Almost Live Viking Octantis - Chilean Fjords & Patagonia Explorer - October 17-30, 2023

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 1 - “And away we go!” - Jackie Gleason 

 

We are heading to the airport for the start our next epic journey, our first trip to South America! Tomorrow morning we’ll be in Santiago for our 2 day pre-cruise extension and then onto Valparaiso to experience an expedition ship for the first time.

 

Given global events, it’s serendipitous that we are going to one of the remotest parts of the planet. I’m going to really enjoy unplugging for a few weeks. I will however keep updating everyone here on everything cruise related, bandwidth permitting. See you on the other side.

 

 

[Mike07]

I would appreciate updates on the trip as I signed up for it as well. The photo of the continent from space looks amazing.

[Azulann]

So looking forward to your trip report on an expedition ship. What a wonderful itinerary to the tip of South America. You will have a total different night sky to observe than  the usual one from the USA.

Hope you have a totally unexciting flight to Santiago.

Edited October 14, 2023 by Azulann

[FetaCheese]

Thanks for taking your vacation time to post the Live From. 

 

I did one whilst on O Regatta last month.  Was amazed at how many views it attained.

 

Enjoy your adventure!

 

Will be following.

Edited October 14, 2023 by FetaCheese

[janetcbl]

We really liked the Octantis when we were on her last summer. Big enough so you can be alone if you wish, great World Cafe)!), easy to get around, the Aula is outstanding (no bad seats, (excellent acoustics), and the science lab and staff were a great addition. Enjoy!

[Bradymom23]

Just finished packing our bags! We leave on Monday. I’m also hoping to unplug during this adventure. Safe journey 

[ewenwash]

We're on the Polaris departing Valparaiso on October 28.  We would really appreciate if you could report on the access to the cruise terminal VTP on boarding day.  Especially if the access from the metro station Francia which is right next to VTP is available.  We're making our own way from Santiago and trying to figure out the access to VTP.  An overall report on the VTP experience would be great.  Thanks!

[OneSixtyToOne]

Just arrived in Houston, waiting for our flight to Santiago 

 

Lots of places to eat and drink here.

 

 

 

Everything is bigger in Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

They even have an Asian Market.

[aungrl]

Thanks for doing this!  We have our eyes on this itinerary, so will be watching your posts closely.  Have a great trip!

[tullbja]

We're doing the opposite itinerary from Buenos Aires to Santiago in March. Still trying to get clarification on whether the red coats can be rented for the cruise. We'll be leaving from Florida, and would prefer not to have to take our own. Looking forward to following your adventures!

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 2 - Super, Super

 

We just checked into the Santiago Marriott. It was an uneventful flight. In contrast to the screaming baby from hell flight to Europe that I previously wrote about in another thread, we were actually able to catch a few hours of sleep on this flight.

 

We arrived in Santiago a few minutes early. Santiago is hosting the Pan American Games later this week so the airport was bustling with national teams arriving with all sorts of sports equipment. The Viking ground team were their efficient selves. After a short walk to the bus we had an informative trip to the hotel during which our tour guide explained some basics about Chile and emphasized that we should not be just bueno but “super bueno.” It seems super is the modifier d’jour in Santiago. Everything is super, super.

 

The hotel is your typical business hotel, large room and a desk with international electrical outlets (very handy). Check in was a breeze and we were in our room by 9:00 AM, one of the earliest check-ins we’ve experienced on a Viking extension. We have an upper floor room with a partial Mountain View. The weather is a little cool, overcast and in the low 60s, but should be up to 70 this afternoon.

 

Since Monday seems to be the day when a lot of tourist attractions are closed, we plan to leave in a few minutes to get a good day of sightseeing in. More updates to follow.

 

 

 

 

[Mike07]

@OneSixtyToOne Did you use Viking Air? Also, did you go with economy or business class seats?

[OneSixtyToOne]

29 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

@OneSixtyToOne Did you use Viking Air? Also, did you go with economy or business class seats?

