FUN:travel – Valparaiso, Chile – End of Seabourn Cruise
February 21, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN:travel – Valparaiso, Chile – End of Seabourn Cruise
Sunday Brunch in the Galley
The ABC’s of Chile
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Day 20 – Monday, February 18 – Valparaíso to Viña del Mar – End of Cruise – more sunshine, blue skies sprinkled with light cottony clouds, cool breeze
- 7:15 – wake up
- A – don’t disembark until 10:30
- B – have to be out of room by 8:00
- B – breakfast is over at 9:00 instead of 10:00
- B – remember I forgot my pajamas
- C – go back to room & still there!
- C – get to see all of my by birthday party friends before we leave!
- 10:15 – take shuttle from ship to terminal
- 10:30 – out of customs
- C – ask staff about taxi’s & told Official taxi costs twice as much as local outside the gate
- A – porter gets our bags & runs us out past the front gate
- A – takes 15 minutes & costs $20
Decadent Dessert
FF – (FUN-fact) – We covered 3941 nautical miles from Buenos Aires to Valparaíso.
- Cruise Recap: This is our second Seabourn cruise and we like that everything is included (except the internet which is slow and expensive.) The food on the Sojourn was a bit inconsistent compared to the Quest this summer. The coffee was not very good and the espresso beans not that much better. What would it take to get really good beans? The complimentary wine was very average and we think Regent 7 Seas offers a better selection and their espresso is better too. In fairness we think Seabourn does a better of job of dinner selections. We like the cabin size at almost 300 sq. ft even for the least expensive ones. The service was excellent!
FUN:travel – At Sea – Seabourn Cruise – Day 15
February 21, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN:travel – At Sea – Seabourn Cruise – Day 15
Bread & Appetizer Table
The ABC’s of Chile
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Day 19 – Sunday, February 17 – At Sea – Cruise Day 15 – wake up to sunshine! Chilly breeze
- 8:00 – begin typical sea day
- 11:00 – School – lecture on ghost ships & rogue waves the devour ships – glad this is the day before we get off!
- A – 12:00 – Galley Market lunch in main dining room – beautiful spread of salads & appetizers – 2 huge dessert tables
- A – main courses served in the galley – never done this before!
- A – kitchen is spotless
- 4:45 – phone rings for another invite @ hosted table – don’t accept – too risky to be stuck w/people you may not have a connection with
- 6:45 – happy hour w/Susan & John – Observation bar deck 10
- A – lots of little white caps fill the sea as far as the eye can see
- 7:45 – dinner in Colonnade – Italian theme – carpaccio & Osso Buco VG!
Dessert Table
- B – minestrone w/o beans or pasta isn’t minestrone
- C – 9:45 – rock the boat party @ the Club – have a drink w/ Don & Steve
FF – (FUN-fact) – Two cooks do nothing but make bread and 5000 bread sticks every day.
Staff Captain Emil & Captain Hamish @ Brunch
FUN:travel – Puerto Montt, Chile – Seabourn Cruise – Day 14
February 19, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN:travel – Puerto Montt, Chile – Seabourn Cruise – Day 14
The ABC’s of Chile
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Day 18 – Saturday, February 16 – Puerto Montt, Chile – Cruise Day 14 – Scenic Cruising Reloncavi Sound – much cooler, massive white clouds mixed w/grey & some blue skies
- B – wake up 0’dark:30 for 8 hr excursion
- 7:10 – go to grand salon to hurry up & wait
- 7:30 – tender to town
- 7:45 – board bus to Petrohue rapids, Emerald lake & Puerto Varas tour
- B – takes 2 hours to reach Vicente Perez Rosales National Park
Petrohue Rapids
- B – can’t see the snow capped Osorno volcano
- B – mountains are shrouded in fog & clouds
- B – road washed out in parts from torrential rains
- 9:45 – 1st stop – catamaran ride on Emerald Lake
- B – raining, poor visibility – sun allows full color
- 10:45 – bus to Petrohue rapids
- 11:15 – 2nd stop – walk along trail & bridges to see rapids – Chile’s mini version of Iguassu
- B – pouring rain & wind
- A – back to bus to stay dry
- 11: 30 – go figure, sun comes out
- 12:15 – lunch break – town of Ensanada for Salmon, pisco sours, wine
- 1:15 – drive to Puerto Varas for shopping
- B – overpriced for the most part
- 2: 15 – drive back to tender
- 3:30 – back on ship
- 4:30 – set sail
- 6:45 – happy hour @ the club w/our favorite bartender Andre & guitarist Daniel
- 7:30 – 2nd formal night – 2nd invite for hosted dinner – this time @ Hubert the Hotel Directors table
- B – no shows tonight, too tired
FF – (FUN-fact) – Puerto Montt is often referred to as the Salmon Capital of Chile.
FUN:travel – Castro, Isla de Chiloé, Chile – Seabourn Cruise – Day 13
February 19, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN:travel – Castro, Isla de Chiloé, Chile – Seabourn Cruise – Day 13
The ABC’s of Chile
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Day 17 – Friday, February 15 – Castro, Isla de Chiloé, Chile – Cruise Day 13 – Scenic Cruising Gulf of Corcovado – warmer w/sun & clouds mixed – 60’s
- standard morning routine
- B– still not sleeping well
- 10:15 – manicure
- B – takes her an hour to get off my OPI no chip polish – extra charge of $23 for that
- 12:00 – lunch w/John & Susan before sightseeing
- 1:00 – we take tender to town
- A – main attraction is brightly painted church – inside completely made of wood including the pegs that hold it together
- A – declared UNESCO world heritage site in 2000
- wooden houses are perched on stilts along the waternice walk around town ending @ local market w/stalls – lots of yarn & knitted items along w/the usual stuff
- 2:30 – tender to ship
- C – Bloody Mary break outside – much warmer day
- 3:15 – room R & R
- 8:15 – dinner theme is South America in Colonnade
FF – (FUN-fact) – Castro is the third oldest city in Chile.
More FF – Patagonia boasts the largest expanses of inland ice outside the polar regions. And there are more sheep than people.
FUN:travel – Sea Day – Seabourn Cruise – Day 11 – Chilean Fjords
February 17, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN:travel – Sea Day – Seabourn Cruise – Day 11 – Chilean Fjords
The ABC’s of Chile
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Amalia Glacier
Day 15 – Wednesday, February 13 – Sea Day – Cruise Day 11 – Cruising Chilean Fjords – cool high 50’s w/clouds
- C – post birthday pre valentine’s day!
- 8:30 – cappuccino not as good
- B – Claudia not feeling well & she makes mine the best
- pretty much typical day @ sea
- 10:00 – fruit break
12:00 – lunch English Theme – always a soup w/6 hot side dishes, several meat & fish options w/carving station, salad station w/lots of options - 1:30 – pizza break @ the Grill
-
Beagle Channel Dolphins
- 2:00 – write thank yous for my birthday guests & deliver
- room R & R siesta
- 5:45 – happy hour Observation Bar deck 10
Garabaldi Glacier
- 6:30 – magic show in grand salon – Devlin’s pretty good
- 7:30 – dinner in Colonnade – they always take your order @ dinner & serve you versus breakfast & lunch that is a buffet – always options cooked to order too
- 8:30 – the Club for music
FF – (FUN-fact) – The Chilean Fjords run 630 miles consisting of a myriad of islands, lagoons, glaciers and ice fields.