina Malbec wine was so popular, much to our disappointment, it ran out a few days before the cruise ended. The buffet food was good but it was difficult to find seating especially on sea days. We did spend money on room service one morning before a shore excursion because I knew how hard it would be to find a table. The food arrived hot and I felt it was money well spent.

 

The cruise director Alejandro was among the best. The entertainment was good but not to the standards of NCL or RCCL. We were never bored though and did find lots to do.

 

It only rained once that I remember, but it sure was windy. Punta Arenas was cancelled and replaced with Puerto Montt because of wind and high seas. I'm a seasoned sailor but I got very seasick as did some staff. Puerto Montt has a nice walkway along the waterfront and a huge shopping mall. We didn't have time to research what else to do there.

 

Montevideo was very walkable, very clean and we enjoyed being on our own. Being a Sunday, many shops were closed but there was a Sunday market and places to stop for coffee.

 

Punts Del Este - booked the Punta Del Este Highlights with Shore Excursions Group. There wasn't a lot to see and we wished we just hired a guide at the pier. One couple we talked to took a taxi tour for $50usd total and saw everything we did.

 

Puerto Madryn - booked a small group tour to see the sea lions of Punta Loma with Shore Excursion Group. It turned out to be just the two of us and a guide. We rode in a pickup truck and loved getting to the sealions before the crowds.

 

Ushuaia - took the Celebrity tour, Journey to the Sea Wolves & Penguins. The catamaran was enclosed with lots of outside viewing areas. It was docked very close to the ship so no transfer was needed! Washrooms were available and there was food and beverage service. We really enjoyed the experience and took many photos of penguins and sea lions from the deck. There was a professional photographer on board too. After the boat tour we were able to walk into town to look around.

Valparaiso to Santiago. If anyone needs transportation from the pier to the airport, I highly recommend Julio Turismo Chile. Julio met us at the pier and gave us a tour of Valparaiso by bus, funicular and subway. We then drove to Vina del Mar and later stopped for wine tasting on the way to Santiago. Julio was so wonderful to deal with when I first contacted him that had him book a hotel for us for 2 nights instead of trying to find one on our own. We took 2 other tours with him too. One day we went to the Andes and on the last day we had a tour of Santiago before being driven to the airport for our flight home. Julio is great guide and provided many special experiences that we will always remember.

 

As long as you know that the ship is old and pack your patience, you should have a wonderful time.

Thanks for the very nice review.  Other cruisers recently on Infinity have commented on some of her maintenance issues too.  I have not seen these type of comments about Constellation which also has not been updated with the major Revolution renovations.  People seem to be happy with Millie and Summit.  

[MrsTravelBug]

I knew before we cruised that there were a lot of maintenance issues but hoped they would be resolved before we sailed.  Based on reviews I saw, I would have picked another cruise line but our friends from 
England had a tour package that included this Celebrity sailing.  

 

My husband and I each received future cruise certificates for $150 to be used by March 18 2025 for our inconvenience.  While we may never use the credits but t was nice to know Celerity recognized they fell short of expectations.  

 

When we sailed on the Millie previously are room was in perfect condition.

[KandMB]

We were on Infinity last month, we thought the ship was in pretty good condition considering her age and we had no issues with our cabin on deck 9 which was kept immaculately clean by our lovely room attendant. The cruise director was great and seemed to have a good relationship with the onboard naturalist and the Captain. The entertainment was great, we loved all the shows. 
Our only problem was the long wait times for a table in Blu, Cellar Masters ran out of Malbec but fortunately still a supply in Blu! The last two days there was no plain yogurt or lime juice but we managed without those! 
 It was a great cruise full of amazing memories and that’s what really mattered to us. 

[luvtravel]

We have reservations for a Christmas Cruise on Infinity in Aqua - concerned about the state of the ship so was glad to read some positive info.  On another cruseline, Princess, we are scheduled for a July cruise with friends. The ship is getting terrible ratings but we want to have a trip with these friends. The refurbishing of many of our favorites however are creating less public space and more cabin…not appealing to us.  

[mahdnc]

On 4/5/2023 at 8:58 AM, TeeRick said:

Thanks for the very nice review.  Other cruisers recently on Infinity have commented on some of her maintenance issues too.  I have not seen these type of comments about Constellation which also has not been updated with the major Revolution renovations.  People seem to be happy with Millie and Summit.  

 

We sailed on Constellation in Oct/Nov last year.  We found her to be in excellent shape.  

