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Discovered the reason NCL switched to San Antonio


FredZiffle
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I was on the Sun last week and was talking with Brian Walters, the Hotel Director, about our previous cruise aboard the Sun which sailed out of Valparaiso. I mentioned the 4 hour delay we had in boarding in Valparaiso, and he said they experienced similar issues for three cruises in a row, so they switched ports to San Antonio. I hadn't heard the reason until now.

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Based upon what I have learned when I was on the Zaandam this past Winter, your information is correct. For whatever reasons, there were/are(?) labor problems at Valparaiso that created many problems for all of the cruise lines that docked at that city. Personally, I found San Antonio to be a good port of embarkation. Even other guests who had stayed in the city prior to sailing seemed to enjoy their experience.

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You may wish to search the archives as several months ago there was a discussion of the port change with a link. The linked article was from one of the trade publications. The Val port laborers were identified as the primary reason for leaving. This was right after the port of Val had built a new cruise terminal. Apparently San Antonio is more appreciative of the business.

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We stayed in San Antonio for four nights before boarding the Norwegian Sun on Feb. 17, 2018. Everyone we met was kind and helpful, especially our hosts at the Hotel Mellatti, right across the street from the seaside promenade and the huge and modern Arauco Mall.

 

It was a great place to rest and recuperate after our long flight from the U.S., and we loved taking long walks by the ocean, watching the sea lions, and even enjoying a harbor cruise. We loved San Antonio, and thought it was perfect for our pre-cruise stay.

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Based upon what I have learned when I was on the Zaandam this past Winter, your information is correct. For whatever reasons, there were/are(?) labor problems at Valparaiso that created many problems for all of the cruise lines that docked at that city. Personally, I found San Antonio to be a good port of embarkation. Even other guests who had stayed in the city prior to sailing seemed to enjoy their experience.

 

Our guide (native of Valpo) for a disembarkation Shorex from Zaandam in San Antonio said pretty much the same thing, and added that the dock workers made more money loading and unloading cargo rather than cruise ships. The contracts went to San Antonio for something like the next 4-5 years. Valpo merchants and hotel keepers, etc., were hoping to get the next contract when it is negotiated.

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All or most cruise lines have switched. It is unfortuante. Apparently caused by ongoing labour issues. We encountered a 90 minute delay on our Princess cruise last Feb. The dock workers went on a wildcat strike. Lots of signs hastily put up on the containers stacked on land. This is a working container port. Disembarcation was one thing (we were in no hurry so it did not matter to us), but getting out of the customs area if you are simply going into town was a pain.

 

Despite that, our few days in Valparaiso were very enjoyable-just as much a Santiago but in a different way. There are lots of buses in Chile and I have no doubt that getting a bus from San Antonio to Santiago will be straightforward and easy. Last year we paid something like $5 to take the highway bus from Valpo to Santiago.

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