Live from South America On Board the NCL Sun

[wiselindag]

We are a family of three sailing from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso on a two-week cruise. My husband and I are old enough to be retired (although DH is still working), and our son is almost 21. This is my 26th cruise and both DH and DS have shared many of them. This thread is my attempt to describe the cruise as it's happening. I hope you will enjoy it and find it helpful. Feel free to post comments and ask questions and I'll do my best to respond (at 40 cents per minute!)

 

Linda

 

Sunday Jan 3 – Buenos Aires

 

We spent four days in Buenos Aires prior to boarding the Sun and enjoyed exploring various neighborhoods, eating empanadas and wonderful beef, and getting to know our wonderful B and B owner, Rachel, who is a Kiwi from New Zealand. This morning we got up, had breakfast, and took a taxi to the pier for 18 pesos. I wasn’t quite sure where the pier was located since our NCL ticket merely had the name of the pier and no address, (Note to NCL – it would be a good idea to put the address on the ticket or provide some directions)), but after some Googling I hoped I had enough information. As it turned out, the driver said he knew where it was, and after a short cab ride around the Plaza San Martin and past several hotels including the Marriott and the Sheraton, he pulled into the terminal area. The porters immediately took our bags and we went into the terminal, where we found a line at 10:55. After about 20 minutes, the line began to move and we stopped at an NCL desk and then an immigration desk before taking the shuttle onto the ship. We were on the ship by 11:30. Because of limited space in the Terminal, NCL does the card distribution in the Four Seasons Dining Room on board, where they also collect your passport for the duration of the cruise.

 

Once that was completed, we headed for a Buffet lunch of Curries, Rice, Dal, Noodles (for me), a hot dog and salad for DH, various pastas for DS, and Apple Pie and Chocolate Cake (I always believe that on cruise ships it’s okay to eat more than one dessert as you will see!). Prior to eating, we purchased soda cards so we could use them in the buffet. These cards are more expensive on NCL than on other lines on which we have sailed and they serve Pepsi (I prefer Coke, but will have to live with it and for $100.62 for the cruise, I better drink lots of Pepsi! (We checked the dining room for lunch, but the Seven Seas Dining Room didn’t open until 12:30 so we opted for the buffet and since it wasn’t crowded when we were there, it worked out well). We met an Argentinian couple and were joined at our table by a couple from the British Midlands. The cabins were not going to be ready until 3 so went up to East Meets West where it was nice and cool (it was too hot to sit out at the pool today – about 88 degrees in B.A.) and sat down to wait. We met Minnie Quintana from the Philippines a cabin stewardess temporarily serving as bathroom inspector (she was waiting for a gentleman to exit the bathroom) Minnie is very nice and friendly and we had a pleasant chat.

 

While waiting we read the notice that came with our freestyle daily. It said that on the last cruise two percent of the cruisers got sick. That was apparently a much smaller number than the number who were sick on the cruise prior to that. They squirted our hands three times between the cruise terminal and the buffet, and are doing an extra level of cabin cleaning which is why they won’t be ready until 3.

 

Well it turned out to be exactly at 3 when they announced that cabins were ready. Our bags arrived soon after, carried by one of our cabin attendants – Fidel, who promised to fix the beds, bring a few more towels and a few more hangers and an extra glass for our son. Later we met his partner, Rudolfo and added one more pillow to our request list. As of bedtime, we had the beds the way we wanted and an extra bath towel (we asked for face)… still waiting for the glass and the pillow and no sign of the hangers. There is no ice bucket or water pitcher in the room, so apparently you have to ask for them as some have previously posted.

 

The Boat Drill was at 5 and did not require jackets. This was handled fairly quickly considering they needed to do the speech in several different languages.

 

Sailaway was on time. The Buenos Aires skyline presented some surprises from the water -- modern skyscrapers we had not previously seen and a huge green eco-center next to the river. We met some of our CC friends at the pool bar where Marianne was kind enough to give us all very nice name tags, which always come in very handy as you’re trying to memorize dozens of new names.

 

We chose to eat dinner in the Seven Seas at 7 and walked right in. We asked for a sharing table, which we were given, and were soon joined by a couple from Nashville, who provided very good company for us. After dinner we headed for the show with a stop at the Reception Desk to sign some papers for our son so he can drink wine and beer on the ship since he is one month shy of 21.