[MrsTravelBug]

3 hours ago, luvtravel said:

We have reservations for a Christmas Cruise on Infinity in Aqua - concerned about the state of the ship so was glad to read some positive info.  On another cruseline, Princess, we are scheduled for a July cruise with friends. The ship is getting terrible ratings but we want to have a trip with these friends. The refurbishing of many of our favorites however are creating less public space and more cabin…not appealing to us.  

We went on the Infinity knowing it had maintenance issues.  Even with everything that went wrong in our room, we had a wonderful time.  When we came back from port it always felt like ‘coming home’.

 

Here is the old girl in Ushuaia: 

 

[MrsTravelBug]

FYI if anyone is interested.  The March 11 sailing had 1925 guests onboard.  Total capacity is 2370.  They are expecting full sailings after that.

 

 

[wrk2cruise]

March 23 had about 2060.  As others have said the wifi was horrible.  Hard to connect and constantly getting kicked off.  The ship has StarLink so the internet wasn't bad once you could get connected to the ships wifi infrastructure.  I get complementary WiFi and I really wanted to ask for a refund.  If I were paying I'd be very upset.  I've been on all but a couple Celebrity ships and never had this trouble. 

[TeeRick]

15 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

March 23 had about 2060.  As others have said the wifi was horrible.  Hard to connect and constantly getting kicked off.  The ship has StarLink so the internet wasn't bad once you could get connected to the ships wifi infrastructure.  I get complementary WiFi and I really wanted to ask for a refund.  If I were paying I'd be very upset.  I've been on all but a couple Celebrity ships and never had this trouble. 

Were you on the Premium WiFi or the standard?

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 4/3/2023 at 2:20 PM, mahdnc said:

It was disappointing to read about the maintenance issues.  Did you see any problems with the condition of the public areas?

 

TBH, we found the public areas relatively shabby, and not up to Celebrity's normal standards. The lighting was especially noticeable. In the Rendezvous Lounge, about 1/3 of the lights were non-functional. In the MDR, pieces of the ceiling "skylight" and random uplight wall panels were dead. In the theater, only the first three or four rows had functional lights in the cocktail tables... the entire back of the main floor bowl area was dead. But then the balcony cocktail tables worked? It was very sporadic. 

 

I did notice that the line had made a point to place new seating in the Constellation lounge, and 3/4 of the buffet... but then you'd wander into a section of the buffet with the old wooden chairs. It was very piecemeal, but better than nothing. The MDR seating was not updated. 

 

On 4/3/2023 at 3:57 PM, cameronp12 said:

How was WiFi? (If you used it?)

 

17 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

March 23 had about 2060.  As others have said the wifi was horrible.  Hard to connect and constantly getting kicked off.  The ship has StarLink so the internet wasn't bad once you could get connected to the ships wifi infrastructure.  I get complementary WiFi and I really wanted to ask for a refund.  If I were paying I'd be very upset.  I've been on all but a couple Celebrity ships and never had this trouble. 

 

Agree on the atrocious WiFi. We had premium. Once connected, it was great, but connecting to the WiFi in a public space with more than 10 people was futile. The connection to the network would also regularly drop: you may be connected in the Sunset Bar but walking inside to the buffet would drop you (and make it impossible to reconnect). My iPhone regularly gave me a detailed error message about restarting the router, which I've never seen when connecting to any network. 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by AstoriaPreppy

[wrk2cruise]

2 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Were you on the Premium WiFi or the standard?

 

Premium.  Once connected streaming TV was great.  It appeared that the infrastructure was unable to support the number of connections as places like Buffet and the Constellation lounge were very difficult to impossible to connect when there were lots of people there.   Never had this issue on any Celebrity ship.

[TeeRick]

21 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

Premium.  Once connected streaming TV was great.  It appeared that the infrastructure was unable to support the number of connections as places like Buffet and the Constellation lounge were very difficult to impossible to connect when there were lots of people there.   Never had this issue on any Celebrity ship.

We had Premium Starlink on Equinox in January.  We were able to easily connect everywhere and had a very good experience with it.

[Poconolady]

We were on Infinity in January for the Antartica cruise- fabulous time!  Just wondering if others had trouble with satellite tv reception? We lost all satellite leaving Arusha and  it never came back, even when in port stops where there should haves been some reception.

[wrk2cruise]

We had no issues with satellite.  We were on the Santiago to BA route though.   Like I said once you got connected to the wifi access point things were great.   I expected that there would be times with no or limited satellite coverage due to the area and weather but like I said no issues.  I was streaming Youtube tv and maybe once an hour a very short buffer of 1 to 2 seconds on premium package.