We had free Viking Air so we upgraded to premium economy for $999. Flew on United as a “purple seat people.” Middle cabin configuration was 2-2-2.

 

Just finished a great day at the pre-Columbian museum and encountered a Peruvian religious street procession afterward. Will update the posting in a bit.

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 2 - Goodbye Columbus, hello the good old days
 

As I stated previously, a lot of tourist attractions are closed on Mondays so we took the opportunity of our early arrival and check-in to spend Sunday afternoon sightseeing.

 

This is a hotel/transportation only two day extension but Viking is offering two optional excursions that you can book at their desk in the lobby. One is a city “highlights” (read bus) tour and the other is a winery tour. Both have a significant cash discount if you pay in US dollars. We will be going on the city tour tomorrow ($48 per person US cash vs $60 credit card). Since most attractions are closed and it’s in the late afternoon, why not take a ride around the city? These short extensions are a good way to get an overview of a place in case we one day decide to return.

 

Today we decided to go to the Pre-Columbian Art Museum. The hotel is located in a modern business district with the only real nearby walkable sites being immense upscale shopping malls. Therefore, we took a $20 cab ride to the museum, which is located downtown, across from the judicial palace and a block or two from the National Assembly and the Cathedral. The driver offered to pick us up at an arranged time so we gave ourselves 2 hours to view the museum and 2 to walk around to catch the local flavor.

 

On the way, there were bicyclists everywhere. It was a sunny, spring day and the center lanes of the main boulevards were cordoned off for the throngs of cyclists. It reminded me of Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
 

On this sunny and pleasant 75 degree day, flowers everywhere are in spring bloom. The hills overlooking the city are covered in the yellow hue of wild mustard plant. This reminded me of spring in California, when the hills are a blanket of yellow from the mustard plant that was originally sown by the Spanish missionaries throwing seeds as they traveled from mission to mission, marking their trail up the coast. I haven’t researched  Santiago’s mustard, but I strongly suspect a similar story.

 

The Pre-Columbian museum is privately owned and is one of the few in Santiago where the collection has both Spanish and English signage. The collection is impressive containing tens of thousands of pieces and is located in the old Customs House. It’s arranged by geographic area and there are large maps showing each region from North to South America. There is also a very large overall map that is the centerpiece of the main staircase. 

 

 

The collection contains numerous objects but the most surprising were the small mummies. This type of mummification predates the Egyptians by 2000 years, going back as far as 6000 BC.

 

 

 

There were also exhibits about shamans, jaguar gods of the underworld, and use of hallucinogenics in religious ceremonies.

 

 

 

The collection runs the gamut from pottery to gold to silver to enormous stone carvings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The basement contains some of the rarest and largest pieces. Most impressive were the large wooden totems that were used to adorn the gravesites of important elders. 

 

 

 

Also on display was an enormous quipu (knotted cord) worn by an Incan administrator and used for accounting. 

 

 

Upstairs there is a climate controlled room containing rare textiles where only 10 people at a time are allowed to enter.  The indigenous people were master weavers, growing cotton and shearing alpaca and llamas for the raw materials. It is quite impressive.

 

 

 

 

 

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our 2 hour visit. After a brief rest, it’s off to explore the nearby street scene. Museums are exhausting!

 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[TayanaLorna]

9 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Day 2 - Goodbye Columbus, hello the good old days
 

As I stated previously, a lot of tourist attractions are closed on Mondays so we took the opportunity of our early arrival and check-in to spend Sunday afternoon sightseeing.

 

This is a hotel/transportation only two day extension but Viking is offering two optional excursions that you can book at their desk in the lobby. One is a city “highlights” (read bus) tour and the other is a winery tour. Both have a significant cash discount if you pay in US dollars. We will be going on the city tour tomorrow ($48 per person US cash vs $60 credit card). Since most attractions are closed and it’s in the late afternoon, why not take a ride around the city? These short extensions are a good way to get an overview of a place in case we one day decide to return.

