ottahand7

Good Sunday morning from the Drake Passage. It is Drake shaky this morning. We are relocated as of now for how long we do not know. Our neighbor kindly called us at 4:30 telling John the hall flooded and pick up anything we had on the floor. We stepped out of bed into at least 1/2 " of water. We pulled two still dry suitcases out from under the bed and I got a wet one from my side and put it in the tub. We tried to go back to sleep but with the slosh slosh it was kind of difficult. We are sitting in the Lido killing time. We have a cabin on deck one to go to while they tear out the beds and try to dry us out. It appears to be at least 12 cabins. Today is "ask the captain " at 10 talk about poor timing. We will be attending. I wonder who got evicted from these cabins for all us refugees from deck 6? Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. Prayers for Tana, Roy, Jacqui, Kathi and Sarah. Thanks for doing this each day for us Sandi! This morning in our cabin and from the Argentinian Cellar Master Dinner last night. The dessert was beautiful but way too sweet.

Roy thanks for the update. Glad to hear you slept better. It is 3 pm and as predicted by the captain it is getting rough. I left the gym at 1 because I was beginning to feel it then. Perfect night for an Argentine wine dinner in the Pinnacle tonight. Have a great afternoon. Nancy

We just came back from the Shackleton lecture and it was great. I had read the book Endurance right before this cruise so to be in the area these explorers survived was moving. Bad news began our talk. Captain Arno came on the speakers and the weather has worsened in the Drake Passage. We will not be going to the Falklands on the 6th but will head directly to Argentina. He warned of high waves beginning around 3 and then another low pressure system again tomorrow. I will miss seeing the King Penguins but it will be my excuse to repeat this cruise in the future. Here are some views of Deception Island and it's environs. @smitty34877glad to hear Tana is feeling better. @StLouisCruisersthank for the pic of Deception Island in better weather.

Good Saturday morning. Sandi thank you for starting us off with the Daily and the Cares and Celebration reports. Prayers for Roy, Jacqui, Kathi, Tana and Sarah and for the people of Ukraine. We had a late itinerary change last night when the captain came over the loudspeaker and announced our visit to Elephant Island was scrapped due to predicted 24' swells in the Drake Passage. We are now on our way to Deception Island and are due there shortly. I hope soon because there is a lecture on Shackleton at 10. I was really happy to hear of the change to this unusually shaped island. It is a caldera of an active volcano and then to a chin strap penguin colony. We will just pass the entrance of Deception Island. A few photos from yesterday's visit to Admiralty Bay. It has a large Brazilian base and a Peruvian base nicknamed Macchu Picchu. Waterfalls are only present for about one month each summer here.

My@HAL Sailer I am sorry to hear that your DSIL passed away. No matter if it is expected it is never easy. @rafinmdthank for asking your pastor to send us your update. Continued prayers for your complete recovery. @grapau27I am sorry to hear that Sarah isn't doing well. @smitty34877I hope Tana recovers her appetite really soon. We are making good time to our next scenic cruising site Admiralty Bay and will get there at 3:15. I hope the sunshine holds. Today when we had the listing in both directions the Lido pool did two big dumps. I hope no one was sitting near it. A 200 foot tall tabular iceberg from this morning. Someone did the math on our Facebook page and estimated it was .62 miles deep underwater.

Hard turn to put 90 mph winds to port side to exit Hope Bay.

We are leaving Hope Bay and back into the open sea. More waves less wind. Our guide said we were experiencing something people rarely do with 90 mph winds without corresponding waves. He said in 30 years never has he seen winds like this so near shore. Another commendation to Captain Arno. We did a turn to put the wind on the port side so three times the captain warned everyone to sit down prior to the maneuver. Photos maybe when internet gets better.

Good Friday morning from Hope Bay on the Antarctic Peninsula. I doubt there will be any scenic cruising in here today. 90 mph winds and such that on port side we walk in the cabin door and all we see is water. No sky the ship is listing so much. The sun is trying to break through. Captain just said stay inside. Getting to see the real Antarctic. Tabular icebergs. We missed our last bay yesterday due to ice and high winds. Thanks for starting us off each day Sandi and prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. Prayers for Roy, Jacqui, Kathi and Tana. Have a great day. We have a small break with internet service. Photos from Errera Channel yesterday. Second photo on left looks like the Rock of Gibraltar.

