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Best travel advice to save money and have fun on any budget!
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Occasionally, very interesting mail and e-mail comes across Travels With Sheila's desk. One of these is a Cruise West flyer for what sounded to me like a great cruise down into Patagonia. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I have trekked through Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia as well as cruised down to Antarctica. Both totally unique experiences as well as completely different ways of seeing the southernmost end of the world.
You'll travel to the "End of the Earth" aboard the 64-cabin Via Australis. All cabins all come with private facilities, low beds, panoramic windows and usual room amenities. The ship has 5 Decks, 2 lounges, dining room, a wide open promenade deck and bridge open to passengers. Cruise West has extremely important selling points if you are interested in cruising but have never done so before:
Continue reading "Cruise to The Ends of The Earth" »
Have you ever heard of the cruise line, Hurtigruten? I hadn't until ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I made a long-awaited journey to Antarctica and saw the MS Nordnorge waiting its turn to land passengers on Paradise Island and then the MS Fram docked in Ushuaia right behind our ship. Both are owned by Hurtigruten and looked more luxurious than the M/V Lyubov Orlova that we were on, not that I'm complaining..."just the facts, ma'am"
Hurtigruten, a leader in expedition cruising, has partnered with CruiseCompete to offer Hurtigruten's expedition cruises. This will enable both CruiseCompete and Hurtigruten to reach experienced travelers who may not have realized the value offered by a Hurtigruten cruise. I certainly knew nothing about them before this...
Continue reading "Hurtigruten Cruises Up Around Norway or Way Down in Antarctica" »
Whether you are Alaska-bound this Summer on a large cruise line, an inside cruise, tour, fishing or hiking, an interesting article just crossed my desk about the Great Alaska TourSaver Book filled with 2-for-1 travel deals. I wouldn't exactly say the book is inexpensive at $99.95 but tour excursions off Alaskan cruise ships, whale watching and other sights aren't exactly give-aways and it's easy to see how this book could pay for itself after using just one coupon.
The compact guide features more than 130 travel deals: flights, cruises, lodges, fishing, whale-watching, adventures -- the works. If you are skeptical over the savings, spend some time surfing on line and see what individual tours cost without a coupon. Below is a small sample of just a few 2-for-1 offers that certainly appeal to me:
Continue reading "Taking An Alaskan Cruise or Tour This Summer?" »
Cruising is popular all year round but there are some especially good bargains available right now. Not a day goes by that cruise offers don't clutter up my e-mail box and I advise you to jump on one if cruising is in your future travel plans. I'd like you to just be aware of these seven money-saving tips:
1. The costs given per person in all ads and e-mails trying to entice you do not include port charges and taxes. A 3-night cruise to the Bahamas may be advertised for $179 per person in an inside cabin. Your Government taxes and fees can then add another $300 per person! Suddenly, the cruise cost doesn't sound that cheap anymore.
2. Book an interior room if you are not claustrophobic to really cut down costs. A balcony cabin for sitting outside gives an air of roominess. However, the inside cabins are surprisingly large and are you going to spend all day in the room? I hope not.
Continue reading "Sheila's Seven Cruise Tips to Keep Costs Down" »
If you love cruising, check out the new Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas making it's debut on December 12, 2009. This ship will be the largest and most innovative cruise ship in the industry. The Oasis of the Seas will have 16 decks, 2,700 staterooms, weigh in at 220,000 gross tons and carry an amazing 5,400 cruise passengers! I constantly got lost and/or turned around on our family NCL Mexican cruise and the Norwegian Star only had 12 decks. Is Oasis of The Seas huge...or is that beyond huge. This behemoth will sail from her home port of Fort Lauderdale through both the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
I don't know how much higher the cruise lines can raise the bar on these floating monsters but read what Royal Caribbean's Oasis of The Seas has:
Continue reading "Royal Caribbean's New "Oasis of The Seas"" »
Once you've decided on a cruise line, there are even more ways to save money before you leave. Read about a few of our previous cruises for sample tips - Chile, Antarctica (huge discounts on Antarctica if you book now from many operators) and information I've received in the mail showing ginormous discounts and bargain cruises everywhere. An abundance of cruise ships with unfilled staterooms and heavy discounting going on. Below are a few examples....
For example, there are two different Soda programs on the NCL Star if you are traveling with children. No! Cruise ships usually don't include anything other than juice, water or milk. We had seven teens with between 13-17 and there were two packages to pick from. Which one would be best? Which one was more economical?
Continue reading "Saving Money on A Cruise" »
ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I just returned from 21 days in Indonesia and were amazed by the stack of cruise brochures in the accumulated mail. These brochures even surpassed the usual solicitations for credit cards and donations, not an easy feat. I usually rip...toss...tip...toss...but not this time because some of the offerings are quite incredible both for 2009 and 2010!
None of the costs given below include port taxes and government fees. On the more luxurious side:
- Oceania Cruises has a 12-day voyage from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires for $2,299 per guest including Free Airfare for an inside room. If you've never considered an inside room, think about it. You are inside the stateroom a minimal amount of time, the inside staterooms are usually larger, and the lower you are in a ship, the more stable the ride. Been there...done it...and it is just fine! You'll also receive the exact same amenities as those passengers staying in a higher priced room. As long as you're not claustrophobic, it's a steal.
Continue reading "Bargain Cruises Everywhere" »
Halong Bay is stunning and a deservedly popular site but here are a few additional thoughts before you commit to an overnight cruise.
- The boats don't travel very far into Halong Bay and all follow the same route; ...View image...
- If you are unfortunate enough to have bad weather, consider it money flushed down the toilet; and
- There is nothing new to see on the early morning return. We were back at Bai Chay by 9:30 am, others return at noon. Take a three-day cruise if you have the time.
I suggest the day cruise. You'll see the same vistas as you would on an overnight cruise.
Continue reading "Day 2 on The Halong Bay Cruise, Vietnam" »
Today's trip and overnight on Halong Bay was "weather permitting." An auspicious little weather forecast sign at the Hanoi Hotel front desk... sunny today and tomorrow,,,View image... The group brought all the luggage down to leave behind at the hotel since we just needed clothes for one night on the Halong cruise. When the storage room gets full, the hotel just chains the bags together...View image... An early morning start (what else is new...) for the 3-4 hour ride to Bai Chay (Halong City West) where we'd board the boat.
