Bit of a blog - HAL Oosterdam - South America & Antarctica - Dec/Jan 2023/24

bbro · December 18, 2023

Hello! Thank you for posting! We are on the Jan 7th sailing. Our friends who are joinig us had a Cabana reserved but were told 2 weeks ago that a storm had damaged the cabanas and they weren't available anymore. Have you heard anything about that? Seems like a lot of damage had to be done that they can't have the cabanas ready by Jan 7th.

NorbertsNiece · December 18, 2023

We had an interesting excursion guided by Fernando. Trouble was the rain. The area around the port is run down.

I exercised one of my super powers which entails picking the wrong side of the coach to sit. 🦸‍♀️

WE saw many, many beaches. It will be summer here in a couple of weeks and despite the weather most beach life guard huts were occupied. The other side of the tour bus saw statues, monuments and beautiful houses.

First stop

Plaza Indepencia, Independence Square, the most important city square in Montevideo, laid out in the 19th century in the area occupied by the Citadel of Montevideo. In its center is a monument to General José Gervasio Artigas, and below it, his mausoleum.

Palacio Salvo was designed by the architect Mario Palanti, an Italian immigrant living in Buenos Aires, who used a similar design for his Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, once the tallest building in Latin America

The Canadian Embassy

Office of the President

Estévez Palace, formally the work place of the President now a museum

Solís Theatre is Uruguay's most important and renowned theater. It opened in 1856 and the building was designed by the Italian architect Carlo Zucchi.

NorbertsNiece · December 18, 2023

Interrupting the blog. Again. No announcement yet. We're playing scrabble in the Explorations Lounge and Geoff noticed an anomaly..... no Punta Del Este tomorrow!

3.1k · December 18, 2023

We are on the cruise departing January 29. Our Punta del Estes stop was cancelled about two weeks ago and Castro Isla Chiloe was added. Unfortunately, that threw everything off by a day. I had to reschedule 5 private tours. I hope the same thing does not happen to you.

@bbro Not sure how much use you will get from a cabana in Antarctica, expect cool temperatures and a lot of wind.

NorbertsNiece · December 18, 2023

1 hour ago, bbro said:

Hello! Thank you for posting! We are on the Jan 7th sailing. Our friends who are joinig us had a Cabana reserved but were told 2 weeks ago that a storm had damaged the cabanas and they weren't available anymore. Have you heard anything about that? Seems like a lot of damage had to be done that they can't have the cabanas ready by Jan 7th.

I was up there earlier getting land pics. They're certainly not in current usage!

Hogladyrider · December 18, 2023

@NorbertsNiece...WOW amazing pics....so enjoying following along with you.

Torquer · December 18, 2023

4 hours ago, NorbertsNiece said:

I exercised one of my super powers which entails picking the wrong side of the coach to sit.

Which side of the bus was the "wrong side", the left or right? We are probably using a different tour company when we are in Montevideo in March, so it may not matter. Still it doesn't hurt to sit on the opposite side than you did in hopes of seeing more sites.

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

33 minutes ago, Torquer said:

Which side of the bus was the "wrong side", the left or right? We are probably using a different tour company when we are in Montevideo in March, so it may not matter. Still it doesn't hurt to sit on the opposite side than you did in hopes of seeing more sites.

I would ask the guide..... depends on the route they're taking!

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

Letter regarding missed port of call tomorrow

cccole · December 19, 2023

6 hours ago, 0106 said:

We are on the cruise departing January 29. Our Punta del Estes stop was cancelled about two weeks ago and Castro Isla Chiloe was added. Unfortunately, that threw everything off by a day. I had to reschedule 5 private tours. I hope the same thing does not happen to you.

@bbro Not sure how much use you will get from a cabana in Antarctica, expect cool temperatures and a lot of wind.

Not sure why this cruise and the January 29 cruise are both missing Punta del Estes. Weather does not seem to be the problem for January 29. So far our stop there on January 26 is still on the itinerary. Sorry to hijack this thread Norberts Niece, it has been fun following your cruise. Cherie

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

Question.....

Does using the Navigator really drain the phone battery?

