I'm doing a Happy Dance!

A quick update:  Tonight I’m doing a happy dance

I lost a lot of sleep last night--mostly from anger, but also trying to figure out how to get to the places we wanted to see from the port of Coquimbo.

I wasted more time than I should have today, but we do have a tour set up in Coquimbo. We will be using Patagonia Shore Excursions. Deposit paid with PayPal to ensure that we will be accommodated.

They will customize the tour to go to the towns of Vicuna and Monte Grande and also the Archaeological Museum in La Serena to see the Moai statues from Easter Island. We have no problem skipping the Pisco factory or the Puclaro Reservoir (where it's too windy anyway) to see the places that are on my bucket list.

So we're happy cruiser's again.

One more day at home and then we head to Fort Lauderdale.

More later

12/30/2014--I'm Unhappy--Big Disappointment

We do not like to do ship tours.  And frankly the ship tour was not going to take us to where we wanted to go in the port of Coquimbo, Chile.

I majored in Spanish and spent a lot of time studying the works of Gabriela Mistral.  She was a Chilean Poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1945.  She was born in the town of Vicuña and lived a good part of her childhood in the town of Monte Grande in the vicinity of this port. Notably, Gabriela and my grandmother were born on the exact same day, April 7, 1889.

I contacted a company by the name of Jeep Tours La Serena to provide a private driver to take us to these towns so that we could visit the various places of interest pertinent to Gabriela.  It was all set, so I thought.

At 10:30 PM on Monday December 29, just two hours ago, I received an email from this company that they would not be able to provide the tour for us.  They were sorry but they have other commitments for that day.  Mind you I set this up on June 28, 2014.  And now, two days before I am ready to head to Fort Lauderdale, I am without a driver to take us to this town.

They offered no alternative.  I chose this company because of their stellar reviews on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor and now they are leaving me in the lurch. They were also willing to customize the tour to my interests.   In going back to Trip Advisor tonight I discovered  there is another review written in Spanish by another party who had the very same thing happen to them on December 14 of this year. That was well after I had done my research on this company.

So what do I do at this late date?  The ship does not have a tour that goes only to these towns.  The cost for a private car hired from the ship is exorbitant for just two people and I am sure there are not many others who will wish to join us  only  to see these two places.  This was on my bucket list.

We may try our luck with just getting a taxi at the port.  Not sure yet.  Will have to think about it until the morning.  Will keep you posted.

12/28/2014--Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!!! What to Pack?????

Today was a day of decisions! Many of them. I'm still not finished. I have read of people sending luggage ahead and always thought "Why would someone spend the money to do this?" Well, after Jim's crisis in Rome and his lifting limitations, guess what we did? We sent our luggage ahead. The people who are taking the full cruise who are in an Ocean View cabin or higher get free luggage delivery to and from their homes to the ship if they live in the United States or Canada. Those in Interior Cabins, or not doing the full cruise do not receive this benefit.

Those in countries other than the US or Canada get an extra $200 OBC. This was an early booking benefit for those paying in full prior to July 1, 2014. Well, we did not qualify because we were not doing the full cruise and had no intention of sending any luggage ahead until things changed in August. We figured on sending the heaviest bag ahead and home from Buenos Aires and bringing another with us. So how is that working for me. Not too well. I have one bag full and no where to put the rest of my stuff. Jim wants to know what I'm bringing. So now I'm starting another bag. Remember, we're flying from Buenos Aires to Santiago and then staying two days and then to Miami. I think I needed to send two bags ahead. ARRRGGGGH!!!!!

We're packing for all sorts of climates and I guess I want to take everything I own with me. So the weeding out process must now begin. I want to again thank all the well wishers. I hope I can live up to your expectations and not bore you to death.

Terri and Jim.

12/25/2014--Getting Ready to Go

In August we had a scare when Jim became ill in Rome and needed emergency surgery in Rome for a strangulated hernia. If we had decided to fly home, he would not have made the trip alive. We did not know this until we got home and consulted with the doctors here in the states. We are the caregivers for Jim’s brother and try to take a vacation from our caregiving duties once a year. Well, our Roman escapade and Mediterranean cruise is not what you would really call a vacation since we had to cancel our cruise and return home early. So it has now been a good 18 months since we have had a break from these duties and in my opinion, long overdue. On Friday, December 19 the doorbell rang and the UPS man was there to pick up our two heaviest pieces of luggage. We were happy to see them go. We spent many hours trying to decide what would go ahead of us and now pray that we will see them again on the Prinsendam on January 3.

They have been tracked and we now know that they are in the Luggage Forward facility in Dania Beach Florida waiting to be loading onto the Prinsendam on January 3. We only hope and pray we see them again. On January 1 Jim and I will drive to Fort Lauderdale and stay at the Fairfield Inn. We will spend January 2 resting and making sure we have everything we need for this long voyage. We will make sure we have enough wine and any and all sundries we need for this trip. We hope to keep you updated along the way with our adventures.

