A Special Day AT Sea

  Another day of cruising south along the coast of Chile. As we are getting further south the days are getting longer and the weather cooler. Sunrise is around 6 am and sunset at 10 PM. It is also cool with the temperature less than 50F. We have enough warm clothes for the port visits but probably needed a few warmer things (sweater) during the day for around the ship.

    The morning was started with a light breakfast and then 45 minutes of Zumba! It is a real workout and with the ship rocking a bit today, it was a bit of an unusual experience! We also managed a lecture on South America, a port talk and a Spanish lesson for Judy. I did a cross word puzzle! We also had a Tango class in the afternoon. The teachers are professional dances and probably the worse tango teachers in the world. They explained things in 2 languages – English for the ladies and Spanish for the men. That coupled with the fact that we could not see them (they stood in the middle of about 80 dancers made it very difficult to learn anything (let along the flaring legs!)

Dessert

   However today was a special day because we are among the 40 or so most traveled passengers with Princess. That means that we were invited to the Captain's private luncheon. It was really done up! We were met at the door by the hostess, introduce to the Captain, had our picture taken (which was developed and given out later) and shown to our table. We sat with the Head of the Hotel Operations. He was a very easy going Italian from Northern Italy in charge of almost everything dealing with the passengers. There were name takes at each spot along with a menu with our names printed individually on it. We were seated with an American couple and one from Calgary Alberta. Maggie went to the University of Windsor and graduated in 1974. She worked for Shell Oil in Clagary before she retired!

  

More Desserts

 For lunch we had lobster Tarte Tatin to start followed by Peach Sorbet. The main dish was a choice between Herb Crusted Fillet of Beef or Salmon Fillet topped with a Scallop Mouse on Lobster Mash Potato! The wine that they served was excellent. Dessert was a White Chocolate Orb. I posted a photo of it. The centre of the table also had a dessert. A really good meal and a nice surprise. We had heard of these dinners before but on this cruise we actually are one of the most frequent passengers. There are only about 60 “Elite” on this ship. There are many passengers from South America which is to be expected.

   After a restful afternoon, dinner and 2 shows completed the evening. With 3 American couples. They are from California, South Carolina and Georgia. We have a doctor, electrical engineer, a jewelry designer as well as a nurse and a teacher at our table! Discussion ran the range from American gun control, football, socialized medicine and male strippers! I will not say who took the lead on these topics but Danny's in Windsor did come up.

    

Petrohue Falls, Orsono Vocano and Puerto Varas

     6 AM comes early on a cruise ship! Since we had elected to take an all day tour and we had to tender into Porte Montt, we needed to be ready to go by 7 AM. Needless to say we were facing a rather long day.

The Orsono Volcano

This area is called the Lakes District. It was settled by German settlers in the mid 1860's and many of the building, especially in the town of Puerto Varas displays a very German look. Our tour took us to a waterfall close to the volcanic mountain that we were to visit. The guide was very good although he would use Spanish words for things and sometimes that was a bit hard to understand. The worse part was the pronunciation. He used Spanish for English words.

The first stop was the Petrohue Falls. The waterfall was more a series of rapids carved through the volcanic basalt lava flow. The dark rock presented an interesting formation. However, it is very dry at this time of year and the “falls” were a bit low to say the least.

The second stop was at the Osorno Volcano, the main reason why we picked this 

Walking On The volcano

particular tour. It is a large composite cone with glaciers at the top. It reminded us of Mount Fuji – same type and shape. The volcano last erupted in the 1830's and was observed by Charles Darwin. In the morning as we were driving towards the area it was sunny and bright. We could almost see the top of the cone. By the time we got there in the late morning the clouds had moved in, the wind picked up and it was raining. The ski lift where we stopped was about half way up the mountain and the combination of wind rain and altitude made for a less than perfect setting. Although we had plenty of warm clothes, it was still a place where you took the photo and retreated to the bus in a hurry!

Lunch of soup and Chilean farm raised salmon was very tasty. We stopped at an old German restaurant filled with antiques. The meal was good, the company was friendly and the Chilean red wine was even better. After lunch we headed for a small town called Puerto Varas, the centre of the lakes tourist district. We had about 30 minutes in the town and that was plenty. As a tourist centre it left much to be desired.  

What Else Cold!

A casino and 2 nice hotels on the lake were the highlights. The crafts area was basically in an alley with every shop selling exactly the same thing. We did manage to find a grocery store to buy some wine. The Concho E Toro we bought cost about $3.50 a bottle! Not all was lost in the town. A short ride got us back to the tenders after 4 pm with the ship set to sail at 4:30.

Although there are shows and entertainment going on around the ship, we decided to make an early night of it. 