Congestion and rush hour in and out of Hanoi with today's big road sight, the Long Bien Bridge across the Red River built in 1903 by Gustave Eiffel. This bridge was heavily bombarded during the Vietnam War, and only half the bridge retains its original shape. Today used only for pedestrian and railway traffic. On the other side of the Red River, the industrialized section of Hanoi began with huge factories including a gigantic Canon facility, people selling good-looking French baguettes along the road...
Continue reading "Day 1 - Cruising Halong Bay, Vietnam on A Private Boat (Junk)" »
Three million tourists visited Halong Bay in 2007 and that statistic alone will give an indication how popular the day excursions and overnight cruises are. Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and includes 1,969 small limestone islands. (We were told the "1,969" number represents the year Ho Chi Minh died.) Each little islet or island...View image... is topped with thick vegetation and several are hollow with enormous caves. A few islands have floating fishing villages. ...View image...
The two main sights in Halong Bay included in both day tours and overnight cruises are: one big cave and a fishing village. All tours depart from Bay Chay (Halong City West)...View image..., about 170 kms/105 miles east of Hanoi. It's an easy 3-1/2 to 4- hour ride (if you want to call four hours to drive 105 miles "easy") on good roads by either car, taxi or public bus (around $5 U.S. round trip).
Continue reading "Tourist Information: A Halong (Ha Long) Bay, Vietnam Cruise" »
Norwegian Star thoughts:
- The cabins were definitely spacious enough but only hold three persons maximum in outside cabins. I completely recommend a balcony, outside cabin for sitting on the balcony, and air of roominess. However, the inside cabins were surprisingly large and none of our grandchildren became claustrophobic in them, an initial concern.
- The Kid's and Teen Clubs were great. There was always something for them to do if they so chose, and our group enjoyed them immensely. David, the five-year old, even had to be pulled kicking and screaming from the club at 10:00 p.m. one night because it was so much fun.
- Entertainment appealed to one and all. Second City Comedy Show was a major hit.
Continue reading "Family Comments and Hindsight on The Norwegian Star Cruise" »
Time to get ready for disembarkation. Passengers were told to come to the atrium, settle up accounts (if you used a credit card to guarantee, no worries), fill out U.S. Customs Forms and decide what you wanted to do about luggage. Express walk off disembarkation would start at 7:45-8:30 a.m. Once the ship was cleared, just walk down and off the gangway carrying your own bags.
Sounds a lot easier than it actually was. The crowds in the elevators and stairs were humungous and loaded with passengers dragging their own luggage off the ship, Even so, it only took around 15 minutes to have key cards scanned, into the building, give your U.S. Customs Forms to an official and we were outside waiting for our transport to LAX Airport. There was no x-ray, scans, showing of passports...nada...
Continue reading "Preparing for Disembarkation on The Norwegian Star" »
The second to the last day at sea was sunny and warm. Time for all 2,000+ passengers to sun on deck, play basketball, take a tour of the ship (bridge and galley), play Bingo, hit some golf balls into the net, aerobics, play ping pong, team trivia, badminton, lectures, Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament, wine tastings, movies (in your stateroom or movie theater), pilates....and that was just during the day. It's no secret that you can keep busy 24-hours a day on a cruise ship...or not...take naps, read and do nothing.
Night brought The Second City Comedy, game shows, Karaoke, dance party, take family photos or portraits, and even a "power shopping hour" with Colombian Emeralds International. (They were always pushing the shopping.) As an example, pearl necklaces ordinarily selling for $200 were being discounted 50%. (If you visit China, a made to order pearl necklace will run $10-20. Tonight's major highlight was going to be a Chocolate Buffet from 11:00 p.m. to Midnight.
Continue reading "The Last Days At Sea on The Norwegian Star" »
Volumes have been written about cruising and food. My yummy rating on the Norwegian Star was *****. That's right. Five stars and this is from a person who will choose not to eat when faced with something disgusting or inedible. I did a little reading on Cruise Critic, studied the best cruise ship ratings put out by both Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure every year (as a matter of fact, in the February 2009 issue, NCL isn't even rated as good in their rankings) and have this to say. Come on folks...what do you expect? Three star Michelin? Gourmet perfection? Do you want to pay $13,000 a person and up for supposed exquisite food on one of the luxury cruises? Let me ask you. When was the last time you went to a restaurant in your local area and absolutely everything you ate was perfection, tickled your taste buds into gourmet heaven and had no complaints. Whenever we dine out (local or more upscale), there's always something that isn't exactly what I expected. Oversalted, underseasoned, cold (when it's supposed to be hot), tough or had other flaws.
Let's judge NCL's Norwegian Star (and other cruise ships) based on that. Stop and consider for a moment what you are actually paying per day to cruise. Then remember what it cost you the last time you went out for fine dining. Was everything spectacular? If your entree or appetizer didn't meet expectations, did you send it back and ask for something else? Not usually. Yes, if you said..."waiter, there's a foreign object in my....", then that item is replaced but not if you just don't like the way it tastes.
Continue reading "Cruising is All About The Food...Right?" »
It was Adios, Mexico. Adios to the buckets of cervezas on the beach, henna tattoos, parasailing, digging in the sand, playing in the waves, buying and watching the vendors. Adios to the ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.
Inside of looking back, time to look forward to 2009. Yes, it was time for the Gala New Year's Eve celebrations tonight on the Norwegian Star. We slowly pulled away and waved goodbye to lit up Puerto Vallarta. Got all spiffied up for dinner, went into the Versailles Dining Room for a very yummy dinner and began ordering multiple selections. A few appetizers, couple entrees, three desserts and even more. I personally selected: a duck menage a trois (duck mousse, duck confit and duck slivers), oysters, a salad with brie cheese and walnuts, red snapper (didn't like at all - very tough), and didn't care for any of the two desserts I ordered. ex-Marine went for the lamb chips that were so outstanding, we ordered two more plates of lamb chops to share. No worries, if you didn't care for something, just visit the Market Cafe where there is an extensive dessert buffet every night. Chocolate Fondue fountains and more...