Good morning from the Neumyaer Channel. We had a break in the weather so we got a brief glimpse of some of the fabulous peaks surrounding us. Several Humpbacks and hundred of Gentoo Penguins alongside but no Crab eater seals yet. Roy I am glad you are home from the hospital. Wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery. Prayers for all on our Care list and for Jacqui, Kathi and I hope Tana gets over her GI bug. Prayers for the people of Ukraine.

In Pisco the two major excursions were Ballestas Islands and a flight to the Nazca lines. Others were land excursions to Pisco grape growers and distillers. We were there January 16th this year. My good wildlife photos are on my laptop. The Candelabra, two pics of the booby nesting grounds on the Ballestas. Nancy

Good morning. We are almost ready to enter Gerlache Strait on our way to Paradise Bay. The weather has been uncooperative but our guide says the further south we go it gets clearer. We had multiple Humpbacks this morning. Prayers for Roy, Jacqui, Kathi and Tana and all the others on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. Our first sighting of land in Antarctica which is Brabant Island named after a Belgian village. I will try to locate some photos of our visit to Pisco. They may have to done piecemeal as wifi is pretty slow. I am sure some are trying to stream as our TV signal died yesterday morning. Nancy

Good morning and thank you Sandi for getting our daily started for us. Prayers for all on our Care list, Roy, Jacqui, Kathi and Tana and for Sandi's neighbor Rudy. Prayers for the people of Ukraine. We may see land today in the evening. It appears from our ship's location we will approach the South Shetland Islands. We are overcast and the Drake winds remain constant. Lots of staggering walking around the Lido this morning. Our Canaletto dinner was a flop last night. I brought one special bottle of Italian wine from home to enjoy with Osso bucco and brought it there to have Carl or Fernando decant it in advance. We arrived at 6 for our reservation with Carl there to pour our first glasses. So far so good. The only thing is we didn't get our soup until 6:50 and by that time I was checking my watch. Our fine wine was meant to be enjoyed with our dinner but it was gone when our meal arrived at 7:05. I asked for a bottle from cellar 2 with a screw cap so we could have a single glass with our osso bucco but another Pinot Noir was delivered so I waved that off. I had booked and prepaid that dinner before boarding to avoid a dressy night that John is not fond of. They had booked a private party for a private travel company at 5:30. I thought they would have had the decency to tell us to come back at 7 but no they seated us and we had to watch all the meals from that large group be paraded in front of us. I saw they refunded our dinners but it doesn't make up for a special bottle being enjoyed minus food. I am going to complain on the Navigator next. If they get a large group cancel the others in that time frame.

Roy thank you for the updates. @StLouisCruisers Sandi thanks for getting us started each day! @Heartgrove thanks for the darling photo of little Lily and she really has grown. @kochleffel congratulations on the upgrade! We have Canaletto tonight as it is Osso bucco night. Something rich and warm for a blustery night. The list to the starboard has been rectified. I didn't dare go to the gym today but I have 5 sea days to get caught up.

Let's try this again internet issues on the Volendam. Roy you will be able to get over those issues once the antibiotics and your sodium levels get fixed. Low sodium can really mess you up. @kochleffelI was alarmed to read your OTs comments about your future post surgery. I hope your surgeon has better news! The Volendam is not in Ushuaia. This morning we dropped off our Chilean pilots who have been with us for 10 days and picked up 2 pilots to guide us through the Antarctic. We came into Ushuaia yesterday afternoon so that we could enjoy Glacier Alley in daylight and left port around 10 pm. Our afternoon in the National park was wonderful. In addition to the beautiful scenery we got to see many more land birds than I had expected. We had to tender in because there were at least 7 ships in port. At the end of the day with at least 100 passengers still on shore excursions the captain took the berth the Lindblad NG ship had left. The returning passengers were met by the captain, hotel, and food and beverage manager to let them know the Lido and the MDR would be open so they could eat. We are now in the Drake Passage with winds that the captain translated to 57 mph and until we can pick up some ballast he said don't use the elevators. This morning I saw seals very close to the ship. Our cabin is cold and I have three layers on indoors. Photos Cape Horn and me with our lovely guide Marta. Prayers for all on our Care list and for the people of Ukraine. Nancy

Roy @rafim

Good Sunday morning and continued prayers for Roy! The Volendam will be in Ushuaia today. The captain moved us forward a day so we would be passing through Glacier Alley and the Beagle Channel in daylight. Another thank you captain. We are anchoring at 2 and we.go ashore for our private tour at 3. We are getting little bits of sun peeking through. It is simply breathtaking! Prayers for all on our Care list, Jacqui, Kathi, Sarah and Tana. Have a lovely day. Nancy