3.1k · December 19, 2023

41 minutes ago, NorbertsNiece said:

Does using the Navigator really drain the phone battery?

I have an iPhone and have not had a problem with battery life while using the Navigator app. Google “what apps are using my battery life” to investigate more throughly.

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

Day 4 Unexpected sea day

Good morning and thanks for following. Over 6k views already!! Thank you soooo much. It's so encouraging to know this is being followed.

Will continue day 3 after breakfast.

We're in the South Atlantic now. White tops. Some rocking. T'ai Chi should be interesting!

@0106 yes. Done that.... android phone has those settings. Have put one particular app into deep sleep.

Edited December 19, 2023 by NorbertsNiece

3.1k · December 19, 2023

I appreciate you posting The Daily. I would be interested in what the Captain has to say about Punta del Estes during his talk on the Main Stage at 10am. Also, I find it odd that the “Up Close” presentation at 2 is on the Panama Canal. I was hoping for presentations from naturalist/ lecturers about the area in which the ship was traveling.

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

1 hour ago, 0106 said:

I appreciate you posting The Daily. I would be interested in what the Captain has to say about Punta del Estes during his talk on the Main Stage at 10am. Also, I find it odd that the “Up Close” presentation at 2 is on the Panama Canal. I was hoping for presentations from naturalist/ lecturers about the area in which the ship was traveling.

There are more cruise specific lectures planned ahead in the Navigator.

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

2 hours ago, 0106 said:

I appreciate you posting The Daily. I would be interested in what the Captain has to say about Punta del Estes during his talk on the Main Stage at 10am. Also, I find it odd that the “Up Close” presentation at 2 is on the Panama Canal. I was hoping for presentations from naturalist/ lecturers about the area in which the ship was traveling.

Just out of Captain's talk. Have a bit of a crush on him! What a sense of humour!

Reason for the Panama talk..... its presence had a profound affect on shipping, and therefore trade, in this part of the world. The talk will go into that

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

Pretty much all the slides from the Captain's talk. Basically, in the maps green is good, red is bad, white lines far apart = high pressure / smoother ride, closer together = low pressure / rough ride

Montevideo port closed to all shipping after we left.

Edited December 19, 2023 by NorbertsNiece

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

Continuing yesterday's excursion in Montevideo

Hebraica Macabi building. Asociación Hebraica y Macabi del Uruguay, commonly known as Hebraica Macabi, is a professional basketball team based in Montevideo. The club currently plays in the Liga Uruguaya de Basketball, the top tier basketball league of Uruguay. Founded in 1944, it participated in most Uruguayan basketball tournaments

We drive along the River Plate. Yup. That's a river

The Holocaust Memorial

The memorial is around 120 metres long, and is mostly made of pink granite, with a central window looking out at the sea. A pair of railway rails are at the approach to the memorial, and the central part of the memorial has two wooden bridge crossings. It also includes several inscribed stele, including one signed by Elie Wiesel

More about the Jewish Community in Uruguay here :

The Oceanographic Museum

Isla de Las Gaviotas, a bird watching sanctuary

SilvertoGold · December 19, 2023

Phenomenal posts! Very much enjoying your cruise :) In your photos of the Captain's Talk, who was the person almost dancing in front of the large weather charts toward the end?

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

Stop #2

Dedicated to fallen war heroes

Info here

The Parliament of Montevideo authorized the Municipality to place a monolith in homage to Faddei Faddeevich Bellingshausen, in the flowerbed located at the intersection of Av. Gral José María Paz and Mar Ártico, in front of the north of the Plaza de la Armada. The plaque displays the following text: “Faddei Bellingshausen From the Russian people to the Uruguayan people in commemoration of the 200 years of the discovery of Antarctica. Bering Institute - Bellingshausen for the Americas (Uruguay) Diálogo de Culturas Foundation - United World (Russia)"

NorbertsNiece · December 19, 2023

2 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

Phenomenal posts! Very much enjoying your cruise 🙂 In your photos of the Captain's Talk, who was the person almost dancing in front of the large weather charts toward the end?

The Cruise Director Ed I believe!! 😃 Capt wanted places pointed out.