Continue reading "New Year's Eve on The Norwegian Star" »
Parasailing is great fun and is available almost anywhere there is a beach with enterprising boatmen. A person is towed behind a boat while attached to a parachute (also known as a parasail). I first went airborne in Acapulco, 1961 and have taken several more "fliers" since then, both solo and tandem depending on where I parasailed.
Most parasailing operations take off from a beach but one of our Caribbean experiences had tandem operations off the back of a boat. Jet skis took us from the beach to the boat where two of us were strapped into the harnesses and let out like kites into the air. The landing was super easy since the crew just reeled us in like a fish.
Continue reading "Have You Ever Parasailed?" »
Before disembarking with family, ex-Marine and I took a walk over to the closest beach, Playa del Oro, a 15-minute walk from the pier. The beach was perfectly adequate but not exactly what our picky family would love since it was too far from the main Centro area. If you don't care about heading into the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta, and are just looking for a "beach" to park yourself, walk over and save the very expensive taxi fares into Puerto Vallarta Centro.
The family had intended on sleeping in a little this morning but at 7:00 a.m., a booming announcement over the P.A. system that "...since today is New Year's Eve day, all Puerto Vallarta streets would be blocked off after 5:00 p.m. for street parties. There would be no transportation to and from the pier into the city after that time..." The short version - prepare to walk back if the sun turns your mind to mush and are stuck there. So much for sleeping in...
Continue reading "The Playas (Beaches) of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico" »
Puerto Vallarta has always been a haunt for the rich and famous, and shot through the roof when Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton began their notorious love affair. This was our destination with the focus being excellent shopping and a beautiful beach.
The Norwegian Star offered quite a few excursions, none of which interested us, but still sounded like fun. You could:
- Experience Bahia de las Banderas powder-soft beaches;
- Take the Town, Country & Tequila tour that drove through Marina Vallarta, visit the Hacienda Dona Engracia tequila factory to learn about the tequila manufacturing process and time for shopping at Puerto Vallarta's downtown area;
Continue reading "A Day in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico" »
We literally danced off the beaches of Mazatlan and back to the pier where even more dancing was taking place in vehicles, shops, pier, everywhere. All passengers in an extremely great mood from a fun and spectacular day in Mazatlan. Mazatlan's paved, beachfront promenade stretches from the Zona Dorada to Olas Altas in Old Mazatlan. The largest monument, El Pescador (the fisherman), is a statue of a mermaid beckoning to a fisherman. Tomorrow is our last stop, Puerto Vallarta, and again we'll look for a beach to park ourselves on.
The Norwegian Star sailed at sunset with crowds of people thronging the docks as our majestic ship slowly sailed out to sea. ...View image... Two tugs (official boats) accompanied us until outside the harbor and we just stood on our balcony and took in the great views until time to change for dinner. ,,,View image... But now, it's time to eat and decide what's evening entertainment to take part in. Karaoke Idol Party will be a "fun" version of American Idol and two grandsons are planning on trying out. There are also movies, the Internet Cafe where you can purchase an internet time plan and keep in touch, country music, Stardust Showtime has "Band on the run" tonight, lotto, DJ Freddy's "Awesome 80's Dance Party", gambling and much, much more.
Continue reading "Adios Mazatlan, Mexico - Hola Norwegian Star" »
A person is never too old to play in the sand. Teenagers set to work building, digging, drawing with sticks, anatomically correct sand people, covering each other up with sand, mud and just having a gay old time. ...View image... Before you knew it and satiated with beer, I thought we were going to head back to the ship but a Henna Tattoo vendor strolled by and one teenager decided to browse through the design book. ...View image... That did it. If one is going to get a tattoo, all decide to get tattoos and it took forever for nine people to carefully look through the many books and decide which one was the perfect tattoo for them. ,,,View image...
Design chosen, the vendor traced the tattoo on whatever part of the body they wanted and started following the lines with a henna paint brush. It takes forever to dry otherwise the lines smudge and is supposed to last for two weeks. I would have to say that this particular vendor made a killing with our family since the tattoos range from $7-$13 U.S. each. I bet he's glad he stopped by our spot!
Continue reading "Henna Tattoos in The Mazatlan Sands of Mexico" »
My last time in Mazatlan was off a Sitmar cruise spending lots of time on the beach trying to coax young son, Joel, that I was not trying to kill him by encouraging a parasail ride. He didn't die and is the the premier Google Adsense guru and writer of the NY Times best seller, The AdSense Code. And his latest venture, iFart Mobile, an application for iPhones, has taken off like gangbusters. How much prouder could a parent be than to have a college educated son develop a "farting" application? Only kidding, I am very proud of him and older brother, Michael, who probably helped hone the farting range of sounds including lighting them. Michael, on the other hand, went up for his parasail ride without hesitation and like a champ setting a fine example for Joel. Now it's time for grandchildren to be equally inspired even though they are terrified.
Found a parasailing person charging $30 U.S. each for the 10-minute parasail ride. FYI: It's not necessary to change currency into Mexico Pesos. Everyone accepts U.S. Dollars. Nick, Sarah and Jenna were too young to parasail on the last family trip and this was their moment. Only single parasail riders are allowed in Mazatlan (no tandem). They screwed up their courage and lined up determined and scared "shitless."
Continue reading "Parasailing in Mazatlan, Mexico" »
Mazatlan is Mexico's second largest coastal city (after Acapulco), with nearly 600,000 inhabitants. It has the largest port facility between Los Angeles and the Panama Canal, and is home to Latin America's biggest fleet of commercial shrimp vessels (over 800 boats). Nearly 40 tons of shrimp are processed each year, making Mazatlan "the shrimp capital of the world". Mazatlan is also a very popular spring break destination for the college kids with lots to do.