Roy @rafinmd thank you for the update. I hope they get you on the right treatment and just think low sodium you don't have to have the bland cardio diet. Low sodium can cause weakness because it is what causes our muscles to work properly. I am so happy no fractures. Nancy

@smitty34877 thank you for the new photo of Camilla. Right now I am glad I didn't get off the wait-list for Torres del Paine. We have steady 25 mph winds with gusts to 60. And I am glad I didn't book the excursion to Magdalena Island to see penguins instead. I will keep checking to see if there is any update on Roy. 🙏

Thank you for starting us off today Sandi! Prayers for Roy. 🙏 We are in windy Punta Arenas Chile. John said we had a rough night though I slept right through it. We overheard a Dutch couple this morning saying their cabin filled with water last night. Yikes! We have no excursions today so will take the HA shuttle into downtown when it gets a bit warmer. Winter jackets are out on passengers. I am glad we didn't book the open boat ride to the penguin island. Last night we passed an unannounced ship wreck and passed our first ship I noted in 48 hours. Tonight we enter the Beagle Channel en route to Ushuaia. We have an afternoon arrival so that we are getting beautiful scenery during daylight. Sandi thanks for the photos of Buenos Aires, it will be a new port for us arriving on February 12. Have a wonderful day! Nancy

@TiogaCruiserwe asked what that was and it was some decorative feature made out of flour. It was good for me because it hid salmon that I don't care for especially on a Gorgonzola cream. DF enjoyed mine.

Prayers for all on our list and the people of Ukraine. Praying for healing for Jacqui, Sarah, Tana and Kathi. @marshhawk I hope feral Fawn gets feeling better. It is beginning to feel like winter outside with the brisk wind. The boat had another "cradle rocking" night last night. We have been sleeping like babies. We enter the Straights of Magellan this evening around dusk. Nancy

Good Friday morning from the land of waterfalls. We are still moving through the Fjords. We had a great Chilean wine dinner and finally got to the shipwreck Leonidas last evening, rather a yawn. Have a wonderful day! Nancy

@luvteachingwhen my father was alive he would get fairly frequent UTIs and the first signs were confusion or simply being out of it. He battled them until age 96 and that one took him. He had resistant bacteria for 6 years. I am happy they said get your DH to the hospital. @grapau27 thank you for the update on Sarah's procedure today. I hope she feels better soon. @kazuI am glad they got to the bottom of your pain and fixed it but I am sorry you had to cancel your May cruise. We are sailing in the Messier Channel in the Chilean Fjords. We saw the gorgeous blue glacier and then we will see the shipwreck in about a half hour. The variation from the pure glacial water with the fjord water was really noticable. Beauty beyond expression. The ship is a mile away from the glacier, it is simply massive and still growing. Nancy

@rafinmdglad to hear you are feeling somewhat better this morning and thank @Copper10-8for getting us started off today. We are cruising the Chilean Fjords today with the Fjordo Glacier at 2 and the Leonidas shipwreck at 4:30. Last night at dinner we were warned by our waiter to prepare for rough seas and it was bumpy and a bit creaky last night. We slept very well but Esther Assistant Maitre d complained this morning about getting no sleep. A friend stopped by at breakfast and complained about no sleep we said she should commiserate with Esther and she said she is right across the hall from us. I guess it is where ones' cabin is located. Yesterday I went horseback riding a ways inland. It was gray and rainy at the coast but we had a partly sunny, partly rainy day where we rode. A rainy tender ride back to the ship. Again the country in Chile is so beautiful and it was worth the trip. The farm we rode at was a long a beautiful river but my horse was naughty and kept trying to grab a mouthful of grass so I couldn't take a single photo from horseback. I'd either lose the reins or my phone. Tonight is the Chilean Cellar master dinner. Prayers for all on our Care list, Sarah, Tana, Jacqui and Kathi. So glad Ukraine is getting the tanks they need to defend themselves. Have a wonderful Thursday. Nancy

Good morning from near Puerto Chacabaco Chile. We are beginning to enter fjord country. We had a nice shore excursion into lake county about a half hour out of town but first had a stop at the city market for provisions for our lunch. Chef Richard Knobloch led us through the market explaining what to choose and why. With help from our group he prepared marinated smoked mussels, clam ceviche, mussel soup and a wonderful Hake preparation. Plus unlimited wines from his vineyards. Today is horse back riding in Rio Simpson for me. Prayers for all on our Care list, Sarah, Jacqui, Kathi and Tana and for the people of Ukraine. Have a wonderful day! Nancy