12/15/2015--OUR CRUISE ITINERARY

SAT        JAN 03                  FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. USA                                        SAILAWAY 11:00 PM

SUN       JAN 04                  SEA DAY

MON     JAN 05                  SEA DAY

TUE        JAN 06                  ISLA DE PROVIDENCIA, COLOMBIA                            11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

WED      JAN 07                  PUERTO LIMON, COSTA RICA                                        7:00 AM – 400 PM

THU       JAN 08                  ENTER PANAMA CANAL                                                  5:00 AM – 5:00 AM

THU       JAN 08                  TRANSIT PANAMA CANAL          

THU       JAN 08                  EXIT PANAMA CANAL                                                        7:00 PM – 7:00 PM

FRI          JAN 09                  SEA DAY

SAT        JAN 10                  MANTA, ECUADOR                                                             6:00 AM – 6:00 PM

SUN       JAN 11                  SEA DAY                                                                                                

MON     JAN 12                  SALAVERRY (TRUJILLO), PERU                                            5:00 AM – 4:00 PM

TUE        JAN 13                  CALLAO (LIMA) PERU                                                        ARRIVE 12:00 NOON

WED      JAN 14                  CALLAO (LIMA) PERU                                                                      

THU       JAN 15                  CALLAO (LIMA) PERU                                                         SAILAWAY 5:00 PM

FRI          JAN 16                  GENERAL SAN MARTIN ( PISCO), PERU                           8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

SAT        JAN 17                  SEA DAY

SUN       JAN 18                  ARICA, CHILE                                                                          7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

MON     JAN 19                  SEA DAY

TUE        JAN 20                  COQUIMBO (LA SERENA), CHILE                                        10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

WED      JAN 21                  VALPARAISO (SANTIAGO), CHILE                                         ARRIVE 10:00 AM

THU       JAN 22                  VALPARAISO (SANTIAGO, CHILE                                          SAILAWAY 5:00 PM

FRI          JAN 23                  SEA DAY

SAT        JAN 24                  ISLA ROBINSON CRUSOE, CHILE                                           8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

SUN       JAN 25                  SEA DAY

MON     JAN 26                  PUERTO MONTT, CHILE                                                          8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

TUE        JAN 27                  DARWIN CHANNEL, CHILEAN FJORDS                                    

WED      JAN 28                  CHILEAN FJORDS

THU       JAN 29                  PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE                                                            6:00 AM – 6:00 PM

THU       JAN 29                  COCKBURN CHANNEL

FRI          JAN 30                  SCENIC CRUISING GLACIER ALLEY

FRI          JAN 30                  USHUAIA, ARGENTINA                                                          2:00 PM – 8:00 PM

SAT        JAN 31                  CAPE HORN AND DRAKE PASSAGE

SUN       FEB 01                   THE PALMER ARCHIPELAGO

MON     FEB 02                   THE DANCO COAST

TUE        FEB 03                   THE ANTARCTIC SOUND

WED      FEB 04                   SEA DAY

THU       FEB 05                   STANLEY, FALKLAND ISLANDS(ISLAS MALVINAS)              7:00 AM – 3:00 PM

FRI          FEB 06                   SEA DAY

SAT        FEB 07                   SEA DAY

SUN       FEB 08                   MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY                                                     8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

MON     FEB 09                   BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA       DISEMBARK                     7:00 AM

               

12/14/2014--Grand South America January 3 to February 9, 2015

In the Spring of 2012 we traveled to South America.  It was the voyage of a lifetime.  I was a Spanish major and for me it meant seeing all the places that I had studied about. 
We started in Buenos Aires and spent a few days there.  We traveled to Iguazu Falls and spent time on both the Argentina and the Brazilian sides. 

We then boarded the MS Veendam and began our voyage from Buenos Aires around Cape Horn and up the Pacific Coast of South America and through the Panama Canal and finally disembarked in Fort Lauderdale. During our journey we spent three nights off the ship on an overland journey to Machu Picchu.  It was a wonderful adventure put together by Abercrombie and Kent. 

When we disembarked in Fort Lauderdale I vowed I would go back.  I just did not get enough of South America.  Well my dream is coming true. 

On January 3, 2015 Jim and I will embark on the MS Prinsendam on the Grand South America Voyage.  Unfortunately we cannot do the full cruise.  We will disembark in Buenos Aires spending a few days there and then flying to Santiago de Chile before flying to Miami.

This is the first time Jim and I will be on a Grand Voyage and we are really excited about that. 

This voyage will take us to some of the same places as the last time and some new places as well.  We will be going to Antarctica, Isla Robinson Crusoe, Isla de Providencia and Puerto Limon. 

Additionally, the Veendam was not able to stop in Stanley in the Falkland Islands on the last voyage so we are praying that conditions will be favorable to allow us to stop this time.  We also did not spend much time in Lima  and skipped Salaverry due to our Machu Picchu trip so we will be able to explore those places on this voyage.

So here we go.