The Norwegian Star docked in Mazatlan on a cloudy morning but nice and hot. Down the gangway around 10:15 am and into open air transportation that shuttles down the pier to the exit at the main cruise terminal. Just one other ship in port besides us. At the main cruise terminal, there was another gauntlet of shops, tour operators and driver until you stepped outside of the enclosure. There were more taxis and vehicles and it took around 15 minutes to make "a deal" with two vans for $50 U.S. to the Zona Dorado (golden zone) beach area, around four miles to the north, where almost all of Mazatlan's visitors spend their time.
Continue reading "Mazatlan on The Pacific Coast of Mexico" »
Cabo San Lucas. I visited Cabo San Lucas around 1975? 1976? Whatever year it was, there was nothing there but beaches and fisherman. Now there are still fishermen and incredibly posh hotels. Quite a few extremely expensive, world class hotels on the Baja Peninsula where the rich and truly famous congregate. The One&Only Palmilla is the one that always come to mind when I think of Cabo. Check out their rates!
Cabo San Lucas also has great beaches, lots of shopping and restaurants, and a variety of hotels and resorts for any budget. The long sandy main beach, El Medano, is the place for swimming and watersports with lots of fun restaurants in the sand. golf and postcard perfect views. A popular port of call for cruise ships along the Mexican Riviera, Cabo is also a popular destination for Spring Break.
Some of the many shore excursions offered by the Norwegian Star were:
Continue reading "Cabo San Lucas on the California Baja Peninsula" »
...Breakfast also happens to be my favorite meal of the day. Give me a huge menu or buffet and you'll see one very happy camper.
If you want it, The Norwegian Star has it. Huge buffet breakfasts served every morning in the Market Cafe until 11 am with anything a person could possibly want. Eggs prepared in several different styles, waffles, pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt, bacon, sausage, dry cereal, lox, bagels, fresh fruit, danish, breads, juices, coffee, tea...and on and on.
Continue reading "Breakfast May Be Your Most Important Meal but..." »
Grandchildren came back and forth last night. "Grandma, I don't feel well, the boat is tipping." Children and grandchildren took pills for motion sickness "just in case," and I had trouble sleeping listening to the ship creaking in the open sea. The nightly Freestyle Daily told us to move clocks forward one hour heading to Cabo San Lucas and listed a gazillion things to do while at sea. Monte Carlo Night...View image..., Bingo, Champagne Art Auction, practice your golf swing on deck, work out in the Fitness Center, Ice Carving demonstration, martini tastings, were just a few of the over 30 activities to choose from. Two sons, and one daughter-in-law staked out their positions in the Casino (no video'ing inside, stills only) while all other adults staked out their chairs on the sundeck.
My choice? A huge, yummy breakfast and doing nothing. At least those were our plans until a credit letter was dropped in our cabin saying that there was another billing mix-up. Pounded down two decks to Reception steaming. You could see fire and sparks flying from our eyes. This took over an hour to clear up at the Credit Desk while the line behind us (other disgruntled passengers with problems) grew longer and longer.
Continue reading "A Day At Sea on The Norwegian Star" »
To the cabins and more aggravation. Key cards that didn't work. FYI: They become demagnetized if you put them near iPods, cell phones, keys, coins, anything metallic. Heard at reception, another family was missing 7 bags for two days, thankfully, not us. A long wait for luggage to be delivered to the room. And... on...and...on. ex-Marine and I spent an inordinate amount of time with more running up and down stairs between decks, back and forth to reception, trying to straighten everything out.
Our family had eight cabins, six outside with balcony and two inside ones on Deck 9. It really didn't make any difference who was originally assigned to a cabin since they all had the ability to sleep three persons. We expected the teens and youngsters to potentially play "musical cabins" and switch around if: a. one became claustrophobic; b. ill; or c. couldn't stand each other. The inside cabins are surprisingly roomy and I wouldn't hesitate to book one. After all, most passengers are never in their rooms except to sleep or change clothes.
Continue reading "Cabins on The Norwegian Star" »
Another early morning with continental breakfast at the Travelodge with lots of time to kill before the shuttles picked us up at 11:00 a.m. for transfer to the Port of Los Angeles. Back and forth between rooms with an announcement from Tracie that her room was filled with ants and son, Jordan even had ants in his jacket pocket! This was not good and ex-Marine immediately raced to Reception to complain and received a discount on her room. FYI: Travelodge claims that all the hotels/motels have ants at this time of the year.
Down to the lobby for checkout and only one of our Roadrunner shuttles is here early. The other arrived about 10 minutes late. Loaded up and to the docks for embarkation. Pre-printed baggage tags with name and cabin number on all suitcases given to us earlier by Norwegian Star, the Baggage handlers throw all suitcases on a cart and off they go, hopefully, to materialize later in the proper cabins.
Continue reading "The Norwegian Star Embarkation Began in Los Angeles" »
This was it. The big flying day to Los Angeles from Chicago. ex-Marine and I both nervous wrecks since Chicago had a horrible December with three times the normal amount of snow, bitter cold and a minor ice storm during the night making roads slippery and hazardous. Two families arrive at our house at the ungodly hour of 5:30 a.m. in preparation for a Los Angeles-bound United flight at 7:59 a.m. We ordered two taxis and only one shows. ex-Marine, (husband, Steve), goes into hyper-panic mode and the other cab finally shows 10 minutes late.
All 16 of the Chicago family is there for check-in, our Denver foursome is arriving on a different flight, security, and to the gate. ex-Marine takes all hungry people to McDonald's for a breakfast run, cheaper than buying food on the plane and we sit around and wait for the delayed plane. Our flight was completely full with a standby list of 116 names thanks to a week of horrendous weather across the United States. Take off was 1-1/2 hours late with at least 12 planes ahead of us waiting to take off. Attendant handed me a Bloody Mary, I took a large gulp and finally started to relax.
Continue reading "Our Family Group Flies To California" »
An All-Inclusive in one of the Mexican or Caribbean resorts was my first choice for logistical reasons but the Christmas week rates were completely over the top. Tried Apple Vacations, Go-Go, Fun Jet, Classic...you name it, my long suffering travel agent got the costs and the two of us nearly fainted. Recession...depression...didn't make any difference. The cost was ludicrous and the only pluses would have been that air, unlimited drinks and gratuities are included. All of these are extras on a cruise.