 

Today we decided to go to the Pre-Columbian Art Museum. The hotel is located in a modern business district with the only real nearby walkable sites being immense upscale shopping malls. Therefore, we took a $20 cab ride to the museum, which is located downtown, across from the judicial palace and a block or two from the National Assembly and the Cathedral. The driver offered to pick us up at an arranged time so we gave ourselves 2 hours to view the museum and 2 to walk around to catch the local flavor.

 

On the way, there were bicyclists everywhere. It was a sunny, spring day and the center lanes of the main boulevards were cordoned off for the throngs of cyclists. It reminded me of Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
 

On this sunny and pleasant 75 degree day, flowers everywhere are in spring bloom. The hills overlooking the city are covered in the yellow hue of wild mustard plant. This reminded me of spring in California, when the hills are a blanket of yellow from the mustard plant that was originally sown by the Spanish missionaries throwing seeds as they traveled from mission to mission, marking their trail up the coast. I haven’t researched  Santiago’s mustard, but I strongly suspect a similar story.

 

The Pre-Columbian museum is privately owned and is one of the few in Santiago where the collection has both Spanish and English signage. The collection is impressive containing tens of thousands of pieces and is located in the old Customs House. It’s arranged by geographic area and there are large maps showing each region from North to South America. There is also a very large overall map that is the centerpiece of the main staircase. 

 

 

The collection contains numerous objects but the most surprising were the small mummies. This type of mummification predates the Egyptians by 2000 years, going back as far as 6000 BC.

 

 

 

There were also exhibits about shamans, jaguar gods of the underworld, and use of hallucinogenics in religious ceremonies.

 

 

 

The collection runs the gamut from pottery to gold to silver to enormous stone carvings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The basement contains some of the rarest and largest pieces. Most impressive were the large wooden totems that were used to adorn the gravesites of important elders. 

 

 

 

Also on display was an enormous quipu (knotted cord) worn by an Incan administrator and used for accounting. 

 

 

Upstairs there is a climate controlled room containing rare textiles where only 10 people at a time are allowed to enter.  The indigenous people were master weavers, growing cotton and shearing alpaca and llamas for the raw materials. It is quite impressive.

 

 

 

 

 

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our 2 hour visit. After a brief rest, it’s off to explore the nearby street scene. Museums are exhausting!

 

 

It is good to see you 2.  Museum looks fascinating.  Far up in the mountains of Puerto Rico there is a small Cemi museum.  It contains artifacts with similar motifs.  There are several pre colombian archeological sites of the Taino indigenous that most visitors to PR never see.

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 2 - “I Need A Miracle Every Day” - Bob Weir

 

After leaving the Pre-Colombian museum we walk a short block to the Plaza de Armas de Santiago, one of the main historical plazas in the city.

 

 

When we arrived there was a massive religious procession exiting the Cathedral with purple and white confetti filling the air. The music sounded like the Little Italy scene in Godfather II.

 

 

We talked to an American tourist from Iowa and she told us that there had been a 3 hour mass in the Cathedral and the procession was now emerging to parade around the city. It turned out it was the worldwide Peruvian festival of the Christ of Miracles, a celebration rooted in a venerated painting of Christ surviving a major earthquake.

 

Every year in October, hundreds of thousands of Peruvian pilgrims from all walks of life participate in religious processions around the world.

 

After the procession passed, a group of indigenous dancers performed.

The Pan Am games had a display.

 

They plaza is adorned with various statues. 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow we visit tallest building in South America and go on a city tour.

Edited October 16, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[mchell810]

It's always lovely to wander into a local celebration.

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 3 - The Sky’s the Limit

Most tourist attractions are closed on Mondays so we headed to the Sky Costanera , the tallest building in South America. 

 

When we were leaving the hotel, Team USA was arriving for the Pan Am games. There is a private taxi service in the hotel lobby that drove us to the Sky for $11. Unfortunately, on the way back we hadn’t heard the warnings about the black cabs that are ubiquitous in the city. We hailed a cab and our return trip cost almost $60! Avoid them at all costs.