Sunday - A Day At Sea

    What a difference a day makes! After the long day yesterday we were ready for a nice easy day today. We managed to sleep in and got up feeling better after our full 10 hours of rest. It was the most sleep in a long time! We had breakfast at the International cafe in the Atrium then a quick run to Zumba. It was not just “gold” but a full workout! I had to go easy but Judy did fine. 35 minutes was enough for me. That 

Glass of Bubbly

was quickly followed by a port talk “All You Wanted To Know about Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas”. The speaker was very good and provided useful info on what to do in each although we will be on ship tours. From there it was the Pub Lunch – fish and chips in Crown Grill. We have still managed NOT to go to the buffet! Finally the art auction and a few glasses of champagne filled the afternoon. Princess has changed the “routines” of the auction. That and the champagne keep our interest in the “auction”.

We made it back to our cabin in time

Strawberries

for the chocolate covered strawberries – one of the perks of having been on Princess. We get to order the afternoon canapes on formal nights. We went down to the Captain's Welcome aboard party where they were (as usual) serving champagne. Princess has cut down on offering all types of drinks but the champagne was available. This is the first time we have seen them coming around with the bottles and refilling the glasses.

Ah! Upgraded to a Mini Suite!

Dinner was very tasty. We remarked that the food the last 2 nights seemed to be tastier than in the past. Our table mates from California missed dinner – they were watching the football game!

Arriving In Chile

   After a very long flight we finally boarded the Golden Princess dock in Valparaiso the port for Santiago. We were at the Toronto Airport in plenty of time to rest before the 10 hour overnight flight. We were scheduled to leave before midnight but for some unannounced reason we sat on the plane until after 12:30 before we took off. Of course that meant that the arrival in Santiago would be about an hour late. The flight itself was good be the sleeping upright is a bit difficult to take. I managed to keep my eyes closed most of the night but Judy watched a movie and then was wide eyed. The results the next day were predictable!

Valpariso

Arriving in Chile was probably the most adventuresome of all the countries that we have traveled to. First it was the entry reciprocity fee that we knew we had to pay. The lineups were very long and slow moving. We were one of the last to get the required stamp. Next it was immigration which seemed to move at a snail's pace! Of course we also has the agricultural paperwork and finally the x ray of the luggage as we left the customs area. Each step involved a lineup and rather crowded conditions. The airport was not as modern as you might expect.

The best thing about the arrival was the way in which the Princess staff were there to help. Once we had cleared immigration, we were met by a rep and had about 4 

Our View!

different people help us on our way. We wee glad that we had taken the transfer!

The ride to the port took nearly 2 hours. Santiago is a very dry area behind the coastal mountains but as we proceeded to the port there was more greenery. We passed through the Casablanca valley home to the wine industry. Concho E Toro is the largest of the vineyards in the area. Finally at the port we checked in quickly but then needed a bus to get to the ship. The port at Valparaiso is a very old working dock area. The buildings that were used had broken windows and was probably an abandoned warehouse. Finally we arrived on the Golden at about 5 pm.

Our upgraded mini-suite is very comfortable. We were greeted with a glass of champagne and a full mini bar set up. We had 2 surprises in the room. First we we treated to a complimentary bottle of wine thanks to Penny and the CAA. We also received an invitation to the Captain's lunch. Apparently we are among the most traveled Princess passengers! That is a new thing for us. It was a quick turnaround for us but we were unpacked and to dinner by 8.

Relaxing in the Mini Suite

Our table mates seem very nice. They are from Georgia, South Carolina and California. They are well traveled but not necessarily on Princess. We both had the prime rib which was probably the best we have had!  By the time we finished dinner, we were too late for the Princess Theater opening show. We were both very tired from the overnight! By 10 we were sound asleep!

South America Cruise January

   I think that we are packed and just about ready to go. Golden Princess here we come. We found out this week that we were upgraded to a mini-suite. Either the ship is empty or we have a perk for being Elite members! Packing for 14 days at sea was a bit different but we seem to be able to do a better job these days. It is mid summer in South America with very warm temperatures (we hope!)

Our Cruise Stops

We have a 12 hour non stop Toronto to Santiago with a 2 hour time difference. It will certainly be nice to go non stop. We leave at midnight Friday 17 January and arrive at Noon the next day. We go right to the ship from the airport and sail a few hours afterward.

As the maps show we start in Santiago Chile and then head south around Cape Hope , over to the Falkland Islands; a stop in Uruguay and finally an overnight in Buenos Aires.

We have already sailed 220 days plus on Princess (stuck in a rut?) but now that we attained Elite status we can hardly pass up the perks.  The mini bar and free laundry are just a few of the things that go along with the staying with one line. What can be better than a complimentary glass of champagne!

       We will try to post daily (?) if we can.  We always find that sailing is an adventure and this should not be any different. Now if we can just sort out all the different currencies we should have a good time. Plenty of touring to be done in all the ports!

    

8 Day Crossing Part 2 - She Broke The Egg!

   We are in the last day at sea with Whittier less than 12 hours away. Today at breakfast we spotted 3 spouts. People had see whales in the last few days but they were the first for us .The last few days have been spent in much the same routine as before. However, I have taken up the Zumba exercise in full and I am finally getting the hang of it. This is not Zumba gold but regular Zumba. It has a lot of high impact steps which can hurt the knees. As Walter the 27 year old instructor says, do what you can! Last night was the last of our 6 formal nights. We had our photos taken but did not win the free prints.