 

Tonight we had to move the clocks forward one hour because although Uruguay is on daylight savings time (not sure how they say it in Spanish), Argentina is not. Since we have a tour guide booked for tomorrow, we need to get up early and eat breakfast before we meet him.

 

As of bedtime, extra washcloths (so maybe they think these are face towels? have arrived, but we are still missing a pillow and I’m the odd person out who has to sleep with only one.

 

Monday, January 4, 2010 – Montevideo, Uruguay

 

We ate breakfast in the Seven Seas Restaurant, where our very capable server was Ana Buvovsky. On the Sun, due to the tiny size of the buffet, we tend to eat in the MDR most of the time, and since our cabin in quite close to the Seven Seas, it’s very convenient to get there for breakfast.

 

We met our tour companions at the gangway and then debarked and walked our to the parking lot where we met Jaime Gutierrez. He explained that we would start in his small cab, since he isn’t allowed to bring his other car into the port parking lot. Then we drove out and transferred to a more comfortable car while his driver picked up the cab. He began the tour in the city center, stopping for photographs of several significant equestrian statues of the key figures in Uruguayan history. We also looked at what remains of the original city wall and the Congreso before heading out to Pocitos and Carrasco, two very different neighborhoods, or barrios, of the city. As we drove around town, it began to pour so we elected to remain in the cab while viewing the sights. Later when it was still raining hard, we stopped at the Punta Carretas Mall in the Biarritz neighborhood (very upscale and pricey but beautifully decorated for Christmas) for a cortido (coffee with a little milk and since we were in Uruguay, lots of sugar!). After touring Carrasco and Pocitos, we drove back into town and had lunch in the Mercado del Puerto at La Posada Don Tiburon. We ordered a Brochette, an Ojo de Buey and a Milanesa de Tenderloin along with a chorizo (which we all tasted) and a caprese (here served as hot tomato and cheese sort of like a pizza without the crust) for Jaime. We also had two bottles of water and a bottle of Don Julio Cabernet for a total bill of so many Chilean pesos I’ve forgotten how many but it was a fairly pricey meal (for this part of the world) which when translated into dollars, was about $50 a couple. I’m sure we could have done better in the mercado without the tablecloths and complimentary glass of media y media (half white wine and half champagne).

 

After lunch the sun came out and we were happy to take a short stroll around the market area before returning to the ship. Jaime is a very good guide who really watches out for his clients and seems to know everyone in Montevideo. He loves his country and is very proud of all the sights on his tour. His English is very good and we spent the day giving each other lessons in each other’s language since he strives to know more. I would highly recommend him if you are in Montevideo.

 

After sailing, we went for a hot tub session. We shared the hot tub with a Brazilian woman and an Argentine man, neither of whom spoke English. I spoke Spanish to both of them and had a comprehensible conversation with the gentleman and understood about 50% of the conversation with the lady, which did not deter her from continuing to chat with me.

 

For dinner we again went to the Seven Seas. There were lots of tables at 7:10 when we arrived and a long line waiting to get in at 8:30 (when the first show got out). I ordered the Spring Rolls, the Pumpkin and Ginger soup, Soy Glazed Duck, and Apple Pie with Butter Pecan Ice Cream for dessert and enjoyed everything. Our very capable and friendly waiter was Ahmed Yani.

 

Now we are off to see the show, described in the program as a high energy instrumental show with Radim Zenkle. By the way, we learned last night that our Cruise Director is a woman named Jill. We missed the beginning of the show, so at this point all I know is her first name. Later tonight we’ll get back the hour that we lost last night.

 

Later: We are now back from the show, which was certainly different and interesting. Radim’s primary instrument is the mandolin, which he used for most of the show. Mixing it up, he added an Irish flute, and several exotic instruments (one was a cow’s horn and the other was a very long wind instrument (sorry I forgot the name). He also provided a running commentary on their provenance. We enjoyed the music and learned about some instruments we’d neither seen nor heard before.

 

Early bedtime now… we’re skipping Monte Carlo night in the Casino and looking forward to our extra hour of sleep.

 

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 – At Sea

 

We actually had a good night’s sleep and awoke to brilliant sunshine and a blue sky. For breakfast we headed to the Seven Seas, which is fast becoming our favorite eating venue. Today we had two treats in the dining room. One was a Colombian family with adorable twin boys who are just one and eager to wave and make new friends. The other was our excellent server, Murtiyah from Indonesia, who provided terrific service with a smile and some friendly conversation.