 

They views are beautiful but the basin has a layer of smog which detracted from that.

 

 

 

 

 

After going to the observation deck, we exited through an enormous shopping mall. It even contained a car dealership. Malls in Chile are like a throwback to malls in the USA pre-Amazon. Brick and mortar shops are alive and well in South America. Wonder how long that will last?

 

Later that afternoon we took the city tour of Santiago. It was pretty underwhelming. We were loaded into a cramped mini bus and made 3 stops: the main plaza (where we saw the procession yesterday), the presidential palace, and a small man made wetlands park that featured black & white swans. We did learn that the plaza was the site of the original Incan city in the region. We also learned that it’s the major place where sex workers look for clients. The tour quickly devolved into a game of “spot the prostitute.” We also learn that cafes aren’t always what they seem. Having a “long legged coffee” refers to the waitresses serving coffee in the local red light district coffee bars. Foreign idioms are so enlightening.

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow we finally board the Octantis.

Edited October 18, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[gma1]

5 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Day 3 - The Sky’s the Limit

Most tourist attractions are closed on Mondays so we headed to the Sky Costanera , the tallest building in South America. 

 

When we were leaving the hotel, Team USA was arriving for the Pan Am games. There is a private taxi service in the hotel lobby that drove us to the Sky for $11. Unfortunately, on the way back we hadn’t heard the warnings about the black cabs that are ubiquitous in the city. We hailed a cab and our return trip cost almost $60! Avoid them at all costs.

 

They views are beautiful but the basin has a layer of smog which detracted from that.

 

 

 

 

 

After going to the observation deck, we exited through an enormous shopping mall. It even contained a car dealership. Malls in Chile are like a throwback to malls in the USA pre-Amazon. Brick and mortar shops are alive and well in South America. Wonder how long that will last?

 

Later that afternoon we took the city tour of Santiago. It was pretty underwhelming. We were loaded into a cramped mini bus and made 3 stops: the main plaza (where we saw the procession yesterday), the presidential palace, and a small man made wetlands park that featured black & white swans. We did learn that the plaza was the site of the original Incan city in the region. We also learned that it’s the major place where sex workers look for clients. The tour quickly devolved into a game of “spot the prostitute.” We also learn that cafes aren’t always what they seem. Having a “long legged coffee” refers to the waitresses serving coffee in the local red light district coffee bars. Foreign idioms are so enlightening.

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow we finally board the Octantis.

Enjoying your comments of your Santiago adventure with Viking & on your own. We are on the Polaris heading to Santiago...left Panama yesterday. We aren't doing a post (Oct. 28) but its great hearing about yours. Such a great awesome ship...sure you will enjoy your time. I think we have about 350 on board. 

[1985rz1]

@OneSixtyToOne:  Like @ewenwash, we're on the Oct 28, sailing of Polaris doing the same itinerary, so we are grateful you are posting an advance picture of what we can expect.  Thanks.

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 4 - Bird Mode

 

We left our hotel at 9:10 AM for the approximately 2 hour drive through mostly farmland and vineyards to Valparaiso. Upon arrival at the cruise terminal we boarded a shuttle to the ship which was docked about a half mile away. Check-in occurred on board the Octantis and was very efficient. After checking we had a safety briefing in the Living Room. We didn’t receive any tickets for our excursions and after inquiring we were told the expedition ships have gone paperless. The Viking Voyager app is now used so be sure you have it loaded before you arrive. The Viking daily is also paperless. You’ll receive a paper copy upon arrival but after that you must request a paper copy. If you notify your room stewards, they will provide one nightly. 

 

We proceeded to the World Cafe for lunch. I had a nice slice prime rib and a slice of raspberry cake for lunch. They must have provisioned a large supply of fresh raspberries because raspberries seem to be featured on a lot of items, including a chocolate raspberry mousse for dinner.