The Norwegian Star has everything plus some for adults, teens and small children. Seven teen grandchildren, ages 14-17, could find enough to do just between themselves but it helps that there is a Teen Club featuring a videowall, jukebox, football table air hockey and at night the Teen Club turns into a teen disco. There is also a Video Arcade and I'm confident there will be a plentiful amount of Teens on a Christmas holiday cruise for even more "cruisin."
Continue reading "Cruise vs. An All-Inclusive" »
Next?
The all important Air! The headcount was 20 persons...you read this correctly...airfare for 20. Four coming from Denver and everyone else in the Chicago area. I busily added up my accumulated miles on United, called them and got four free tickets! TA-DA!!! That helped a bit.
Hotel? Yes, we needed a hotel/motel for one night. I would never take a chance on flying to the embarkation point on the same day of the cruise. You may be gutsier than I but this is Chicago. Snow, rain, delays...many, many delays in good weather let alone winter. No, it was to California the day before to minimize the chances of a major snafu and missing the ship. Selected the Travelodge by LAX (Los Angeles) Airport with complimentary service to and from the airport and a continental breakfast included. Fresh fruit, cereal, milk, coffee, tea, juice, muffins, bagels, cream cheese, and pastries should hold the family until embarkation time. There are tons of hotels/motels close to LAX Airport but I was just looking for the least expensive possible with free transport from the airport to the hotel. After all, it was just for one night. There are also fast food places and restaurants up and down the Century Boulevard stretch for an inexpensive dinner.
Continue reading "Plannning A Family Cruise Continued..." »
Deciding what ship to take was very difficult. There were exactly three cruise lines with departures on December 27 in both the Caribbean and down the West Mexican Coast. NCL, Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Prices were comparatively the same. After lots of should we do this.. should we do that...picked NCL, Norwegian Caribbean Line. NCL had a Mexican Riviera cruise on the Norwegian Star leaving December 27 from Los Angeles, and calling on the ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.
There were two main reasons for picking NCL and Mexico: Airfare was less expensive from Chicago-Los Angeles then Chicago-Miami/Ft. Lauderdale; and NCL has free-style dining, a big plus for this intergenerational cruise. When a family consisting of grandparents, parents, teens and small children travel together, we found this to be important. This gives everyone a chance to
Continue reading "Deciding On A Cruise Line and Destination" »
You would think that planning a family cruise would be a no-brainer wouldn't you? Bah...humbug. Trying to schedule a trip around school, vacations, sports, dentists, orthodontists, illnesses is a logistical nightmare. It may be easier to plan an OPEC Summit than a family vacation. Thanksgiving? Out - only two grandchildren have vacation over the entire week, the others, school through Wednesday. Spring Break? Eliminated - ACT's are that weekend and, it's TAX season (one adult son is a C.P.A.). Summer? There is camp, baseball practice and summer school. What's left? Christmas break with more scheduling problems because Christmas Day is must-spend with others in an extended family.
Christmas with crowded airplanes and highest all-inclusive prices of the year. Christmas with the most expensive cruise prices. No one gives anything away over the Christmas Holidays but this family trip will have to take place over Christmas break or not happen. One of our adult children has a major health issue, ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I are aging, and grandchildren will start heading for college. There may never be another chance for the entire family to be together.... Grit teeth, tap all resources and go for it...
Continue reading "A Family Holiday Cruise" »
The ship spent the night anchored in Castro and left early the next morning...View image...through the Quehui and Calcahue Channels before dropping anchor at Dalcahue, a little town on Chiloe with interesting crafts.
From there, the Skorpios sailed on to Cabulco, the oldest town in the region on the Island of Huelmo. Off the ship to explore once again but again there wasn't much to see with the exception of a few llamas here. I have this "thing" for llamas and camels both with unique personalities and can spend days watching them.
 Sheila and "Lola the Llama"
Continue reading "Cabulco and The Chile Cruise Was Over" »
Castro, Chiloe is the former capital of the province and was founded in 1567. You can ferry between the island and the mainland of Chile. Fishing is the main economic activity but it was interesting to find out that the most widely grown variety of potato in the world is indigenous to the island.
Casto was having the VII Festival Costumbrista Chilote with comidas tipicas-juegos-costumbres-artesania (food, drink, costumes, arts) during one of the days the Skorpios visited. Our Spanish was improving but without anybody to practice on back home, the new vocabulary disappeared quickly. This was a chance to stretch sea legs, walk through town, do a little shopping and attend one of the performances.
 selling potatoes in the Castro marketplace
Continue reading "A Visit to Chiloe Island, Chile" »
In several lifeboats, we continued motoring around Laguna San Rafael with ice bergs everywhere and the imposing San Rafael Glacier. Laguna San Rafael was discovered in the 16th century by a Spanish navigator, Sir Juan Garcia Tao. The 15km/9.3m San Rafael Glacier forms an impressive wall nearly 2km/1.3m wide. The boats took us in very close (too close for my comfort level) and we just sat for a while, listening to the creaks and groans of the Glacier while every now and then a huge chunk would break off and fall into the Lagoon. There were just our small boats and two research scientists in kayaks in the Lagoon, nothing else.
It was cold, but not freezing. We were taken aback by the beauty of this glacier and the different colored ice bergs and had never dreamed it would be so dramatic....View image... Again, this was 1986, well before I'd even paid any attention to Patagonia and the geography of this region.
 in Laguna San Rafael
Continue reading "Cruising in Laguna San Rafael, Chile" »
Most days along the route, the Skorpios would come to a stop, lower nets and fishing boats would dump loads of crab, more fresh oysters, clams, and sea urchins onto the deck. I must have eaten at least two dozen oysters for lunch one day. A dozen raw and a dozen baked with cheese. Unlimited wine, we were happy campers.