 

After breakfast we headed up to the card room which was the location for our Cruise Critics party. We had a good crowd with most of those online showing up. Jeffrey took lots of photographs, so we’ll look forward to seeing those when they are posted. Norm and Marianne hosted and made sure that all of the tour groups got sorted out… very helpful since we got to meet everyone with whom we will tour later on in the cruise. Also in attendance were several ship’s officers including the very friendly C.D., Jill Tasker. She has been handling the hostessing in multiple languages and seems quite proficient. Also there were Errol Bailey, the F and B Director, the Head and Assistant Heads of Housekeeping, and Jahaira Fernandez, group services manager who said she would try to get my Punta Arenas tour group tender tickets so we can be together and meet our tour on the dock at 9 a.m.

 

Christopher Norman, Head Housekeeper, asked me about cabin service and assured me that it was his goal to make everything as perfect as possible. I asked him about the procedure to obtain the water pitcher and ice we usually have in the cabin. As I understand it, in order to prevent illness, they are providing these on request, but he said we could have ours delivered at whatever time we preferred. I asked for ice as well as a water pitcher and will see if they arrive at 6, as requested. Our cabin has been serviced twice daily, so there have been no issues as far as that is concerned and we now have seven pillows and three glasses, so we are finally well provided for in that area. It has been my experience on NCL that although everything may not be perfect, the supervisory staff is usually very helpful and the staff will try hard to please you. After chatting with Mr. Norman, I felt very confident that we would be well taken care of and he would strive to make sure we had a good cruise.

 

We chatted with new CC friends for a while and then went down to have lunch before the art lecture at 1:30. Our lunch companions at the shared table were delightful – two Australians who have been traveling around South America for some months now, and a couple from Trinidad, who also do quite a bit of traveling. I had a tossed salad and a Taco Salad entrée along with some chocolate ice cream while DH had a salad and some salmon, served with pasta and a fruit plate for dessert. After lunch, which lasted a little longer than planned, we went up to the Art Lecture where the Park West guy (David) was providing some background on the art works he will auction off this week. We just missed one of the raffle prizes by a digit, but got a chance to reunite with our Brazilian friends from the first day. Now we are free until dinner and can take some time to go online and just relax.

 

So far, this has been a good cruise with many new and pleasant companions, a rainy but interesting day in Montevideo, and a beautiful day at sea. The food at each of our meals has been quite good and so has the service, so except for a few minor glitches, all is well and I’m ready to post this first installment of our trip.

 

 

P.S. I promise to describe the cabin in the next installment. Also, kudos to Simon in the internet cafe who is both very helpful and very competent.

[arlenez]

Thanks Linda for your wonderful review so far. We are on the Sun with the same itinerary starting January 31st so I'll be anxious to hear the rest of your review. Keep it coming and enjoy your cruise!

 

Regards,

Arlene

[johnql]

This is great! Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to post while on your cruise. Looking forward to more installments.

[jtcruise]

We wife and I are on the 2/28 cruise and will live vicariously through your posts. Thank you for being so descriptive.

[Elcruzer]

Thanks for your interesting review. Glad to see the % of people getting infected with noro had gone down. Hoping its 0% on your cruise. Enjoy the remainder of your cruise:cool:

[jtcruise]

Any information on the laundry service offered would be appreciated.

[pcreek]

Sounds like a great trip so far!

Love hearing about the Ship, as my first cruise was on the Sun.

Boy, did I ever learn a LOT after finding CC-too bad I didn't know about CC before my 4th cruise!

 

Looking forward to hearing more!

Thanks for taking the time to post! :D

[Aries 65]

Thanks Linda - we're also on the 1/31 cruise and will be following your reports avidly. Hope your cruiseavoids the Noro. BTW it's cold - low 20's and windy back home. (Allendale is not far from Nyack)

[4 cruisers]

What a fun read! Can't wait for the next installment!:cool:

[mariaonline]

Hi Linda, thank you for taking the time to do this...have a wonderful trip...Maria

[pieshops]

i wish people would stop posting reviews of the south america route, we really wanted to do this route with NCl and were planning on doing it in 2012, but since they are not doing it anymore we can not.

 

The reviews are just getting me depressed (lol)

 

i am glad your cruise is going well enjoy the rest of it, i will have to live it through you.