 

 

 

After our lunch at about 1:00 PM an announcement was made that all cabins were ready. After unpacking we decided to explore the ship. This ship is beyond description. I love everything about it. Apart from the central elevators and staircases there are multiple elevators and stairwells that go to various levels of the ship. For example to find The Hide or the upper deck where the ES and OS are located, you need to find the specific one that leads there. This really lends to the exploration theme of the ship. Just walking around this asymmetrical layout seems like you are on an expedition. When walking around the lower decks an expedition crew member gave up a tip on how to navigate. When facing an elevator you are always facing the bow. 

 

Before dinner there was a short orientation lecture where we learned that the captain has a button to turn on “bird mode.” To prevent birds from crashing into the ship in the dark, most external lights are turned off. In addition the room stewards lower the stateroom blackout shades during turndown. You are advised to turn off the room lights if you decide you want to open the shade.

 

This is a fantastic ship in every way, shape, and form. Enjoy the pictures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[janetcbl]

Enjoy! We loved the Octantis….especially because we were on Deck 3 and could. “sneak”  into the Aula at the upper level….also a great table in the center of the deck for a huge puzzle table.

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 5 - Orientation 

 

Like the first day of school, today is a day for orientation. After breakfast we had a tour of the ship given by Verena, the travel consultant. She told us that there were 320 passengers on board, including 40 on the Longitudinal World Cruise. There are also 250 crew. She mentioned a friend on competing exploration ship had 500 pax with only 150 crew and wondered how they cope. We toured all the common areas and ended in the foyer of the Aula where a 2nd tour began: the hanger and our first look at all the toys!

 

The hanger is phenomenal. Members of the expedition team enthusiastically answered questions and proudly spoke of the capabilities of their equipment. We got up close to the two yellow submarines, John and Paul. Paul is the good looking Sub 02. (George and Ringo are on the Polaris.) We were able to walk aboard the Special Operations Boat and learned that unlike the videos we’ve seen online, you do not board inside the hanger, instead the boat is brought alongside to board. The Zodiac operator also explained the proper way to board his craft, employing a “sailor’s grip” to come aboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 3:00 PM lecture was a presentation about the data collection aboard the ship. Viking was the first cruise ship to publish a scientific paper. They observed a rare jellyfish several times in Antarctic waters.

 

The weather balloons are biodegradable latex. All balloons worldwide are launched at 00:00 and 12:00 UTC. This means we will be launching ours at 9:00 AM on an upcoming day.

 

The ship also captures and measures phytoplankton. They also send samples to a lab that does eDNA testing. This is a technique that allows the identification of all the species in an area by using DNA sequencing. 

 

The support ships do underwater mapping of the ocean floor.

 

 

Baited Remote Underwater Video System uses herring as bait to attract and film sea-life.

 

Passive acoustic monitoring allows capture of sounds such as the vocalization of various whale species.

 

After the presentation we had dinner in the WC. DW had surf and turf from the grill and I had the prime rib. It was delicious. Here are some pictures of the seafood and sushi bar.

 

 

Later, after dinner we went to the 7:30 nightly trivia contest. I’m pleased to report that DW and I won as a two member team, repeating the feat from our last voyage. We had 27 out of 28 correct, our only incorrect answer was identifying a picture of the Ecuador flag. Spoiler alert: memorizing the flags of South and Central America might come in handy on this trip.

 

During lunch we met the pastry chef and I commented that I had failed to try the raspberry covered chocolate mousse from the previous night. He then asked for our room number. After trivia we retired to our stateroom to find two desserts that he apparently whip up for us. Now that’s the type of excellent Viking service we all have come to love. The entire crew has been wonderful. 

[Mike07]

@OneSixtyToOne You have posted photos of some of the food items. Would you kindly take a photo of the Grill sometime during this trip? Thanks!

[OneSixtyToOne]

43 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

@OneSixtyToOne You have posted photos of some of the food items. Would you kindly take a photo of the Grill sometime during this trip? Thanks!

The grill’s meat case is difficult to photograph because of the glare from the window, but I gave it my best shot. Here is the lunch menu. Burgers are great as are the onion rings.