      After all the ball room dance classes that we have had, we are finally getting the hang of it although when the Asian take to the floor, we fade into he woodwork. They are so graceful and dance with such flare that it is hard to stay on the floor with them. We spent part of the afternoon packing but need to wait until later tonight to finish the job. We don't leave until 8 am tomorrow but need to do the U.S. Immigration exercise at 6:30. Since we are not leaving Anchorage until nearly midnight it will be a long day. We cancelled our transfer to the airport in favour of a small excursion to take up some of the day. However, I imagine come Sunday afternoon, we will be a bit tired. We still have 4 time zones to make up but that will be done in the air.

Our Prize!

      We entered the egg drop contest this cruise. Briefly, you need to drop a raw egg from deck 7 to deck 5 without it breaking. Since we have seen it done before and assisted on an egg drop on our last cruise, it should have been a piece of cake. We used a Vietnamese type hat to hold a coffee cup (it acted like a parachute) and broke the fall with some balloons. It made it safely to the bottom (as did others ) but when Judy went to retrieve the egg to prove that we were winners, the host had turned the container over. Judy had seen the hours of engineering time that had gone into the development of what was probably the best looking egg drop device. The egg came out unscathed but she did not catch it (I should have raced down there to get the glory) and it promptly fell on the deck and smashed! I made my way to the fifth floor but stayed in the background. The good news is that all entrants received the coveted Princess water bottles. At least it was not a key chain. It was a fun exercise.

    This will be the last post from the ship. If we have an exciting day in Anchorage tomorrow, I may attempt to post something. Thanks to all who have sent emails or left messages. We hope you enjoyed reading of our adventuress and seeing the photos of some of the highlights!

CHEERS!

8 Day Crossing Part 1

     It has been 4 full days at sea since we left Yokohama and as of now (Day 5 at sea) we have 3 more after today. Life at sea is not exactly the same as cruising between ports because now you are always just looking forward to another day crossing the Pacific as opposed to resting after a day ashore . Actually we crossed the International Date Line late last night and now we are on the same day as the rest of North America. Interesting part is that we actually had 2 Mondays this week! We are also advancing the clock 1 hour each nigh as we creep back to Alaska. We have another hour time change tonight.

We Won!

      Our days are filled with a few basic activities. Since Yokohama, the ship now has a real Zumba instructor. This is not gold like in Florida but “real Zumba” . It is a very hard workout for nearly 50 minutes. They started offering it twice a day, morning and afternoon. With the time changes and the early start time, Judy barely has time to make it. I usually get my coffee and start about 15 minutes after her. After that it is either ballroom dancing class or line dancing. Actually we rest during line dancing and just dance when the music is on. With all the ballroom sessions we have had, we can almost dance to whatever is playing. The instructor has done 6 basic dances and have kept the moves the same so the only real difference is the beat of the music. Last night we went to one of the venues with the live band and did some practicing! “Brazil” the instructor is probably the best teacher that we have had except for the professional that were on our Panama cruise about 12 cruises ago. The line dancing is forgettable as is to be expected. We also made it to the big indoor pool for a swim today.

      We usually spend some time having tea in the lobby bar. We find 2 empty chairs (they are grouped in fours), sit down and chat with whoever is there. Sometimes we have morning tea with our dinner companions. It is nice not sitting next to that post during dinner as we did on the first part of the cruise. We now have dinner with 2 other couples, one from Ontario, one from California. 2 nights

Formal Night Attire

ago was a formal night with the Captain's Circle Party. We won the bottle of champagne after saying we never win anything. We saved the bottle for our table so we could all celebrate. My name was also pulled for the question of the day. I won a photo of the Great Wall and a $1 coupon for the casino. Big deal. Gone are the days of winning a free drink! However with 2 wins in a row behind us we have entered the egg drop contest. We will see what happens on Friday.

    The Captain was on the PA system today with a special announcement. We immediately thought that “Nor-virus” was back. However he said that he had altered course last night and is headed for one of the Aleutian Islands to land a passenger who has a serious medical problem. There are only 300 people on the island but it has a WW 2 age landing strip. They will offload the passenger to a boat and then air evac him(?) to Anchorage. We have been steaming at around 21 knots (top speed for this ship) since last night. The transfer will occur around 11 PM tonight. He will make his scheduled arrival time in Whittier. My comment was that the Tour office will be open soon with a special tour of the island! Escape Completely the Princess way. I was just commentating today that a stop sometime would be nice! The seas remain moderate to rough but the ship has been very stable. Currently the white caps are still out there (5C temperature) but not as many as earlier in the day.

Sharing Our Chanmpagne

     We seem to have cut down on how often we eat although we do enjoy that part. Missing breakfast and trying to limit the between snacks is now the pattern. That is not as bad as hitting the food wall and not eating anything (except desserts). Glad to see the Red Wings won. Sorry for the Leafs!