Another evening, the Skorpios pulled up to a waterfall, stuck a hose in it and refilled the water tanks on ship. Pure, clear uncontaminated water from a glacier. The scenery became more dramatic the further we went into the fjords and finally, there was Laguna San Rafael with glaciers and ice bergs floating everywhere.
 collecting water from a waterfall
Continue reading "Into Laguna San Rafael, Chile" »
It was another calm, sunny day and the Skorpios was steaming ahead. After lunch, ex-Marine and I decided to go below, shower and take a "brief nap." Completely naked, we suddenly heard the ship's alarm and sirens go off. We looked at each other and said..."Oh, my God...we're sinking!" Panic set in and with shaking hands and visions of the Titanic, we threw on clothes as fast as we could, put on life jackets and pounded up the steps to the deck.
Before we ran out of the state room, I screamed...(SERIOUSLY)..."Sonny, don't forget the American Express Card and our Passports..."
Continue reading "A Cruise Day on The Skorpios I, Chile" »
Those sleeping pills were fantastic. Man oh man, would I love a prescription for those. Too bad they are probably outlawed in most countries. One of the passengers didn't believe they would work and took TWO of them. She almost overdosed and spent the next morning being walked around the decks (and held up under the arms) by two men.
We cruised via the Perez Norte, Perez Sur, Moraleda, Ferronave Channels and Islas Huichas until we reached Puerto Aguirre, a small fishing village. A stop there with a chance to stretch our legs and explore a little.
 Puerto Aguirre
Continue reading "Cruising To A Fishing Village in The Fjords of Chile" »
We made our way through Argentina and Chile's Lake District by a variety of transportation. From Puella, a motor launch across Lago Todo Los Santos to Petrohue where we boarded a bus for a two-hour ride along Lago Llanquihue to Puerto Montt for the evening. The Lake District is beautiful and can easily be seen independently the same way we did it.
In Puerto Montt, we transferred to the dock for embarkation. Unlike most cruise ships that depart in the late afternoon or evening, the Skorpios was scheduled to leave in the early morning. Aboard ship and shown to our very basic stateroom right by the crew's quarters, we made two very important discoveries:
- There were quite a few empty cabins and the purser was busily moving passengers around into better cabins at no extra charge. By the time we discovered this, the great cabins were gone but at least we were moved away from the crew's quarters; and
- No one spoke English!
 Puerto Montt
Continue reading "Th Skorpios Cruise Began in Puerto Montt, Chile" »
I read a brochure about a small boat called the M/N Skorpios I that cruised through the Fjords of Chile over 20 years ago. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I were in the process of putting together an ambitious trip that included: Buenos Aires, Argentina; a flight to Bariloche; a surface crossing through Argentina's Lake Country to Peulla by boat and bus; overnight in Peulla; followed by a public bus crossing to Puerto Montt, Chile. This is where the 7-night Skorpios cruise begins and ends so we happily added it to the itinerary. After the cruise, we flew to Santiago for a few days.
An obscure mention about the Skorpios in a magazine had brought this cruise to my attention. Even our travel agent had never heard about this cruise. Never deterred, I added it to the itinerary without thinking twice. Perhaps, I should have thought twice.
Continue reading "Cruising Through The Fjords and Glaciers of Chile" »
In Buenos Aires on a Sunday, we walked back to the San Telmo Flea Market hoping to see everyone dressed in costumes, bands and entertainment (see earlier article...put in date when it runs). Wrong. Our earlier visit happened to be a special day. San Telmo is still fun and interesting but nothing like the one 14 days ago. Oh well..
One of the most interesting stands was filled with "old" seltzer bottles. We both had grave doubts as to exactly how "old" they were but since we weren't buying...didn't really care. They would still be fun to have around as a conversation piece.
seltzer bottle stall at San Telmo
Continue reading "One Last Day In Buenos Aires, Argentina and Antarctica Thoughts" »
The Disembarkation routine: 6:00 am wake up; 6:15 am luggage outside door; 6:30-7:30 am breakfast; 7:00 am dock in Ushuaia. All passengers off ship by 8:00 am with a bus taking those on an early flight out of Ushuaia directly to the airport. For all others (with the exception of tour groups and those being met), another bus would take us to a luggage storage facility on the main street where we could sit and relax, or leave the bags until our flights departed. The storage facility was really a restaurant serving coffee and snacks.
Several other ships were docked along with us. The gigantic, 91,000 ton Infinity owned by Celebrity came in. Over 1,600 passengers and 1,000 crew on a "around South America" cruise that began in Santiago, Chile and ends in Buenos Aires. The National Geographic Endeavor was moored directly behind us and one other ship. And then the Fram lumbered in...View image
 sailing back into Ushuaia Harbor
Continue reading "A Day in Ushuaia" »
We departed Antarctica via the Melchoir Islands in Dallman Bay. There would be nothing but sea for the next two days. We are at a Beaufort Scale 7 with nothing to see and back on Meclizine. The good thing - everyone does have sea legs and is able to stagger around the ship with little problem.
Two days of interesting lectures given by: Andrew (Geology/Glaciology), Victoria (History), Nigel (Ornithology) and Fiona (Marine Biologist) along with the omni-present briefings and recaps by Susan. Or, you could still join Leeanna to express your emotion in art. Susan's early morning message today: "Take care, hold the railings, don't walk around the ship with glassware."
Victoria and Susan
Continue reading "The Voyage Back Through The Drake Passage, Antarctica" »
The highlight as always was the penguins. Toiling their way from high rookeries to the sea... sitting on nests...squabbling and braying at each other while trying to steal rocks and pebbles...ignoring us completely while we tried to stay out of their very well-defined penguin trails. Shouts of "Penguin coming through"...and we'd jump out of the way.
Umpteen hundreds of photos later, we were still taking penguin pictures. Just one more... So cute and irresistible that I kept on shooting. I don't know how many hundreds and/or thousands of Gentoos were here but plentiful was an understatement. Fiona said it was a good thing that there was still ample snow and ice pack. The stench would be overwhelming in another month from all the penguin poop.
 defined penguin trail
Continue reading "More Neko Harbor and A Russian Night in Antarctica" »
It was time to prepare the zodiacs and lower them into Anvord Bay. Fascinating...View image... One zodiac had all the emergency gear in it. Food, medication, tools, everything packed in huge chests. These came with us on all landings. We'd watch the individual zodiac drivers get in their zodiac, hang on and the entire zodiac would be winched over the side of the ship and slowly lowered into the water. Before you knew it, all the zodiacs were in the water and off to find the best landing spot. Very interesting to watch the crew's precision.