[gubby]

Thanks for a good description of the beginning of your cruise. As we will be taking the same route on2/28 I know I will enjoy hearing all you have to say. How generous of you to share so many different parts of your adventure. Can you tell us how the reciprocity fee was handled at EZE- specifically was the line long, could you pay with credit or was cash required? Here's hoping that norovirus stays far away from the Sun from now on. Enjoy the rest of the ports, your new friends and every meal or show. You seem to have a positive attitude which allows you to have a great time.

 

Nikki

[Rads]

Thank you...thank you, we are first timers on the same cruise Feb. 28. It is great reading your daily log. We are getting lots of information from you and greatly appreciate it.

 

Keep it Up!!!

[On2CDWrld]

Thank you...thank you, we are first timers on the same cruise Feb. 28. It is great reading your daily log. We are getting lots of information from you and greatly appreciate it.

 

Keep it Up!!!

Rads, You can find even more info on your 2/28 sailing at the roll call thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=992616

Enjoy the read and enjoy your South American cruise:cool:

[On2CDWrld]

i wish people would stop posting reviews of the south america route, we really wanted to do this route with NCl and were planning on doing it in 2012, but since they are not doing it anymore we can not.

 

The reviews are just getting me depressed (lol)

 

i am glad your cruise is going well enjoy the rest of it, i will have to live it through you.

 

Pieshops your reporting and exemplary perserverance on the adrift Dawn deserves better, but thanks ever so much and please bear with us as we accompany the NCL Sun on its last season around the Horn. Check out the reports about the Gem and ask yourself was it the ship or the Triangle? :confused:

[DMH15]

This time last year I was filled with anticipation any glee for my 2/15 cruise. Now I read your posts with great joy thinking back how much I loved it.

 

You sound like a very friendly and outgoing group. You would be equally nice to meet, as the folks you are meeting, all seem to delight you.

 

Hope the rest of your cruise is wonderful. Can't wait to read more.

[rjm11]

I was unaware that next season will be the Sun's LAST one to South America.... will NCL be sailing another ship there? Are they just doing away with SA intineraries altogether?

[jjb415]

Thanks OP, this is a great report and I am looking forward to more !! :)

[Limejock]

Thank you Linda for taking the time to post this information. It gives us a better idea what to expect at the B/A port. I have the address of the port so think I will type it up in big letters to give to our taxi driver just in case. Please keep posting. Can't wait until 31st. Enjoy the rest of your cruise with your husband and son.

Regards

Anne

[Limejock]

Hi Nikki

 

Does the reciprocity fee apply to Canadians as well? I thought it only applied to US citizens.

[fin]

Thanks from me also. I did the BA to Santiago trip aboard the NCL Crown and it was one of my favorites. And Ms Fernandez has crossed my path twice.

 

She was Concierge on a Crown trip to Bermuda and was the one who delivered our invitation to the bridge for the departure from Hamilton.

 

Then I was pleased to run into her on the Jewel trans-atlancic where she was the group coordinator there.

 

I think you have the best part of your trip ahead of you, and if I had not done it myself, I would be pea green with jealousy.

[DMAB]

Hi Nikki

 

Does the reciprocity fee apply to Canadians as well? I thought it only applied to US citizens.

 

Looks like citizens of the GWN get by with only $70USD

http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/pantalla_principal/informacion_interes/imagenes/img_importante.jpg

[kluang]

Hi Linda,

Thank you very much for your posting and the detail description. Have fun and enjoy the rest of the cruise.

Bob & Joan

[Clay Clayton]

I was unaware that next season will be the Sun's LAST one to South America.... will NCL be sailing another ship there? Are they just doing away with SA intineraries altogether?

 

Sun's March 28th departure from Buenos Aires is the last South American cruise currently on NCL's schedule. Sun will be heading to Miami after dropping some of us off in Santiago and then on to Europe for the Summer and a drydock. It returns to the US next fall and will be ported at Cape Canaveral. So thank goodness - we jumped at the buy one get one 1/2 price sale this time last year...otherwise I doubt DDP and I would have been able to do South America.

 

Linda- Thanks for your great reporting - looking forward to hearing more.

[On2CDWrld]

Clay, Your enthusiasm early on on this roll call indicated to some us the value to be found on this cruise. Thanks again for your help and you don't have to mention the airfares or reciprocity fees or the challenging sailing conditions. Its going to be a voyage to remember.:)