The largest iceberg we've seen on this trip was on the way to Neko Harbor. An iceberg has to be bigger than ship to really be called an "iceberg." The largest Antarctic iceberg ever recorded was larger than Belgium.
huge ice berg
Continue reading "Neko Harbor in Anvord Bay - Antarctica" »
Another try for a morning landing on Danco Island but there was still too much ice. Impossible for the zodiacs to get through the ice and land the passengers safely. Culverville Island was substituted instead. The M/S Andrea is moored off-shore landing their people and we'll have to wait until they are finished. Remember, the IAATO rules, only one ship at a time can be in a harbor and/or on land. Because of bad weather, the Andrea's passengers have been unable to make a single landing for five days and were desperate to get off the ship. Understandable.
The Expedition team usually attempted an average of two landings per day depending on the prevailing wind, ice, weather conditions and wildlife behavior. The word "expedition" is not used lightly. Any trip to Antarctica really is an "expedition." You never know what you'll see, where you'll land, if you'll land or what the weather conditions will be. It makes no difference what time you go during the summer season. As noted earlier, this Austral Winter had unusually heavy snow and ice. The situation changes by the minute.
This is what I call stunning...
Continue reading "In The Gerlache Strait, Culverville Island, Antarctica" »
The really big draw of Port Lockroy for most of us was a chance to shop. The British maintain a small museum, gift shop and Post Office on Goudier Island (our landing site)...View image... where stamps...View image... and souvenirs could be purchased and mail sent. Of course, it may take months for your mail to arrive but what better souvenir than a postcard sent from the Antarctic Continent with a stamp (only available here) on it. The shop and Post Office have only been run for around 13 years. The UK presence in Antarctica dates back to 1943.
Because Port Lockroy had limited space, half the group would be zodiac'd to Goudier Island and half to Jougla Point. After about an hour, the groups would switch so that everyone could experience both locations.
Port Lockroy sign
Continue reading "Port Lockroy and Time to Shop! - Antarctica" »
Breakfast, and then put on all the layers of clothing, boots, into the zodiac for the Petermann Island landing in a cove originally called "Port Circumcision." Adelies, Gentoos and Blue-eyed shags (I never got close enough to see the blue eyes). Susan's wake-up announcemen this morning included the magic words: "sunny and dead calm seas."
There are approximately 390 pairs of Adelies...View image... and 2,700 pairs of Gentoos on Petermann. The Gentoos are multiplying and traveling further south perhaps because they are advantageous feeders. It takes 4-6 weeks of incubation before penguin babies are born. November 18th was the first egg and Penguins will lay again if they lose one. They usually lay two eggs and after two months of feeding, the babies go in the water never seeing parents again. Penguins also make great snacks for Leopard Seals if any are around.
landing on Petermann Island
Continue reading "Petermann Island, Antarctica" »
The Orlova is carrying 94 passengers from: Brazil, Sweden, Norway, Holland (about 13 persons), a large Taiwan group, a large Chinese group, Israel, Australia, Switzerland, USA, Japan, Ukraine, Scotland, Canada, India, Greece, Ireland and Hong Kong. Our guess is that 60% of the passengers are younger than 40, very well traveled with quite a few traveling for 2-6 months around the world. Twenty percent between 40-55; and the rest 55+.
Since it's impossible for me to sleep anyway with all the hours of daylight, I joined most of the other passengers on deck. ...View image... The views heading into Lemaire Channel (named for Charles Lemaire, a Belgian explorer) were really indescribable. Mountains, glaciers, reflections in the water, ice floes on all sides and the Captain carefully threading his way through a half-mile wide opening to Petermann Island.
passengers on deck
Continue reading "Through The Lamaire Channel - Antarctica" »
The afternoon couldn't have been any better. A beautiful, warm, "brochure" day. The Harbor was named "Paradise" because it provided whalers such a protected harbor. There is a Chilean Navy Base located on Waterboat Point and an Argentine (unstaffed) base.
This bay is known for its beautiful snow-capped mountains and ice. This was our first actual landing on Antarctic Continent. Our 7th Continent! And, what a day... without any wind. It wasn't until two other passengers in the zodiac mentioned this was their 7th continent: Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Australia and now Antarctica -- that it suddenly dawned on us that this was our 7th Continent.
 passengers celebrating their 7th Continent
Continue reading "Paradise Harbor, in The Afternoon - Antarctica" »
The constant 23 hours of light has played havoc on my diurnal pattern. Impossible to sleep and major insomnia. If you open your eyes at 1:00 am, it's still pretty light in the room. There is only one hour a day that resembles dusk...and even that's not dark.
In the Errera Channel anchored off Danco Island, it's actually calm right now with a little bit of sun. Danco Island is one-mile long and Gentoo penguins breed here. The zodiacs went out to investigate and came back with bad news. We can't land because there is too much ice. Instead, a one-hour zodiac cruise is scheduled. This cruise turned out to be one of the trip's highlights due to a Leopard Seal. There are over 220,000 Leopard Seals around Antarctica, not threatened by any predator, but still difficult to actually see one.
 on a zodiac offshore Danco Island, Antartica
Continue reading "Danco Island In The Morning - Antarctica" »
The South Shetland Islands are separated by the 100-mile wide Bransfield Strait from the Antarctic Peninsula. With some luck, we'll visit penguin rookeries, Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals depending on which of the 11 main islands we visit.
The South Shetlands include active and recently active volcanoes. The most famous one being Deception Island. The entire region was the focus of extensive sealing and whaling operations depleting the whales to such an extent that only 5% of the original population remains.
 Deception Island map
Continue reading "South Shetland Islands, Land Ho...Antarctica" »
Right now, the Orlova is 350 miles south of Ushuaia, heading for the Shetland Islands, where the Captain plans on cutting through a passage into the Bransfield Strait. We hope to anchor on the other side in calm water and have our first landing tomorrow at one of the research bases, either Chile, Russia or a two-mile walk in each direction, to the China base.
There are two big Chinese tour groups on the Orlova (some very big shots -- one gentleman has his own helicopter -- we're talking serious money here) and they were all gung-ho on the Chinese base until they found out about the two-mile walk in each direction through heavy snow.
a friendly group
Continue reading "Another Day At Sea On The M/V Lyubov Orlova - Antarctica" »
It is much calmer but we are still religiously taking Meclizine. Storms are rated and today is a Beaufort 5 with waves only 3 meters/9 feet high. On the Beaufort Scale:
1 = Dead Calm
8 = Gale, winds from 63-75 kms/hour
9 = Gale-Storm, winds from 76-87 kms/hour
10 = Storm, winds from 88-102 kms/hour
11 = Violent Storm, winds from 103-117 kms/hour
12+ = Hurricane, winds 118+ kms/hour
This entire scale was news to us. Enough statistics...breakfast was calling. Huge buffets every morning with yogurt, fruit, French toast/pancakes, eggs, bacon, cereal, coffee, tea, juices. More than enough excess calories to fuel up sitting around on our butts today. More passengers made it to breakfast but the dining room still isn't full.
typical lunch buffet
Continue reading "Still At Sea In The Drake Passage, It's Rough But Bearable on The Way to Antarctica" »
For the next day and a half, the ship would sail through the Antarctic Convergence, a natural boundary formed by the meeting of cold Antarctic and warmer Sub-Antarctic waters otherwise known as the "Dreaded Drake Crossing." The Drake Passage was named for Sir Francis Drake who proved that Tierra Del Fuego wasn't linked to a further southern continent. This body of water extends from the southern tip of South America at Cape Horn to the South Shetland Islands and connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean.
We had our fingers crossed, hoping for the best and prepared for the worst. The Southern Ocean is subject to sharp climatic changes and strong circumpolar winds that generate strong swells. I got sick just thinking of it since it seemed to almost guarantee that we would encounter stormy seas crossing from South America to Antarctic Peninsula - in one direction or another - across the notorious...gasp... Drake Passage.
 bad weather
Continue reading "Crossing The Drake Passage to Antarctica" »
Escorted to our very little twin cabin on the lowest deck right above sea level (by choice), we promptly took the first Meclizine (prescription-strength sea-sick medication), unpacked and rushed upstairs for introductions to Expedition Staff. The cabin was very adequate with enough space for clothes and a porthole. If not seasick, most time is spent outside of the cabin and... frankly, my dear...we didn't give a damn. The bathroom was an entirely different story. A seriously obese person would find it impossible to: (a) sit on the toilet; (b) take a shower; and (c) fit through the door. Five-foot, three inch me almost hovered over the sink using the toilet.
Susan was the Senior Expedition Leader with 30 years of experience guiding, and lecturing from the North Pole to the Far Side and everywhere in between. Her repeated words of wisdom through the trip would be..."wash your hands...hold on to railings...and don't fall down." Susan also said that there is very heavy snow pack and ice in Antarctica this year and hip-deep snow would make landings difficult. (What happened to Global Warming?) This would all affect where and when we landed.
our Orlova cabin
Continue reading "Settling In On The M/V Lyubov Orlova - Antarctica" »
The domestic airport in Buenos Aires is called Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), or simply referred to as "Aeroparque" by the locals. The airport is small, convenient, and only 20 minutes from the city center by taxi.
The flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia usually go out full. Confirm and reconfirm. A 3+ hour flight through cloud cover and down below was Ushuaia with its mountains covered in new snow. Aerolinas Argentinas schedules at least five flights a day and two landed within minutes of each other. Chaos in the baggage area where you must show hand baggage to the Customs officers before leaving the area to prove you aren't carrying fruits or nuts. A taxi to the extremely nice Albatross Hotel and a late dinner there. The Albatross Hotel overlooked the calm bay and there were four ships moored, all heading for Antarctica tomorrow. It's 10:00 pm. It's still light out and I am very excited. We are heading to Antarctica.
FACT: Antarctica is the 5th largest continent on Earth with a official human population of ZERO!
Ushuaia harbor
Continue reading "Ushuaia and The Antarctic Adventure Begins" »
Deposit in, a huge packet of information arrived from Geographic Expeditions containing everything. Suggested reading, detailed information about the ship and what was included, and a 100-page brochure with sections on conservation, places to visit, explorers and scientists, the physical and and biological environments. Extremely comprehensive. There were expedition enrollment and medical information forms, an expedition contract, and one last form to reserve a pair of rubber boots, used for wet landings. The M/V Lyubov Orlova is chartered and operated by Quark Expeditions.
Air? We flew United, Chicago to Buenos Aires via Washington, D.C., and then Aerolineas Argentinas from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia where the ship would depart from. (Actually, all true Antarctic voyages depart from Ushuaia.) Other airlines flying to Buenos Aires from the United States are....American, Delta, LAN, Air Canada, Continental, Aerolineas Argentinas was the only choice from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.
Antarctica Map
Continue reading "Planning "Classic Antarctica"" »
I've read about Antarctica, watched documentaries and movies about Antarctica and considered going to Antarctica for as long as I can remember. The two reasons ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I haven't visited?
- The cost. There is no such thing as a cheap trip to Antarctica. Less expensive perhaps, but never cheap. The least inexpensive way to visit would be apply for a job and work there. The second way is to select a shipboard cabin with shared facilities which brings me to the second reason...
- The Drake Passage. The Drake Passage is considered to be the roughest body of water in the world with waves over 30 feet high. This body of water carries a huge volume of water through the Passage and around Antarctica via the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The Passage can be as smooth as glass or, to be indelicate, you can spend two days flat on your back, getting out of your bunk only to heave up your guts. There is no way that either of us would share toilet facilities with anyone else if the Drake Passage turns out to be the latter. If I'm going to spend a day on the floor of a toilet, it's going to be my toilet - shared with ex-Marine of course - no one else!
Antarctic Peninsula
Continue reading "Antarctica, Our Last Big Frontier" »
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